audyssey xt-32 vs. anthem ARC

[ratso]

discuss? [url=http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys.php][/URL]

 

[agarwalro]

Damn impressive sig there Ratso!

I'll just cut to the chase, no point upgrading your Denon receiver by getting the D2 on the classifieds here .

 

[ratso]

hah, D2 is a bit too much for me. i was thinking more along the lines of the new MRX. you can finally get ARC in a pretty cheap package. a few threads like this have been started, but not much response. i think there hasn't been too many people who have heard both (and the crickets are chirping loudly in this thread too ). kal from stereophile said he has heard both and prefers audyssey, but that's the only thing i've found. just curious mostly.

 

[cpp]

I don't think any forum owners or editors of stereo/HT mag's have ever compared the 2 side by side

 

[Warpdrv]

Well for starters - since the ARC on the Anthem Receivers is a watered down version - I wouldn't know how it compares to the full blown XT32...


But seeing as there is no difference in electronics from what everyone states - what difference does it make what you get - they all sound the same...

 

[its phillip]

Nobody is stating that room correction algorithms/dsp/etc sound the same.

 

[Warpdrv]

No worries Philip. I'm just playing around

 

[its phillip]

Sometimes it's hard to tell over the internet

 

[Parrot_HD]

I read alot about the Anthem MRX/ARC package and bought the MRX300 thinking it was going to make a huge difference for my room. I tried to convince myself that the ARC room correction sounded better but to my ears there was no significant difference either good or bad. Maybe if I could do a direct A/B comparison the difference would be more revealing.

In the end I ended up going back to my SC-09tx which I believe has the stronger amplifier section with the ICE technolgy and I'm getting ready to put the Anthem MRX300 up for sale.

 

[agarwalro]

Here is Warp's exhaustive MRX300 thread on AVS. Break out the popcorn for real, 101 pages of all the discussion you can digest...

Q: How does the MRX 300/500/700 ARC implementation compare to D2v/AVM50v?
A: ARC consists of software that runs on a user-supplied computer which calculates a room correction solution and a DSP chip in the receiver which implements it. The ARC software is the same for all Anthem A/V receivers and processors. The MRX DSP is about half as powerful as that in the D2v/AVM50v.

Nick @ Anthem elaborates: [strike]Here[/strike]
MRX 300/500/700 DSP has around the same amount of number crunching ability as anything in the price range, which is around half as much as AVM/D prepros using ARC (and PBK for that matter), which have as much as pro systems in the five figures. This means that MRX 300/500/700 corrected response usually does not meet target response as closely as AVM/D, though it's also usually not too far off.
The other difference is that correction range not only defaults to 5 kHz but cannot be made to go higher. Correction above 5 kHz is not normally recommended regardless.
Another difference not dependent on ARC is that MRX DSP uses crossover frequencies of 60, 80, 100, 120, and 150 whereas AVM/D allows 25-160 in 5 Hz steps. It relates because ARC selects the crossover frequencies based on in-room measured response.
The practical difference depends on the amount of correction the room speaker/combo needs, and this varies greatly. MRX-ARC still improves things regardless, using the same principles as the other ARC.

Here is what I said about Anthem ARC vs Audessy Room Correction in this thread.

I am not sure if the MRX300 or SRX receivers get the ARC Advanced version or a dummed down "auto eq". The ARC Advanced is much more involved than any auto eq, with its PC interface, FR plots and the works. Here is a review of the ARC Advanced Software that ships (or retrofits) with the D2, Anthem Room Correction (ARC) for the Anthem D1 and D2 SSP.

All that said, I have no idea how ARC implemented in the MRX/SRX receivers compares to Audessy in Denons or YAPO in Yammahas. The best I can offer is a quote from this thread, http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=800939

The crux of the matter,

Appropriately responded with,

Who told you that the sound would improve? The thing is that there many a audiophile out there who automatically assume that a boutique brand will sound better then your standard consumer brand...such as the case we have here. Anthem makes excellent products but so does Yamaha. The pre-amps in both are very good, so good that you would not hear a difference between the two in a DBT. The specs may be better on the Yamaha than the Anthem but even the Anthems specs are so far below the point of being audable that it becomes a moot point. What it comes down to is ARC verses YPAO. ARC is better than YPAO but like I said before, I have a receiver with YPAO and I'm very pleased with the results. If you're happy with your Yamaha, save your money for a speaker upgrade, display upgrade, subwoofer upgrade, room acoustic upgrades or more music/Blu Rays. If it ain't broke, don't look to fix it.

 

[Warpdrv]

Here is Warp's exhaustive MRX300 thread on AVS.

Yeah I stepped up to the plate when those first came out to make a thread for the masses - haven't really been in there after the first few pages...