Anthem AVM 70 8K better than Emotiva RMC-1? Marantz Cinema 50? in-house review - first impressions
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Anthem AVM 70 8K better than Emotiva RMC-1? Marantz Cinema 50? in-house review - first impressions
The Anthem AVM 70 8K AV Processor is brought in-house so we can explore is features, design and user experience first-hand. This is the first video on this model. As a common step-up product for those who have been using AV Receivers, the AVM 70 8K has received favorable reviews since its introduction in 2020, as a 4K model, and again in 2022 as an 8K model. Now it is time for Ripewave Audio to dig in and give its impressions - is this a step-up from our Marantz Cinema 50 or even our Emotiva RMC-1?
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I recently bought an AVM 70 8K. I agree with every critique you've made!
How is it working out for you? I found the sound quality to be very good. Hope you didn’t have the issues with calibration I experienced. -Jon
Would like to mention... you're very pleasant to listen to. The way you deliver the detailed informative information... you have a nice steady approach! So what if it takes an extra 5 minutes. So much better compared to some other TH-cam channels who seems to think it's better to rush through it all.
Thank you.
Btw anthem vs arcam would be nice. After all as far as sound quality goes I think they're in the same league, especially compared to the runners-up of marantz and Denon.
Thanks for those words of encouragement. I appreciate your patience with my slower delivery. While am I likely to continue to do the same I hope to be able to capture the most important points more efficiently as I improve.
I do believe am Arcam vs Anthem review would have high value to this audience - I hope to pull it off, -Jon
Great review, Jon. I think it speaks to attention to detail when Anthem doesn’t send a unit with close to new firmware. If that really was a unit from the 4K batch that they swapped the boards on, shame on them for not doing a thorough scan of everything, including updating the firmware.
I agree. I would be okay if the firmware matched the first release of the 8K board (mid-late 2022) - but to be from 2021 is not acceptable. They have some things works well but they are inconsistent in that discipline.-Jon
Just purchased AVM 70. Love its sound but remote control horrible. It response to volume control is slow and erratic, yes product firmware was updated etc. Surprised no one mention this. DID a quick search and this is a known problem. The volume does work surprisingly well when using CC control though. @@ripewave
Anthem AVM 70 + MiniDSP for 4 Subs. Thats the best value for money :)
Thanks for that great review! The lack of a single-button input selection is just bizarre! I think Anthem lacks one of my favorite features, support for the Fletcher-Munson loudness compensation. That keeps your speakers sounding the same as you lower the volume. The Monolith HTP-1 even lets you set the volume at which that correction begins. I downloaded the Anthem user guide and there was no mention of it, so they may be one of the few manufacturers that don't offer it. Many do it via Dolby Volume, though I think that implementation has a fixed starting volume, probably zero dB.
Great feedback. I have always appreciated the “loudness” button even before I know how it worked. It was on my dad’s Marantz 2275 for the 70s. I would push that in and add a little more treble and cut the bass slightly in those days. Now the Marantz has Dolby Volume you mentioned but my Emotiva has the loudness button and I am using it regularly. I was not aware of the Monolith approach. Hopefully they will return to the market this year - I heard it will be a new or updated model. -Jon
So it appears Anthem has Dolby Volume, but they call it “Dolby Audio Post Processing” they provide one geared for music and the other for music listening. I was using that that feature unknowing what it was. The manual says “setting allows you to control the difference between the softest and loudest passages on soundtracks that contain dynamic scaling cues.”
I find the Anthem sounds thin without it. The Emotiva sounds better without needing to turn loudness on - the loudness button on the RMC-1 is like having another gear. -Jon
@@ripewave I saw that in the AVM 70/90 user guide, but dynamic range compression is a different concept. That takes the loud passages and turns them down in volume, and the quiet passages are turned up. I use that when action movies get way too loud. The HTP-1 calls that "night viewing" or just "night" on the remote. While that affects average volume, I don't think it does anything to the frequency response. The Fletcher-Munson curves (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equal-loudness_contour) turn the bass up more and more as you lower the overall volume. It turns up the high frequencies too, but not as much. A good test is to take one of your favorite tracks that has impressive bass, then turn the volume way down. The bass becomes much less impressive if loudness is turned off. I just checked the RMC-1 manual, and it gives the best description I've ever seen in a manual!
Loudness
The Loudness check box allows you to enable or disable true Fletcher Munson loudness
compensation. Loudness compensation adjusts the audio frequency response to compensate
for the varying frequency response of human hearing at low volume levels. Our hearing is
increasingly less sensitive to very high and very low frequencies as the listening level is reduced,
and the Fletcher Munson loudness curve compensates for this by applying a boost to those
frequencies that increases as the level is reduced.
Dolby Loudness Management
Enables Dolby Loudness Management and selects which DLM mode to use. When enabled, Dolby
Loudness Management attempts to control the dynamic range of incoming audio. Dynamic
Range Control (DRC) reduces the dynamic range (the loudness difference between loud and
quiet sounds) to make it easier to hear quiet sounds when the overall volume level is low; this
is sometimes referred to as “midnight mode”. Dialog Normalization seeks to make the dialog in
various program material play at a similar level to improve intelligibility.
Looking forward to comparing the sound of Emotiva vs Anthem vs Marantz
So thrilled to be able to conduct this type of side-by-side-by-side comparison. -Jon
You should do a comparison of the Marantz av10, Anthem avm90, Emotiva RMC-1, Audio Control concert XR-8S, JBL SDP-58. I’d like to see how these products differ.
Would love to. Running low on money so hopefully brands will send loner or I can work with retailers with liberal return policies.
Regardless I can do a paper side-by-side review for that level of processor.
-Jon
Thanks John... yeh I'd say 3 button pushes every time I change input is far to much consider most evening i switch between 3 inputs. hopefully they simplify that in the future!
It seems with the firmware update I can get it down to two if the input I want to switch to is next to the one I am on. I can use the left/right arrows on the remote to navigate to the next input and hit the select button. It would be nice to have at least 4 assignable quick pick buttons on the remote. -Jon
Thank you for a very informative video, I recently bought a anthem receiver on a fluke, and it is difficult to operate, due to the lack of information, you were right on the money with everything you said, so thank you and make more videos, please, it’s a great product. I shouldn’t need a degree to operate it, especially after spending so much money. and the videos that I put out video are so technical that you walk away with nothing, the same thing with arc ,
Thanks for the great video. I have the RMC1L sounds great but, it has a static popping noise when changing content (annoying) and then I got the AVM 90 totally diferente story sounds nice an crisp and I am happy with my AVM90.
I must say that the AVM70 sounds very good. A bit different from the Emotiva but both are good. I can imagine that the AVM90 sounds even better.
I am having trouble with ARC Genesis. The measurements are extremely loud and I can find no persistent way to lower the levels. Guidance from Anthem isn’t working. Best workaround is to use the web UI and lower main volume just before each measurement placement starts. Hoping it is just an issue with my unit and not a common problem. -Jon
I have the AVM70 and I have listened to the RMC-1L. The RMC-1L sounds better in my opinion and it should considering the DACs used and the DAC layout. In my case I was willing to offer the sound quallity for the very nice web gui and overall user experience (no bugs etc).
Thanks for that firsthand comparison. I do think it comes done to individual preferences. When you can base your decision on direct listening it makes it easier. -Jon
I only use the web gui on my phone app. Never use the remote. Occasionally, I'll press the power button on the front of the Anthem.
Which DAC set does your AVM70 have? Was it made before or after the supplier fire forcing the DAC change? How would you find out which DAC set your unit is using?
Well, you question prompted me to investigate. There is no date on my unit - only a S/N which I’m sure Anthem code determine the manufacturing details from, but I can’t. Looking through the slots I can only see the ADC chips - ESS ES9822QPRO and toslink chips from Texas Instruments PCM9211. My guess is I have an ESS DAC and not the original AKM chip.-Jon
Emotiva puts money in the sound,not the refinement and HDMI reliability. Switching glitches and so on. I would trust the Marantz is basically a Denon collaboration since it is in house so it probably will be better than the Emotiva. I have friends with dead HDMI and NIC cards in their Marantz Pre Pros so there is malice in the network and HDMI palace. Unknown on the Anthem. I have an ancient AVM-30. No HDMI shenanigans. No network BS. Pure 7.1 audio greatness. Built better than any of the Emotiva or Marantz and sounds better. Smokes anything Denon is doing. Would I get the anything with Atmos in it, and all the other toys inside? Nope. My need are very easy. Really don't need that much HDMI switching. I have more analog sources than digital. Would be ultimately be playing master tapes anyway. As these Processors promise more and keep escalating in costs, I just sit back and wait for these older ones to go used, and I buy those. I don't need or want the latest and greatest all the time. I need just good. On the digital side working on a NAS and streamer setup that will make sense and keep the costs in check. I put most of my money these days in content creation anyway. Fun seeing your videos, though my money will never see the light of a $5000.00 plus Preamplifier Processor anyway.
Vincent - always good to hear from you and your thoughtful comments. I agree that sound quality is the most important feature - at least for my own setup. Your other points ring true as well. Albeit I am not ready to say the build quality is better than Emotiva. Physically it is not as rugged but on the inside it’s is hard for me to judge this early on. I have experienced some major software issues with Anthem which I will be reporting on this week - resulting a blown midrange driver. Not happy. Keep the comments coming. -Jon
Muting threshold on digital starts are mostly a miss on the Emotiva products. I have 2 Anthem products and it gets all the content right all of the time. I think the Emotiva may sound better, don’t know. I have the XMC-1 and other than the miss from time to time on the muting of the beginning of a digital passage, it does fine. No quirks or oddness about it. The MRX-520 I have in my other system makes more sense in operation than the Emotiva does. DIRAC and ARC go after the room calibration. I think they are pretty effective at least by my ears anyway. HDMI switches fine on both products for me. Build is similar but then Anthem feels chunkier than the Emotiva does. The remote backlit where the Emotiva is not. Emotiva is metal, and that is nice. But backlighting would be more useful. I think the Anthem for me has the more balanced sound than the Emotiva does. Though the Emotiva can sound more dynamic and alive on certain things.
I appreciate your thoughtful analysis here. Thanks for sharing. -Jon
QUESTION. I keep hearing people mention height 1 is front height 2 is middle and height 3 is back but if you dont have 3 set then back is 2. Which way is it. I have 3 sets of heights & i thought H1 is front H2 is back & H3 is middle ?
Excellent question. For the Anthem AVM 70, there are three sets of heights (1=front height, 2= middle height, 3= back height). I found that the unit behaved differently with the initial firmware it shipped with. Instead of letting me configure my back height speakers on 3, it forced me to configure on 2. When I upgraded the unit to the latest firmware, that all changed and the reverse became true - I had to configure my height backs on 3 as I first described above.
Assuming you have this model, I would run a simple test. First ensure you have the latest firmware running. Then disconnect 2 and observe which height speaker is no longer active. You can't argue with how your unit is performing. If for some reason you have it wired backwards, fix the wiring. Do this knowing it may not be your fault as Anthem switched behaviors at some point with a firmware update.
Jon
I currently have a Emotiva XMC-1. I have had no issues until I upgraded my Apple 4K (gen 1 ) to the Apple 4K TV (gen 2 ) and purchased a PS5. I quickly found out the XMC-1 will not pass Dolby Vision 4K/60. I did have an older Samsung 4K tv but upgraded to a LG C3. The XMC-1 does have the newer HDMI board (HDMI 2.0b and HDCP 2.2). So I upgraded to the Anthem AVM 70 for the HDMI 2.1 and HDCP 2.3 so I get everything out of my Apple TV and PS 5. Immediately I found that the Bass from my subs was thin, the remote was not ergonomically friendly and it didnt do DSD. There were some other things I didnt care for but overall I didnt like the Anthem AVM 70 and returned it to the POS. Hooked up my XMC-1 and will do without all the other stuff until Emotiva comes out with their upgraded processors in the near future.
Also I might add the Anthem didnt have a dedicated analog input section which matches the analog output of my Oppo 205. Even though the Emotiva XMC-1 is much older it still sounds better. Also many complain of the slow startup with the Emotiva processors. The standby function is turned off right out of the box so it loads everything up when you power it on. If you go into the settings menu and change the standby to “on” the Emotiva will power up just as quickly as the Anthem.
Emotiva is one of the last hold outs for updated HDMI. Let’s hope they do a great job with their upcoming plus models which HDMI 2.1 support is promised. I agree will your feelings on the Anthem AVM 70 - the remote is lacking and no DSD support is odd. I don’t recall having bass issue, but I believe you. I found the Anthem ARC Genesis calibration to be so problematic. Given the wide range of feedback I have received of that, it seems that results vary widely with some having the perfect results and others not. It could be the calibration has resulted in your bass problem. -Jon
Yes - Anthem isn’t as good for analog sources. And yes, no issues with Emotiva time from standby. -Jon
@scottgodown569 you may want to invest in a HD Fury VRroom to get Dolby Vision. I have the XMC 1 as well in my theater. I am in the process of hooking up my VRroom. I will be upgrading my processor sometime next year because I will be running Dolby Atmos.
I've owned an AVM20, a D2, and an AVM60. Just based on my experiences with Anthem customer support over the years, I don't plan to ever own an Anthem product again.
I'm considering the Emotiva RMC-1, also half way considering the Marantz AV10 but I'm just not certain I want to spend that much on a processor again. (The Anthem D2 was about the same). I have a Marantz AV7705 in my down stairs system and have always found the user interface a bit confusing. I'm really not sure what to get but my AVM60 has been having some intermittent problems so I'm going to have to figure it out soon. It would be nice to hear more about your experiences with the sound quality of the RMC-1. Thanks! mfk
I wasn’t impressed with Anthem’s support either. It was all through email despite the serious issues I was having then they just stopped. Seems like there is no intent in addressing my issues. The unit was returned, so I didn’t follow up any further. -Jon
I Hope You Respond Please??? So Would You Prefer This Anthem AVM 90 Or The New Marantz AV 10
Do you recommend a class ab, d or g/h amplifier to use with this processor ??
I always aim to match the power requirements of the speaker I am trying to drive and it’s ability to handle comes down to output specifications and not the design type of the amplifier. As for the processor output, the voltage output should be compatible with the input sensitivity of the amplifier. A good class D amplifier will be little and generate less heat. A class AB amplifier is heavier and generates the most heat vs class G or D. -Jon
No DSD support means a no brainer no go for us if we were considering Anthem. Loud fan also = no go. We like the Marantz backlight button on the side (vs front button on Anthem) of the remote which we use a lot. Just wish backlight would stay on longer for the remote. And as you know Jon,…..with no Auro 3D upmixing for music means this would be a STRONG no go for our family. Thx for the review my friend.
Glad those points came across clear. Some care, some don't. I think they have done a lot of things right. Just wish they would address a few more so I could recommend it to a larger audience. -Jon
What is dsd? Why is it so important?
@@BobbyJ337 DSD is direct stream digital high resolution audio. SACD’s is a major format that we still use. Blu Ray pure audio and DVD audio is also a favorite physical format but it’s not DSD. PS audio is a current studio producing DSD.
Well explained J.B.- thanks. I will add that external DACs and players with built-in DACs that decode DSD, are usually 2-channel only for their analog outputs. I have SACDs which are multi-channel. Therefore, having the AV Processor/Receiver support DSD is essential to multi-channel DSD playback. Furthermore, I believe it is better to perform the D-to-A conversion on the last stage possible. If your AV Processor has high quality DACs, I would recommend for 2-channel DSD signals as well. -Jon
@@ripewave Excellent point Jon. My most favorite audio listening choice is an SACD multichannel recording which is played through our Auro 3D upmixer into our 7.2.6 system. Pure audio bliss.
I'm glad I came across this video review. I'm in the market to buy an Anthem next. Currently running the cinema 50. I love it but want more channels and more amplification. Meaning separates. So much money😢.
Yes - making the jump to separates can be expensive. You may want to try adding external amps to the Cinema 50 to ease into separates. Once you have enough amps then move up to a processor. -Jon
Yep. I'm running a Aiyima A07 for the rear atmos channel on the marantz. $80.00 answer that works great.
I will have to investigate. Thanks for sharing -Jon
I have not heard an anthem but I own an RMC-1L and it’s phenomenal. Not sure spending another 4k is going to net me a significant difference or even an audible difference at all. I can’t say that for certain. However I just find it hard to believe.
The quirks and the skimping in documentation and remote give me reason to pause. I'm keen to upgrade by the AVM 70 isn't there yet and |I| really can't justify the AVM 90.
With all the issues I reported against the Arcam AV41, I would still choose over the Anthem AVM 70. Anthem ARC Genesis was problematic for me and the results were not as good (albeit still good). While the Yamaha Rx-A8A is a receiver it can be used with external amps. Would you consider that option? -Jon
Having an audible internal fan rules this is out completely. How can you listen to acoustic music or atmospheric movies with the sound of a fan in the background. Totally ludicrous. Can I ask why you don't review Arcam processors?
I agree - you can’t listen critically with fans running. I am just finishing my Arcam series. While the Arcam is in the same sonic tier as Anthem, that can only be said while the fans aren’t running on the Anthem. -Jon
I really want(ed) to get the Emotiva RMC-1 (or the XMC-2 even) but without multi-channel analog RCA outs, it's just not doable. And, it really should have 7.1 multi-channel RCA inputs, too. Biggest drawback of the Emotiva processors.
Is their a reason why you wouldn’t just use a cable that has XLR on one end and RCA on the other? While you lose the benefit of noise cancellation it still works. You can also use a simple RCA to XLR adapter. -Jon
Howdy Jon!! (Love your channel by the way!) Actually, I didn't really think about doing that, unsure if using an adapter to convert my existing XLR cables to XLR-to-RCA was a good idea. I understand it's a short path for that conversion & unlikely to degrade sound quality at all, let alone audibly... Emotiva has an edge in the looks dept for me, too - I'm one of the weirdos that loves their blue displays. LOL Do you know if Anthem fixed that issue with the too-hot output that blew your drivers? Jim@@ripewave
Emotiva I believe even sells those adapters for that purpose but you can source from anywhere.
I have not heard anything further from Anthem. So that issue never got resolved. I have since returned so I haven’t pursued further. -Jon
Please run noise reduction as the background hiss is quite distracting.
Thanks - I have been running the noise filter since this one. Sorry I didn't address with this video. -Jon
Why can't the manufacturers yank out the amps and sell it cheaper as an processor only. Vs jacking up the non amp version price.
Yes - I get that they sometimes use the extra space to install higher grade components. However, there is a market for same-grade component versions without the amps. -Jon
I love my MRX-1140 8k and AVM 90 8k with paradigm founder speakers
I would say that would be a perfect pairing of Bagby brands. Cost of entry is on the premium side for both processor/receiver and speakers. Those founder speakers are handsome I must say. I bet they sound as good as they look. -Jon
You are completely misdirected on many points in this video, too many to mention honestly. But seriously, you aren't installed properly. Using Heights 1 and Heights 3 without having a Heights 2 will cause ARC to fault. I don't know WHY people think you can skip Height 2. Why is that a thing? In the menu it gives you selection parameters for determining and setting up the location of each height speaker. IF they were STATIC, wouldn't they be LABELED that way? (Heights Front, Heights Middle, Heights Rear?). You one HAVE two sets of Heights. Use them as Heights 1 and Heights 2, and then select them in software for their positions.
I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. My experience starts with an old firmware revision. I did the first part of the video on that release. Using that version from 2021, the menus would not let me configure height 2 for the rear heights. Without clear instructions with their online resources I simply configured as the software permitted. However, it was functional from a pre-ARC application with all speakers firing.
The video ended with the firmware update. Since posting I had a chance to run ARC Genesis. That is where my experience started to align with yours. ARC forced me to move the rear heights to the height 2 pre-outputs. I reconfigured and moved forward and the results have been very good.
If you have the time please share other points that differ from my own.
Jon
I agree people should not review a product if they dont understand on how to operate it. Best to stick to basic Audyssey.
Thank you for the info. You just took the knowledge of this rookie (me), to new HEIGHTS.
@davidlawson5288 @@Australia852 And people with nothing to contribute, and half ass assumptions , should just shut the F up. Because others that come to share in this experience, could do without your ignorant comments based off nothing but ego. Pricks should stay in they're lane before they get forced off the road.
There's quite a lot of hiss in the audio
Sorry about that. I will look into the problem. I think it was a setting in Adobe Premiere I misused -Jon
Too many wrong info! Its like you never really open the Avm 70! Just playing 5 min with menu and thats it!. In real life comparing marantz with Avm 70 its like comparing a mini with a Ferrari. This is the real difference in sound quality! Ok, maybe you dont have 3D Auro but why to have something that nobody anymore supports? And cant have Atmos without rear high speakers!! You can ignore middle but not rear!~ No word about software stability, Anthem is already 2 years in Market and most of errors are corrected, others are like nightmare in Elm street at the moment!
The sound quality is excellent - can’t disagree. I am producing a follow up video now that I have upgraded to the latest firmware and run ARC Genesis a few times. Unfortunately my experience has not been all positive. Glad to hear for others the product is meeting your expectations. -Jon
Is the Emotiva rmc-1 consider a downgrade or better than anthem avm70 8k ? the only difference I see is emotiva supports dsd ,direc, and has akm dac and” no aurora3d ,no network,no roon ready , no Imax enhance,wifi,Ethernet it’s like a barebone system “ , anthem hits all the bells and whistles except no dsd aAurora 3-D,dts-x pro anthem email me said they are working on dts-x pro
Funny how you call your uhd player still a dvd player. Must be the age 😋
I didn’t even know I did that - occasionally the old knowledge surfaces. VCRs covered next? -Jon
@@ripewaveplease be kind and rewind 😂😂 #early80sbaby
Anthems are very weak and of poor quality, the 7 series can reach 70 watts in 8 ohms, 7 channels in 5 channels, which means it drops to 35 or even 30 watts in 4 ohms, if a 4 ohm speaker is connected or 6 ohms, the minimum impedance of this speaker drops to 2.5 or 3 if it falls, then this is the best possibility, the sudden sound will turn on at high volume
Thanks for sharing your experience with the Anthem amplifier section. I reviewed their processor only and don’t have a sense for their amps. What you describe doesn’t sound good and suggest they should be avoided. I haven’t recommended Anthem aside from their processor’s ability to produce high quality sound output and their flexible input configuration. -Jon
What the hell are you talking about ? This is a prepro not an mrx amplifier 😢😢😢😢