Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Home Theater AVR or pre amp recommendations? Going 4K

I think it's probably still accurate but in their own and N.R.C. findings they deemed it pointless.

I think it's the AVS forum. They have a longstanding ARC thread many suggestions and experiences. Occasionally Anthem's guru's will log in and help folks out.

One thing that puzzles me is ARC's choice to set the crossover on my VP180 to 80hz. Maybe it likes to set the whole front stage to the same crossover? Or, like THX, it doesn't believe in going lower.

If ARC measures distortion, it could be your subs are more linear than the 180 below 80Hz so ARC hands those duties to them.

The 1120 has given up on me. Blue screen last night, couldn't get HDMI output from any source. Cycled off/on a few times to try and get it to sync, but no bananas.... Last attempt to restart it and I got the 'temp sensor 2 high' message, then it shut down. Can't get it to stay on now..... It's a goner. Infant mortality I think. I rarely use this system too. COVID killed hard disks for a couple of years, so we just streamed content on our second system in the great room. Went downstairs to the HT to watch a real movie last night, and the AVR decided it preferred to play dead.

While I try to find someone in the state that might have the skills to fix this thing, I am now shopping for a replacement. <sigh>

It's been three years since I was looking and ended up with this 1120, so any suggestions for AVR's that I should look into? I have since upgraded this room with an Atmos system. I have wall mount M3's for backs and side surrounds (4 each), and four C3's in the ceiling. 11 channels, plus the two EP500 subs. I still have 10 external amps for the R/L/C channels, and surrounds if needed.

I probably should have bought a Denon to begin with. I've had zero problems with Denon.

I still cannot find anyone that sells and ships Anthem to Alaska.

It's been a rough month for electronics in my house. I have replaced a control board relay on my clothes dryer, rebuilt my Dyson vacuum, changed the starter relay on a wine fridge compressor, and now this problem with the Anthem....

Man, that sucks. I'm still considering going with Anthem for my pre-pro, so this story gives me pause.

It's sad news. I always wondered if this model would ignite. I was hoping not given your use of external amps. I recall looking at the internal layout when you said you bought it. There is a fan but it's circulating air from the faceplate to the field connections. That does no good because the front and back are not vented. And the fan is actually blocked by the heat sink base! To top it all off, the fan is noisy as well.

A better design is to suck air from the bottom and blow it out the top across the heat sink *fins* and not the base - with a fan or two whose speeds are modulated by temperature so that noise is reduced.

I recall you added an external fan and the damned thing cooked anyway.

Live and learn....

CV - you may not have issues with their Pre-Pro. No internal amps to generate heat?

I've been surfing YouTube and the interweb a bit today. I'm being drawn toward Arcam. The AVR 21 looks appealing to me. Arcam comes with Dirac, and I've been reading good things about that software. It is the most expensive AVR on my shortlist.

I hate to admit it, but the Marantz SR8015 also looks like a great machine. Not sure if I can swallow my pride and buy another Marantz though. It's been a long time, and I'm still pissed off at Marantz.

Next in line is the Denon X6700H.

After using the Anthem ARC, I'm not sure if I can go back to Audyssey. I do not think it is remotely in the same ballpark at ARC.

Is ARC better than Dirac?

I don't have any first-hand experience with Dirac. I'm only speculating that it is similar, based on the reviews and comments of others who have experience with both.

I stumbled onto internet/YouTube rumors that Denon is incorporating Dirac Live into their next line of AVRs. No idea when they will become available.

I'd be p***ed off if a major investment like an AVR died within 10 years, let alone 3. I removed a stacked DVD player just to give my AVR an extra 3 inches of clearance. I have all my appliances and electronics on surge protectors, not because I fear the local power grid, but because I fear my central A/C sends surges when it shuts off.