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Anthem MRX 720 Question

I want to improve the sound quality of my system and am looking at new receivers.  I have a 5.1 system with Paradigm S3's for L&R, a C3 center (LCR all V3), dual Klipsch subs and Sonance surrounds.

A fair number of people rate the Anthem 520, 720 and 1120 receivers highly for their sound and room correction software.  I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a 720 but have a concern.

Many of the forums talk about HDMI connectivity, receiver lockup, firmware and various other issues.  To be fair, it seems like those discussions dropped off in recent months presumably as newer firmware became available.  

Does anyone have recent experience with the 720 they can share?  Have the HDMI, receiver lock-up and PlayFi issues been resolved?  Were those issues unfairly highlighted?  A demanding forum audience could make something appear bigger than it is.

I'm replacing a Yamaha RX-A3050.   With the current setup if I select FIOS, ROKU, BluRay, Spotify, Chromecast etc from the Harmony remote, a lot of activities happen behind the scenes; devices power up or down, inputs are selected, amps and fans turn on - and it all works every time even when I switch between activities.  Yamaha's switching is impressive since it rarely has HDMI/HDCP handshaking issues.  I love that since recovering from those issues usually involves recycling the power to the receiver, TV and/or device.

I want good sound but don't want to lose the reliability and ease of use I currently have. I'd really appreciate hearing what others have experienced with their Anthems.

Thanks in advance.


myoungva
dawgbyte's avatar
dawgbyte
325 posts
 

@soix I would never let a YouTuber sway me and I have not ruled out Anthem or anyone else. I I want an upgrade from the Denon, that’s my primary objective. It also has to have all the latest decoding software and stream music content from Spotify. I need it to drive my home theatre speakers for movies and make my Hales T-5’s sing.

That said, I've never been a fan of Yamaha gear. I've always found their receivers place a veil over the music.

soix
9,926 posts
 

That said, I’ve never been a fan of Yamaha gear. I’ve always found their receivers place a veil over the music.

@dawgbyte Not sure how long it’s been since you’ve heard a Yammy AVR, but I’d highly suggest giving them another listen as that’s the exact opposite of what I heard in direct comparisons to other comparable AVRs nor is it consistent with any recent reviews I’ve read of Yamaha AVRs where they consistently receive high praise for their sound. Also, when you’re ready to purchase I’d recommend using accessories4less (no Anthem though) as they have a great reputation and you can get excellent discounts for “as new” equipment. Dig your speakers BTW — great-sounding speakers I’m sure are still competitive today.

https://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/category/avreceiver/home-audio/receivers-amps/home-theater-receivers/1.html

 

 

sunshdw's avatar
sunshdw
263 posts
 

Anthem's room correction software is what puts it above the rest. The latest version is so much better and gives the end user a lot of flexibility to tailor it to your liking

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