Anthem MRX 700 AV Receiver Review!

[NorthStar]

But hey, Anthem is Canadian, so don't be too harsh please!
And they are good friends with Paradigm; their sister actually!

Don't use that receiver with a pair of Reference Studio 100s!!! Go for an XPA-2 instead! Trust me!

[hammmerhead]

Feb 25, 2011 17:49:21 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

Feb 25, 2011 15:41:43 GMT -5 hammmerhead said:

Agreed.

To be picky, the frequency response isnt up to par with the upper mainstream AVR's as well. The sucker needs to sound like a clean Mac amp to ask that kind of money for it.

Too bad we cant see numbers like this out of it. Would be nice to have this kind of headroom out of a class A/B AVR.

HT Labs Measures
Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 135.7 watts
1% distortion at 171.9 watts

Seven channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 125.4 watts
1% distortion at 164.7 watts

Pioneer Elite SC-37.



You guessed it! Wait a minute you have all the latest AVR bench tests memorized dont you!

The 37 would be on my list if it had Audyssey and was a Class A/B. I guess there is no perfect "all in one box"

[NorthStar]

Feb 25, 2011 17:55:12 GMT -5 hammmerhead said:

Feb 25, 2011 17:49:21 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

Feb 25, 2011 15:41:43 GMT -5 hammmerhead said:

Agreed.

To be picky, the frequency response isnt up to par with the upper mainstream AVR's as well. The sucker needs to sound like a clean Mac amp to ask that kind of money for it.

Too bad we cant see numbers like this out of it. Would be nice to have this kind of headroom out of a class A/B AVR.

HT Labs Measures
Five channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 135.7 watts
1% distortion at 171.9 watts

Seven channels driven continuously into 8-ohm loads:
0.1% distortion at 125.4 watts
1% distortion at 164.7 watts

Pioneer Elite SC-37.



You guessed it! Wait a minute you have all the latest AVR bench tests memorized dont you!

The 37 would be on my list if it had Audyssey and was a Class A/B. I guess there is no perfect "all in one box"

I actually have a book where I write all the results from the lab tests performed on ALL receivers, from All the Audio mags and that are classified by MSRP and also by year & manufacturer. Plus their net weights, and much much more... for the most up-to-date set of vital informations!

I am really into the Bible of all A/V Receivers, Pre/Pros, and Multichannel Power Amplifiers. ...And that since the mid seventies!
My library of audio magazines is very extended as I used to subscribe to all North American audio mags plus several from the UK as well!
But now with the Internet I don't subscribe as much as I used to.
And I ain't BS you either!

Bob

[NorthStar]

...Also, I gathered all pertinent information on CD players, DVD players, Universal DVD players, HD DVD players, Blu-ray players, HD Combo players, Universal Blu-ray players, SACD players; and all their power supplies, DACs, made of capacitors, op-amps, digital filters, resistors, and full implementation of ALL the parts! Plus their net weight as well, the origin and made of the transport (disc-tray mechanism) and all the rear jacks, and their internal Bass Management, plus a whole lot more...

And I still do!

[Deleted]

I think most of us can agree, just based on specs, pretty much everything walks all over this thing LOL!! Heck, I get that much power out of my onkyo 607 and it was $300!

[NorthStar]

And Street price is also the true realistic indicator representing overall Value!

* You don't compare one from itself but always from others! And one is never bad, but just less valuable overall!

And true value is different for each one of us!

But here we all agree about the real Value of Emotiva amps and some...

[Deleted]

Street price here in Winnipeg is $1700. I was in a frew weeks ago and the dealer said thats what it will be and no discounts lol

[NorthStar]

You can get a top gun Onkyo receiver for less than half of that! Or about right that, half!
And some nice Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer, Marantz receivers also for half of that!

The Canadian list price of the MRX 700 must be around $2,200 or so. Do you know?

[Deleted]

I don't know what the list price is, I was interested in the 700 a while ago and would drop in to the dealer every week or 2 for info. I bought all my MA gear off of them as well as all my old
Paradigm gear. For $1700 I think pretty much anything you get would be better.
The REAL killer for me was the 4 hdmi inputs!

4??? man what are we, in 2006? LOL

[NorthStar]

I hear you! ...And only ONE HDMI out!

* This receiver was certainly not made in Winnipeg!

[Deleted]

Feb 25, 2011 18:13:43 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

...Also, I gathered all pertinent information on CD players, DVD players, Universal DVD players, HD DVD players, Blu-ray players, HD Combo players, Universal Blu-ray players, SACD players; and all their power supplies, DACs, made of capacitors, op-amps, digital filters, resistors, and full implementation of ALL the parts! Plus their net weight as well, the origin and made of the transport (disc-tray mechanism) and all the rear jacks, and their internal Bass Management, plus a whole lot more...

And I still do!

seriously? wow, that's cool

[Deleted]

Feb 25, 2011 18:04:49 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

I actually have a book where I write all the results from the lab tests performed on ALL receivers, from All the Audio mags and that are classified by MSRP and also by year & manufacturer. Plus their net weights, and much much more... for the most up-to-date set of vital informations!

I am really into the Bible of all A/V Receivers, Pre/Pros, and Multichannel Power Amplifiers. ...And that since the mid seventies!
My library of audio magazines is very extended as I used to subscribe to all North American audio mags plus several from the UK as well!
But now with the Internet I don't subscribe as much as I used to.
And I ain't BS you either!

Bob

I want to party with you, cowboy

[NorthStar]

Now don't be so silly! ;D

[NorthStar]

Here's a Canadian review of the Anthem MRX 500 receiver:

Anthem MRX 500 AV Receiver Review

* Just click on the above in blue letters.

[anthonya]

i would like to say that the anthem mrx500 that i own wont win any contests for power ratings, etc. but i paid for the ARC and thats what i got. did it absolutely destroy my previous onkyo, then denon 4311? yes and yes! ARC is totally customizable to get house curves, etc. and gives you amazing software to play with to see all your responses, calcs, and where you want your FR to be. whereas audyssey is what it is. even the pro isn't as good IMO as ARC. dynamics, details and soundstage have come alive in my setup and it truly is the best bargain in receivers currently available. is it underpowered? sure. spec wise, the amp section is half what other units are. but the sound quality it provides is unparalleled. i only use the amp section to power my 4 surrounds and it is plenty. i used to power all 7 of my klipsch ultra 2 speakers in my HT and i wasn't needing of anything more. i did end up getting a separate amp for the LCR's and now my setup is even better, but i can't stress enough for people here to try it and compare it to audyssey, MCACC, etc. you will be surprised.

PS i currently have an anthem MCA30 amp for the LCR's but im thinking of getting either UPA-1 or XPA series to see what im missing!

[NorthStar]

ARC is the new kid on the block!

Audyssey is not good with Music, and yesterday I was experimenting with Audyssey MultEQ with Movies this time, and here's what I found:
Without Audyssey the soundstage is wider aqnd deeper, the vocals are clearer, the surround effects more precise and detailed. Better involvement with the real sound!
With Audyssey engaged, the soundtage became flat, the surround envelopment was dull, the dialog was muffled, the overall sound was less involving and enthralling.
* The only thing that was better was the Subwoofer channel with better tightness.

ARC gives you much better level of customisation from various target curves; a much better mic, a real mic stand, a software disc, a much better thought and implementation!

Of course the power thing is somehow not up to it, as you have some receivers that have more real true power into seven channels driven than the MRX 700 into only two channels driven (8 Ohms). And they cost about the same or even less! Just check the lab tests and you'll see!
Anthem ain't ICE and it only weights 35 pounds, so!

But ARC is the true deal here, and it seems to _____ easily Audyssey MultEQ XT and YPAO.
No wonder, Audyssey is NIL for customisation; and even if you pay an additional $600 for the Pro kit you still don't have the level of ARC's customisation!

The more I read from owners that compared ARC with Audyssey MultEQ XT and YPAO, the more I like what I'm reading about ARC!

For sure, you do need a laptop, but this is the world we live in now! You gotta measure with intelligence an EQ with flair! And it seems that ARC provides it!

[NorthStar]

...By the way, I just wrote a much longer post that the one above, with much better details and smart comments that were backed up by common sense and real results!

But near the end I accidently click on [Ctrl], and pouf! All gone!

ARC can only get better from right here. {MRX 900)

________________________________

Now, please Anthem, give us a pre/pro that retails for between $999 & $1,399 that has ARC with even more processing power (DSP chips), even better sound, Multichannel Analog Input, and simply similar to what your receivers give us, but take the transformer out, the heatsink out, the power transistors out, the full amplification stage out, and simply add XLR connections, and gives us a small toroidal for the preamp stage, and a great multichannel analog section!
We know you can do it; Canadians can do great things, and just do it!

We live in the year 2011, and the times they are a changin!
And who knows what will happen at the end of 2012.

__________________________________________

And Audyssey! Time to get on with the program! I think! Because from a true perspective Audyssey seems to be more detrimemental than beneficial! There is more than just Bass in life! The more I listen to Audyssey MultEQ XT and the more I disengage it, the more I hear the true essence of Sound! And from my ears, Music sounds much better without, and Movies now start to also make more sense without it as well!
Only in the Subwoofer channel that I hear a better controlled bass with better definition!
But everywhere else, NO!

I'm saying it as I hear it! No more no less! No BS at all!

...Now I will have to hear ARC for myself in my own system...

[NorthStar]

...And that's not all, much more to come... I'll be back!

[NorthStar]

The more I read about ARC from the MRX 500 and MRX 700 receivers; mainly from the owners that compared it with Audyssey MultEQ XT and YPAO, the more I became enthralled.

* Of course the power thing is not the thing here as some receivers that cost about the same or even less, have more real power into seven channels driven than the MRX 700 with only two channels driven (8 Ohms)! ...Just check the lab tests and you'll see what I'm saying!
It ain't ICE and it weights only 35 pounds, so!

** But the deal here is ARC! And the better mic, and the stand, and the software, and the options, is all better thought and smartly implemented!

*** As a matter fact, I hate Audyssey with Music, and last night I was experimenting some more but this time with Movies.
Here's what I heard: without Aydyssey MultEQ XT, the soundstage was deeper, the voices clearer, the surround effects more involving with better definition!
With Audyssey engaged, the soundstage was flat, the surround envelopment was dull, and the overall sound simply lacking in precision and excitement!
The only thing that was better was the Subwoofer channel with tighter bass.

And I'm not dreaming; I listened very carefully!

Now, ARC so far seems to be better than Audyssey MultEQ, according to all what I read so far, and it has me mesmerized!
And it all makes sense too as you can customise your own various target curves!
With Audyssey you CAN'T! Even if you pay $600 more to have the Pro kit, you still don't have the level of customisation of ARC!

And that is the new kid on the block! ...And from here it can only get better! {MRX 900}

Now! Give us some pre/pros in the $1,000-1,500 target curve range!

[NorthStar]

...The MRX 900 AV Receiver is expensive though!