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

[ChrisHeflen]

Sorry, but this was the AVM 2.0. Not the Director.
There is a picture and description.

 

[Randy Haines]

How about a link to the review? I'm not sure otherwise where this review is and I'd like to read it.

I'm looking forward to the next upgrade, but I don't mind if it takes a little longer and comes without the bugs we experienced with 2.0. i also hope to be able to install from my Mac, instead of having to bother my neighbor. Funny, Anthem and Paradigm are both Mac driven companies, except for a small niche in research.

 

[ChrisHeflen]

The review is not available on line. Their web-site seems to consist of an on-line subscription application to receive their mag.
I guess I could try to type the "good parts" here but I don't know what the laws are on that.
I think the magazines is only like five bucks. I'll sell you mine in a few days when I'm done.
I accept paypal too.

 

[Randy Haines]

So, then is DVD ETC the name of the magazine? If so, I'll just look for it at my local newstand. If that isn't the title, please let me know the full title, and which issue it's in. thanks, Chris.

 

[Levesque]

I'm a new Anthem AVM20 owner! (Would appreciate the secret hand-shake...)
Just plug everything in last night, but have some quick questions.
I use a Denon DVD-3800. So, to disable the BM in the Denon, I put all the speakers to large, and set the sub to yes? I want the AVM-20 to do all the job. Just explain to me how to disable the Bass management in the Denon for the 6-ch input.
Second. I can set speakers delay time in the Denon from 0 feet to 27 feet, and I can set the delays in the AVM20 too! How I am suppose the set the delays in the Anthem and "disable" the delays in the Denon? Should I put 0 feet in the Denon and real distance in the AVM20? I'm really lost here. Need some help.
Third. With the Rotel RSP-1066, I had a S-Video cable coming from my Sat decoder, then in the Rotel, then going from Monitor out to the TV S-video in, and I was able to use the on-screen menu. I put the same cable from the Sat decoder, to the Anthem, then monitor out to the TV, everything OK, but if I try to access the on-screen menu, the image on the TV just freeze. If I go out from the menu, the image come back. So I can't access the on-screen menu.
1) I have check that the S-video is in Sat S-vid on the Anthem. 2) I have try Composite+S-vid in the menu and S-vid only in the On-screen menu without success. 3) I have tried switching the color to black and magenta without results.
Why was it working on my Rotel, and not with my new Anthem, with the exact same cables in the exact same slot? I really want to have access to the on-screen menu.
Thank you all.

 

[jason willder]

Congratulations(shake),
I don't have the Denon. On my Yamaha I am not able to disable the BM. I have my fronts set at large, cc and surrounds on small and sub to yes. If you have the AVM20 6ch set to analog-dsp you can use it to tweak the sound. I have ended up switching back to analog-dir about half the time.

As long as all the delays are set the same on the Denon you should be able to control your delays with the AVM20.

I am not sure about the s-video cable issue. I use the component out for my sat. I then have a s-video cable run to the video2 in put on my TV. If I want to use the OSD I switch my TV to video2. After a while you will become more adept at using the front panel display for the menu.

Enjoy!

 

[Paul Gere]

OK Guys,
I don't have much to add here, but I did have an email exchange with Frank at Sonic Frontiers this week.

When I asked about more AVM-20 upgrades, Frank told me to "hang tight till mid to late June, when we will be releasing 2.10, a major upgrade with a whole host of features."

Not much of a reveal, but better clarity on timing for 2.10 and anticipated upgrades. Hope this is helpful to all of us waiting for even more performance from our fabulous Anthem AVM-20's!!

-Paul

P.S. Ev, hope you're reading this!!

 

[Levesque]

Wow! Sonic Frontiers techs are living-up to their reputation. All my problems are solve, and fast. I send an E-Mail and I have an answer 2-3 hours after. Bravo!
I've listen to 4 DVD's yesterday with friends yesterday (The Pianist, ST Nemesis, LOTR, and Dances With Wolfes). 10 hours of listening.
All I can say is that I'm really impress. The Anthem is giving me much more then my RSP-1066. The biggest difference, nice surprise, is the better use of the surrounds and back centers. It is a more "natural", seemless transition between the fronts and the backs. Almost a perfect square soundfield.
I was feeling more immerge in the film. The sound is "crisper", with a better resolution of the details then the RSP-1066 (was really good too btw), and a better clarity of voices coming from the center.
I've listen to my 2 favorite DVD-A, Riding with the King and Emerson Lake and Palmer, and it's there that the Anthem is a big step in front of the RSP-1066. No comparison here. For films, the Rotel is "almost" there, but with music, the Anthem is alot better. Bass management works perfectly, good tight bass with every DVD-A I own.
For 2 channel music, the Anthem is in a completely different league then the RSP-1066. No comparison possible. 2 ch will be better still with my new Bryston 4BSST coming in 2 or 3 weeks!
In conclusion, IMHO, the Anthem is giving you better sound all around then the RSP-1066, particularly for music and DVD-A. For someone ONLY in HT, and no music listening, the Rotel is the best choice (even if it's not as good as the Anthem, it's still doing a fair job). But to own a jack-of-all-trade pre/amp, doing everything perfectly, the Anthem is the choice to make.
Sorry for the long post. But I know alot of people are hesitating between the Rotel and the Anthem and are not able to justify the price of entry for the Anthem. Hope this will help you.
For me, I finally found the perfect pre/amp FOR ME, after a long list of upgrades.

 

[Mifr44]

Lévesque,

Good to hear that your problems were solved. But what was the actual solution to the on-screen display problem with the S-Video output?

Michael

 

[Levesque]

Sorry. I'm still too excited, and forgot to explain the solution...:b
My S-vid coming from main-out goes in my Star Choice HDD-201 (HD decoder) and this decoder send everything (composite and S-vid) to the TV by components out only. The Rotel was working ok in this configuration (oddly), but the Anthem just don't like it. So I just run a composite cable straight from the Anthem to the TV, and I have a nice on-screen menu. I just have to bypass my HD-decoder.

 

[Craig Morris]

I have a question regarding the Anthem's 6-channel input and Analog-DSP mode.

If I connected a DVD-Audio player to the 6-channel input, my understanding is the Anthem then allows me to do bass management etc. using the Analog-DSP mode. Does this include routing bass from the DVD-Audio LFE channel to my mains? My system is Large Fronts, Small Center, Small Surrounds, No Sub. Will the Anthem redirect the LFE channel from the DVD-Audio input to my mains?

Thanks for your help. I'm really close to buying an AVM20.

 

[Mifr44]

Craig,

Does this include routing bass from the DVD-Audio LFE channel to my mains? My system is Large Fronts, Small Center, Small Surrounds, No Sub. Will the Anthem redirect the LFE channel from the DVD-Audio input to my mains?

With the sub set to No, I believe that the LFE channel from the 6 channel input would be routed to the mains. Sounds like a test!
BTW, once the sub is set to Yes, the sub crossover in the AVM-20 controls the output to the subout, and none of the LFE channel from the 6 channel input would get routed to the mains.
My last statement may be OBE once Anthem releases software version 2.10, rumored to be some time at the end of June 2003 (but don't bank on it). The v2.10 software may allow for more control over the LFE channel for both the 6 channel input and the DDx.1 and DTSx.1 sources.
Michael

 

[Prathavan V]

I tend to agree that no sub will route the LFE to the mains (but I'm guessing, so I'll await confirmation from Michaels testing ).
As an aside, I'm pretty sure that if you have a sub and your AVM-20 has the sub set to "Super" as mine is set, then your LFE channel is routed to both the sub AND the mains. I am writing this from memory, so I may be wrong, but I do seem to recall this being the case in that (super) setting. I also think that Anthem may be doing away with this "Super" setting in v2.10, but if that is true, I hope that Michael's new rumor of more LFE control comes to fruition

 

[Randy Haines]

I believe that the Analog-DSP setting should work in 6 ch. S/E the same as with other inputs, i.e. the sub shold be sent to the mains when there is no sub present, and No is selected in the sub menu. It sends LFE to both the sub and the mains for me from the 6 ch. S/E, since I have it set for Super. I'll wait for the testers results too, but they should bear this out.

I have my sub set to Super and love it. I hope they don't do away with that unless you still are allowed to enable this somehow with any new controls in 2.10.

In the July issue of Home Theater, the Anthem got top honors for "entry level" processors as a best buy. Yeah, they scoffed too, but said that the price of the Anthem as compared to the other units listed was entry level. So, another award for a great product that we all enjoy so much.

 

[Evan S]

Randy, funny thing was that the mid-level processor award winner (Krell Showcase) was only $900 more expensive. I thought that entry level was a poor choice of words by HT. They should have given an award entitled "best value" or something like that, because I don't think any of us view the Anthem as entry level.

 

[Randy Haines]

Evan,

Those were my thoughts, too. I did not understand why they used the term "entry level" instead of best value as you suggest. Sometimes I seem to miss the mentality of the writers at that magazine. I have heard the Krell, and while it is excellent, I don't perceive the difference they do in rating it higher than the Anthem. They also used the version 1 price, not the current upgrade price for the Anthem, which would make the gap they have based on even smaller. Krell is Krell, which is to say, generally awesome, but I think the Anthem is more versatile and sounds every bit as good. I know I don't have to sell anyone here though............

 

[BrianSmith]

Hi Guys!
I hope to be an Anthem owner soon.
I am having trouble finding a dealer . Would you guys mind emailing me at: [email protected] w/ a dealer name/ phone number?
What can I expect to pay for a new Anthem AVM-20?
Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Levesque]

Finally, the Bryston 4BSST is up and running! Wow! Anthem and Bryston make an awesome association. The details! I don't believe what I'm hearing on my old CD's that was not "there" before. Incredible resolution of details. Can't believe I lived without it for so long!

My biggest surprise with this combo is with any 2ch stereo sources (like TV) that I use with Anthem Logic Cinema. Unbelievable. Sounds like DD 5.1 (using 7.1). What a difference.

I was hesitating before going with the Bryston, because I always thought that "an amp is an amp". Men, was I wrong! I've listen to over 10 different 2ch amp (Krell, Parasound, Rotel, etc), and the Bryston 4BSST cannot be touch in this price range. I feel so stupid with this smile that I wear non-stop (my wife says even in my sleep!)since 3 days. I'm afraid I will end up with a permanent mark on my face!

Ok. Back to technical. What am I suppose to use for the 12v trigger with the Bryston. For my Rotel RMB-1095, I use a mini plug 3.5mm mono plug (bought at Rat Shack). Works like a charm with the Anthem. But I must use a 2 wire cable with the Bryston at the end. Anyone knows what I'm suppose to use?

 

[Randy Haines]

Brian,

You can find a dealer for Anthem at their website dealer locator. Prices will vary from dealer to dealer. I suspect that now you'll probably pay closer to list price since it's gotten so much more popular and demand is high. That also means you may have to wait for it after ordering. Most of us did and we bought when it was just coming out.

Look forward to hearing about your purchase and how much you enjoy it!

 

[Mifr44]

Lévesque,

Look forward to hearing about your purchase and how much you enjoy it!

I believe that Brian had opted for a Krell Showcase. He has a thread over at AVS that mentioned this yesterday.

Michael