Yamaha or Anthem?

[nathan_h]

As if the OP needs another opinion, but having lived with Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Anthem, Emotiva, NuForce and Outlaw processors or AVRs over the years, I have found that the most audible difference between them is in how they handle room correction. Of these I prefer Anthem Room Correction, but full fat Audyssey and YPAO are also quite workable.

 

[Automaton25]

As if the OP needs another opinion, but having lived with Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, Onkyo, Anthem, Emotiva, NuForce and Outlaw processors or AVRs over the years, I have found that the most audible difference between them is in how they handle room correction. Of these I prefer Anthem Room Correction, but full fat Audyssey and YPAO are also quite workable.

Thank you for the input! From what I gather, in this price point (give or take a few hundred dollars) everything is made from the same generic components. It makes sense that, from a sonic standpoint, they would all be pretty much the same. The 3600 has the multiEQ 32xt which worked reasonably well in my room. It underplayed the subwoofer a lot (I'm a big fan of the Rhythmik 15HP) but that was easily adjustable.

 

[nathan_h]

xt32 is a great system now that there is the app to customize the curve

 

[PENG]

The listening stage is relatively small. Maybe 8 feet. Volume isn't terribly loud. I get about 100 degrees on the grill on top of the Denon. The speakers are crossed at 9hz so that helps a lot with power consumption.

Is there a fan you recommend? Do you just put something like a computer case fan in there?

I used the AC Infinity USB fans.

One 120 mm fan at low speed should suffice.

Amazon.com: AC Infinity MULTIFAN S3, Quiet 120mm USB Fan, UL-Certified for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Computer Cabinet Cooling: Computers & Accessories

 

[Automaton25]

I used the AC Infinity USB fans.

One 120 mm fan at low speed should suffice.

Amazon.com: AC Infinity MULTIFAN S3, Quiet 120mm USB Fan, UL-Certified for Receiver DVR Playstation Xbox Computer Cabinet Cooling: Computers & Accessories

Thank you, I'll have to grab one. I always thought it was odd manufacturers didn't install a fan at the factory.

 

[lovinthehd]

Thank you, I'll have to grab one. I always thought it was odd manufacturers didn't install a fan at the factory.

I think your unit does have fans, but not as good as adding your own Coolerguys.com is another source....

 

[PENG]

Thank you, I'll have to grab one. I always thought it was odd manufacturers didn't install a fan at the factory.

Yours do have two fans under the heatsinks. They are are controlled by the temperature controlled and appear to have been factory set to start at fairly high temperature to avoid users complaints about the fan noise. That may be fine for Denon/Marantz to minimize warranty claims but for us users, the factory set point is just too high for comfort. With external fan(s), you control when it is going to run or stop.

 

[PENG]

I am a big a fan of Paradigm/Anthem, as I used to have the AVM50 Pre/Pro years back. It was built like a tank, sounded great and felt I had very good support from Anthem/Paradigm if I had questions. I used Yamaha receivers back in the day and have a lower end Costo Yamaha TSR-7850 model in the bedroom now.

That being said, if AcuDefTechGuy member on this site has another 2080 for sale in the future, I would jump on it in a heartbeat. He gets a price lower than the Anthem considerably. Sonically, I don't think you would be able to tell the difference between the two and the Yamaha has slightly more power than the Anthem MRX 540 w more channels of amplification.

I do give the Anthem points in "Sexy looking AVR" catagory, but all things considered at that price point, you do get a lot more value from the Yamaha.

I just read the ASR review on the AVM60 and remember you are a fan. From that review, I thought if you are considering switching back from Marantz to Anthem, you probably should wait until the 2020/21 models are reviewed/measured by ASR or Hometheaterhifi. I am sure the AVM60's much poorer measurements than the AV8805 and the Denon AVRs in just about all categories (THD, noise, IMD, linearity etc.), would not sound worse, or better as such in real world use though so if it is the look, perceived reliability etc. that are more important to you then it doesn't matter, but then you never know how bad, or good the new models would do on the bench.

Anthem AVM60 Review (AV Processor) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

Note that it actually did better than the AV7705. The 92 dB SINAD as shown is for reduced output voltage, if based on the apples to apples 4 V XLR output the Marantz would be about 75 dB iirc. So on this criteria it did just about as good as you Marantz, but IMD and DR were much worse.

 

[Cos]

I just read the ASR review on the AVM60 and remember you are a fan. From that review, I thought if you are considering switching back from Marantz to Anthem, you probably should wait until the 2020/21 models are reviewed/measured by ASR or Hometheaterhifi. I am sure the AVM60's much poorer measurements than the AV8805 and the Denon AVRs in just about all categories (THD, noise, IMD, linearity etc.), would not sound worse, or better as such in real world use though so if it is the look, perceived reliability etc. that are more important to you then it doesn't matter, but then you never know how bad, or good the new models would do on the bench.

Anthem AVM60 Review (AV Processor) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

Note that it actually did better than the AV7705. The 92 dB SINAD as shown is for reduced output voltage, if based on the apples to apples 4 V XLR output the Marantz would be about 75 dB iirc. So on this criteria it did just about as good as you Marantz, but IMD and DR were much worse.

View attachment 44353

I am a fan of Anthem, I never said I was a fan of the AVM60... In fact I even commented on the build quality issues they had with their receivers early on according to my dealer. It's part of the reason I never even considered that model of pre/pro. (same looking form factor) Being a fan of, and being a blind fan are two different things. I was looking at the AVM70.

The graphs are nice, but unless you can quantify that into an audible difference I can actually hear, it's really just personal choice. I also made the comment that I received excellent customer service from Anthem, I can not say the same from Marantz. All of the nice graphs are not going to fix that problem. Look at my setups, they are mostly Marantz. That will be changing, when I do decide to upgrade, though the AV8802A has worked flawlessly for me and I am not in a hurry.

 

[PENG]

I am a fan of Anthem, I never said I was a fan of the AVM60... In fact I even commented on the build quality issues they had with their receivers early on according to my dealer. It's part of the reason I never even considered that model of pre/pro. (same looking form factor) Being a fan of, and being a blind fan are two different things. I was looking at the AVM70.

The graphs are nice, but unless you can quantify that into an audible difference I can actually hear, it's really just personal choice. I also made the comment that I received excellent customer service from Anthem, I can not say the same from Marantz. All of the nice graphs are not going to fix that problem. Look at my setups, they are mostly Marantz. That will be changing, when I do decide to upgrade, though the AV8802A has worked flawlessly for me and I am not in a hurry.

I know, but the only one reviewed/measured was the 60 and I just wonder if you have seen the measurements that's all, and just in case.. The 70 will obviously have additional features but audio quality related stuff would likely (not sure of course) not changed much if at all. The measurements (from both HTHI and ASR) seemed to show noise might have been the cause of the less than SOTA bench performance. For HDMI inputs the results were very close to that of the AV8805/8802A and I don't believe there would be audible difference. I am not so sure about the results for the analog inputs, that does look a little high for my comfort but ymmv..

 

[Cos]

I know, but the only one reviewed/measured was the 60 and I just wonder if you have seen the measurements that's all, and just in case.. The 70 will obviously have additional features but audio quality related stuff would likely (not sure of course) not changed much if at all. The measurements (from both HTHI and ASR) seemed to show noise might have been the cause of the less than SOTA bench performance. For HDMI inputs the results were very close to that of the AV8805/8802A and I don't believe there would be audible difference. I am not so sure about the results for the analog inputs, that does look a little high for my comfort but ymmv..

Originally my main reasons for changing were Dolby Vision (which I found out my AV8802A supports) and 120 for the Xbox 1SX and PS5. I also use ARC (Audio Return Channel) though I also used ARC room correction when I had my AVM 50. eARC was appealing. The AVM70 also uses upgraded DACs from the AVM 60 (AKM AK4458) to the AKM AK 4490EQ. My AV8802A also uses some version of the 4490 as well, so not really an upgrade there. A this point I have a wait and see approach, and unless my future projector purchase supports 120 fps, which I don't think any currently do, I have no reason to upgrade.

 

[PENG]

Originally my main reasons for changing were Dolby Vision (which I found out my AV8802A supports) and 120 for the Xbox 1SX and PS5. I also use ARC (Audio Return Channel) though I also used ARC room correction when I had my AVM 50. eARC was appealing. The AVM70 also uses upgraded DACs from the AVM 60 (AKM AK4458) to the AKM AK 4490EQ. My AV8802A also uses some version of the 4490 as well, so not really an upgrade there. A this point I have a wait and see approach, and unless my future projector purchase supports 120 fps, which I don't think any currently do, I have no reason to upgrade.

Haha if you wait long enough, you may be tempted by more contenders such as the Marantz AV8806 and Yamaha's CX-A5300. The AVM70 does seem to have a price advantage, I say seem, because the 8K/HDMI2.1 is apparently a paid hardware upgrade.

 

[Erod]

I just read the ASR review on the AVM60 and remember you are a fan. From that review, I thought if you are considering switching back from Marantz to Anthem, you probably should wait until the 2020/21 models are reviewed/measured by ASR or Hometheaterhifi. I am sure the AVM60's much poorer measurements than the AV8805 and the Denon AVRs in just about all categories (THD, noise, IMD, linearity etc.), would not sound worse, or better as such in real world use though so if it is the look, perceived reliability etc. that are more important to you then it doesn't matter, but then you never know how bad, or good the new models would do on the bench.

Anthem AVM60 Review (AV Processor) | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum

Note that it actually did better than the AV7705. The 92 dB SINAD as shown is for reduced output voltage, if based on the apples to apples 4 V XLR output the Marantz would be about 75 dB iirc. So on this criteria it did just about as good as you Marantz, but IMD and DR were much worse.

View attachment 44353

All you have to do is look at the scores of some of the craptastic processors he has at the top of his score list to understand his lacking abilities to measure an amplifier.

The AVM60 was the most rock-solid and best-sounding processor I've owned, and I've had a pretty long list of them. My only hope for the AVM70 is that it is just as good, but with 15 channels.

 

[lovinthehd]

All you have to do is look at the scores of some of the craptastic processors he has at the top of his score list to understand his lacking abilities to measure an amplifier.

The AVM60 was the most rock-solid and best-sounding processor I've owned, and I've had a pretty long list of them. My only hope for the AVM70 is that it is just as good, but with 15 channels.

Processors have amplifiers? You have a better understanding of measurements/measuring? It's not a preference rating or a "how does this sound to me" type of ranking.....some like distortion apparently. Just look at tubes and vinyl (which are lo-fi I suppose if there's a use for such a silly term).

 

[Auditor55]

Hello Everyone,

I have a one year old Denon AVR x3600h. I wasn't terribly impressed with it from day one, but it was significantly better than what I had. Over the months, it has started developing some issues and Denon support has been all but useless. The receiver randomly switches inputs (usually to Spotify, but sometimes to unused inputs). The other day it randomly increased the volume. On a separate occasion, it played video with no sound until the quick select was pressed a second time. Denon pretty much told me someone hacked my wi-fi and made the unit do it because it is impossible otherwise.

So, the real purpose of this post is what is the better bang for the buck? Yamaha RX-A2080 (or 1080) or the Anthem MRX540? I know the MRX 540 hasn't been released yet so we can compare it to the 530. The 2080 is the same price with more features that I don't foresee using in the near future (I don't use any of the bells and whistles on the Denon). I know Yamaha has a long history of reliability and excellent sound quality. Anthem came highly recommended from the local audio shop and seems to be highly rated amongst reviewers. Does anyone have first hand experience with both/either?

My current setup is a large room 20'x25'x with vaulted ceilings to about 18' high. I have a 5.1 system consisting of ELAC uni-fi B5 (front, center, and rears) and a Rhythmik Fv15HP. I will be moving in the next couple years to a larger home which hopefully has a better setup and will allow me to expand to Atmos, but who knows at this point.

I use the system for music, movies, and TV. I listen to all genres of music with no preference for any one genre overall. Movies are listened to relatively loud, though probably not quite reference volume (my circuit can't handle all of the audio equipment with the sub that loud)

Yamaha

 

[Am_P]

Hello Everyone,

I have a one year old Denon AVR x3600h. I wasn't terribly impressed with it from day one, but it was significantly better than what I had. Over the months, it has started developing some issues and Denon support has been all but useless. The receiver randomly switches inputs (usually to Spotify, but sometimes to unused inputs). The other day it randomly increased the volume. On a separate occasion, it played video with no sound until the quick select was pressed a second time. Denon pretty much told me someone hacked my wi-fi and made the unit do it because it is impossible otherwise.

So, the real purpose of this post is what is the better bang for the buck? Yamaha RX-A2080 (or 1080) or the Anthem MRX540? I know the MRX 540 hasn't been released yet so we can compare it to the 530. The 2080 is the same price with more features that I don't foresee using in the near future (I don't use any of the bells and whistles on the Denon). I know Yamaha has a long history of reliability and excellent sound quality. Anthem came highly recommended from the local audio shop and seems to be highly rated amongst reviewers. Does anyone have first hand experience with both/either?

My current setup is a large room 20'x25'x with vaulted ceilings to about 18' high. I have a 5.1 system consisting of ELAC uni-fi B5 (front, center, and rears) and a Rhythmik Fv15HP. I will be moving in the next couple years to a larger home which hopefully has a better setup and will allow me to expand to Atmos, but who knows at this point.

I use the system for music, movies, and TV. I listen to all genres of music with no preference for any one genre overall. Movies are listened to relatively loud, though probably not quite reference volume (my circuit can't handle all of the audio equipment with the sub that loud)

Andrew Jones has noted before that he uses Yamaha's gear during the process of voicing his speakers for 2 channel and multichannel applications. Since your speakers were designed by him, it would be safe to say that Yamaha's gear should pair quite well with his stuff.