Here’s an excellent deal on one of the new Yammy AVRs if it has enough power for you…
Emotiva or Anthem or Something Else?
Hi,
Does anyone have any experience comparing Emotiva to Anthem?
I am about to buy a new system for the livingroom that we are building over here. This system in this space will be tasked with driving a 5.2.4 home theater system for TV and Movies but it will also need to provide excellent sound quality for listening to music. The sound quality for the music is a top priority. The source material for this system will be Netflicks and Apple TV for the video content and Amazon HD Music for the Music.
I am considering either the Emotiva RMC-1L processor and XPA9 Gen3 Amp combo or the Anthem MRX 1140 8K. The Emotiva combo is a bit more expensive and would also require a network streamer for Amazon HD Music which will be a bit more $$.
What is considered to have the better sound quality between these two options?
Is there something else that I should be looking at?
Showing 10 responses by soix
Absolutely Anthem all the way. Great reliability, room correction, and sound. Emotiva has had issues with their processors, and I frankly wouldn’t trust them especially when there’s Anthem as an option. If 2-channel is important you should incorporate a good stereo integrated using the front L/R preamp outputs on the Anthem. No AVR can compete with a good stereo integrated. Period. |
Absolutely no, you don’t. You can seamlessly integrate a HT system and solely-functioning 2-channel system in one and change between the two with the push of one button. All you do is hook the front 2 L/R preamp outs from your Anthem to the stereo integrated and you’re all done. Please ask if you need more details, cause this is absolutely doable and easy. d
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NO!!! The only thing worse than an AVR’s amps is its preamp section, and a good preamp is absolutely crucial to getting good sound. That’s why I recommended an integrated stereo amp because then you’re completely replacing the AVR for critical 2-channel listening. What I’d recommend is minimizing your expense on an AVR that has front L/R preouts and maximize $$$ toward a good integrated stereo amp. Here’s the AVR I’d buy because it’ll do everything you need for HT processing and powering your center/surround speakers… What are your speakers, what amp/pre/AVR do you have now, and what improvements are you looking for and what sound characteristics are most important to you? With this info we can start talking about stereo integrated options that would be worth exploring further. And yes, you have the correct idea that you’d use the front L/R preouts from the AVR into the integrated stereo amp, and if the integrated has a HT bypass function you literally push one button to switch between HT and stereo, and when in stereo the AVR is completely out of the system, which is what you want. It’s a beautiful thing really, because you literally have the best of both worlds in one system. I did this for years until I finally got my own dedicated listening room, and it was a great way to go. Goodonya for putting in the effort to research this option, because it will serve you well!
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No. Just, no. Listen to me — get a decent AVR like Yamaha and then add a really good stereo integrated. You’re going down a bad path. NAD may be convenient but is not your friend. Buy a Yammy AVR and a great integrated from Hegel, Pass, Yamaha, Ayre, etc. and you’ll be MUCH better off. Why the fixation with NAD? |
No. But the only thing hooked up to your front L/R speakers would be the integrated amp. You ask a great question about how to incorporate subs, and I honestly haven’t figured that out but maybe someone else here has a suggestion. I would, however, recommend doing a 2.2 stereo system instead of 2.1 if you can — 2 subs much better than one. |
To answer both your two questions, yes and yes. But I’m sorry, I can’t answer your question about integrating the subs for both stereo and HT applications. I just can’t wrap my head around that one, but I’d absolutely configure 2 subs to work in my 2-channel setup cause the benefits are palpable. Full stop. How you can get the subs to also work in an HT application? I’m at a loss and so sorry I have no answer for you there. |
No!!! When listening to 2-channel audio the AVR is completely out of the signal path. Your front L/R preouts from the AVR go to an input (or HT Bypass) on the stereo integrated and you choose that input when listening to HT. You need an integrated or separate pre/amp because you do not want the AVR controlling the volume or in any part of the 2-channel signal chain. To be clear, for 2-channel listening the AVR is not anywhere in the signal path. Sorry if I’ve been unclear. |
Option 2 on steroids. You’ll be thrilled. I think you nailed it. Here’s a great deal on a 2080 in case you’re interested… If it saves you $$$ the Hint 6 or something like this Hegel H190 would also work great… If it’s me, I wait for an AS2200 or AS1100 to come up on accessories4less.com, but you’ll be THRILLED with any of the above options. Just take your pick. |
This Hegel H190 has both excellent detail and soundstage so might be worth a look… https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649941652-hegel-h190/ That said, I don’t think you can go wrong with the Yammy either. |