Anthem MRX Receivers - 300, 500, 700 Owners Thread & Tweaking Guide - Page 14

Originally Posted by Nick @ Anthem


Although 6.1-channel speaker config isn't very common we're working on adding a "one back channel" configuration to MRX ARC.

Originally Posted by BRAC

Nick, that is great news! How long will this take to implement? And, can current MRX avr's be updated later on?

Btw, how are the MRX's updated? Can they be updated by the customer, or only through an authorized service center?

Originally Posted by BRAC

Nick, that is great news! How long will this take to implement?

Originally Posted by zork52

Just wondering. I see that power consumption is 500 watts on the MRX 700.

I was in BB tonight and looking at some of the new Marantz receivers and I put my hand on top of the SR6005 and it was VERY hot. It also kept shutting off. I suspect the BB racks with little to no ventilation didn't help.

Can anyone comment how the Anthem 700 runs compared to other brands of high powered receivers?

I remember putting my hand on top of an Anthem just in the front area and it only felt warm NOT hot.

Originally Posted by dglozic

OK, in all fairness I was comparing MRX 700 and PVA 7 assuming that all the components I saw in the pictures are real and actually hooked up :-). My point was that all things being equal, amp with a single bipolar transistors per channel will have a smaller damping factor than one with multiple pairs, providing that both amps have been executed competently (multiple pairs need to be, well, 'paired' to avoid distorsion when multiple devices are running in tandem).

Again, damping factor is just an indication - a dumping factor of 200 for PVA 7 promises tigher control over woofers. In the end, it all goes down to how the components sound, but I was assuming that MRX 700 and PVA 7 sound similar with PVA 7 having more current capability. Throw in empty cans around small power caps and all bets are off though :-).

Originally Posted by BRAC

Another quick question. How does ARC handle phase correction between the sub and main channels? Does it correct by distance setting(delay), similar to Audyssey? Thanks.

Originally Posted by gostan

My Anthem dealer now has one less MRX700 in inventory.


It appears that Anthem dealers are now receiving the fulfillment of the balance of initial orders, so, I would expect more reviews and more questions filling this thread.

Originally Posted by jayray

I'm sure you'll let us know how it sounds
Johnb

Anthem MRX 700 Demo Mini Review
Here is my brief initial take on the new MRX700.

My Electronics: currently consists of a Denon AVR-4810CI, but I did own an Anthem D2v and Cary Cinema 5, among other separates before opting to simplify things of an electronics nature. I was using an Odyssey HT-3 amp to run the fronts & center until about a month ago. Since that time, I have been using the internal amps in the Denon.

My Speakers: Genesis Technology 6.1Fs, 7.1C, G928 SW, two pairs of Axiom QS8’s. Not too many folks with Genesis speakers. I have never looked back when I replaced a B&W setup over two years ago. The L&R Genesis speakers have a High Level through outputs that connects by speaker cabling to the High Level inputs of the G928 SW. Cabling consists of mostly Nordost Heimdall & Baldur. about a month ago. Please note that my second set of QS8's was being used as Front Heights with the Denon, so the surrounds in the charts below are older full sized Cambridge Soundworks Tower II Speakers.

The Denon 4810 was always intended to be a temporary solution, while awaiting Anthem to release the MRX receivers. But, I was unsure about waiting it out for the 900 or opting for a 700, so I did not preorder a new MRX. My local Anthem dealer, Gary Wurlitzer of Wurlitzer Stereo in Marlborough, MA loaned me his new MRX 700 demo.

Initial Useability Impressions:

Pros: MRX is better looking in person than by picture. The buttons are so Anthem-like (and useable). The MRX t is almost compact in nature and is not oversized like some of the upscale priced Denons and Marantz units. The rear panel is well spaced out and not overcrowded. Speaker connectors are well made. Fonts of display on front of unit are large enough for my old eyes to see. Setup is simple. Last evening I ran manual setup, taking speaker measurements with a tape and using my trusty Ratshack meter and an AIX audio calibration disc to balance the sound. I always wait to run room correction/ARC, until I do some initial listening because I believe that playing with manual setup gives me the ability to betternlearn the ins & outs of new elctronics and to test out the SQ prior to any room correction setup.

Cons: Speaker distance is only measured in foot increments. Other than volume, information only shows up via OSD on monitor when entering setup/making changes.

Initial Sound Impressions: My dealer had told me that he expected that Anthem’s implementation of amps in the MRX receivers would be superior to the Denon. He was correct, and then some. Since selling my last external amplifier, I have found the Denon to be lacking in dynamics and a bit thin in the midrange. The amps in the MRX are dead quiet and extremely dynamic. I ran a number of BD discs and found that the Anthem never lacked for power or distorted, even when turning the volume up much louder than I would normally listen. I would describe the sound as clean and articulate. No, it does not have the depth that I remember from my D2 days, but after taking the Denon out of play, I found that I was no longer wanting for a separate amplifier or my D2. I need to get the how does analog sound questions out of the way. I hooked up one of my Rega TT’s as well as some nice recorded CD’s through my Oppo BDP83. The MRX is OK, but nothing special analogue wise. Digital listening is another story. I have learned thru experience that analogue belongs in a separate system (or with a 2 CH tube integrated with HT bypass), and I now only listen to music digitally in my HT.

ARC: I ran ARC this morning, and am listening/watching a Return To Forever Returns BD disc. Although my fronts are rated 48HZ to 36HZ +/- 3dB, ARC set them to Small 80 Hz. I already knew that I should not be concerned about whether ARC sets my speakers on Small or Large because I know from experience that ARC appears to know more than I do because it sounds really good. Now, I just need to listen to some more flix and some music.

Overall: SQ appears to be extremely good and quiet and at the same time quite dynamic when compared to my Denon/Odyssey implementation. Not as many bells & whistles as the Denon, but I never used most of those. So far I am very pleased with the MRX 700. Right now, the MRX does not leave me wanting for separates. Yes, it could have a bit better user interface with more frills/pizzaz, but it sounds really good, and I will take good sound over the frills any day of the week.

Originally Posted by gostan

John, I will now be able to expand upon my brief initial 1.5 day demo review on an ongoing basis. I apologize for refreshing this review, but you know that I will be setting up my new MRX700 and running ARC this evening.

Originally Posted by charles17

Well, my MRX 500 has arrived

Now I need patience for my dealer to find a gap to install and also move me from 5.1 to 7.1

Originally Posted by Shrike645

ARC doesn't do this. Phase is set manually.

Originally Posted by BRAC


Huh? Are you saying that speaker/sub distances are set manually and not by ARC?

Originally Posted by gostan

John, I will now be able to expand upon my brief initial 1.5 day demo review on an ongoing basis. I apologize for refreshing this review, but you know that I will be setting up my new MRX700 and running ARC this evening.

Originally Posted by jayray

That is correct.
John

Originally Posted by Anthony A.

when i ran arc, it set all distances for my speakers and sub. i just doubled checked them and they are all correct. am i missing something?

Originally Posted by lpw

I've just spent a frustrating evening trying to run ARC on my new MRX500 without any success. In fact, I thought I almost bricked my new unit while trying to upgrade the new firmware made available today.

A fellow AVS member was kind enough to lend me a Bytecc USB-RS232 adapter, which I believe is the same one that monoprice sells. I found the driver on the Bytecc website and it installed fine (it uses the Prolific driver). I proceeded to upgrade the firmware** and was successful. However, when I tried to run ARC, the software failed to initialize and returned a message saying it can't locate a valid processor. I went into Device Manager and checked the serial port settings: I tried a few different com ports (1-6), even changed the stop bits to 2 from the default 1, but I got the same message each time about being unable to locate a valid processor. I even found a newer version of the Prolific driver, but still no go. Is this because this Bytecc cable won't work with ARC and I have to get the Keyspan adapter or is it something else?

I figured this Bytecc one was successful in upgrading the firmware so it should be fine to run ARC, right? Has everyone who has bought one of these receivers so far been using the Keyspan adapter?

**My first attempt failed and I thought the receiver or my HTPC crashed. I was using my HTPC to run the firmware upgrade and this was being output to my projector screen. When the firmware was writing to the receiver video RAM and ROM, my screen went blank. I waited and waited and figured something went wrong, and so I finally unplugged the receiver. When I turned it back on again, the audio was fine, but there was no video! I clicked on the INFO button and saw there was no firmware version shown for the video on the receiver. I then went and tried the firmware upgrade a 2nd time, but this time using my netbook. This time, everything went fine. The readme text file does mention that this whole process takes about 10 mins, so I unplugged the receiver too quickly the first time when I thought something crashed. I think when it was writing to the video RAM and ROM, it obviously affected the output of video. Anyways, I don't think there was any harm done, but if this had been a computer motherboard I was flashing, I'm sure I would've bricked it.