DAC or Upgrade To MX150 From D2V??

Clarify - is the sonos attached via digital or analog cable?

I'm using the SPDIF (optical) from the Sonos to the Anthem. For 2 channel, I've set the "music" setting so the Anthem does as little processing as possible to the original signal (no xover, etc). I've setup my ARC (Anthem's Room Correction) targets to "flat" and 2 channel (FR & FL only). I've also tried not enabling ARC at all and bypassing every setting I could find -- to get as close to the source as possible.

When I say "lackluster" I'm comparing the 2 channel settings in the Anthem (using the internal DAC of the Anthem and as little interference as possible) with that of another preamp that I sold recently (unfortunately). The old preamp had a setting that was called "direct" where it bypassed a good amount of circuitry and tone functionality -- to get as clean a signal as possible to the amps. From my a/b comparison, the easiest I can sum it is: it appears that the Anthem "won't get out of the way". The bass response is subtly different and the high's are a bit harsh.

I've heard how good my amp and B&W main's can sound with certain source material from the Sonos' SPDIF on my old preamp, but for some reason the Anthem can't get as close. I've also tried using the analog out from the sonos to the Anthem, but it was terrible sounding -- just muddy all around. This wasn't surprising; I didn't expect the Sonos to have any decent analog out. I suppose the real crux of the question is if anyone has had good results with a good quality analog output (from any device) with the Anthem's 2 channel balanced input. My thought was that I'd buy a decent (under $2K) DAC and feed the Anthem with that for my 2.0 listening. Anthem claims the major cost difference between the D2V and the AVM50V is partly the analog section -- and that has a sort of "direct" feature. I'm just concerned about spending another $2K when I could probably just bite the bullet and sell the D2V and get the McIntosh MX150 (which in itself has some drawbacks such as a poor upgrade path and possibly not as good a 5.1 performance).

As a sidenote, I love the Anthem for 5.1. It's extremely good at cleaning up video and upscaling to 1080P. ARC does a solid job of also cleaning up my sub's response (a Velodyne HGS18). I just love it for 5.1.

Okay, thanks for the clarifications. I have a couple of suggestions:

1) Try dropping the optical and using a coax SPDIF. While optical is theoretically better, the general consensus is that the implementation of optical is worse than coax digital. I'm guessing that it won't solve your problem, but it's super cheap and easy, so it's worth a shot.

2) Consider the Wyred 4 Sound DAC-2. I just got one a few weeks ago and the more I listen, the more I like it. You'll find a lot of other users on A'gon who like it, too. But in your case, it will be especially interesting because it has its own volume control (though you'll probably use the Sonos' volume control)... and HT bypass. So the W4S DAC would feed directly to your amp -- no Anthem in the circuit for music. For HT, the Anthem's R/L outs would go into the W4S, and pass through, unmodified to the amp. There are various ways to configure this, but in your case you'd use the Anthem's 12V trigger out to tell the W4S to go into bypass mode. For $1500, it's almost a no-brainer.

3. I'll re-recommend the Pace Car. It will work with the Sonos whether you use the Anthem, or get the W4S DAC-2. (The W4S DAC has USB input, too, so you could use it directly from your computer, dropping the Sonos from the system if you want.)

Your biggest, most noticeable improvement will probably come from the W4S DAC. They have a 30-day return policy with a 15% restocking fee, so it's a $225 experiment.

But you won't return it.

Allen,

I also own an Anthem D2v. I use a Squeezebox instead of the Sonos. Like Cbw stated, use the coax instead of the optical. Also, use ARC to clean up your room. I was dead set against using it because I paid big bucks to have my room analyzed and tuned. After talking to Anthem, they convince me to try it. It did make a difference and I've left it on. While the D/A converters are pretty good in the D2v, you can do better. Again, like Cbw suggested, I would consider the Wyred4sound DAC-2. The Sabre32 D/A chip in the DAC-2 is hard to beat at the $1500 price point. I would also suggest that you upgrade the power supply on the Sonos; the switcher is pretty bad. I've upgraded the power supply on my SB and it makes a huge difference. I think the boys at W4S offer a Mod for the Sonos. I would suggest that you call Anthem Tech Support. I've spent many hours talking to Pierro and the other Techs and they've been more than willing to hold my hand as I've suffered through many bouts of Audio Nervosa.

I recently purchased the Anthem D2v, and essentially a new system, for my family room system. This is a third system, used by my wife and daughter and so I had space and aesthetic considerations. I have the new Levinson 533 three channel amp powering three Paradigm Reference W5 on wall speakers (good WAF), a JL 110 sub, and Sonos, Directv HD DVR, and Oppo 83 as sources. In my dedicated theater room, I use the Meridian 861v4 with custom horn speakers, tube amps and same sources. The difference between the two is large in favor of the Meridian, and for the same price, or lower, I wish I had purchased a used Meridian 861 rather than the Anthem. The dealer, who also sold me the Meridian in a different store, came out and performed the ARC setup in the family room. I have used Sonos as a source in all of my systems and the Anthem is woefully short compare to the other two. The Sonos through a quality DAC is awesome and I rarely use a CD player any more (I use an EMM lab DAC in my separate 2 channel system, the built-in Meridian 861 DAC in the theater system, and the built -in Anthem DAC in the family room.) I have also tried toslink vs. Coaxial digital between the Sonos and the Anthem and there is no discernible audio difference. Perhaps I need to try a separate DAC for the Anthem, increasing the cost. BTW, IMO the value of the Anthem is it's video capability. I am very impressed and surprised that it has made my plasma picture much better, through all sources. I also like the ease of use of the Anthem. However, I am underwhelmed with its audio capability.

Hope this helps.

Reg