I seem to be in the minority here, but I went from a Marantz 7706 to a Anthem AVM 90 and feel that the Anthem has much greater dynamics, especially when listening to 2 channel music.
Looking for New AV Processor
Hi All,
I posted back in 2023, got some good advice, but never pulled the trigger on anything as I spent too much coin on camera gear! So I’m back, asking the same question as the options may have changed a little since 2023!
So let’s start with my current setup:
B&W CM10’s front left and right
B&W Center 2 front
B&W 685’s rear left and right
B&W PV1 sub
Yamaha CX-A5000 AV Processor
Monolith 7X Amp
Panasonic DP-UB820 Blu-ray Player
Sony 65” X900H TV
At the time the Yamaha CX-A5000 was a budget pick based on financials as I was moving from a Pioneer SC-27 receiver to an amp + processor setup, so I feel the processor is now the weakest link in my system, thus considering an upgrade and would to hear some expert advice. My budget is ~$2k - $2.5k and I’m going to buy 2nd hand.
Regarding video, my current processor isn’t HDR capable so I’m looking for at least 4K HDR10 capabilities in regards to video content, but ideally 4K HDR 10+ & Dolby Vision capable. With regards to music, most of my listening 24bit HD music. If there’s one characteristic of the sound I’d like to improve with this upgrade is that currently my setup can become a bit bright / harsh when watching movies (Blu-ray source mostly) and I’d like a bit more ooomph in terms of bass.
Looking at previous recommendations and searching ebay, the following are my current picks:
1) Marantz AV8805A
2) Anthem AVM70
3) Rotel RSP-1582
The Rotel is now a bit outdated and gets mixed reviews overall, especially regarding durability, but they always had the reputation of being a good pairing with B&W speakers? But both Marantz and Anthem get rave reviews so I think it’s between these two really? Advice welcomed as always.
Kev Doc
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- 38 posts total
@cavalier @cavalier Please share! Diversity of experience is important! After haveing a baby Theta processor I rapidly went through Emotiva and Onkyo before getting a prior generation Anthem processor which was audibly superb. Lacked even 4k bit fabulous audible performance. I thought a mew 4k receiver would integrate well with my stereo amp. Perhaps the Anthem processors are significantly better than the receivers, but I remain unsatisfied with the features of the room correction |
@erik_squires Both processors were paired with a Rotel RMB-1095, with B&W 804 D3s for my front L & R. When listening to music, I feel the Anthem reveals a lot more detail than the Marantz did. I also feel that the customization through the web GUI is superb. I love that I can pair different speaker profiles to inputs. I've never run into the issues you mentioned when watching Netflix. I run Netflix off an Apple TV and dialog always comes through the center channel. |
Hi Everybody, Just wanted to report back after purchasing a Marantz AV8805A ($2,250 + shipping). Pleasantly surprised in the improvement in sound quality, the main differences I’m hearing are:
Couldn't be happier! The first thing I did was update the firmware, it went through two update cycles. I then tried using the Audysey setup but the outcome sounded a little compressed, so I reverted back to a manual setup. Here’s where I’m at:
There’s lots of conflicting info out there on topics like LFE only or LFE + Main, so open to further advice on setup. Kevin |
For context I have the AV-7705. There’s a pretty good Audyssey thread on AVS Forum that I had followed some years ago. LFE was the consensus. Otherwise your subs and mains could cancel each other out in the lower frequency range with LFE+Main. Additionally, having the processor crossing over the mains at say 80Hz typically provides greater headroom from your separate amp while reducing distortion during demanding home theater moments. The “double bass” via LFE+Mains looks great in the menu setting, but it’s actually counterproductive when attempting to avoid nulls while maximizing impact of the subs and integration with the Mains. Question: Pure Direct On for just listening to music or is it always on? I understand Pure Direct looks great on paper, but in practice it was never a preference (for me), especially for HT usage. And I could be wrong, but Pure Direct bypasses Audyssey room mitigation (correction). |
- 38 posts total