I'm on the Theo team. For those of us who are two channel first audiophiles, Anthem is the better choice. Marantz sound signature for two channel is warmer with rolled off highs. The Anthem is the epitome of Neutral, true to the source and the recording.

One item of note that is an AVM 90 differentiator as I misspoke at the 50 minute mark: Analog to sampling rate is 24-bit / 768 kHz. It’s also a differentiator from the AVM 70 which is 24-bit / 192 kHz. Thank you Dave Lawson for the catch!

Thanks for the great comparison! Marantz really knocked it out of the park with the AV10. If it gets Dirac ART, this will easily be the endgame processor under 10k!

Very good, balanced comparison. Some thoughts: 1. I've owned Anthem and Marantz processors over the years. One thing that was touched on in this video, but I can't emphasize enough from my experience, is how much more reliable the firmware/software of the Marantz is compared to Anthem. 2. Also, the Anthem manual is very thin, while the Marantz manual is much more detailed. If one does not want to rely on the forums to use their processor, I'd advice against an Anthem. 3. Also mentioned in this review - the one thing I feel Marantz could have done better on: the AV 10 is huge. Just a tad smaller in the width and depth dimensions would have simplified rack mounting it. 4. Marantz has better functionality for 2 independent displays in the same room compared to the Anthem (which just seems to act like a video splitter). For people who have a projector and a TV in the same room, and like to switch between the two, Marantz provides better support. 5. I have an Apple TV 4K (latest), and have not experienced any issues with the AV 10.

I am leaning towards Anthem for my next upgrade. Thanks guys.

I really like the format of this video. I feel it’s right in the goldilocks zone. One step at a time taking in these small cross comparisons. Little bite sized nuggets, with the friendly duo of thoughtful input. Just the two products that the shopper in this segment would be interest in. It’s very well tempered and enjoyable to digest, even as someone who as a shopper isn’t in this market segment as of yet. I love the huge overviews that Ripewave Audio does. But that chicken is a little too dry and overcooked, this chicken however, clucking perfect! Very nice guys. I really hope you can get the Pioneer Elite flagship onboard a similar cross comparison. Yamaha, emotiva, and others all the same. I hate to be a broken record on the Pioneer. It’s some fanboy nonsense, but they have some proprietary nuances that go unsung and unexplored in my experience watching reviews. What they do with phase compensation in MCACC is interesting. Even as their build quality is notably just a mass market onkyo clone. The Pioneer brand still has brand specific technologies that onkyo and integra do not. Maybe if those nuances were highlighted, they would persist into the future and remain a strong independent brand for future acquisition or spin off. Pioneer is like a nature preserve harboring rare and endangered species that maybe one day will repopulate the ecosystem of consumer choice. But only if the explorers photo document these species so that the onkyo logging company is tipped into preserving this beautiful enclave of slow and unexceptional salamanders that can hardly fend for themselves amongst these invasive apex predators. Lol

Marantz AV10 for me I’ve just recently purchased one with the matching AMP 10 wow wow wow this system is incredible in my bedroom home cinema/ gaming setup

Just the video I wanted to see!

I think it’s clear that Anthem focused on good internal components, DAC’s and producing great sound over some of the video processing and aesthetics on the Marantz. I don’t know about you but I tend to buy preprocessors to process good quality sound which is why I chose the Anthem. 😊

I purchased the AV10 and I’ve been extremely impressed.

This was an excellent comparison! I was a long time Denon/Marantz user but the virtual inputs, web interface, and ARC Genesis on the Anthem products is really hard to give up once you have gotten accustom to them. The Marantz seems like it might be a better choice if you're having it professional installed and setup and just want it to work without fiddling with it and avoid service calls.

Will never be able to afford either of these I still watch the entire video

Nice thanks for the video! I prefer the Arcam AV40/41 😃 Would love to see a review on these units!

Great comparison. 2 great machines.

You guys also left out the that you get directional bass with the Marantz and it will also support butt kickers while the Anthem doesn’t. I went with the Av10 because of its features and the fact it just simply works.

Awesome presentation. Thanks guys. Always reassuring to hear about the calibre of these two great products 😎👍

Thanks for your nice comparison video!

Easy answer for me - the one with Dirac wins. Dirac > ARC Genesis.

You guys need to get your hands on the Audio Control X9S. As a Marantz 6014, 6015, and Cinema 50 owner and also an Anthem 70 and 90 owner. It wasn't until I got the 90 that Anthem pulled ahead for music and 2 channel. Also, why didn't Anthem gold plate the connetions on the back?

I had to return my AVM 90. The CEC issues were really unacceptable for such a high priced product. There were a few other bugs, but that was the most frustrating thing imo. I never had those issues with Marantz. It sounded great for sure, but in the future, I will stick with Marantz and go with the AV10. For now, I am slumming it with my old SR8012 LOL. Separates definitely opened my eyes to how good my 7.2.6 (now 7.2.4) system can sound, and that it definitely is not just hype. I also hated using chromecast, due to interruptions if I needed to use my phone for other things.

AVM 70 rocks for the price!

I'm hoping Anthem has an answer to Dirac ART which possibly can be a game changer in some setups. You really want to future proof as much as possible.

Interesting about the video processing, I didn't even realize the AV10 could do this. Right now I use the NZ8 for this but I have a problem. The on screen display for the volume level is off the imaging device so I don't have this on screen display. I wonder if I let the AV10 handle it instead of the projector, it will solve this problem? As for the AV10 size, it's true, it won't fit in a standard 19" rack shelf due to the side support pieces on the shelf. However, if you simply install the shelf in the rack upside down, it's not a problem, then the AV10 fits perfectly. This was a really well done video!

I tried the AVM70. It was my first Anthem product after having owned Denon/Marantz for years prior, so I was not prepared for the horrible OSD. That along with [at the time anyway] unreliable ARC Genesis performance and firmware updates being difficult to complete scared me away. I've had the AV10 for about a year and still feel it is the best in class. Anthem has a lot going for it but they're sort of the Tesla of the AV world. Fit & finish matter in this price range.

My Marantz AV8802A went out when the power got shut off during a power outage and came back on. I'm in the process of sending it out for repair, but was considering buying either the AV8805A or the AV 10 to replace my 8802A, because I just can't wait for the AV8802A to come back. I previously had an Anthem D2V that broke twice, once during warranty and once after the warranty expired, so I ended up selling it to someone who said he could repair it himself, so I don't think I would buy another Anthem product ever again even though the D2V was a really great sounding unit. As far as Marantz goes I've owned the SR-18 and SR-14EX receivers and never had a problem with them, which is why I had upgraded to the AV8802A. Was curious if the AV10 is $1,500.00 better than the AV8805A, and if you think it would be worth it just to get either the AV10 or AV8805A and sell my AV8802A after it comes back from repair?

I have a marantz av Receiver and I love that the port hole display is the size that it is. I never used the display even if it took up the whole front of the receiver. Everything I need to see I can see on the screen. I think that was a great idea

I would also like that add that the way Marantz implemented the dacs was super clever. The Marantz yes, has 10 2ch dacs. But what was left out was that the left and right channels aren’t tied together like most people would think. Meaning your right tower might be tied with the rear left surround back, and same with the center it might be tied with the front right height channel. And Marantz did this to keep crosstalk down amongst other things. Your subwoofer’s get their own dacs as well. Which I’m sure is in a mono configuration theoretically yielding awesome resolution for bass. Another note is yes on the Marantz app it doesn’t show speaker layout, but if you go to speaker layout on the actual unit it will display that. Anthem doesn’t have an onscreen gui which I think is why it’s on the app. Marantz does this so you can see everything on your large tv or projector. I have the Marantz av10 and amp 10. Got my Marantz av10 December 22’ and amp10 late January 23’. Out of the box calibration I think Anthem is better. But having Dirac since March 23’ I can say imo I think it’s much much better.

Really can't afford neither. But love to hear you guys talk about them. Been waiting for this video for a long time.

Regarding build quality the Marantz owns the Anthem. Especilly if you compare the back of the units. It allways feels like I will break something when I try to hook up some more expensive cables on the back of my Anthem....

Thanks for the video. I am currently at the fence trying to decide between those two, but I still don't know how the DIRAC with Multiple subwoofers license compares to ARC Genesis. Could you guys make that comparison? Thanks.

if anthem ever comes out with active room treatment i’m all in for the AVM90

Ive always preferred Marantz warm sound from the 70's and it still holds true with today's Marantz.

I bought the AVM 70, and found it very good… decided to go to the AVM90 because my music listening… very good DAC, but, voices and mid not as good as expected… i finally bought a Macintosh preamplifier for my music… wow… that is good… so… if you buy the AVM90 for a great HT… go… if it is for music… go for the 70 + a musical preamplifier… sad that the STR from Anthem was so old technology…

I have attempted the AVM70 three times and AVM90 once. I just find music to be better on Denon/Marantz products because it seems more forward sounding especially vocalist on a marantz or Denon. Whereas the Anthem will have a smoother and more balanced music when this is not always natural or native to what the song was intended to sound like. Anyone else experiencing this too?

Can you do a comparison between the preamp of the Cinema 30 and the AV 10?

I wish Marantz would label the DAC Filters. 1 and 2 don't do me any good. If they said ""Marantz Sound" and "Test Bench", I wouldn't have to look it up online each time I come across the setting trying to make sure it's set correctly.

Great review ! Any chance you could review Arcam Av31 ?

Anthem keeps making excuses and is essentially lying about Roon. Just like with DTS-X Pro, they didn’t really know what it was and just threw it on the specs thinking they could add it later without knowing a thing about the process.

Very anxious to experience both the amp 10 / av 10.. no turning back now🚀

I went for Marantz and have no regrets. I have the matching amplifer but run a Michi for front 3 channels by using 2x stereo amps....

I remember in the 70’s selling Marantz Super-scope in a catalog store front.

I can only hope that AKM has recovered from that awful fire because the audio community needs to see their chips again. I do hope one day that Anthem upgrades the casework of the AVM 70 and AVM 90 or at minimum the AVM 90 to be more inline with their STR equipment. Aesthetics wise I prefer the Anthem minimalist design and for me, Marantz missed a big opportunity in not updating the screen(s). On a separate hopefully Anthem can offer a different screen one day that shows album artwork when using Airplay 2.

The DIRAC Licence REALLY hurts for Nations like Australia where the full costing is massive with respect to the cost of the hardware - most particularly in the mid-range models. You can't negotiate for pricing with respect to DIRAC which means you have less potential to achieve the same saving I have been able to with Anthem.

Good vid, thx for the time you gave up! My vote is for the Marantz:)

I have the AV7005, and I run Audyssey just to set the delay and volume, then turn it off. Dynamics and clarity sound best with all that stuff turned off. My three subs are one virtual sub with miniDSP. I also have some room treatments.

The issue with an OLED port hole idea is it will dim overtime/burn-in. I wouldn't suggest that for a screen that many will have always-on.

How come we did not plug in a Eversolo DMP-A6 Master Edition HDMI into both machines and listen which processor has superior DSD Multichannel (from a SACD rip) output?

I had some HDMI CEC problem with Anthem receivers pairing with a LG TV. IDK if i care what sound quality it can do, if the basics doesn’t work, it’s a deal breaker.

Ive had an av10 for a year. Great processor. DLBC is great. We are getting ART too which is awesome. The one thing i am hoping for is an upgrade option to the next hdmi board, as 40gbps hdmi inputs/outputs are already out of date And i have preferred dac 2 consistently You guys literally brought up component video before any hdmi or gaming features. Its very important to some people, and one of the main reasons i got rid of my x4700h. You could also mention how anthem lies and says they have 48gbps hdmi ports when not a single av product on the market has this, to this day. Even if you ask their support staff, they will tell you they have a custom made hdmi board that supports 48gbps. Ive asked, and have been lied to

I have the Anthem AV90 and I find it to be very buggy - often needing hard Power-Cycle Reset to regain functionality. But by far the worst aspect is its failure to respect Maximum Volume Limits with various sources like Air Play. I set my Maximum Volume Limit to -30dB and when I tried to do an Air Play stream to it, the AVM 90 promptly set it's volume to +10dB and nearly blew out my $12K speakers in the couple of seconds it took me to stop things. And worse yet, when I contacted Anthem Customer Support, I got the run-around from them for over two months before I gave up. As a result, the AVM 90 has mostly been sitting idle for nearly two years because I'm too frightened to use it (and am tired of fighting its bugs).

I got some DTS:X Pro demos from Trinnov and none of them show up on the AV 10. Either it's buggy or Marantz simply doesn't show it.

I hear reports on avm90 of a loud sound above the user set max volume. Some even had speakers damaged. That is enough to sway me towards av10.

Gene I was trying to confirm if the front USB port on the new AV10 is 3.0 or 2.0. I contacted Marantz technical support. No information was available for the AV10 regarding the port. I was told that the port on my AV8805A was 2.5. I've never seen a USB input port rated at 2.5. Would you happen to know the spec. The owners manual has no information regarding this information. Thank you for all the efforts you and your team provide.

Gene, Just out of curiosity, how have you been able to connect your apple TV with fibre optic cable? The CAT6 slot at the back of the apple TV is all I've got and since I've not come across any fibre optic CAT6/CAT7 network cable am wondering how your fibre optic apple TV network connection looks like. Any thoughts, please 🙏

roon ready on marantz soon

Great comparison.... was looking for this. How disappointing to see the Marantz uses the much older ESS 9018 versus the Superior 9038 Pro (which is in my Oppo 205). The 9018 is it about a dozen years old now and it was in the (way back) Oppo 95--and also in the Exasound E28 of which I have directly compared to the Oppo 205. Sure... DAC choices arent everything but it sure is telling who uses which ESS model... And no doubt big reason why the Anthem 90 cost much more than the 70. Ask for streaming, I think Chromecast is maxxed to 24/48 but at least it does Qobuz... which for some reason HEOS completely ignores which really pisses me off. If I completely bypass my amps and go "receiver"for the atmos path I'm looking at the Marantz 8015 which my friend swears by. Do you by chance know they act they use there compared to the av-10

REFERENCE THE ANTHEM CEC BUGS I diagnosed a "CEC Adjacent" issue with how the unit is monitoring interrupts/settings and power states that is causing CEC failure and NOT about CEC standard/compatibility. I had reproduceable test data and multiple testimonials to confirm my hypotheses and outcomes as regard the cause and therefore responsibility of Anthem - NOT the CEC spec. Anthem support has refused to acknowledge or engage regarding the test findings and corrections I developed. Each time I have tried to open a dialogue I get blown off by some support drone with a mandatory reply of "CEC is broken because of other companies stuff". I tried accessing Anthem through the Dealers on one of the FB Anthem groups and just got crapped on by them because they were too damned arrogant to actually take time to read what I proposed and they refuse to criticise the product or support. It's mind blowingly myopic and stupid because some installers are changing out systems that have been fixable by my solution (as a repeated correction to the software problem).

I have a Marantz AV 7705 processor and when measuring Audyssey Room Optimization, it always asks to lower the volume of the subwoofers, it simply cannot take measurements, then the volume has to be increased. Marantz AV 10 has the same problem.

Not sure if it is the same but I like the "flat" filter on my Denin X4300h vs. The reference filter (faster roll off), at least for now before room treatment

Please do not forget to mention the release date for each processor, sometimes it makes a difference and it is the same with other products.

Blade Runner 2049 and some other movies are available in Auro 3D 13.1 , works also DTSX pro works also 13.4 speaker layout. Listen to movies like Mi 6; Mi7, Blade Runner 2049; Top Gun Maverick, Fast and Furious X and Dune 1 & 2 with Auromatic / movie 10-12 mode . You will surprised . Also will Frontwide will follow . Some movies too much silence and less Atmosphere in the upper area.

Gene for 2 channel upmix mode do you mean anthem logic music mode over Dolby surround mode for 2.0 music ?

Got a question not on the same subject. Was wondering if you have done any reviews on anthem mca 5 amplifier and was wondering if it's still a good amplifier compared to today's standards for $500 used.just asking for a friend 😊

Love my Anthem MRX-1140, but I HATE how long the HDMI switching takes. Even with fiberoptic, it takes 7secs +/-. Compared to short cables, 2-3secs. Gotta be a power issue sent across the length of cable from the anthem or the fiber line chip?

Yes, you want that last thousandths of a point to watch all the great Hollywood releases like the Barbie movie.

Gene/Theo - why are these things so damned expensive? It's like a (very good) receiver except without the amplifier section. I have a Yamaha CX-A5200 (which they discontinued) and I had to pay more for it than their most expensive receiver at the time. Also - what about the Monolith HTP-1? I have read good reviews about that.

Much prefer the beautiful clean modern look of the Anthem chassis design. Marantz looks fussy and busy, and the port hole is pretty useless from the couch. Set-up and on-screen user design/experience, Marantz hands down. Is the DAC same in the AV 90 as the Anthem AVRs? ...the MRX 1140 8K through the MRX 540 8K?

so skip the denefrips r2r dacs? I think Marantz is almost Roon Ready, hopefully.

So Anthem still supplies remotes that turn into carpet tape after a few years? They really need to put some effort into remedying that. For this kind of money, their customers deserve better.

Is the denon a1h comparable to these separates or is it outclassed?

I think with Audyssey editor one can add more than 2 profiles right?

I know the denon 8500ha is older and less subwoofer ect but sound wise can the 8500ha compete, thanks

no bass boost when volume low

Much discussion of the audio streaming pluses and minuses but nothing regarding the video and audio production when viewing UHD 4K movies and the surround and depth production of either. Wish this comparison was a bit more user friendly

Best audio on the market or under 10K? If the former, then Storm Audio, Trinnov etc would have a say.

I'll be keeping my Yamaha CX-A5200 for now. Need to plug in my Wii also ;) Gene next time you talk to Phil Shea need to put a bug in his ear for the CX-A5300.

I have an 8802A and agree that the marantz porthole display is just dumb. How did you get Roon to run on an Oppo? I have a 203 - can I run Roon with it? My 8802-A's paper manual is way toooo big. Is the AV10's manual more concise?

Wish the amp10 had dual power supplies, almost perfect.

Has anyone a/b the AV10 and cinema 30 for SQ? Are than any plans to replace av7706?

🎵 let's call the whole thing off

I got a monolith htp-1. Would I notice anything audible switching to one of these? Thanks!

I thought the Anthem is made in Canada not Vietnam?

can you tell how to change light to blue on marantz.. I just got the cinema 30 would love to change it ,, thank you

the issue I have with Marantz is that damn portal window just does not cut it

How do they work as media servers?

So, for movies, but mainly for music listening, which one is better?

The Yamaha CX-A52OO uses ESS SABRE PRO ES9026PRO Ultra DACs. The Marantz uses the lesser ESS 9018 DACs. For $7K - WTF?

Google assistant and no Chromecast? Wtf why?

I’ve tested both. I went with Anthem for a number of reasons, top reason was sound quality. Second to that was ease of use. Felt like marantz emphasized bass more but the anthem overall sounded better with both music and movies. And you can tweak anthem to emphasize bass if needed.

Will the AV10 get Dirac ART? If yes then it's a no brainer. I'm am actually 100% set on that decision and am waiting.

I’m going to do 5.2.4 in my basement living room, what receiver would you recommend that is really good quality without breaking the bank?

Dts x pro wil allow you to use more then 11 channels so its a real deal breaker.only the marantz is capable of using the 15.4 in Dts x

Didn’t audioholics already say the avm90 was the processor of the year over the av10. What is the point of this video then?

So………… who wins?

I am currently using an AV8805. At the time the MSRP was around $4500. Flash forward a few years and now their flagship is $7000. How do they justify such a large increase in price? I’m sure it’s wonderful, but wow! Talk about sticker shock.

Anamorphic lense on the Marantz AV10? Would you mind going a little bit deeper on that and explain? Thanks!

What’s the difference in audio quality between the Cinema 30 and the Denon A1H? And other differences would be appreciated.

Arnold = Like!

Dirac over ARC all day every day.

Anthem doesn't have balanced inputs for 2 channel