Anthem MRX 700 AV Receiver Review!

[sandersen]

I know after I post my comment everyone is going to call me crazy and I am stupid. I purchased a MRX700 recently in Houston, TX. I paid $1700 taxes included for it. I have recently purchased some speakers from this dealer and this was the best price in the Houston area. For my room and my taste, I really enjoy my 700. For me it is enough power (I have 5 speaker setup) and I love the sound. I had a UMC-1 and sold it. There was nothing wrong with the UMC-1. For me I like the sound out of the 700 more than the sound out of the UMC-1 with an XPA-5. Once again I am not saying the UMC-1 is bad or anything else. I think it is personal taste.

[NorthStar]

You are not crazy and you are not stupid!

________________________________

BUT! ;D ... => Some More Info On The Anthem MRX 700 Receiver

Like I said, I got that mag at home:

1. No Multichannel Analog Input!
2. No Phono Input!
3. Only one HDMI Output!
4. You need a Laptop to use ARC.
5. And you need to know how to use it properly in order for your Laptop to recognize the Anthem receiver!
6. 96/24 content is a serious issue!
7. D/A Linearity is another serious issue!
8. Over at AVS Forum, few people are reporting issues (distortion) from the Center channel!
9. For $600 less ($550 exactly), you can get the Onkyo TX-NR3008!
10. The real power lab tests are nothing impressive!
{Actually, the Frequency Response (on high res audio material in the super high treble, which affect other parts of the auditory audio frequency range) is the worst I ever seen, and the Crosstalk is extremely poor! Other receivers that list for half what the 700 lists for have three times more power into five and seven channels driven continuously! Like for example the Onkyo TX-SR805. And for a receiver in it's price range like the Pioneer Elite SC-37. The SC-37 has 25 dB better Crosstalk!!!
To see what I'm talking about, just check those receiver's reviews at Home Theater Mag.}

* I am simply sharing information that's all! If you luv the sound of your MRX 700 receiver, that is all it truly counts! And if you don't have any issues or shortchanges, I fully respect your decision and I congratulate you on your purchase.

P.S. I truly believe that there are people who luv the sound of distortion! It is a signature, a mask that some people like.
Should I elaborate on this? Or are you familar with the tube's sound?

P.P.S. I am Canadian, and I'm proud of the great products made in my country. Several great speakers and some of the best electronics {Paradigm, PSB, Coincident, Newform Research, Mirage, Energy, PMC, Bryston, Anthem Statement pre/pro, Odyssee Motion Simulator, developed in Longueuil (Montreal), Quebec-based D-BOX Technology, Inc., etc.} are designed and also manufactured right here in the Great White North.
- The Anthem receivers are designed in Canada, and manufactured in China. Just for info, not to downplay!

[Bulletdodger]

The Anthem brand was just recently introduced here in Denmark and so far I'm not impressed. The line-up seems outdated and set-up doesn't strike me as intuitive.
Sound wise, I guess it's okey, but not something that blows my socks off....

[Bulletdodger]

Feb 25, 2011 11:24:08 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

The CIA in the United States of America (Langley) has some very sophisticated Satellite observation devices that can pinpoint with extreme accuracy, ANYONE on the planet, ANYWHERE, and at ANY GIVEN TIME!

Ahaa...I see. Hmmm, so...?
I'm sure they have better things to do, than look at me all day.

[flamingeye]

Yes and they can tap your phone line without a warrant since 9/11 too living free isn`t what it use to be

[NorthStar]

This thread, is it about Anthem receivers or the CIA or 911? ;D

* No absolute news if there will be an Anthem MRX 900 receiver.
Perhaps a 911 one!

And Anthem has some bugs in their receivers, of course, like anyone else.

[weird23]

LOTR,
I'm curious as to why you think Anthem power amps aren't very good. I've owned an MCA 50 before and while I wouldn't say it's the best amp I've ever heard it wasn't bad . Overall I thought it was slightly better sounding than any Emo amp that I've owned and the build quality was better. That being said you have to pay a lot more to get that little bit extra, as far as value per dollar spent the Emo was better. I was surprised at how close Emotiva came to the Anthem. At the moment I'm not using any power amps and have been contemplating trying a Wyred 4 Sound or Outlaw next.

[bobpensik]

I recently picked up an Anthem MRX-300 and I am loving it. I was aware of the limitations but so far they have had no impact on me. I love the sound and functions of the receiver. Just need an external amp and I'm good to go

[NorthStar]

Apr 5, 2011 20:26:58 GMT -5 weird23 said:

LOTR,
I'm curious as to why you think Anthem power amps aren't very good. I've owned an MCA 50 before and while I wouldn't say it's the best amp I've ever heard it wasn't bad . Overall I thought it was slightly better sounding than any Emo amp that I've owned and the build quality was better. That being said you have to pay a lot more to get that little bit extra, as far as value per dollar spent the Emo was better. I was surprised at how close Emotiva came to the Anthem. At the moment I'm not using any power amps and have been contemplating trying a Wyred 4 Sound or Outlaw next.

Anthem is not truly a value oriented company on amps.
Their budget amps are better than other brands but I believe that Emotiva outperform them easily in sheer power, dynamics, and overall sound quality.

If you read all the reviews about their PVA series, and even their MCA series, plus now their MRX receivers; you will notice first that their prices are higher than Emotiva amps (and other brand of receivers), plus their lab tests aren't exeptional either.

I have read several reviews of them over the years, and at one point in the past they were good value; but those days are gone now!

As for the lab tests (PVA series and MRX receivers in particular); they are now inferior to many competitors.

The price ratio performance is below other manufacturers.

As for the people who prefer their sound; that is exactly that!, a preference!

But they are much better at separate pre/pros though! That I give it to them very highly! But also more money.

- Are they using toroidals in their MRX receivers?
- What's the issue about their D/A Linearity?
- And high res audio material at 96/24 where the signal is radically cut off in the higher frequencies!
- Why do you think they skip the Phono section all together?
- And why why why aren't they offering Multichannel analog inputs???
- And come on now, only one HDMI output! And only four input ones!
- Check the lab tests from Home Theater and Sound + Vision;
and you'll see that their overall power is way below some other receivers that cost quite a bit less and offer much more features.
- The Crosstalk results are some of the worst I ever saw!
- And the worst Frequency Response at 50 Khz (in pure direct mode, if you can call it that now with our all digital receivers!), also that I ever saw!

I mean, I read reviews for over fourty years, and I know how to interpret measurements, plus how to decipher those reviewers from those obscure places!
Lol, it is clear the direction that is taken by some people!
And I don't care if it is from Canadians, Americans or anyone else!

My main objective here is to wait for intelligent data, and schare it with the rest of you guys; just like it truly is, no more no less!

But there is no way in the times we live now that we cannot compare with other products from other manufacturers. It is the way it is, and this is our indicator on what to base our opinions and remarks that are part of our final judgement, or ultimate purchase decisions!

We are a race of analysing humans, and we all have our own personal various set of measurements to evaluate.

My own personal life is in tumult right now trying to adapt with the harsh reality sometimes, and we all have to go through that once in a while; it is part of our constant initiation!
And if we think that we are above sometimes, well it's just a thought indeed!

Anyway, we all are good at something and less at others.
Anthem is not above everyone else!
Canadians or Americans are not better than the rest of the world! Perhaps on some things but certainly not all!

And I'm free to give my opinion with my full respect!
That's why I frequent forums like this here.

* I know less on the MCA series; mainly that they cost more money, and even more with the Statement series.
I look at the new Emotiva amp series, the XPR, and at the build quality, plus the parts; and the obvious becomes even more obvious to me.
Compared them: weights, parts, prices, sound, and pick your preference.

And call me Bob!

[NorthStar]

Apr 5, 2011 20:46:30 GMT -5 bobpensik said:

I recently picked up an Anthem MRX-300 and I am loving it. I was aware of the limitations but so far they have had no impact on me. I love the sound and functions of the receiver. Just need an external amp and I'm good to go

See, nothing new there!

* And you pick it because you 'prefer' it; you like its sound, and also probably ARC.

I'm not going to try changing your mind because I could do exactly the same as you!

But I will advise you to keep track with the Official Anthem receiver's thread over at AVS Forum.
- And also from the few points that I share right here with you all, in this thread for instance.
These are components that I take seriously at heart, and I research extensively everything there is to know about them!

-> There is only one person that you can fully trust in life, and you know who that is!
Me, I'm the second one!

Nice meeting you, Bob from Calgary!

[weird23]

I don't think anyone is going to consider Anthem a value leader when it comes to price, Emotiva has cornered that market and no one seems to be trying to compete with them. There are some things I'm not pleased with about the MRX that I own, mainly the bugs. I'm not very tolerant or patient when it comes to this time of thing and hope they are fixed soon or I will move on to something else. Some of the positives are, ARC is the first room correction software that I do not turn off when listening to music. I've owned a Denon receiver with Audyssey Multi EQ, a Pioneer with MCACC and a Marantz processor with Audyssey Multi EQ XT and ARC is superior to all of them. I also like that the Anthem has tamed a lot of the brightness I've experienced with other gear, the worst offender being the Pioneer Elite SC-07. As far as power it's not really any better or worse than the average AVR in real world applications to my ears. I've owned a UPA-5 before and don't think there's a whole lot of difference between that and a descent AVR in my room with my speakers. The MRX receivers do have a toroidal transformer but you have to step up to the MRX 700 to get it, the other two models use something different. I'm not trying to compare the PVA or MRX amps to Emo, I was just wondering why you thought Anthem power amps ( mainly the MCA series and above ) weren't very good. In what way are the Emo's superior in sound quality or is that just your preference? Just to let you know I sold my Anthem to buy an Emo but you may notice that I don't own any Emo's anymore either. I'm still looking for the one that suits me best.

[NorthStar]

I'm very curious: where did I said before than Anthem amps (in particular their MCA series, as well their Statement series, even their PVA series) 'weren't very good'?

I usually remember and know how I feel about many components, but please, can you refer to the post that made you say that?

____________________________

Looking at your signature, I would suggest an Emotiva XPA-2 plus an Emotiva XPA-5,
and perhaps an Integra DHC-80.2 pre/pro, or its Onkyo PR-SC5508 equivalent, or even a Marantz AV7005 pre/pro.
Or a pre/pro by Anthem? Perhaps a used one from Audiogon.

And an Oppo BDP-93 Universal Blu-ray player? Do you have some SACDs, DVD-Audios? HDCD encoded CDs?

I don't know, Emotiva amps suit me just fine; I don't have the need for better perfection. I'm just like anyone else here; I'm on a limited budget for quality products!
And I know exactly where to look!

* Did you sell your MRX 700 receiver? Was it because some issues with the Center channel, or Video issues, or firmware issues?
Or did you just return it to Anthem?

You have the speakers! And excellent ones too!
Now you need some serious separates for them!
A second sub too, eventually.

Did you ever consider the Onkyo TX-NR3008 receiver with perhaps the XPA-2?

UMC-1? ...UMC-2? ...Eventual XMC-1?

[weird23]

Apr 5, 2011 23:48:19 GMT -5 NorthStar said:

I'm very curious: where did I said before than Anthem amps (in particular their MCA series, as well their Statement series, even their PVA series) 'weren't very good'?

I usually remember and know how I feel about many components, but please, can you refer to the post that made you say that?

____________________________

Looking at your signature, I would suggest an Emotiva XPA-2 plus an Emotiva XPA-5,
and perhaps an Integra DHC-80.2 pre/pro, or its Onkyo PR-SC5508 equivalent, or even a Marantz AV7005 pre/pro.
Or a pre/pro by Anthem? Perhaps a used one from Audiogon.

And an Oppo BDP-93 Universal Blu-ray player? Do you have some SACDs, DVD-Audios? HDCD encoded CDs?

I don't know, Emotiva amps suit me just fine; I don't have the need for better perfection. I'm just like anyone else here; I'm on a limited budget for quality products!
And I know exactly where to look!

* Did you sell your MRX 700 receiver? Was it because some issues with the Center channel, or Video issues, or firmware issues?
Or did you just return it to Anthem?

You have the speakers! And excellent ones too!
Now you need some serious separates for them!
A second sub too, eventually.

Did you ever consider the Onkyo TX-NR3008 receiver with perhaps the XPA-2?

UMC-1? ...UMC-2? ...Eventual XMC-1?

Post #19 in this thread you said " And Anthem is not the best for power amps either! And that is well known." While you didn't say they were bad, the implication is there. Maybe it's just the way I'm reading it. I still have my MRX 700 and am waiting to see what the next firmware upgrade brings to the table before making any moves. I owned the Marantz AV 7005 before the Anthem and wasn't a fan of it, it doesn't have the Marantz signature sound anymore. Sounds more like a Denon than anything else. I was using five UPA-1's with the Marantz and they were descent, I just didn't like all the power cords everywhere and I would have had to add two more. That's why I'm interested in Wyred 4 Sound, a much smaller package. I'm afraid until Emo gets some real room correction instead of Emo-Q and changes the bass management the Emo processors are just not what I'm looking for. Funny you should mention the bdp, it's laser is misaligned again as of yesterday so an Oppo is being ordered at the end of the week. I'm hoping to add another sub sometime around X-mas this year, not sure which direction to go yet though. I'm glad you've found what you like in Emo, unfortunately I'm not quite there yet with amps and AVR/Processors yet. I like the way the Anthem sounds, just don't like the bugs.

[NorthStar]

Thanks for the very clear reply weird.

I should have mentioned before why I said what I said regarding the Anthem amps.
I was thinking on their PVA series specifically, from some reviews I read.
One of them is from Audioholics, another from UltimateAV Mag.

And their higher end models I know very little (MCA and Statement series).

Parasound amps are good. And Audiogon is your financial friend.

Panasonic BD players don't last! Their laser optics get out of whack for reading Blu-ray discs!
My DMP-BD55 is at the tech shop and waiting for my decision on the full replacement of the laser assembly! No way! Gotta buy another BD player, and Oppo seems to be one of the very best for build quality and reliability.

I had 8-track cassettes from the 60s, turntables from the 60s, cassette decks from the seventies, VHS from the 80s, I had CD players from the mid 80s, I had DVD players from back in 1997, I had HD DVD players from 2006, I had BD players from 2007; and Blu-ray players and disc compatibility and HDMI have been the most problematic and frustrating experiences of my entire audio life from the last 40 years+!

I'm not a big Marantz fan (only on some of their vintage gear), and I find the Marantz sound too artificial for my own personal taste. Same with lots of Denon gear.
Yamaha is another animal with its extensive DSPs which I get tired real quick, but I like more its overall sound signature as compared to the Denon and Marantz sound.

Onkyo/Integra is closer to the Yamaha sound. To my ears at least.

But everyone has some annoying flaws! ...Yamaha, Onkyo, Anthem, Arcam, Rotel, NAD, Sherwood, Pioneer, Sony, ...

Today we don't choose the best component, we choose the flaws that we can live with and the time we'll be living with that component; which is usually short!

Before I experiment subliminal bliss on this Earth I will be long time gone, dead!
The only souvenir from my short sejour would be a simple illusion!
Not only about audio, but about everything else in life! ...Blood in blood out!

Don't you like it? Talking with Bob the Canadian Frenchman? ;D

And Emotiva is still the wild card in all of this! You know what I'm saying? Tough ride with the UMC-1, but other manufacturers have also their fair share of issues! When you really get down to it; deep and dirty, way of speech...

I'm tired...

[htmtl]

another MRX-700 review : www.anthemav.com/downloads/anthem/a-v-receiver/mrx-500/reviews/mrx-700-review-home-tech-tell/download

[erict]

I picked up the 300 a couple weeks ago and love this Anthem. I can't comment of the difference between MCACC and Audyssey but can say it trumps YPAO. Others who have used MCACC and Audyssey including XT32 feel it does a better job from what I have read. It is like I bought new speakers all over again. As far as only having one HDMI out, I believe this is not a big deal for the majority of people out there. It doesn't have all the bell and whistles but I don't need or would even use most of that stuff. I just want great SQ and the MRX delivers. As for the center speakers dialogue issue, there was only about three reports of this and some resolved it with repositioning the center speaker and re-running ARC. The two main issues at the moment are popping noise when changing codics and true pass through on 1080p/24. There is a firmware release that is due shortly to resolve this. I don't have a display that is 1080p/24 native so that does not apply to me at the moment but I do hear the popping noise through my speakers when there is a codic change but it is hardly audible to me. ARC is easy to run and if used with the correct keyspan adapter one will not have issues. Anthem has a great reputation of quality products and even though there are some bugs, I'm sure these will be resolved with firmware updates. Some manufactures have some issues out of the gate and in time get corrected with the help of owners, look at OPPO. With Anthem and OPPO's great customer service I know they will be on top of it, try to communicate and or get an issue addressed with the other big manufactures. Good luck.

[NorthStar]

May 26, 2011 8:16:55 GMT -5 htmtl said:

another MRX-700 review : www.anthemav.com/downloads/anthem/a-v-receiver/mrx-500/reviews/mrx-700-review-home-tech-tell/download

Thanks for the link!

* And it's nice to see a picture of its internals with that toroidal.

[bootman]

May 26, 2011 8:16:55 GMT -5 htmtl said:

another MRX-700 review : www.anthemav.com/downloads/anthem/a-v-receiver/mrx-500/reviews/mrx-700-review-home-tech-tell/download

...and another.
www.digitaltrends.com/receivers-separates-amps-reviews/anthem-mrx-700-review/

and another.
www.soundandvisionmag.com/anthem_MRX_700_receiver

[restless]

I have had the MRX-500 for about 2 weeks now. The first run of ARC made everything better. And it just kept getting better as I started working with the Software, then I stopped playing and just enjoyed the sound.
I am looking to add a XPA-3 for the L/R/C channels (B&W 704 and HTM 7). The surrounds are Polk LSi7 and LSi15 for the rears. B&W 730 for the Sub.

The MRX-500 is adequate in power, but no exceptional. I still have my B&K 507 that originally powered the speakers, but the MRX-500 sounds better than the amp with more power.

I will be making the decision on the XPA3 before July 4th for sure.

I also found the media Internet selection has been working quite well. Can't wait for the iPod dock. The OPPO 93 works especially well, and with SACD produces some really nice sound.

I am very happy with the MRX-500, and I still cannot use full power in my Condo setting. But, as usually, more power WOULD be nice....

John

[ausman]

1 toroidal to 5-7 channels isn't going to push a full rating of 90-120 watts, I think the boffin mag made the reviewer pissed himself with glee, with 1 toroidal in use I would say the max rating will be pushing 15-25% less than max rating anthem has given mrx-700, I would say say if you thried to run full rating I woud say the protection circuit will go off..