Comments for Anthem AVM50v Audio/Video Processor at http://www.hometheaterhifi.com , comment 1 to 10 out of 10 comments http://www.hometheaterhifi.com Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:57:30 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.3 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2243 [quote]There is NO advantage (at this time) to sending the HD audio bit streams to an SSP or AVR, and in fact there is a disadvantage in that you cannot have any secondary audio from Blu-ray.[/quote] Well, one obious advantage of bitstreaming vs sending (decoded) LPCM would be the fact that the former should much less prone to introduce jitter. Mac - Mac Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:37:55 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2225 Excellent review Brian indeed. I am in the D2v/AVm50v AVS forum daily and the sense I get is that AVM50v (owned by such as I) plays second fiddle to the D2v. Yet, as you indicated in the review, the sound of the 50v is natural and completely transparent. Someone at AVS said that Anthem did a test where they had the D2v digitize a signal and convert it back to analog afterwards and compared it to the original analog signal. The testers couldn't detect a difference in SQ between these two analog signals, a testament to the clean design of the D2v analog section. Can you or Chris(?) who reviewed the D2v perform a similar test to the 50v as well? It really shouldn;t take long to setup or perform. Curious to see your results! Thanks for everthing!!! - David Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:31:58 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2223 Bradford, I believe you will find the same "fussy" behavior I described in both products (evidenced by the comments I've heard from a variety of D2/D2v owners). There is a certain subjectivity to it I guess which may account for why Chris did not note it in his recent D2v review. Thomas, the fundamental differences between the AVMs and Ds are dealt with in detail in my original review of the D1. In short: Ds have much more sophisticated DACs/reconstruction filter arrangement plus the full-time up-sampling which that requires (as well as bigger/better power supplies). Net result: marginally better sound (“sounds more analogue” is I think how I put it back then). Is it worth the difference in price? That’s something each must answer for themselves based on their income and what that “last little bit” is worth to them. - Brian Wed, 30 Sep 2009 01:20:53 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2221 I went from an AVM 30 to an AVM 50v and all I can say is ARC is the real deal. ARC has taken the veil off of my speakers and let them shine. It does a fantastic job with dialogue and making the soundstage bigger. A very happy AVM 50v owner. - Harry Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:01:54 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2219 I would suggest that any current owners or those looking to purchase a D2V or AVM50v check out the forum thread dedicated to the set up of these units: http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=17261745#post17261745 Many of the issues including popping, poor HDMI handhsakes etc are actively being addressed by Anthem and are available as software updates... - Doug R. Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:03:56 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2218 Hometheaterhifi published two reviews of surround sound processors from Anthem within the last month: Chris Eberle reported on the Statement D2v and Brian Florian reported on the AVM50v. I found both revies interesting and helpful. Both products appear to be identical in many aspects and similar in others. Unfortunately the authors of the reviews do not go into the differences in features, specifications and -most importantly- performance and if those merit the 2000$ price difference. I am in the process to convert my hometheater into blu-ray compatibility. I will replace the Denon DVD 1920 by the Oppo BDP-83 as soon as it becomes available in Europa; a 3-year old Denon AVR has already partly been replaced by a Bryston 9B SST. Current options for surround sound processor are the two Anthem products, the Rotel RSP-1570 and and and. I would be grateful for any comments that you and/or your writers might have. - Thomas Geiger Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:56:18 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2216 Interesting that there is only 5.1 analog inputs, I guess it's assumed most Bluray will come in on HDMI and 5.1 is sufficient for SACD. - Greg Zakrzewski Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:23:29 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2214 Bradford, I have the D2v and it displays all of the same quirks mentioned in the 50v review. I too am disappointed with all of the HDMI problems I have been having given the price! When it works it sounds great but I'm still waiting for it to work every time. - Steve Weiler Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:46:33 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2213 Although I would tend to agree that lossless audio decoding at the source would be more than ample for those with little older units you describe, such as the AVM50 and its 1.1 HDMI capability, it is important to note that unlike the Oppo BDP83, NOT ALL Blu-Ray players current or otherwise have the capability of outputting lossless multi-channel audio via PCM through an HDMI connection. Many players, assuming they contain internal decoding, can only be sent via analog(with its very limited bass mgm't) OR bitstream for external decoding. PCM is generally limited to two channel. Unless it has been recently updated, the "Panasonic" players are an example of that limitation. Obviously, in the case of the latter and for the utmost flexibility, an AVR or Pre-Pro with all the latest codecs is mandatory. - Ron W. Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:47:50 +0100 http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/processors/693-anthem-avm50v-audiovideo-processor.html#comment-2212 Hello, I am a frequent visitor of your site and I am very thankful for the in-depth equipment reviews. I am building my own home theater system and Anthem gear is first on my short-list. I have to tell you that I am a little disappointed by the new AVM 50v's HDMI performance at this price point. I am trying to figure out why the AVM 50v performed this way when it has the same VXP chip configuration as the new Statement D2v. I recently read the review on the D2v/A5 combo and the D2v performed excellent. Hopefully for the AVM 50v the quirks are software related and not hardware. Do you report issues to manufacturers after reviews so they can be solved? Should I purchase the Statement D2v over the AVM 50v? How confident should I be? Do look forward to your response by email. Thanks again. - Bradford Boyce Mon, 28 Sep 2009 04:40:05 +0100