What tier do you consider Anthem integrated?

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.

Pass amps are not immune to room acoustics.

I’ve heard the Anthem and it sounded very good. Room correction is invaluable in most any room that is not specifically designed for good sound.

I’d go with the Anthem for good sound, no doubt.

Just placed an order for an STR combo. I too live in a stereo desert. As I have built my system through the years(around five or six) I would have tremendous anxiety over whether the new piece that I had purchased would be worth it. After going through this, several times, I realized that it was a worthless endeavor to worry whether it was gonna work or not . At this level pretty much anything you throw at the fire is going to make it go poof. at this point I have no doubt that the STR is going to be 1/4 of July fireworks display for me. I know this is an old thread just came across it as I am trying to read everything I can about the STR online. So I guess the question bags did you get the anthem and if you did, was it as thrilling of a ride as one could expect? Hey have fun enjoy listening

I’m an Anthem STR owner.  I can’t imagine you’d be disappointed in the purchase.  It does everything quite well and I think you’d be hard pressed at your budget to find anything better.  I’ve continued to shop/audition gear post-purchase and I’ve shrugged at the sound from some amps 2-3X the cost

The Anthem STR takes a back seat to nothing mentioned in this thread.

Whoever said it was "sterile"....wow...

take a look at Ayre used.....they are very supportive, and have sound that's midway between tube and solid state.  Even old Ayre stuff is excellent.

Most sell in the $3-4k range depending on condition.  For future reference, you can go to hifishark.com and search for a component.  You can see a list of all that are currently for sale across several sites, but you can also click the tab that’ll show you all past listings for items that already sold that will give you a good reference for a real-world price range.

https://www.hifishark.com/search?q=nola+contender+3

@soix thanks. I sent seller a message to inquire about shipping as im not close to those. I should also see if i can audition the Nola 3 contender. Any idea what a fair price is for those? The look to be in good condition 

I’d highly recommend the Joseph Audio RM22XL as they are small towers perfect for an apartment and sound sublime — I almost bought these myself.  Here’s a nice pair and a great value at only $1075 and leaves you with a nice budget for an amp, etc.  I notice a little darkening in the finish below where the grill ends from sun exposure, but if you can live with that these could be perfect for your tastes/situation…

https://www.usaudiomart.com/details/649958511-joseph-audio-rm22xl-in-maple/
 

Alternatively here’s another pair in black, but the seller is smoking something offering them for $2200 as they retailed for around $2500 so should be negotiable and sell for no more than $1500 IMHO…

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisb4a4h-joseph-audio-rm-22-xl-full-range

I heard JA speakers at a show powered by Hegel electronics and the sound was excellent all around and very natural sounding — Jeff Joseph show demos are always stellar — so I’d look for something like a used Hegel H190 integrated you should be able to find for around $2800 used if you’re patient, and it also includes a good DAC that should be very serviceable until you wanna spring for a standalone unit.

Hegel and JA both have a house sound so having heard that combo I’m confident you’d be very happy and impressed with this pairing given your tastes/needs.  Anyway, just one option to ponder and best of luck. 

@tennisdoc56 ? amps have the internals and build quality that you recommend? I'm all in favor of learning from others experience. Trying to go it alone is overwhelming. I recently watched a YouTube video by "TheAlphaAudio" channel that had me impressed with the Hypex Nilai amp. I just have so many choices that it's overwhelming. I'll shop for speakers first as @mesch ​​​​@soix suggested. Tips and ones to consider are welcome. When it comes to the amps next. Should I only consider csss a/b stuff, or should class d be considered too? Help steer me to some choices that no matter what I pick, it will be solid quality parts and sound. Thanks!

@labguy  I suggest sticking to your budget. The Yamaha A-S501 is a $550 amplifier possessing DAC and Phonostage. I own the A-S701 which I use in an outside system.  $1500 - $2000 spent on a new line level integrated amplifier will prove to be a major upgrade.

There are many speakers around the $2500 range that will make for an improvement over you AE speakers and could be driven by the A-S501 in your environment. 

The right DAC in the $1000 range would improve on the one in the Node.

I support @soix  advice to find the right speaker first then the amplifier. 

I’ll throw my .02 in here. Someone else described the passlabs as being warm, lush, etc. Anthem products to me have always sounded very “sterile.” Neither is bad. It’s a preference. And I think in most cases, you’d be happy either way.  I prefer a more sterile sound than having a component add something that isn’t there. The downfall of this is that music can sometimes be harsher. I have the anthem separates, and, I love them. But be prepared to hear things you haven’t heard before. Imperfections that weren’t discernible before become more detailed. With Anthem, IMO, you just get what’s there. No color, no warmth or additional smoothness, no lush, unless that’s the way it was recorded. 
 

I guess instead of saying it’s sterile, a better description might be it’s just neutral. It just presents fact based sound. Anthem is very dynamic, tons of power in reserve, and You’re going to hear exactly what the artist recorded without any additional tone change. 

I hear you on the pre-owned market, it is dog eat dog. I think I would roll with the Anthem and or a good used Simaudio like a 340i or even the 250i as they have all the characteristics you are looking for. I would say Norma also but rare to find those second hand. 

Good luck on your quest. 

Also, nothing against Mac owners.. Saying it was mushy and veiled as an over -exaggeration but that particular system that I was referring to was old and not properly maintained.

@recklesskelly, I am unable to really audition much of anything that Best Buy doesn't sell. (Even then, half those guys can't get it to work). So, no, I haven't heard anthem or pass stuff, and even if I did, I wouldn't know what part was the amp and what part was the speakers attached to it. I've heard a few McIntosh systems that were nice, and a few that were "not so much my cup of  Mac stuff is pretty expensive anyway. So that's probably a wash. The Mac I liked had warmth and detail without being overly clinical and revealing. The Mac I didn't like was too warm. Veiled and mushy. As a whole. I think most of the Mac stuff I've heard was a little too warm or soft. I don't want hyper clinical, but I do want articulate,  crystal clear musical just on the warm side of neutral. The Anthem just seemed like it would be a good piece that would work with a lot of different things while offering value. If I ever decided to sell some of my equipment or upgrade. It would be nice if the stuff i had would hold enough value on the second hand market to be worth more than 3% of what I paid for it. @soix if I buy speakers first, I'll have a hard time upgrading the current amp I have because I'll spend everything on speakers and buy Dynaudio confidence or those triangle signature Delta or something else silly that won't work well with my Room. I'd blow it all on speakers and not upgrade the other stuff. I know that doesn't make sense and it's not right, but I'd be more included to buy better speakers for my amp than better Amp for my speakers. Lol. Guess I need more discipline and direction.

Also, I'm not attached to any of the pieces. I'll sell it all off or just replace it..

@mesch, thanks. All that is correct except I may prefer a tower that wouldn't overpower the room *too much (ha ha) (instead of bookshelf. monitors). My thought Is that being in an apartment a subwoofrr to augment  bookshelves may irritate the neighbors. I'd rather have a quality tower and sacrifice some extreme low end, but also, some monitors might suprise me even without a sub. I currently have an external old Parasound zdac, but it's not much better than the one in the node 2i.

@Kota1 suggested getting room correction via the martin logan unison streamer. I could sell my Node and get the other streamer that includes ARC. Previous speakers were revel f208 and salk songtower. Revel overpowered the room wit 2 8" woofers per side, and songtower had great clarity and low end extension but sounded to bright and forward on certain songs, but mostly, those drivers were too small for punchy midbass on rock and stuff like Jack white, NIN, etc.

The current system is "great for the price" and I believe I'll have to spend a lot more than i paid to noticeably exceed how it works in my room. It's cheap but it works. Yamaha A-S500 integrated with node 2i. Parasound zdac. Cheap Bluejean and wire world cables with Acoustic Energy Aegis 3 speakers is what I currently have.

I had Robert Hartley's book. Loaned it to a buddy of mine and never got it back in spite of repeatedly asking for it. (I hate loaning stuff. I gotta stop that).

So to answer your question and no going off into the weeds about speakers and other components. Anthem is very good equipment and the key would really be do you like the Anthem sound? Have you auditioned either the Anthem or the Pass on your speakers. 

You are going to get a lot of opinions and conjecture here. The only opinion that matters is yours as you will have to live with your gear choices. 

My advice would be to focus on choosing speakers first, and once you’ve done that you can effectively reduce your search/options for amplifiers to those that can drive them properly and synergize sonically. Trying to do both at the same time can be more confusing and even counterproductive. And whatever you’re looking for, always include in your posts here as much as you can about your sound preferences, budget, and room as that’ll help you get much better and more targeted recommendations for your specific tastes and needs. Just my $0.02 FWIW, and best of luck.

@labguy 

Yeah, my speakers are pretty laid back yet with the ribbon tweeter that keeps the detail. Sadly, Aurum Cantus speakers aren't well known but I can say with certainty that they hit way above their price range. The STR Integrated is loaded up but I can say that shouldn't deter you from buying it. Look at it this way, having the connectivity the STR has you can plug anything you want into it now and in the future. 

@labguy Yes, I very much appreciate your situation. Was there once myself. I would stick to your budget. One can put together a very nice system with a budget of 5K for amp and speakers.

So, let's consolidate the several threads to provide a better idea of the situation as I understand it. Please correct me where needed. This will help many to better help you.

   You live in an apartment and looking for stand mount speakers that need be placed near the front wall in a room of 15x12x8' .  Also looking for a SS integrated amplifier that serves speakers well in providing a presentation leaning toward the warm side. I believe integrated is to be line level only, possessing just preamp and amplifier. Currently your only source is a Bluesound Node and may consider the purchase of a DAC to compliment it at a later date. You are up grading from a Yamaha integrated amplifier and set of speakers. Please remind us what models these are. You would consider new or lightly used products. 

One thought that failed to provide is that you might consider purchasing a copy of Robert Harley's book 'The Complete Guide to High End Audio'.  I believe this book serves as the single best text on home audio systems. 

@sunshdw Wow! That setup is killer. Those speakers are gorgeous. Is the sound signature of those like higher end Dynaudio or Sonus Faber?(are those two brands considered warmer type speakers?) Or are they more lively forward and revealing/clinical transparent sounding?

Thanks for the input on your satisfaction with the Anthem. I think maybe the integrated would be a good buy. I'm reluctant to get loaded integrated that have dacs and phono stages and crossovers all by the preamp and power supply. I am concerned that a all in one value amp may have decreased SQ, or I'd be paying for features I didn't want or would wind up upgrading externally later, etc. Maybe I should consider Hegel as well as Anthem.

@mesch , you don't sound snarky at all. I'm sure it's hard to help somebody that has no idea what they want and has no stores in their area to listen to anything. It's just gonna be a blind buy. I keep thinking if I increase my budgethat maybe I stand a better chance of getting something quality. But  if it winds up too clinical and revealing as opposed to musically detailed and warm (my sound preference I believe) I'd hate to waste all that money and wind up disappointed with my purchase. So  I go round and round with indecision. You and @soix  and a bunch of others here have been very helpful and educational but it's really hard when I can't physically listen to the assortment of items to choose from. Plus, I want to purchase wisely and get great bang for my buck. (This will be a huge purchase for me) I don't have a super lucrative job, and it's a big budget to risk becoming. unhappy with if I make a poor choice.. Relying simply on descriptions from others instead of being able to physically hear it myself plays a big part in the indecision not to mention all the choices available and all the ranges of price points for varying gear.  I keep running across stuff that interests me and it prevents me from making a decision about anything. Most recently the speakers of @sunshdw  Look super appealing, As well as some triangle Delta signature speakers that are probably too big for my area. But those intrigue me as well. Anyway guys, the struggle is real. Thank you for your support and patience as I suffer through educating myself and trying to make a purchase blind (and  metaphorically deaf) because I can't audition really anything in my area other than Best Buy stuff.

Budget is still $5k but I keep wanting to increase that. $5k is a good start for now for the first piece or two though. I need to be patient and build this over time with quality pieces. First amp and speakers,  then dacs and wires,  etc.

Would a 15yr old Pass walk all over a Anthem STR Integrated? No, not in my opinion.

I have the STR Stack and I’ve been very happy with the sound. Having ARC takes things to a whole new level when used properly. I have a decent sized floor stander in a small(ish) room (see virtual system) and having the ability to manipulate the sound to my taste and not overloading the room is great. That said, even without ARC I would still take the STR because I like the Anthem sound. 

There are SO many undefined variables that have to be considered. Not just that amp itself. Things like a particular interconnect that might work well o one but not so well on the other. then of course there are the design features like what class of AMP each is ruining and so on. Also the purpose you use the amp for. i.e. is it for analogue sources like a turntable, Or Digital sources like CD/DVDs? I see people here asking those exact questions and they must be answered first.

@labguy As a contributor to a couple of your other threads I am just wondering what your current thoughts are regarding system development. Are you still interested in the development of a 2 channel 'synergistic system' for under $5000? What speakers are you considering?

Please understand I am not trying to be snarky, 

After years od having spectral gear, my expectations of solid state build quality are high.  When you looki inside the anthem the boards were flimsy appearing, on angles , bevel my Yamaha avr was better quality construction.   I beautiful casework with midfi guts     Stick to their avr which are competent 

I've owned the Anthem and thought it was really good- especially for the price 

room correction is the real deal

i thought the sound was transparent and reliably good. Wont compete with amps orders of magnitude more expensive but I believe that's typical 

excellent value and personally I'd take a relatively new Anthem over comparably priced fifteen year old gear 

This is kind of a weird question.

I’d say I’d apply these two products differently.

Pass has a distinct sound which IMHO does best with certain speakers than others. Anthem is a high value integrated with an ARC that will help even a noob get the most out of their subwoofer.

If Anthem ever actually releases Roon support I'll be udderly (hahah) shocked!

If you are interested in ARC perhaps try one of these incorporated into your system.

I was interested (to EQ wide band single drivers), but do not have a SmartPhone or Apple screen to run the ARC.

https://www.martinlogan.com/en/product/unison

DeKay

this is a hard call, anthem is good gear, quite well made, and arc room correction can be very impactful in some (actually many) rooms in terms of improving sound quality that is heard

that said, pass labs would sound a little nicer, warmer, less overtly solid state-ish, is built even better, but they simply don’t do room correction

if your room benefits from room correction the sonic impact of that would greatly outweigh the slightly better sound of the pass without arc, i would think...