Anthem MRX Receivers - 300, 500, 700 Owners Thread & Tweaking Guide - Page 76

Hi all, I have been reading this thread after my dealer suggested the MRX500 to me. I was looking at the Marantz SR6005 which i picked up last night at BB just to try it out, I can return in 30 days so no big deal. I am new to all this stufff I am upgrading from a Bose 321!! The Marantz seems ok but I like everything I read about the MRX500 and Anthem as a company. The only thing I am questioning is that the 500 will not pass audio/video in standby. My wife and kids would like to watch tv without having to use the reciever. Is there a way around this? Does the MRX500 really blow the Marantz away for the extra $500.00? Thanks

How does your TV get its signal.

From a Cable Box that would normally be hooked to the Anthem?

From my Tivo HDMI

This is a Kludge but maybe it is a work around.

You could buy a HDMI Splitter from Monoprice that would give
you (2) HDMI outputs from the (1) TiVo output. Now if your
TV has (2) HDMI inputs - then you could bypass the Anthem

If you TV only has (1) HDMI input - you are stuck in the water.

I always have my Anthem on - It is much nicer

Thank you. I am on the edge of making the call to order!!

Anyone on this thread have any thoughts on the MRX-700 vs the Sony STR-DA5600ES? Has anyone compared them?
Best Regards to all.

Forgive my stupidity but the comment was made "if you have the video output set to through then the volume won't show". So is there a downside to this? Do I lose the video upconversion benefit (if any)? BD at 24fps. Then the volume shows?? Sorry but I don't understand. I have read the manual and I did find where you can set the status message to off. Can I assume that when this is set to off then it will not display anything on the screen from any source independant of there setting. I hope that is what SimpleTheater wrote. Thanks.

Basically you have two options:

Option 1 - Never see the volume on screen: In the setup you can turn the 'On Screen Volume' off (this will prevent if from ever appearing). If the on screen volume is configured to on, then it will be displayed based on option 2...
Option 2 - Set your source to one of two 'video profiles': Each source can be set to output one of two video profiles you have configured (for simplicity let’s assume one profile is set to "Auto Detection" and the other is set to "Through"). Any source that is set to use Auto profile will display the volume on screen. Any source that is set to use the Through profile will not display the volume on screen.

The reason is that in order to display the volume on the screen the MRX must process the video to do the overlay. When you use the Through option, the MRX simply passes the signal on to the TV without doing anything to it.

So if you configure the source your BluRay player is connected to to use Through, than the volume will not appear. Also the MRX will not upscale or do any other video processing/enhancement to the image. If you than set the source for your DVD player to be Auto, the MRX will process the signal, and upscale it when appropriate and the volume will be displayed (unless you turned the volume display off using option 1).

Hope that helps.

NOTE: it appears that when watching content that is 1080p-24 (24p) the MRX overides your Video Profile selection and defaults to 1080p-24. This default override does not appear to be able to be changed on firmware v50.02 and v50.04 (currently the latest as of this post). As a result, the MRX appears to still be processing the signal when a 24p picture is received and therefore can do the volume overlay on it (unless you have disable the overlay using option 1 above).

I document my observations in post http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showp...postcount=2301

Thank you for the great explanation.

Good to see the video processor perform so well.

Mine definately shows the volume when I play a BluRay with the 700 set to through.

Very interesting. What firmware are you on? Mine only shows if I'm on Auto or a fixed resolution. Every device I have set to Through does not display the on screen volume.

Anyone else able to see the onscreen volume while they are using Through mode? This doesn't make much sense?

I admit when I first got my MRX I thought I saw this behavior, but then I realized my Profiles were not setup as I though they were. Actually I wondered if the firmware upgrade had reset them... but I suspect I just confused them somehow when I first set my MRX up. Once I had correctly defined my Video Profiles and made sure I had the correct one assigned to the correct sources, it behaved as I suspected. Infact to make sure I didn't confuse them, I named one profile Through and the other Auto so they would be crystal clear when I picked them in the source setup.

Not a bad review. Pity the author didn't elaborate more regarding ARC's effects and perhaps a comparison between ARC on and off.

I was a little surprised it could only muster 50w @ 7ch which is a good 25w/ch lower than some comparable AVRs they measured eg the SR7005 or RX-V2000. It might be worth picking up an MRX-500 and running an emotiva amplifier for similar money for the power aficionados out there?

There seems to be a problem in converting analogue video to HDMI. There observe flickering, which was also reported in a test by the German magazin Audiovision. Perhaps this is something that a firmware update might cure? For me it would be important since I watch still occasionally Laserdisc.

Most receivers of this class tend to have a circuit that prevents receiver from overheating by cutting the power when it hits the limit in a sustained way. Only 50 @7ch seems to be the result of the limitter engaging. Note that the test procedure requires that all 7 channels are loaded and fed the constant test signal. In real world situations, the limitter would not engange so easily.

Would you be better off with an outboard amp? Nick from Anthem commented that you probably do if you intend to play music with sustained high levels of bass full range in all speakers (multi-channel). I don't think most of us do, but if that is your situation, that's what outboard power amps with oversized heat sinks and power supplies are for . In the real world, it is very hard to get full sustained signal in all 7 channels from a movie soundtrack.

I for one would have expected more "real" wattage as compared to the competition especially for the price they are asking.
I would rate it closer to 45 watts x 7 and 85 watts x 5 , it seems to compare to the Denon 2311ci which lists for $899 and tested at 66 watts x 7.
I had this receiver on the top of my list but after this review it has lost some of it's appeal. For the price Anthem is asking I would have expected the power amp section to put out at least 90 watts x 7 or higher .

I don't think it's a problem per se, but a question of Anthem choosing not to spend on a good analogue video section, that most people won't use.

I am running 50.04. What is weird that I noticed is that when I run a DVD like I mentioned earlier it doesn't show the volume but when I go into the set up it shows the video as through. When I watch a BD with the same exact player (inputs, etc...) and it is 24fps I see the volume but if I go into the setup it shows as 1080p/24 and won't allow me to change it where I think I can change it if it were a DVD. I'll do some testing tonight but I know for a fact that when I watch a DVD and BD I have it set for input one, HDMI for video and audio.

It's been awhile since I've even looked into changing anything on the audio side of my system, but these new receivers have gotten my interest.

I currently have a Denon 2905 that I'm using as a prepro into a Rotel 1075. I've liked the sound for, what has it been, maybe 7 or 8 years now. However it doesn't support the newer HD sound formats. While my BD player outputs analogue, since I've been doing more streaming it's gotten to be a bit tiresome to always switch from using a digital connection when watching Netflix streams and the analoge inputs when watching a BD disc.

My question is besides the USB inputs and internet radio, is there any other reason for me to get the 500 / 700 over the base 300? Can the firmware be updated on the 300 without an ethernet connection?

Thanks as always for any comments.

This is a good question for Anthem considering that they claim more 'real world power' than competitors. At least in Home Theater measurements, this power is close to the claimed one for 2 and 5 channels, but not for 7. Is there something more than meets the eye here?

A quick rundown on 7ch results (@0.1% THD) of receivers in the same general price range as the MRX700 from Home Theater Magazine: http://www.hometheater.com/category/av-receiver-reviews

Anthem MRX 700 - 43.9 watts

Marantz SR7005 - 74.6 watts
Yamaha Aventage RX-A2000 - 62.9 watts
Pioneer Elite SC-37 - 125.4 watts
Onkyo TX-NR5008 - 78.7 watts
Cambridge Audio Azur 650R - 91.5 watts
Yamaha RX-Z7 - 47.1 watts
Sherwood Newcastle R-972 - 39.5 watts
Denon AVR-4810CI - 30.9 watts
Rotel RSX-1560 - 86.1 watts

Admittedly, I was a little disapointed as well in the 700's 7 channel results, but it isn't that uncommon for a receiver in the $2k range to test that low.

I have extended experience with the Yamaha Z7, and can tell you I never had an issue with its 7 channel power in real-world useage. Its room correction, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired.

The 300 can be updated in the same way the other models are, serial connection using a USB/serial adapter, no Ethernet required. You download the firmware and it uploads through the above connection. The 600 and 700 have more amplification but if you are using a separate amp That is not an issue. ARCs implementation is the same on all models.
John

I ran my 500 in a 7.1 configuration with Studio 60s and a CC690 with axiom surrounds. We had more reserve with the 500 than the Emotiva 3 ch amp he was using with his demon 4310. I don't get this. People have mentioned here that they have sold their separates so how did this occur if on real world tests these units do fine? This is weird.
John

I am pretty sure the very low numbers in the list above are the result of thermal limitter kicking in. What that means is not that's the only power available, only that for some of the receivers, thermal limitter has not engaged, showing only a moderate drop of power compared to 5ch operation. It is possible that in the real world this power is available, just not all the time.

Thanks for the quick reply.

So even the 700 with an ethernet port uses the usb/serial to upgrade? Or does that model grab the update from the ethernet?

All models use the serial port for updates. Ethernet only seems to be used for internet radio.

Not the first time reviews don't match real world experience.
John

Coming from an Azur 650R I can tell you that I do not have to turn the 700 up as high as I did with the Cambridge to get the volume I want. The Cambridge was almost always run with the volume at 75% or higher for normal listening while I run the 700 around 60 - 65%. I don't remember the actual level of the Cambridge but the 700 I usually keep around -25 and usually not higher than -20.

It's all well and good to want to see high numbers with all channels driven across the 20hz-20khz spectrum but the laws of physics still apply. To achieve such high numbers in a receiver is clearly possible, of course, but at what cost? A proper power supply is necessary to ensure strong numbers but that is heavy and more expensive. Bigger housing for the components that make up the receiver to accommodate the power supply, cooling mechanisms (however implemented) and so on. So, what do you leave out to meet a certain price point? For Anthem, it appears to be certain connectivity options, at the very least.

Beyond all that, though, is whether one needs to have such gobs of reserve. As mentioned in a number of places, unless you're driving seven full-range speakers of less than 88dB or so sensitivity, at or near reference levels, the demands on all channels at once will be exceedingly rare. It's a lot like engine power in cars and trucks. I own an SUV that, for everyday use, has gobs of power to spare and, frankly, I don't need it in such use. However, I own a fairly hefty camping trailer and my SUV is just strong enough for it. If I towed my trailer year-round, I'd want a more powerful SUV for the spare headroom. Since I only use it a few months per year, my current SUV is fine.

A solid receiver (like those listed above) is like my SUV--more than enough for everyday use, just enough for exceptional needs on an occasional basis but not quite enough for certain specific situations.

The market offers a variety of options and these receivers are more than enough for the majority of cases. Those who need more can have it, but at a price. Perspective is king.

For reference what is the sensitivity rating of your speakers and size of room?
thanks