The Upgraded Anthem AVM-20 2.0 Thread (1 Viewer)

[Levesque]

Thanks Michael. I really appreciate the time you are taking to help us all enjoy our Anthem. You are a real gentleman!
Going to Rat Shack to find this cable.

 

[Mifr44]

Lévesque,
If you can't find the exact cable at Radio Shack (mini plug->bare wire), there is another way to go.
Just get the RCA plug->bare wire cable or use a spare RCA plug->RCA plug cable you might have available (like the cheap ones that comes with CD or DVD players) and make your own RCA plug->bare wire cable.
Next, purchase an RCA jack->mini plug adapter from Radio Shack. Connect the RCA plug from the cable into the RCA jack of the adapter. Instant trigger cable!
There are a couple of advantages to my suggestion:

1. The RCA audio/video cables are thicker than the mini plug cables and tend to be easier to work with and are more durable.
2. You can select as short or as long an RCA cable as you need, depending on where your processor is located with respect to your amps. Some people put their processor and amps in the same rack, some put the amps near the speakers.
3. The RCA jack->mini plug adapter can be purchased in a gold-plated version from Radio Shack. The jacks on the back panel of the AVM-20 are gold-plated, so I sort of like using gold-plated connectors (mostly from a corrosion viewpoint and not because of sound quality).

Michael

 

[Jeff Kleinberg]

I'm also using the anthem/bryston combo, what a great match, my smile has not worn in 3 months. When making the mono minplug to bare wire for the trigger, I'd reccomend tinning the wires, as you need to push them pretty far into the bryston and they tend to kink up.

Jeff

 

[Levesque]

Jeff.

I've tried everything, but my trigger is not working. So the DVD-player and the 5 ch amp are opening with the Anthem, but I have to go manually with the Bryston. But, hey, 20 years of warranty...So I leave it always open...

I'm just wandering why bryston didn't put a "standard" 3,5mm mini-plug like all the other components in my system (Denon, Rotel). They put all those switch and plugs behind the 4BSST, so why didn't they just put a 3,5mm mini-plug AND their plugs for the bare-wires?

But the sound is so sweet... I've listen to LOTR The Two Towers on an Academy Version on DVD yesterday, and the amount of details is incredible with the combo Anthem/Bryston. The DD-EX soundtrack is so loud it's incredible! I had to listen to it at -25db! On this version, the center is really too bright, and the THX Surround EX did improve alot the sound coming from the center.

What an experience with the Anthem. Wow! The combat between Gandalf and the Balrog at the beginning of the film was full of backcenters effects! Unbelievable.

 

[Mifr44]

Lévesque,

If you haven't tried this yet, use Trigger #3 for the connection to the Bryston amp (be sure to turn it on in the setup menus). This is a higher current trigger output than Triggers #1 and #2 that is sometimes necessary for large amps and power hungry devices (projection screen motors, etc.).

Also, depending on the amp, it may need to be powered on via the front panel switch first, then the standby mode will work once the AVM-20 is powered on and then off.

Michael

 

[Mifr44]

Lévesque,
I came up with a couple more thoughts. One, make sure that the wire you are using is of sufficient gauge. The wiring used in a mini plug cable may be smaller than the 18 to 22 gauge wire as specified by the Bryston's manual. Also, be sure you connected the trigger wire into the In slots and not the Out slots.
In addition, make sure that the External Turn-On switch on the back panel is set to External instead of Local.
Michael

 

[Evan S]

It's close, it's very close. Beta testing is beginning for 2.10....time to start another thread?

 

[BrianSmith]

Without getting to far off topic. Are any of you using the MCA-50 w/ the AVM? Are you happy w/ the results?

-Brian

 

[Evan S]

Brian, I used an MCA-5 (the predecessor to the MCA-50) with my AVM for a while and was happy with it. I guess it depends on the speakers you use, as I was happier with certain combinations over others.

 

[BrianSmith]

Hi Evan,

I will be using Paradigm Reference V3. 5.1 Set-up.

 

[Prathavan V]

Brian,
I've got 2 MCA 20's and 1 MCA 30 with my AVM. I absolutely love it. I've heard a lot about how different amps sound with different speakers, so that may play into your decision, but I'm running my setup with a bunch of Paradigm (center and side surrounds) and PSB speakers (front and rear) and I think it sounds fantastic. (so does everyone who comes over too )
A buddy of mine has his AVM running with an MCA 20 and an MCA 50. He's running electrostats all around (except his 3 subs obviously ) and his setup also sounds fabulous. He used to run Rotel and Parasound amps and the MCA sounds at least as good (actually it sounds better to me, but YMMV). He was running an MCA5 while he waited for his MCA50 to arrive, and I did find the MCA5 to be a bit brighter (more forward??), but that may be because of my own perception from my box speakers to his electrostats moreso than the change in amplifiers.
To play devil's advocate, I'm pretty sure that Miguel on this thread also had Paradigm speakers and tried out the MCA amps. He decided he was happier with the Bryston amps.
I think really you're going to have to try them out with your speakers and see what you're happy with. Look at the bright side of this, it's WAY MORE FUN than minivan shopping

 

[jason willder]

I have the MCA50 with the Paradigm Reference and am very happy.

 

[Daniel__L]

HI guys. I've few questions for ya experts out there.
I got me a demo avm20 v2.08 last month at local dealer and having problem updating the Software to v2.09
I followed every detail of the instruction from the web and manual, even set to factory default but the program can't seem to locate avm20 from serial port. The updater ran ok but never success once finding the avm20. it will sit there searching for avm20 about 10-15 seconds then display warning message "unable to locate Avm 2/20 statement D1 on any serial port. Check cable connection and" I brought back notebook from work to clarify it's not the serial port on my home station that's been causing the problem but NO luck. Sonic frontier doesn't mention if this program compatible with windows Xp So i assume it's. Anyway, after 2 PC, 2 RS232 and 30+ trying... I gave up. and Yes, power switch at back was on when running the updater. Any clue, guys? some kinda of secret buttons or switch i miss here??
I haven't been avaibale for the new (demo) born, almost 70 days went by and i finally have the time and set up the 5.1 ( B&K is coming to complete the 7.1). With Digital i, i noticed a "hissing" Noise from both the surrounds. It's not speaker's hiss but rather annoying. Good thing it's only on DPLII cinema and Music.
Besides, i can't adjust the sub phase and polarity on advanced speaker setting. Yes, I'm able to adjust the Xover setting on all channels including the sub but the sub phase abnd polarity is always "N/A" No matter what.
BY the way, The factory remote doesn't turn off "power" on the main ( avm20 ) but on other devices are working fine. I suppose or rather hope that 2.09 will take care some of the problems but HOW DO I UPDATE THE DANM THING?

 

[Mifr44]

Daniel,

BY the way, The factory remote doesn't turn off "power" on the main ( avm20 ) but on other devices are working fine.

Just to be sure, the button at the top of the AVM-20's remote will only power on the AVM-20. To power off the AVM-20 with its remote, use the red button in the middle of the remote.

Michael

 

[Mifr44]

Daniel,

"unable to locate Avm 2/20 statement D1 on any serial port. Check cable connection and"

In all of my experiences with the AVM-20 installers, I have never seen reference to the AVM-2 or the Statement D1 (and I have performed a lot of installs! ). Where did you get your version of v2.09? You should get it from here:
http://www.anthemAV.com/NewSitev2.0/...avm20v2.09.zip
Make sure that the serial cable you are using is a "straight through" serial cable and not a NULL modem cable. Basically, a straight through serial cable is an extension, pin 1 matches to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2, etc. You can test it with an ohm meter. I apologize ahead of time if you have already addressed these issues.
The rest of the issues can be covered once you get to v2.09.
Michael

 

[Mifr44]

Evan,

It's close, it's very close. Beta testing is beginning for 2.10....time to start another thread?

Do you know something we don't? And if you so, should you be saying anything about it?
I would say the thread starts when Anthem releases a software version to the public that has new features (that or the release of the Director).
Michael

 

[BrianSmith]

I saw the following over on the AVS Forum regarding the DACs in the Pioneer Elite 49TXi and the Anthem:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showt...hreadid=271879
Read the 5th post down. According to the poster the Anthem is not set up to handle SACD or DVA-A and is limited becuase of the DACs.
Thoughts?

 

[Mifr44]

Brian,
Most people would agree that the digital specs in most processors today means very little, unless of course they are really bad. Listen to the system with the processor in question to make that determination.
The interesting part is the post in question talks about DACs. Well, it is the ADCs that you should be most concerned with if you are using some form of A->D conversion, since the ADCs are the first step in conversion.
Right now I am on the PC posting here because my wife has taken over the system to listen to some low-res, Redbook CDs (in analog bypass) for the past 3 hours. Maybe I should tell her that she's listening to garbage!
Michael

 

[Prathavan V]

Daniel

the program can't seem to locate avm20 from serial port. The updater ran ok but never success once finding the avm20. it will sit there searching for avm20 about 10-15 seconds then display warning message "unable to locate Avm 2/20 statement D1 on any serial port.

This may be obvious, but when I first got my AVM, I couldn't load the program either, and, to the best of my recollection, I had the same "error" message as you've indicated. I had left my Palm Pilot software (Hotsync?) running in icon tray of windows. Since that accesses the serial port, the AVM cannot get the the new program. As an aside, I had the same problem with my Pronto when I first got it as I had then configured my laptop to access my Palm via IR (thus disabling the serial port). I reconfigured the port, but forgot to turn off the Palm program. Once I clued in, no problems at all since.

Don't know if that'll fix things up for you, but hopefully it was something simple like that.

 

[Daniel__L]

Problem solved. Thanks Micheal.
It was the cable. Apparently the cables are bad or not straight line, I called up the system guys to verify the RS232 cables. He insisted it's the straight line. Well, my multimeter is out of battery and with no way to check the cable. I decided to pick up one at local store that said "extension" and have the manager confirmed it's a straight line.

Will post later if 2.09 solves the problems. Thank guys
BY the way, you are corrected on the power issues, mike. Thanks again

Daniel