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Why go Anthem receiver?
#417544 03/09/16 06:14 PM
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I am again sitting at a cross roads. I currently have a 2011 model year Pioneer VSX-1126k. It is a great home theater unit and even comes THX certified. Yet I think this unit has some sound limitations that I don't know if they are holding me back.

One thing that I have not seen in the settings menu is any area to control how the unit interacts with a sub woofer. You can tell it yes that you have a sub, but there is no settings for the cross over points. Likewise, you don't have any control over the crossover points for the speakers either. You can say they are large or small. What that means for the processing inside the unit is rather vague in they define large full range.

In my case, I have the top end LFR1100 speakers, so they definitely are not small. I am quite happy to run them full range, but as I have a pair of EP500s as well, I'd like the sub to supplement the sound that the fronts produce. I don't know and dont think this receiver is capable of doing this.

I know from my stint with a Marantz AV7005 pre that you could through its setup define a crossover for both the front channels to drive below a certain point (ie 45hz falloff) to go to the SUB, plus run the sub in parallel with a higher crossover point (ie 80hz falloff). So where the speakers are capable of producing sound but do so at a -db of SPL you can get the sub to fill in.

I don't know if this is something that is important as I don't know if I have ever gotten the unit setup correctly with the speakers right and sound treatment correct. I know that sound I remember with the speakers upstairs in my front room that was larger sounded better to me I think, but it's not a side by side A/B test.

I currently don't have the speakers for ATMOS and don't know if I will want speakers in the ceiling. I don't know if I really need anything beyond 5.1 right now, but would consider going to 7.1 (well effectively it's .2 as i currently own two sub woofers).

Why go with one receiver over any other. Does the MRX1120 have something far more over the MRX720? Am I just lost?


Anthem: AVM60, Fosi DAC-Q5
Axiom: ADA1500, LFR1100 Actiive, QS8, EP500, M3, M3comp, M5
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417546 03/09/16 06:26 PM
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I have like 2 minutes is all, so just going to fire off some comments...

The 720 is a 7.x receiver, where the 1120 is a 11.x receiver.

720 can do 7.x or 5.x.2 Atmos (can go to 7.x.4 with 4 more channels of amplification)
1120 can do 11.x or 7.x.4 Atmos (all with internal amps)

Anthem receivers have ARC (Anthem Room Correction) and it is supposed to be really, really good.

The 1120 has a Toroidal power supply that is supposed to improve dynamic range (can hit louds quick, and drop power super fast for changes in output levels).

Anyway, that is what I could come up with in 2 minutes.


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417548 03/09/16 07:57 PM
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Hey Matt, former pio user here.

Page 69.

http://www.pioneerelectronics.ca/StaticFiles/POCEN/Files/VSX-1126-1326%20Manual.pdf

You can set your crossover setting by using the manual speaker setup function. The remote used to have a direct access button to that menu. Not sure now. To have the subs and mains play together you used to set the mains to "PLUS" (LARGE\SMALL\PLUS used to be options) not sure if your model has now changed.

IIRC You have to set your main speakers to small, then sub to yes, then it will let you choose the crossover.

Hope this helps.

Last edited by Serenity_Now; 03/09/16 08:02 PM.
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417559 03/10/16 03:04 AM
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I had a pioneer Elite can't remember what model though but paid $2100 for it. Then I had the MRX500 $1200 walked all over it.
Love ARC.

The 720 does 11.2 but you need external amplification for the other 4 channels, where as the 1120 has all amplification.


Anthem MRX520
M5HPv4
VP160HPv4
QS10v4

Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
TroyD #417562 03/10/16 05:27 AM
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Originally Posted By TroyD
The 720 does 11.2 but you need external amplification for the other 4 channels, where as the 1120 has all amplification.


Agreed...
Originally Posted By nickbuol
720 can do 7.x or 5.x.2 Atmos (can go to 7.x.4 with 4 more channels of amplification)
1120 can do 11.x or 7.x.4 Atmos (all with internal amps)


wink


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417566 03/10/16 12:25 PM
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There is the talk about how the 1120 has a terroidal power supply, but as I have a large external amp for the main speakers, does not having this extra larger power supply really make sense?

Also I have 2 older Amp/OneA (about 100w) that I could hook up to the remaining 4 channels that the 720 can support. Just thinking that as I already have a number of external amps, does it make sense to pay the extra for the 1120?


Anthem: AVM60, Fosi DAC-Q5
Axiom: ADA1500, LFR1100 Actiive, QS8, EP500, M3, M3comp, M5
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417567 03/10/16 01:45 PM
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If you have amps already, then I would say to go with the 720.


Farewell - June 4, 2020
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417577 03/10/16 08:05 PM
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finally got an email from Anthem.

The MRX 1120 has 4 extra powered channels and the toroidal power supply. The toroidal power supply offers less radiated noise when compared to a standard laminated core power supply – this would translate into less noise when you are using the internal amps or external amps.

The power in the units are essentially the same with the difference being in the power supply style.

DTS:X will be a firmware upgrade (we are expecting it this summer). This will be done the same as all firmware updates through the front panel USB.

Our MRX’s will not be upgradeable.


So, that basically leaves the question on how much more nosy is the non toroidal power supply and will that translate into audible sound degradation?

Last edited by oakvillematt; 03/10/16 08:07 PM.

Anthem: AVM60, Fosi DAC-Q5
Axiom: ADA1500, LFR1100 Actiive, QS8, EP500, M3, M3comp, M5
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417582 03/10/16 09:54 PM
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If they're selling a receiver with audible sound degradation, they shouldn't be in business. Which makes that line a buncha hooey.


I am the Doctor, and THIS... is my SPOON!
Re: Why go Anthem receiver?
MMM #417585 03/11/16 12:58 AM
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A torroidal transformer has less magnetic leakage than ei type transformers. There are however very efficient ei core transformers like the H type, with very low leakage. Torroidals are smaller for a comparable VA rating. They are more expensive to manufacture however.

They are common for low amperage motor control applications. We see them all the time in commercial lighting and blind controls/drivers.

If a torroidal power supply was super critical in the accuracy of a reproduced signal, they would be used exclusively in high end testing equipment like oscilloscopes. This is not the case. They are very effective when space savings and comparable VA rating are important. You can fit more transformed power into a smaller/shorter enclosure. This important in the it sector, where rack mounting is the norm. Saving RU is saving space and money.

I own torroid amps, ei amps and my HT uses both. There are other factors orders of magnitude more important than transformer type in the sound reproduction outcome. If you are able to see the inside of the 1120 vs 720 you may see they needed to save space for more heatsinking and output transistor mount area for the extra 4 channels of amplification. Enter the torroid.

Edit: Anthem AVRs use a cooling tunnel near the front of the enclosure for their output section it looks like. The 1120 likely has 2 smaller onboard transformers in the black cylinder as opposed to a slightly larger single ei type in their lower tier models.

The 1120 is an attractive option for a single box solution for sure. Atta go Nick!



Last edited by Serenity_Now; 03/11/16 01:19 AM.
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