Gentlemen,
Looking for the pros and cons of the Anthem MRX-300 versus the Denon 4311CI as a preamp only. I have nice enough monoblock amps already - no need for the AVR amp section.
I'm looking to replace my tired old Outlaw 950 prepro with a modern HDMI prepro with room correction. After reading the horror stories about Sherwood and Emotiva, and waiting entirely too long for Outlaw's new prepro, I think I would be better off getting a decent quality AVR with preamp outputs.
I have a 5.2 system with Platinum Audio speakers and dual SVS passive cylindrical subs positioned in opposite corners of the room. The wide and shallow room layout precludes a traditional 7 speaker setup, but I could add front width speakers.
I want high resolution room correction, preferably with support for dual subs. The ARC approach of using the computing power I've already bought versus a built-in DSP seems intuitive. However, the MRX AV receivers don't support dual subs. I would have to add something like the $750 SVS/Audyssey box to get dual sub support. Then again, the Audyssey Pro mike and kit for the 4311 would cost $400 or $500.
I'm also concerned with the quality of the DACs and analog output section on my new prepro. The analog quality of my Oppo 83SE convinced me that the old Cirrus DACs in the Outlaw 950 just weren't up to par. Ideally I would like DACs and an analog section that perform as well as the ESS Sabre32 DACs in the new Oppo 95. I just don't know if a receiver in this price range can realistically be expected to perform that well.
Finally, I prefer the number of HDMI inputs on the Denon to the Anthem and I like the iPhone app and Airplay ability of the Denon. However, if the music performance on the Anthem is better than the Denon, then the bells and whistles are just a distraction from the core job of putting out great sounding music.
What do you guys think, get the Anthem, get the Denon? Wait for the new 4312 or Outlaw prepro? Get a used Lexicon, Theta, or Anthem DV2 on Audiogon? I really would like the rest of my sources to sound as good as the 83SE (given source limitations of course) while also getting modern room correction.
Looking for the pros and cons of the Anthem MRX-300 versus the Denon 4311CI as a preamp only. I have nice enough monoblock amps already - no need for the AVR amp section.
I'm looking to replace my tired old Outlaw 950 prepro with a modern HDMI prepro with room correction. After reading the horror stories about Sherwood and Emotiva, and waiting entirely too long for Outlaw's new prepro, I think I would be better off getting a decent quality AVR with preamp outputs.
I have a 5.2 system with Platinum Audio speakers and dual SVS passive cylindrical subs positioned in opposite corners of the room. The wide and shallow room layout precludes a traditional 7 speaker setup, but I could add front width speakers.
I want high resolution room correction, preferably with support for dual subs. The ARC approach of using the computing power I've already bought versus a built-in DSP seems intuitive. However, the MRX AV receivers don't support dual subs. I would have to add something like the $750 SVS/Audyssey box to get dual sub support. Then again, the Audyssey Pro mike and kit for the 4311 would cost $400 or $500.
I'm also concerned with the quality of the DACs and analog output section on my new prepro. The analog quality of my Oppo 83SE convinced me that the old Cirrus DACs in the Outlaw 950 just weren't up to par. Ideally I would like DACs and an analog section that perform as well as the ESS Sabre32 DACs in the new Oppo 95. I just don't know if a receiver in this price range can realistically be expected to perform that well.
Finally, I prefer the number of HDMI inputs on the Denon to the Anthem and I like the iPhone app and Airplay ability of the Denon. However, if the music performance on the Anthem is better than the Denon, then the bells and whistles are just a distraction from the core job of putting out great sounding music.
What do you guys think, get the Anthem, get the Denon? Wait for the new 4312 or Outlaw prepro? Get a used Lexicon, Theta, or Anthem DV2 on Audiogon? I really would like the rest of my sources to sound as good as the 83SE (given source limitations of course) while also getting modern room correction.
