| Home | About Me | My projects | My wish list |
| Measurements | Tools of the trade | Links | Home Theatre |
Back to Home theatre main page:
7/26/08: In the past few years I've become a very big fan of Anthem equipment. It all started with the AVM20. I was in the market to replace my Proceed AVP so I went over to A&B TV locally in Austin, TX. I primarily went there to look at Sunfire but A&B's Brad Smallwood convinced me the Anthem was the superior choice. While it was half the price of the Proceed AVP it replaced, I found it to be far superior in quality. Now, I have the AVM20 in the living room down stairs and no plan to replace it. I have since bought the Statement D2 processor, two of the Statement P2 power amplifiers, two of the MCA30 amplifiers, and I have asked Brad to order a PVA5 5 channel amplifier for me which I will pick up when I get back to the states. Personally I think the Anthem is better than many other more expensive options. People need to be careful about falling into the trap of assuming more expensive is always better. Especially in the high-end audio world equipment above a certain price point goes beyond the point of diminishing returns into the world of pure "snob appeal". The worlds most expensive audio equipment does not get its retail price set by its value but rather by the fact a higher price provides bigger bragging rights. Anthem is a value product. This does not mean that it is, "good for the price". This means it is just plain good and its price has been set fairly based on what the equipment is. In other words, you get what you pay for! With many higher priced options you don't!
Preamplifier:
Potential Anthem D2 owners be aware that ARC will not work with a true full range system that does not use the subwoofer output. The signal for my woofers come from the main preamp outputs and this prevented me from using ARC. Unfortunately my situation was unique enough that Anthem Tech Support was not aware of this limitation in the ARC system. As a result we went round and round generating some very hard feelings before someone from the development team of ARC stepped in and announced that ARC is not designed to work this way. The same will be true for the new D2v. So if you plan to avoid the subwoofer output and maintain stereo bass as I have then you will not be able to use ARC...unless you don't mind your system being limited to 25 Hz. I really like Anthem but personally I think this is just stupid! A $7,500 processor! It doesn't cut off below 25 Hz without ARC, why does it have to do it with??? Their problem is that they think inside the box and assume everyone will go with conventional approaches to sound reproduction. They need to get out more...hear something that will show them a whole new world! I have to say this drops my respect for Anthem several notches. Note: It is my understanding that this has now been changed. Regardless, I have no interest in trying ARC again. I see ARC as a "point and shoot camera solution"... it's a simple means to get some room EQ for those that do not have a better way to do it. It's not a good solution, it's just something that might be better than nothing for anyone lacking the ability to do anything else. I also have no interest in the D2v. My next processor upgrade will not likely be Anthem.
Power amplifiers:
(2) Emotiva UPA-7 Powering the main two way active line arrays. These were originally powered by two Anthem P2's but a later redesign of the speakers added Hann shading. The lines now require 5-ch's of amplification each. I will possibly change the design to a 3-way in the future, adding the same TB tweeters used in the center speaker. If so, the remaining 2 amplifier channels will be used for that.
(2) Anthem MCA 30 Powering the woofer columns. Each of the three channels power one module. (4 woofers)
The only complaint I have on the MCA series and also the PVA series amplifiers are the speaker binding post. Absolute junk! I've seen better on a Kenwood receiver. Otherwise they are fantastic amplifiers!
(1) Emotiva UPA-7 Powers the CBT center speaker.
(2) Usher Audio R-6.0 Powering the surround speakers.
Projector:
Blu-ray Player