Replaced my MX135 with an Anthem D2 processor and although the MX was "sexier" the D2 outperformed the MX hands down.

Always trying to find a reason to stick with the Brand, this was not an area that either the 135 or 136 can compete.

The sound was clear precise, where I found the MX lacking in clarity and often times my wife would say "What did he say" this could never be the case with the Anthem.

All round upscales any signal to 1080p, hdmi, upsamples all 5.1 channels, and comes with Room Correction Microphone which gives you precise control of all your speaker positions. Digital to Analog Converter and Analog to Digital Converter.

List Price is $7500 so against the MX's, it beats them with a stick. Only in the Looks department does the MX excel.

It also IMHO outperformed the Lexicon MC12B and Parasound C1 as well (which I owned). It really is outstanding.

With online updates which worked easily.:tresbon::tresbon::tresbon:

How is it on music as a 2ch pre? I thought about selling my MX119 for a better HT pre. But the looks of most are ugly compared to MAC.

The MX135 does not lack in clarity but the way your speakers and system were set up this could be the result. Many users in many different rooms have no issue with clarity and would argue the MX processors are the truer musical and film experience.

thanks,
Ron-C

I don't have any issues with clarity. I set-up the levels with a Rane RTA/SPL meter. I like to have more features like Room EQ and all balanced XLR out. Perhaps a MX135 and a future MAC stand-alone Room EQ will be BEST.

How does the sound compare? There certainly are a ton of features packed in that unit. I am curious how it sounds though. Intriguing....

The sound as a preamplifier is similar to the mx, which never cut it for me (blurred) and so I have a C2200 right from my cd player for Stereo.

I don't think any processor out there can do what a dedicated Preamp can do.

The sound as a surround processor is no comparison. Much more clarity, detail, depth, and separation and depth which is precise meaning that if you do the room correction with the mics, you hear sounds you haven't heard before out of the same DVD.

I found the mx to be mellow and warm, not tight and bright.

Of course this is subjective and only my opinion and could be a question of taste

How is it on music as a 2ch pre? I thought about selling my MX119 for a better HT pre. But the looks of most are ugly compared to MAC.

What do you prefer, a beautiful girl, whose not so smart, so so in bed, or a more homely girl that has a great body when she takes her clothes off and is great in bed.

What do you prefer, a beautiful girl, whose not so smart, so so in bed, or a more homely girl that has a great body when she takes her clothes off and is great in bed.

I'll take the pretty girl and train her. :whip:

What do you prefer, a beautiful girl, whose not so smart, so so in bed, or a more homely girl that has a great body when she takes her clothes off and is great in bed.

For a second I thought I was in the wrong forum :D.

I've actually used the spouse/girlfriend analogy myself in the past (although I did not take it all the way into the bedroom).

There are women who really stand out and would be a lot of fun to date for a short time, but would not be a great choice for marriage - and vice-versa.

Similarly, there are systems that sound great and impressive when you audition them, but the very attribute that make them sound so amazing when you audition them can become tiring on a regular basis.

For me, as a music lover, the #1 criteria in audio equipment is how much it makes me want to listen to music. I've found that systems that "too resolving" are fatiguing to my ears and make me want to take a break from listening. Whereas, system that some may call "mellow and warm and not tight and bright" make it hard to stop listening.

But as MisterDoggy1 mentions, we all have different tastes.

Alberto

I laughed at the analogy, and appreciated it!

Doing a search on the Anthem D2 brought some strong opinions and was interesting...

Nice purchase, I have had some anthem 2 channel gear in the past that I really enjoyed the heck out of!

Nice to see that you were willing to audition other gear, which only makes sense at that price point.

Evan

What do you prefer, a beautiful girl, whose not so smart, so so in bed, or a more homely girl that has a great body when she takes her clothes off and is great in bed.

I'd take option C. Smart, Sexy, Great in bed, and LOVES speakers/components/vinyl.

:yes:

I go for the not so smart.

A friend of mine has the D2 and it's very impressive. Misterdoggy you made a great move towards the HT department. I've seen your setup at htguide and i thought you went through every high end processor on the market. Any time you make a move with your system im all ears. I too am thinking of the D2 or AVM 50. Have you compared the too before you purchased? and if so what were your thoughts.

Keeping the 2 channel side with the Macs is what im going to do after my audition next week of the c45 and c2300, and my dealer is going to honor the price increase before the hike.

A friend of mine has the D2 and it's very impressive. Misterdoggy you made a great move towards the HT department. I've seen your setup at htguide and i thought you went through every high end processor on the market. Any time you make a move with your system im all ears. I too am thinking of the D2 or AVM 50. Have you compared the too before you purchased? and if so what were your thoughts.

Keeping the 2 channel side with the Macs is what im going to do after my audition next week of the c45 and c2300, and my dealer is going to honor the price increase before the hike.

Shades,

Thanks for the Roses :music::music:

Yeah, for Stereo the Tube Preamp C2200 and 501's and the Meridian 808i CD player is Nirvana and is mainly based in McIntosh

The Processor both in upscaling Genum Vx Chip and upsampling of all 5.1 channels is hard to ignore. Throw in ARC Room Correction software which really works.

It was the first Room Correction that I have used that Got the Sub perfect.

Blu-ray thru the D-2 wait a second... Unreal.

Thing is, since I switched from the MX I am hearing sounds I never heard before.

My wife and I were watching Mezzo channel for Classical music and a pianist was playing a live concert, and someone in the audience coughed like you hear in good CD recordings through a top CD player, but this was satellite TV and my wife got up to see if someone else was in the house. She said "Who was that?" it was as if we were in the audience and sitting next to the person who coughed.

It is definitely a little more temperamental to set up than the MX and you need to know what you are doing to get it all right. Once you do its Heaven :tresbon::tresbon::tresbon::tresbon::tresbon::tres bon::tresbon::tresbon:

I have Anthem products purely for my HT system. I also have all Studio 100 & 40 from paradigm for speaks. It is a fantastic set-up for HT. But for 2 channel, nothing beats my set-up in my opinion ( look at my sig for details of my pride and joy).

Too bad we are Oceans apart. I built $1M+ around an MX135, it's that good when set up properly IMO.

MD1,

I was reading on another forum that your new D2 is not working. The D2 seems to have quite a few issues, best of luck in getting things up and running. There's nothing as frustrating as a new unit that doesn't work the way it's suppose to.

I think it may have to do with the fact that I am using a step down transformer and the unit is too sensitive to the current, but really can't say for sure.

It does so much and so well, I feel bad parting with it, but One can only take so much.

I give it this weekend to resolve or I will send it back and try a Meridian 861.

The Anthem D2 did upscaling as well as upsampling and room correction which really works and the sound was great.

But it does need to run ..........

I'll post my results, but for the moment I'm not to optimistic. It worked fine all night, but sometimes it just shuts down as startup for no apparent reason and I'm hoping a software re-install will fix the problem.

These things give you great pleasure when they work and such misery when they don't not to mention the whole family gives you misery when they can't use it.:screwy::screwy:

..These things give you great pleasure when they work and such misery when they don't not to mention the whole family gives you misery when they can't use it.:screwy::screwy:

That' one of the main reason i'll stick with my MX135 .. until McIntosh will come up with a new and updated processor.

That' one of the main reason i'll stick with my MX135 .. until McIntosh will come up with a new and updated processor.

AMEN to that brother......

I am looking at the Meridian 861 V4. Anyone got any feedback on that one working with Mac Amps ??