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#1 ·




Link to Anthem MRX Page

MRX Series .pdf Literature Download
  • Anthem Quality!
  • Anthem Performance!
  • Exclusive Anthem Technology like the award-winning Anthem Room Correction included.
  • Price! Extraordinary for everything you get!
  • Power to spare! Every model offers 7 channels of power more continuous power than anything in their price range: MRX 700: 120 watts per channel, MRX 500: 100 watts per channel, MRX 300: 80 watts per channel

3D ready receivers with optional iPod dock
Anthem just announced their brand new line of 3D ready A/V receivers. The MRX series features four receivers: the MRX 300, MRX 500, MRX 700, and MRX 900, all featuring 7 channels of amplification (MRX 900 will have 9 channels of amplification) and 4 HDMI in/1 out (MRX 900 will have 7 HDMI in/1 out). Bringing the company's award winning technology to its newest line, Anthem's MRX receivers are all equipped with the critically acclaimed Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system.


A highly anticipated release, the Anthem MRX receivers include all the latest audio formats inc luding Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, and DTS-HD Master Audio and support internet radio (except MRX 300) and HD Radio (MRX 700 and MRX 900). In addition, the MRX series will process 3D movies and television when paired with a 3DTV and a 3D capable source component making them the perfect addition for 3D enabled home theaters. The MRX receivers boast amplifier sections embodying Anthem's design focus on low noise, low distortion and "real" power. Standard on all Anthem products, the receivers come with the company's hallmark of user-friendly menus and easy operation.

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Anthem Room Correction (ARC)
  • A very beefy amp - more real' power than the competition!
  • Dual-processor audio DSP
  • Video Conversion from Composite Video and Component Video to HDMI
  • Scaling up to 1080p60
  • 1080p24 mode
  • Dolby Volume
  • AM/FM Tuner
  • 3D Support via software upgrade

DECODING
  • Dolby TrueHD and Dolby Digital Plus
  • Dolby Digital EX
  • DTS-HD Master Audio
  • DTS-ES (Matrix, Discrete)
  • DTS 96/24

LISTENING MODES
  • AnthemLogic-Music
  • AnthemLogic-Cinema
  • Dolby Pro Logic IIx (Movie, Music, Game)
  • Dolby Pro Logic IIz
  • DTS Neo:6 (Music, Cinema)
  • Dolby Virtual Speaker (Wide, Reference)
  • All Channel Stereo
  • Dolby Digital EX

INPUTS
  • 4 HDMI Inputs
  • Analog Video Inputs: 4 Composite + 3 Component
  • Digital Audio Inputs: 2 Coaxial + 3 Optical
  • 7 Stereo Analog RCA Inputs
  • 2 USB Inputs (MRX 700/500)
  • HDMI On-Screen Display - setup, video adjustments, status, song navigation

CUSTOM INSTALLATION
  • IR Input
  • IR Emitter Output
  • Trigger Output
  • Second Zone
  • RS-232 Control

ADDITIONAL FEATURES
  • Video Configuration Memorized by Source
  • Dolby Headphone
  • Backlit Remote Control
  • Sidemount Rack Kit (sold separately)
  • Separate Zone 2 remote (non-backlit)

WARRANTY
  • 3 years
  • 1 year on Remote Control


Dimensions
  • MRX 300/500/700 : 6.5" H x 17.25" W x 15.25" D (16.4 cm x 43.9 cm x 39.0 cm)

ModelFMV(US)FMV(CAN)AvailabilityChannelsPower 2 chPower 5 chTransformerHDMI in/outUSB front/backEthernetInternet RadioHD RadioRDSVideo ProcessorMade inWeight
MRX 300$999$1099Early 20117.180W60WE-I4/10/0nonononoGenesis TorinoChina33.4 lb (15.2 kg)
MRX 500$1499$1649Now7.1100W75WE-I4/11/1yesyesnonoGenesis TorinoChina34.3 lb (15.6 kg)
MRX 700$1999$2199Now7.1120W90WToroidal4/11/1yesyesyesyesGenesis TorinoChina35.4 lb (16.1 kg)


ARC Details


WHAT IS ANTHEM ROOM CORRECTION AND WHY IS IT THE BEST ON THE MARKET?

Latest ARC download link


Even when the finest speakers are perfectly positioned, the room itself can have a dramatic negative impact on sound quality. Room dimensions, dead spots, archways, even furniture can turn a room into an additional instrument adding unwanted coloration and resonance to music and movies. ARC adjusts for the room's effect on the speakers in a way that mimics our hearing. Now your Anthem gear and your Paradigm speakers can do what they do best: allow you to lose yourself in the music or movie you're watching. How does ARC do what it does?
  • ARC analyzes each speaker's in-room response then sets output levels, crossover frequencies and room correction parameters for each one.
  • ARC applies correction for up to 7 channels plus the sub!
  • ARC applies Super-Efficient Infinite Impulse Response (IIR) filters in addition to Anthem's custom topology all that means no engine' noise, this baby runs quickly and quietly.
  • Unlike other room correction systems, ARC allows for multiple microphone measurements, that way everyone in the room gets a better listen, not just those sitting directly between the speakers.
  • Processing power to spare!
  • ARCuracy! The connected PC's 64-bit floating point processor calculates the correction curves to the n'th degree of accuracy.
  • Separate configurations for music and movies.
  • Applies correction to peaks and dips in room response - since rooms have both we get a far more natural and accurate response tackling both!
  • Fully automated or manual setup - you choose which procedure you want to use!
USB to Serial Adapter
Keyspan USA-19hs
has proven to be the most reliable and has the most up to date driver list from MAC to Windows 7

Click on help and resources tab on that page for the latest drivers.

These adapters can be easily found inexpensivly through a google search.... Here
 
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#122 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick @ Anthem /forum/post/19494608


MRX uses two TI - one is just for Dolby Volume. The DSP chips are used pretty much off the shelf except for adding ARC.


The prepros use Freescale (ex-Motorola) DSP chips. The decoding is used as it is but pretty much everything else is programmed in-house, from test noises to crossover algorithms.


The software running inside the chips and the jobs they accomplish are the important things, not so much which or how many chips there are or at what speed they run (it's all relative - AVM 2 needed only 3 seconds to boot up because it didn't run so many things).

Nick,


Thank you for your clarification!


Michaelmorio
 
#124 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nick @ Anthem /forum/post/19494679


You might be surprised. MRX 700 can power them and a CC-690 loud and clear for an average-sized room. In most cases a 3-channel continuous power spec can indicate much of what's going to happen. All-channel specs are more for the most critical applications, such as bass-heavy music in all-channel mode. This is what separates are for.


The MRX rear panel says "8 ohms" although 4-ohm speakers can easily be driven... just not by all channels at once at high volume.

There are those that say Studio 100-s improve noticeably until they're getting at least 200w. Based on what you're saying, that's not necessarily true. I'm going to give my pair along with a 690 in a 5.1 a run with just the MRX-700 but interested in further thoughts on this.
 
#127 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by lorenzzo /forum/post/0



There are those that say Studio 100-s improve noticeably until they're getting at least 200w. Based on what you're saying, that's not necessarily true. I'm going to give my pair along with a 690 in a 5.1 a run with just the MRX-700 but interested in further thoughts on this.

Never heard that before. I have studio 100s.

John
 
#128 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by favorini /forum/post/19498250


How long does it take from power on to sound coming out of the speakers on these receivers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayray /forum/post/19498350


10 seconds.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian-HD /forum/post/19498357


15 sec, I had the Oppo running and and turned off the AVR and turned it on.

I suppose source matters. Presumably, HDMI adds a few seconds for handshake, whereas non-HDMI input and tuner do not.
 
#130 ·
I have a 5.1 setup with v5 Studio 60, CC-690, ADP-590, Sub 12. My room is about 17 L x 13.5 W x 18 H (two stories!) = 4131 cu ft. + adjacent open areas (mostly behind listening pos). Do you think the MRX 500 will have any problem with the room size? I don't tend to listen at ear-bleeding levels.
 
#131 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by lorenzzo
There are those that say Studio 100-s improve noticeably until they're getting at least 200w. Based on what you're saying, that's not necessarily true. I'm going to give my pair along with a 690 in a 5.1 a run with just the MRX-700 but interested in further thoughts on this.
The speaker sounds just as clean with half a watt as it does with 200 watts assuming the amp is not causing audible distortion. Of course, it does not sound as loud with less power. The question is how loud do you need it to play? If you need 200 watts, use a 200 watt amplifier. The difference between 200 watts and 120 watts is 2.2 dB. Noticeable? Yes. Deal-breaking? That's entirely up to the individual.
 
#132 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by favorini
I have a 5.1 setup with v5 Studio 60, CC-690, ADP-590, Sub 12. My room is about 17 L x 13.5 W x 18 H (two stories!) = 4131 cu ft. + adjacent open areas (mostly behind listening pos). Do you think the MRX 500 will have any problem with the room size? I don't tend to listen at ear-bleeding levels.
Chances are it will be fine - you won't be sitting that far from the speakers.
 
#133 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony A.
im having some issues with the resolution and handshaking on my mrx500. i run all of my sources (oppo bd83 source direct and SA 8300hd pvr) through a denon 602 external scaler that has 2 hdmi outs and into a jvc rs35 pj.


1.) when i setup the resolution on the mrx, it was set to 1080p24. since then, i am unable to change it. either with the button on the remote or using the main menu. it does not want to change from that setting.


2.) the denon scaler has 2 hdmi outs so i can send 1 video out to the pj and the other (for sound) to the mrx. this is the best way for me, but i also lose the ability to see the onscreen menu and volume control. any way around this?


3.) if i send the denon scaler hdmi out into the mrx hdmi input, it usually works but most often not (handshake). i need to unplug and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. that is why i like to use the above method as it always works but then i lose the GUI.


4.) i use back surrounds that are enabled in the mrx main menu, but everytime a movie plays i never hear them. i check the mrx screen and it always displays 3/2 which means 3 fronts and 2 surrounds. is there a setting to enable the rear surrounds to be matrixed into non 7.1 blurays like the denon does? and what exact setting on the mrx should be set to allow the audio on the disk to be played natively (ie. hd, dts, etc.)


any thoughts?
okay, some more fiddling and i have come to the following conclusions:


1.) i am only able to change this without an bd/dvd media in my oppo. if i have media in it, the mrx will not allow you to change the resolution in the OSD or using the button on the remote.


2.) im hoping that the "through" resolution fix will allow the signal to be untouched. right now having set it on auto, or 1080p the image is not as good as when using my scaler directly into my pj. the denon i had did this perfectly so hopefully the fix will do this properly.


3.) if i use "through" then the mrx can't lock on the 1080p24 signal supplied from my scaler. nick already addressed this and said a fix will be available shortly. for all other resolutions, i need to turn on first my oppo, then my scaler, wait a few seconds and then finally the mrx. any other order and i get handshake issues. i have tested this repeatably and the only solution is by turning on the mrx last. no biggie as i just make a macro in my remote to turn it on last. atleast others will know about this going in and won't complain about handshaking issues in the future.


4.) gostan mentioned what to do and seems to be working. thanks for that.


and finally, i see that you can't set different resolutions on a per input basis. maybe i missed it before but i was under the impression that each hdmi input could be set at a different output resolution. i tried it many times and whatever resolution i choose sticks to all the inputs. is this the case or is it a bug?
 
#134 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by Anthony A.
okay, some more fiddling and i have come to the following conclusions:


1.) i am only able to change this without an bd/dvd media in my oppo. if i have media in it, the mrx will not allow you to change the resolution in the OSD or using the button on the remote.


2.) im hoping that the "through" resolution fix will allow the signal to be untouched. right now having set it on auto, or 1080p the image is not as good as when using my scaler directly into my pj. the denon i had did this perfectly so hopefully the fix will do this properly.


3.) if i use "through" then the mrx can't lock on the 1080p24 signal supplied from my scaler. nick already addressed this and said a fix will be available shortly. for all other resolutions, i need to turn on first my oppo, then my scaler, wait a few seconds and then finally the mrx. any other order and i get handshake issues. i have tested this repeatably and the only solution is by turning on the mrx last. no biggie as i just make a macro in my remote to turn it on last. atleast others will know about this going in and won't complain about handshaking issues in the future.


4.) gostan mentioned what to do and seems to be working. thanks for that.


and finally, i see that you can't set different resolutions on a per input basis. maybe i missed it before but i was under the impression that each hdmi input could be set at a different output resolution. i tried it many times and whatever resolution i choose sticks to all the inputs. is this the case or is it a bug?
There are two video out configs. You can therefore have two choices for any source.

John
 
#135 ·
ahh, okay now i get it. so if i setup each video config to output hdmi and their respective resolution, how exactly would it work if i want to utilize a display monitor for setup, etc. that uses component or even composite?
 
#136 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by jayray /forum/post/19498358


Never heard that before. I have studio 100s.

John

As a matter of fact, on Paradigm's own website the third reprinted review for the studio 100 (Audio Video - William Kelley) makes such a statement. I understand reviews, particularly non-technical ones, are to be taken with a grain of salt but I might think its inclusion would suggest credence. Then again I understand the nature of marketing.


Nick, I appreciate your input. I'll give the MRX a go by itself and see what happens.
 
#139 ·
I sort of wondered why their top model jumped up so much in the price. Based on a cursory look, the other models seemed to be priced in the general range of mass market competitors. Then their top model jumped to 3k, which is pretty pricey.
 
#140 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by lorenzzo /forum/post/19500427


As a matter of fact, on Paradigm's own website the third reprinted review for the studio 100 (Audio Video - William Kelley) makes such a statement. I understand reviews, particularly non-technical ones, are to be taken with a grain of salt but I might think its inclusion would suggest credence. Then again I understand the nature of marketing.


Nick, I appreciate your input. I'll give the MRX a go by itself and see what happens.

I'd be inclined to believe what Nick says rather than some reviewer who has not tested them in the way they do at Paradigm. I have mine hooked up to an A2(200W) Anthem amp but trust me it's probably sleeping most of the time at my normal listening levels. My room is 14w x 26l x 8h.

John
 
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