*Official Thread* Anthem AVM 70 & 90 and MRX 540, 740 & 1140

[desray]

PART II

Calibration

Now comes the easier part. Simply download the Anthem ARC Genesis calibration software (the latest version is 1.5.4 Beta). This is by far the most stable version of ARC Genesis that you can download for calibration. In order to use this version, you will need to ensure that the MRX 1140 firmware receives the latest update.

Make sure to use the new silver stock microphone that comes along with the package. Follow through the guide and remember to at least 5 seating positions with varying distance (within 60 cm apart from the last position) and height to allow ARC Genesis to capture a more 3D mapping of the entire listening room.

House Curve implementation between Anthem Room Correction (ARC) and Audyssey?

The fundamentals for both are pretty much the same in this aspect except ARC utilize what we called natural “Room Gain” as opposed to Audyssey’s Dynamic EQ. ARC uses room mode as its ally to determine how much increase in the modal frequency region to achieve to get that desired harmon curve (or house curve) while Audyssey rely on Dynamic EQ (DEQ) to determine the level of output that it needs to churn out by analysing different scenes. Audyssey’s DEQ certainly sounded much more sophisticated in that sense but, it is a hit-or-miss for most. Some have achieved great results with DEQ turned “on” while others not so much. In fact, most prefer to turn DEQ “off” as it almost consistently sounded too “boomy” and “muddy” especially when listening at low volume. To overcome that, Audyssey introduce another feature to counteract the DEQ by introducing Reference Offset, tricking the AVR into believing the sound output is near reference level which will in turn apply less DEQ and thereby minimize the “boomy and muddy” bass. Of course, other side effects of DEQ is the elevated surround levels which made it sounded too “loud” when compared to the rest of the speaker arrays.

ARC on the other hand, measures the room mode which in turn analyse how much room gain it needs to implement to get the desired “house curve” to play nice in everyone’s setup in that room.

The premise of Harman curve is that human perception of low frequency differs from high frequency. We need to increase the output at the lower end of the frequency in order to perceive the “same level” of loudness. That is why human hearing is not a good barometer for bass and a good, calibrated mic is required to get the readings right and by readings, I am referring to the actual sound pressure levels (SPLs) produced by the subwoofers.

Review the results

Here’s my calibration results for those interested to know. I will dive deeper into the user interface in PART III.

[desray]

PART III

Time-Aligning 3 subwoofers

Anthem MRX 1140 does not come with auto phase alignment which existed in their STR series. I doubt this feature will be rolled out to the MRX or even the AVM series any time soon (if it ever happens)…Unlike Audyssey where the distances were calculated after the Audyssey calibration is completed. ARC requires you to input the distance yourself. This is relatively straightforward for physical speakers (fronts, wides, surrounds, surround-backs, and dolby atmos speakers) but not so straightforward for subwoofers as the distance is not “physical” distance but rather “acoustical” distance that we need to measure.

Distance will affect the delay which affects the time domain - i.e. how long (in milliseconds) the bass will reach the MLP. Ideally, it should reach the listener’s ears at the same time as the rest of the speakers. By default, the distance is set to 12ft for both subwoofers in the menu. ARC does not care whether you input the distance before or after the calibration. This is because ARC’s approach is to correct the frequency domain of each speaker and subwoofer(s) after taking into account the room modes relative to the MLP. It does not measure the delay (distance) between speakers, subwoofers, and the listener.

Below is a depiction of the frequency response of 3 JL Audio subwoofers in my MLP.

The green color response curve is the default distance set at 12ft while the red color response curve was the result after the distances were modified. For the front pair of subwoofers, I have set the distance of 11ft while the rear subwoofer was set at 13ft. The rear subwoofer is closer to my MLP as such the delay is higher compared to the front pair of subwoofers. The result is a much smoother frequency response from 20Hz to 200Hz.

After this, I did the seat-to-seat bass uniformity tweaks for the 3 JL Audio subwoofers.

[desray]

PART IV

What has changed? Build Quality
For those who followed my review on the MRX 1120 (3rd Gen) knew I enamored Anthem’s sound signature. However, I hate the hardware as it lacked many key components like Bluetooth, Airplay, and Chromecast capabilities which makes it less desirable in today’s multimedia room context compared to the other brand offerings from Denon and Marantz. Anthem MRX 1140 continues to use the same AKM chipset (AK4458VN) which is still considered one of the best DAC of past years and performed superbly in 2 channel music. In terms of hardware, the new MRX 1140 opted for the industrial design and build of its successful STR integrated amplifier. This is a welcome change when compared to the MRX 1120 design. In a word, the MRX 1140 design has a more modern façade with a big VFD that provides a minimalistic yet utilitarian look.

A new calibration mic!
Besides the new look, Anthem MRX 1140 also ditched the older calibration mic and went for the Umik 1 design. I suspect that it is the “same” mic from UMik 1 but with a silver metallic finish.

I’ve owned a UMik 1 and I can tell you that it is the same one and that is actually not a bad thing since UMik 1 is considered one of the more accurate mics used by many professionals and HT home enthusiasts alike for their calibration needs.

Firmware Updates
Yes, the method of updating your firmware has changed…Finally! In the past, I could not help but laugh at the notion that all firmware updates on the MRX 1120 will have to be performed using a thumb drive formatted in FAT32. This is the so early 2000s. A good excuse for using a thumb drive to perform firmware updates can be argued that it is much safer, faster, and less prone to corruption as compared to updating via a network, especially one with a Wi-Fi connection. But to me, this is simply an excuse and not acceptable. I am glad that Anthem has changed the method of firmware updates.

What didn’t change? The remote controller
What didn’t change is the remote controller. As far as I can tell, it is the same design and feels just like the one used in MRX 1120.

I wish there is something more like the switching of Profiles on the fly. For what it’s worth, it is not a bad design as it has all the essential buttons, and the layout is logical.

Setting up the network
For those switching from a Denon, Marantz, Onkyo Yamaha AVR, or AV Pre/Pro, you may find Anthem set up a bit confusing and at times frustrating. The reason being there is no printed user manual to get you started except for a 2-piece folded quick start guide that tells the user to set up the network connection. You can choose to connect the MRX 1140 using an ethernet cable or use the Wi-Fi method which can be a little confusing for some. For Wi-Fi, you can either connect via Google’s Home app where the MRX 1140 will be recognized by the MRX 1140 as a Chromecast compatible device. Users will have to follow through the setup process just like any other Chromecast-capable device. Once it is completed, you will see the IP address of the MRX 1140 appearing on the Google Home app under settings. Type in that IP address to a web browser to see the Web UI of the MRX 1140.

If you are an Apple user, you can use Airplay to set up the Wi-Fi network as well. The key is to let the MRX 1140 obtain a valid IP address from the home router. Once the network connection is established, my unit immediately received an update.

Do not skip this step. These updates are important if your unit is manufactured in the month of Jul or early Aug 2021 (check the box). Remember, you will need to update the firmware before you can embark on calibration.

Installing Anthem Room Correction (ARC) software
Next, we need to install the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) calibration software from Anthem’s official website – https://anthemarc.com. The latest beta version is 1.5.4 and is available for both Windows and Mac users. I have downloaded and tried on both OS and they are working fine.

IMPORTANT NOTE: ARC v1.5.4 is required for MRX/AVM units running beta software v00.56 or higher.

One of the big selling points of Anthem MRX 1140 is their proprietary calibration software styled, “Anthem Room Correction” or ARC Genesis for short.

In a nutshell, ARC measures the output of each speaker relative to the listening position (MLP) and runs all the necessary arithmetic calculations, and optimizes its output. The aim is to correct any peaks and valleys found within the speaker or subwoofer frequency response (15Hz to 20,000Hz) while preserving the natural room modes. What this means is that instead of trying to flatten the curve like what Audyssey does at the lower spectrum of the Schroeder frequency, ARC allows the flexibility of using room mode to restore that “gain” at the lower frequency spectrum to achieve that “house curve” and this is a boon for subwoofer integration with the rest of the speaker array. Users can choose to increase that room gain between 1 and 6dB. ARC has determined my optimum Room Gain to be around +3dB.

My personal experience with ARC Genesis versus Audyssey MultEQ XT32 is that the former is better in resolving “standing waves” between 40Hz and 100Hz compared to the latter. A typical standing wave for a square room like mine will hover between 43Hz and 75Hz depending on the room dimension and where is the MLP in the room. ARC literally obliterate the peak at 43Hz. The dip at 67Hz is the result of the placement of my 2-seater. It can be easily resolved if I am willing to move the 2-seater a bit to the front or rear, but I decide not to do it since it will probably screw up the “standing waves” even more. If the dip is not too wide and the output stays well within 3dB to 5dB, I think I will close an eye. Besides, my setup is more challenging since I am using 3 JL Audio subwoofers instead of 4 which will even out the frequency response. The benefit of all these is a more balanced bass that will not overwhelm the rest of the speakers, which ultimately enhances clarity.

Calibration
ARC Genesis has a very intuitive user interface. Nothing much has changed since its last iteration as far as I can tell. I have the privilege to use ARC Genesis when it first rolled out about 3 years ago. The same user interface allows me to quickly go through the pre-calibration setup in a cinch.

Quick Measure first then calibration…
As I have mentioned in my previous post, it is important to spend some time getting the subwoofer output (SPL reading) right. If you are using two subwoofers, pls ensure that the output from each subwoofer is measured at 72dB. The summation of the two subwoofers will roughly give you a 75dB reading. If four subwoofers, the reading for each subwoofer will be around 68dB.

Another benefit of using this Quick Measure feature is to help the user identify a good location to place your subwoofer(s). This is akin to using REW with the UMik 1 combo except you can do everything within this software.

Measuring Distances
Unlike Audyssey, ARC does not measure distance. Except for subwoofer(s) which requires you to measure the “acoustic distance” (to time-align), you can measure the physical distance between the speakers and the MLP using a measuring tape or if you like me, utilize the AR measuring tool found on my iPhone 12 Pro Max and the latter is very accurate! I’ve used it to measure the “reflection distance” of my Dolby Atmos speaker modules from the ceiling to the MLP and it works great.

According to Anthem, it doesn’t really matter whether you input the distance before or after the ARC calibration since ARC does not need distance to calculate the optimum output of each speaker. Each speaker will have its very own “individual” calculations after factoring room mode and the speaker’s very own frequency response relative to the MLP by setting an optimum crossover point. A minimum of 5 measurement points is required before ARC can produce an average in-room frequency response for each speaker and the subwoofer, before applying a target curve to each one.

After calibration, ARC will provide a system-wide target setting much like the one shown below:

Room Gain: 3 dB
Room Gain Center Frequency: 200 Hz
Deep Bass Boost: 3 dB
Deep Bass Boost Center Frequency: 50 Hz
Tilt Level: 0 dB
Tilt Start Frequency: 100 Hz

As the name suggests, any changes made to the system-wide setting affect all the speaker and subwoofer frequency range.

ARC will level match each speaker and the subwoofer and determine the optimum crossovers, the high-frequency roll-off slow or steep) and the high-pass frequency and the slope.

Example

Front Left: 4.5 dB
[Subwoofer Crossover Frequency (or Low-Frequency Extension): 100 Hz
Send Bass to Sub (or Low-Frequency Extension Slope): Send bass to the sub
High-Frequency Roll-Off: 2.08
Maximum Correction Frequency: 500 Hz]

Center: 4.0 dB
[Subwoofer Crossover Frequency (or Low-Frequency Extension): 80 Hz
Send Bass to Sub (or Low-Frequency Extension Slope): Send bass to the sub
High-Frequency Roll-Off: 2.29
Maximum Correction Frequency: 500 Hz]

2 x Subwoofer (front): 0.5 dB
[Subwoofer Crossover Frequency (or Low-Frequency Extension): 130 Hz
High-Pass Frequency: 16 Hz
High-Pass Slope: 6th
Minimum Correction Frequency: 15 Hz]

1 x Subwoofer (rear): -1 dB
[Subwoofer Crossover Frequency (or Low-Frequency Extension): 90 Hz
High-Pass Frequency: 15 Hz
High-Pass Slope: 1st
Minimum Correction Frequency: 15 Hz]

Each speaker will have its very own maximum correction frequency – e.g., setting the maximum correction filters at 350Hz, 500Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, etc, or simply accept the default frequency correction at 5KHz. The desired correction filters will be applied to each speaker or subwoofer to achieve a flat response up to 5KHz. According to Anthem, correction beyond 5KHz is not recommended as the mic becomes more “directional” after 5KHz making readings pick up by the mic less accurate.

It also adjusts crossovers and subwoofer levels, but you can fine-tune the settings yourself afterward. You can also create your own custom target curves, before saving settings and loading them into the receiver. Multiple profiles for different environments are a possibility, and ARC even produces a full calibration report to impress your mates.

Unlike Audyssey, ARC provides a graphical frequency response curve whenever the user decides to alter any of the settings for each individual speaker or enforce a system-wide change like setting a Deep-Boost of 3dB between say 20Hz and 70Hz for that added tactile rumble at your seat. This is especially useful when using bass shakers or butt-kickers underneath the sofa or recliner.

There are tons of variations that the user can apply to suit their needs. One of the great features is the ability to store up to 4 Speaker Profiles. For instance, you can set a profile for a movie with full 7.2.4 (11 channels) fired up or you can set a 2.1 channel purely for the music.

Uploading the results
After much tinkering and being satisfied with the results, simply upload the results to the MRX 1140 and the settings will be uploading in less than 12 secs if you are using a wired connection or up to 16 secs if using Wi-Fi (may vary depending on your Wi-Fi signal).

You are done with the calibration!

Web User Interface
So where does the Web UI come into the whole picture? Well, for better or worse, Anthem had chosen to do away with the On-Screen Display (OSD) for the latest model in favor of the Web UI and the VFD. Making adjustments “on-the-fly” is not as easy since we can no longer invoke the settings menu and display it on our TV or Projector screen. Instead, we have to rely on the Web UI to do it.

Fortunately, Anthem’s implementation of the Web UI is flawless.

Changes made on the Web UI are almost instant! No need to click Save! What a time-saver. After almost a month, I have learned to have my Macbook Pro by my side whenever I am in need to make some quick changes to the settings.

What’s missing?
Yes, there is NO Auro 3D if you must ask. However, it does come with DTS X: Pro as long as you utilize more than 11.2 channels. At the moment, Anthem’s marketing blurb which mentioned Spotify Connect, Roon Ready, HDMI 2.1 upgrade, and independent calibration of 2 subwoofers with auto phase control has yet to be rolled out. I’m perfectly fine with no Spotify Connect, Roon ready or even the HDMI 2.1 hardware upgrading program but auto phase control (which is implemented in the STR integrated amplifier series) that allows independent time-alignment of dual subwoofers is missing at the launch and this is considered a very important feature for dual subwoofers setup. Like many Anthem owners around the world, we are asking Anthem for a timeline at the official Anthem Lover’s Facebook account and Anthem better deliver what they promise. Let’s hope that we will not have to wait too long for these features.

[desray]

After all the technical mumbo jumbo, Part V of my review will focus on the sound aspects, both on movies and music.

[GundamUnicorn]

Just curious why you change from anthem to Denon?

[Cash]

i believe its from “Denon to Anthem”
hehehehe!!!

[desray]

It’s the other way round…

[Ronildoq]

@desray

A new calibration mic!
Besides the new look, Anthem MRX 1140 also ditched the older calibration mic and went for the Umik 1 design. I suspect that it is the “same” mic from UMik 1 but with a silver metallic finish.

Wow that mic looks solid ! Is it using a balanced connection ? Or USB interface ?

[desray]

@Ronildoq

Is it using a balanced connection ? Or USB interface ?

Just USB Type-C connection. No XLR.

[GundamUnicorn]

Tot you mentioned you had the older anthem 1120 then Denon 8500? Anyway nevermind if I misunderstood.

[desray]

You are right about the upgrade from Anthem MRX 1120 to Denon X8500H. Here’s a look a the upgrade path for AVR in the last 5 years or so:

Denon X7200WA > Anthem MRX 720 > Anthem MRX 1120 > Denon X8500H > Anthem MRX 1140 (present)

[GundamUnicorn]

So what’s the reason for changing to Denon 8500 and back to anthem if I may ask?

[desray]

I haven’t concluded my review yet. You’ll know the answer soon

[desray]

PART V

Movies
Played a couple of well-known titles with really great surrounds and room-filling bass.

Edge of tomorrow

For those familiar with this title, the opening 12 seconds is considered a “widow-maker” for subwoofers. For me, my 3 JL Audio subwoofers are not those ported ones that can go as low as a single digit, but Anthem handles the bass with aplomb. I have previously remarked that Anthem ARC handles standing waves better than Audyssey and I still stand-by my words. To put it simply, ARC virtually eliminates those problematic standing wave range (between 43Hz and 55Hz) much better. There is not a hint of distortion in the bass when listening at a normal-to-moderate volume level at MV -20dB. If you have a peak at 36Hz – 55Hz range due to standing waves, the opening scene will quickly pressurize the room and makes it unbearable. To me, this movie is truly a litmus test of how well your Room EQ can correct that modal frequency range and still come out “clean”. Anthem’s ARC provides the flexibility to adjust the deep bass (10Hz – 40Hz) region and “blend-in” perfectly with the bass region using Room Gain which affects the frequency region between 40Hz and 60Hz. Anthem will determine the optimum Room Gain which will range anywhere between +1dB to +6dB after the calibration. Depending on your room size, the value will vary. In my 4.5m x 4.5m square room, the natural Room Gain is about 3.0dB. If you have a rectangular room or a non-symmetrical room size, the Room Gain can be higher or lower. According to Anthem, Room Gain is always recommended as it helps to restore some of the “oomph” or chest slam back. Deep bass boosting is something that Anthem will not adjust automatically but leave it to the user to decide how much tactile feel you desired at the sub-bass levels. This makes perfect sense since this is more of a preference rather than a reference. At Reference, we can always conclude that most Room EQ will try to make the entire frequency range from 20Hz to 20KHz flat and we know this doesn’t sound great for movies. As you have guessed by now, the combination of Room Gain and Deep Bass boost provides that “house curve” experience that most home theatre enthusiasts and bass heads are cravings.

Besides the killer bass, this movie also featured some of the most aggressive surround effects that you ever experience. Thanks to the “clean” bass, every bullet wheezing and gunfights amidst all the madness of huge explosions become effortless to hear. Even the dialogue is clear as day. There is no need to boost the Centre channel by a few decibels.

Alita: Battle Angel

This is another go-to movie whenever I need to showcase chest-slamming bass and the system’s ability to handle wide dynamic range. My two favorite go-to scenes are the underground battle scene with Grewishka and the final Motorball arena sequence.

For the underground scene, the “airiness” and the echoey voices that filled the room are unbelievably realistic. The crushing and crumbling of the stone pillars by Grewishka’s retractable claws have so many layers of details that I have missed when using Audyssey. The exhilarating chase sequence at the Motorball arena is one of the best uses of Dolby Atmos mix. Every little mechanical part that flew off from the bots can be distinctly made out and matched the on-screen actions perfectly. Roaring crowds filled the arena, and the sound stage comes alive as if you are literally in the crowd watching that chase sequence. I hope there will be a sequel to Alita.

Ready Player One

Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece that brought back fond memories of the 80s references and comic book/film characters is a keeper! The one scene that has many home theatre enthusiasts keep coming back is the race scene in Chapter 2. The whole sequence which lasted for about 3 minutes will give your entire home theatre system a good work-out, and I am not just talking about subwoofers but surrounds and Dolby Atmos speaker modules as well. From car crashes to T-Rex stomping cars and building structures to Kong leaping from one building to the other, the bass is tight and never over-whelming. All the speakers lit up. The Dolby Atmos effects coming from my 2 pairs of KEF RS50 Dolby Atmos-enabled modules are more pronounced and have a more distinct separation between height and the traditional channel layers. Previously, my Denon X8500H did a fantastic job in the Dolby Atmos department, and I am happy to say that Anthem can reproduce Dolby Atmos effects equally well if not better. All thanks to ARC’s precise cross-over settings for each individual speaker pair which makes it possible.

Netflix, an improvement in SQ

Surprisingly, Netflix’s recent rollout of films featuring Dolby Atmos is pretty great. I am not sure whether it is Anthem or Netflix audio quality control is in the works here. In the past, the sound quality is what many would describe as “neh” but now it improves by leaps and bounds. Two of the most offerings like the Nightbook and SAS: Rise of the Black Swan are having some really great surround and Dolby Atmos mix. Even the bass also packed a “punch”. Overall the SQ really gets a boost. I understand that Netflix has had upped their ante of increasing the bitrate for their content (source: About Netflix - Bringing Studio Quality Sound to Netflix) but this was not fully realized in my previous setup. I am attributing it to Anthem’s ARC at work here.

Music
You will be surprised to learn that Anthem’s strength lies with music, more so than the movie if I might add. That is why Anthem’s STR integrated amplifiers are rated amongst the favorite for audiophiles. The STR series comes with auto-phase and polarity tweaks, which is a feature currently missing from the new 2021 MRX series. I have checked with Anthem support and there is no ETA for this time-alignment feature yet. Sigh…not sure how long we are going to wait.

While I am no audiophile but the mere fact that I am listening to more songs than ever before is a testament to how good it is. Even streaming low-bitrate songs (e.g. mp3 at 192 - 320kbps) from my iPhone via Bluetooth sounded so much better than before. Of course, the high-resolution soundtracks performed superbly, thanks to the built-in DAC from the AKM chip. The separation of mids and highs are distinct, and the bass is tight which complements every soundtrack being thrown at it.

In the search to maximize the 2-channel sound quality, I have set aside a separate ARC Profile where I played with the various range of frequency correction, ranging between 5KHz and 20KHz. I found that the correction at 10KHz worked best for my pair of KEF R100 mains.

Conclusion
Will I recommend Anthem MRX 1140 over the Denon or Marantz AVR using Audyssey as the Room EQ? The answer is rather clear. Anthem ARC is simply the more superior Room EQ compared to Audyssey. However, Anthem isn’t perfect at the time of this review. The very first gripe I have with Anthem is the omission of the time-alignment feature which is extremely critical for proper integration of multi subwoofers is a let-down! This should not have happened if your marketing blurb mentioned it as one of the key features that separates MRX 1140 from the entry (MRX 540) and mid-range (MRX 740) models. To make matters worse, Anthem Support has not been helpful insofar there is no specific timeline given when the said feature will be rolling out. Most owners felt short-changed. To overcome this shortcoming, most of us have to resort to REW and/or miniDSP to time-align their subwoofers and that is not a convenient solution especially we have paid a premium for a high-end Receiver. Audyssey on the other hand provided independent subwoofer integration right from the beginning. This is something that Anthem needs to work on. I do not understand why it is taking Anthem such a long time to roll out the time-alignment feature since this feature has been around in the STR series for more than 3 years. Some speculated the difference in engineering design between STR and the MRX series but Anthem has been tight-lipped on the cause of the delay. Whatever the case may be, Anthem owes it to her customers to release this feature sooner rather than later.

The other gripe I have was the omission of an On-Screen Display (OSD). Nothing detrimental I should say but just one of those things that’ll make life easier if the feature is there. It turned out that this is a design choice made by Anthem in favor of a unified Web User Interface (Web UI). Imagine the hassles that I have to go through each time using the Web UI just to see the current display resolution, current ARC profile, or the audio bitrate of the music and movies I am streaming. I believe it should be a relatively simple move to add OSD back into the loop but so far, Anthem doesn’t really seem that interested to include this feature back anytime soon.

At the time of this review, I am happy to report that Anthem has had resolved most of the annoying bugs found with ARC Genesis. The latest version 1.5.4 had addressed most if not all the calibration-related bugs, especially the most notorious one which affects the overall system levels. The trim values are now considered “normal” as opposed to a double-digit value – e.g. +10dB or sometimes even +12dB on speakers.

Despite the shortcomings, the sound quality of Anthem is considered one of the best out there comparable to top-of-the-line brands like Trinnov, StormAudio, or Lyngdorf, but without costing you a limb.

The lack of Auro 3D is never a show-stopper since this audio format isn’t as widely available for most content, apart from Europe. I have played the Auro 3D demo disc using just the DTS:X Neural DSP and I am super impressed by the tractor scene. Anthem is able to emulate very closely the surround sound stage of a Auro 3D capable system.

Ratings
Build Quality: 98/100
Sound Quality: 95/100
Ease of use: 88/100 - The omission of OSD is a big letdown for me. Unless Anthem restore this feature in the next firmware otherwise, it is big minus for me.
Features: 85/100 - Anthem failed to deliver the auto-phase feature which is critical for the proper time-alignment of multi-subwoofers. Roon and Spotify Connect or even the promise to upgrade to HDMI 2.1 board can wait, but not this.
Overall Rating: 92/100

[wizardofoz]

@desray how is the software stability (hangs/lockups/lost audio/video etc etc) of the Anthem?

[Ronildoq]

@desray

Surprisingly, Netflix’s recent rollout of films featuring Dolby Atmos is pretty great.

I’ve just watched 6 underground over the weekend and damn was I shocked the Atmos and soundmix was very good from the streaming platform. That was one of the good quality ones with lotsa heights activated , good bass, surrounds and nice vocals too

Not bad from Netflix …. Will check out there others too

[desray]

@wizardofoz

@desray how is the software stability (hangs/lockups/lost audio/video etc etc) of the Anthem?

Zero issue for this latest version of ARC Genesis. This is by far the most stable one yet according to many users before me. Everything is zippy and no lock-up even running on Wi-Fi. Now what Anthem needs to do is to roll out some of the features that they promised - e.g. Spotiify Connect (not that I care since I’m not listening to Spotify), auto-phase correction for multi-subwoofers and of course Roon ready.

Hardware is rock solid, firmware is now stable and out of the woods…so pending feature roll-out at this point.

[desray]

@Ronildoq

I’ve just watched 6 underground over the weekend and damn was I shocked the Atmos and soundmix was very good from the streaming platform. That was one of the good quality ones with lotsa heights activated , good bass, surrounds and nice vocals too

Strange…I don’t recall the Dolby Atmos sound mix was that good for Netflix films. I thought my Anthem makes a difference but if you also experiencing it of late, then I can only conclude that Netflix did something to the audio processing and not just increase in bitrate.

[tparm]

I’ve been looking for a good review of the new gen Anthem pieces, thanks for this. One thing I fear is missing (that I can’t find in the manual) is a true analog path for 2CH listening through an external DAC. Plus not having balanced analog inputs on the AVMs is a terrible oversight from my perspective. @desray confirm that all inputs are digitized?

[desray]

@tparm

One thing I fear is missing (that I can’t find in the manual) is a true analog path for 2CH listening through an external DAC. Plus not having balanced analog inputs on the AVMs is a terrible oversight from my perspective. @desray confirm that all inputs are digitized?

Sorry I can’t confirm on that as I dun own a AVM 70.