We have tried the Anthem AVM 60 high-end home cinema preamplifier!

We have tried the Anthem AVM 60 high-end home cinema preamplifier!

We’ve met with devices manufactured by the Canadian brand Anthem before and we had very positive impressions of them. The AVM 60 model has an 11.2-channel, 4K Dolby Atmos, reference-class processor with a practical, kind of sleek look. The aluminium front panel has a light blue LED status indicator with a large volume dial and the standard adjustment knobs. Below the display are 6 control buttons.

The AVM 60 model supports 30 virtual inputs that can be selected from the on-screen menu. You can also use the Input button on the remote control to call up the menu. In the lower right corner are the main and secondary zone power buttons. Front HDMI input, USB upgrade port, and headphone jack are hidden in the lower left corner behind a cover. The rear panel has 13 XLR outputs, which support 11 speakers and 2 parallel subwoofers. The first HDMI output supports ARC, so we can listen to the audio through the TV, no special audio cable is required. There are no unnecessary inputs and outputs. The housing has low resonance; for the records, very high quality components are used to manufacture these audio instruments. The buttons on the remote control are displayed logically and ergonomically. The 9 kg weight is probably ideal.

It can be said that the AVM 60 is an improved version of the MRX 1120 model. Like other high-end Anthem amplifiers, this model also features the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system, which uses a microphone to measure and calculate the appropriate frequency threads and sound delay values ​​from 5 to 10 points in the room. This way we can correct the unfavourable acoustics of the room. (Also pay attention to the acoustic treatment of the walls, ceiling and glass surfaces of the room! The use of sound-absorbing panels and diffusers will improve your audio and movie experience!)

Other information about the processor’s capabilities:

-HDMI 2.0a sockets with HDR, HDCP 2.2 support -32-bit D / A differential output converter -digital LED / OLED display -3 optical inputs, 1 optical output -2 coaxial digital inputs -automatic surround signal recognition -RCR, XLR connectors -Multi-channel RCA analog audio output

It was not difficult to install and set up the amplifier. The system creates a Profile based on the values ​​we set, which can be individually customised and stored in the device’s memory. 4 Profiles can be created to suit the volume, location, sensitivity… etc. of the speakers. Custom settings are possible for different inputs. It was a bit difficult to connect to the wireless network, which was pretty annoying. But in the end, we managed that too…

Audio and movie testing

In the superbly furnished home theatre room where we tested the Anthem AVM 60, we assessed flawless acoustics while performing measurements. Not even the floor was overlooked by the thoughtful owner; he covered the parquet with a soft, high-quality acoustic rug.

Is there anyone out there who wouldn’t know the Star Wars movies? As many of us are fans of some of the most well-known and perhaps most popular sci-fi movies, the Star Wars III is just one of those that spearheads the genre, This is why we opted to screen the Revenge of the Sith on DVD. We had powerful basses, lifelike, accurate and spacious sound, the amplifier offered a real surround experience. Stallone’s piece from 2018 Creed II followed staging the sound of the drama with perfect purity and harmony. We had to admit that not only the deep ranges were intense, but the mid and high frequencies were also nicely balanced.

Then we watched the sci fi movie The Ant-Man and the Wasp to confirm our previous assessments regarding sound quality. We had no complaints regarding the amplifier’s performance this time either, besides, using the ARC system you can further fine tune the settings according to your own taste or ears. The Anthem AVM 60 amplifier is not only designed to meet developers’ expectations, but also those of the many music fans all around the globe keen to take advantage of the capabilities of this high-end instrument.

With put the amplifier to the last test with the 2007 musical Enchanted putting on stage a charming story with catchy songs enchanting anyone. Both the music and the vocals were rich in detail, creating a spacious and lifelike sound effect.

Summary

It didn’t really came as a surprise that Anthem’s otherwise high-end preamplifier is almost perfect with a few minor flaws. Intense basses, lifelike and detailed sound, simple menu and ARC system are clearly among the comparative advantages of the amplifier. We cannot report many drawbacks, although we missed the multi-channel analog input, AM Tuner, and limited trigger support as well. Analog video components have also been abandoned by the AVM 60. And the DTS Play-Fi feature can only be used via iOs, Android and Windows, which could be rectified later. But these cannot be considered as significant flaws. Regardless of all the minor flaws we noted, we would reward the high-end product of the Canadian manufacturer with a 5 points score out of 5 points.

G.H.