Fell over this thread because I had just read about Anthem in the Stereophile Year End Recommended Components list and remembered I heard one years ago and liked it along with an Ayre EX5 or something like that. The OP's situation sounds so much like my own. I had to laugh at a "stereo desert" except my desert is in the middle of the ocean. I am in a similar place because I feel like I am close to making a big incremental step in sound quality. The whole ARC thing is really intriguing.
What tier do you consider Anthem integrated?
Anthem has an STR integrated amp with the ARC room correction. The integrated teams loaded with a lot of features such as built in room correction, stable into low ohms, big toroidal transformer, etc. Would a 15 year old Pass labs amp walk all over a 3 year old anthem? The Anthem is newer and has more features, Anthem is rated class A by Stereophile review, but Stereophile seems to only give amps with phono stages class A ratings, and the Pass labs doesn't have that. So what would you grab? An older Pass labs that may have age issues, or a newer amp with good reviews and room correction? Looking for best sound, not to impress people with brand names. Thanks.