I was surprised and impressed, considering that I had a few comments that said it may not make a difference. Will be enjoying the current setup for a while.
Which cabinet are you using? I've been searching for one for more than 6 months, and I can't find one that it's deep enough for the Onkyo TX-NR Z50. I don't want a rack because I don't have much equipment ( just the receiver, a Roku Ultra, and I'm planning getting this amplifier, a power distribution and a fan). My speakers are the klipsh 5.0.2 from Costco. I already purchased the subwoofer and a pair of Dolby Atmos Speakers. I'd appreciate any input, especially with the cabinet. I didn't see any link for it. Greetings from Houston.
@@menacordero1 Hey another fellow Texan. I'm up north of the Dallas area. As for the cabinet I use it's one made by Ashley Furniture the Trinell 63" TV Stand (www.ashleyfurniture.com/p/trinell_63_tv_stand/W446-68.html?cgid=tv-stands#start=158&sz=36). It's pretty solid and has held up well over the years. Sounds like you have a nice setup and hopefully this cabinet will finish it out for you.
@@RandomDistractionsYT BTW, after having the A5 for several months, would you still buy it or you'd buy the A3. I have the reference system from Costco 5.0.2. The Dolby Atmos Speakers are built in on top of the towers. I got the subwoofer and another pair or Dolby Atmos Speakers that could be used as Dolby Atmos Speakers or surround height. I was thinking of getting the A3 for the towers and center channel, and the Onkyo TX-NR Z50 for the 4 Atmos and the 2 surround speakers. The Onkyo supposedly handle 140 watts, two channels driven. And finally, do you have a link affiliated to the Emotiva amps? Just trying to help you with your UA-cam channel. BTW, it was an excellent Idea to cut out the back of your cabinet. Before I forget, Happy Thanksgiving.
@@menacordero1 Thanks, hope you had a good Thanksgiving as well! As for your question, it does depend on your speakers, and looking up the specs for that system if I had them I would probably lean toward the A5. The good thing about Klipsch is that they are usually really sensitive so they don't require a lot of power to get them going. The A5 provides 95 - 120 watts per channel and per the specs, your towers and center can do 100 watts continuous and the surrounds do 50 watts continuous. The less demand from your receiver the better so you would just have the 4 atmos speakers hooked up to that which don't need as much power as your base layer of speakers. Plus since you have a subwoofer the A5 will be able to easily provide power to them since lower frequencies are usually the ones that require more wattage. On the flip side, the A3 would provide you more than enough power for the front stage and you could always pick up a separate 6-channel amp later on to do the rest. Just some things to think about. Unfortunately, I don't have an affiliate link for Emotiva but may be something I should look into. Appreciate you asking though.
@@RandomDistractionsYT . Thank you so much your information. I really appreciate that you took the time to reply my questions. I went ahead and today around 2am I purchased the A3 because I was watching several videos and most of the people say that 80% of the sounds come from the front stage. So I decided that the receiver just power the 4 Dolby Atmos speakers and the 2 surrounds for now. I live in an apartment, so I can't use mulch power; otherwise, my neighbors on the second floor will kick me out. Thanks again and good luck growing your UA-cam channel.
I just bought the Basx A7 and i totally agree. It sounds great and I have heard sounds in movies that I have never heard before. I also rock a pretty old speaker setup ( Jamo D6) and changing to the A7 instead of running just the receiver just made me once again understand why I bought them in the first place!
That's awesome, I think my need for new speakers is due to GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) more than anything else because I do feel that ever since the receiver and now amp purchase that my speakers have sounded the best that they ever had and feel like I'm getting everything out of them now. Congrats on the new and old gear!
Nice. I am thinking about the A7 as well. What is the power rating of your jamo d6 speakers. I want to compare to see if it would run my klipsch towers. Thanks
@@josemunoz7368 I think they are rated at 130 watts or something. They are pretty hard to drive only 87db @ 8 ohm but the 90 watts/channel do an amazing job with them!
I just hooked my A5 up tonight Christmas to my X4700h. I can hear the difference but more so in movies & scenes I've seen before. My speakers sound clearer & bigger dynamic shifts are done very well.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Quick update. I upped my system to Klipsch RP Gen 2 & I started using 🍌 clips. Wow what a difference. Gonna get an A4 for my 4 atmost. I don't have any of my 2 subs on but my RP 504C II (2022) has nice bass
@@o.c.g.m9426 Congrats on the speakers! Looked them up and they look good. Not sure if you saw some of my newer vids but I have also changed up my speakers (Arendal). Now you just need to dial in the subs then but like yourself having better speakers helps with the overall sound.
Great update And glad you were happy with the results - the exact base layer amp configuration I’m going for. Definitely interested in seeing the results post arc rerun! I do find it odd that the MRX 740 can redirect / matrix the fronts to height 1 or 2, surrounds to height 2, and back to height 1. Odd there’s seemingly more flexibility with the amp matrix on the lower model? Btw. You may want to look at what kind of results you get changing the phase on one sub (15 deg increments at a time / rerun rew) before you add eq at 50 hz - Svs helped me with a terrible null using phase that I just couldn’t eq out - Absolutely amazing results! Now off to convince the wife…
Thanks and I think that it's a good combo even to start out with. Will hopefully have a chance to rerun it this coming week. That's interesting about the MRX740 allowing for the additional options. I don't have automatic updates so wondering if maybe I need to do an update? Will do that before running ARC as well and see if that makes any difference. Thanks for the tip on the phase, I'll definitely take a look at that as I haven't messed with it. Good luck with the wife, that is always a part of the process!
@@RandomDistractionsYT got the A3 all hooked up. Even more detail from the front sound stage. Haven’t had a chance to put it through it’s paces by watching a movie but from what I can tell it’s well worth the purchase. It also looks cool in my rack above the A7
@@Prettytony0627 Good to hear Tony. Man, I'm really considering pulling the trigger then on an A3 especially since they have them back in stock and they got that sale going on.
I picked up an A3 to power my LCR on a Denon x3700h. With LR in preamp mode. Definitely makes a difference. The Denon handles the rest of the surround channels. More than enough for my small room(18x10x10). Very tempting to get A4s for the surrounds but it's not necessary for my setup. More than enough sound. The fronts are much better and can be crossed over at 60hz now.
Thanks for checking out the video. I'm hoping to do some sort of 2.1 system for my desktop setup. I work from home and usually listen to music at my desk so hoping to get something that will have a great experience.
Enjoyed your review. It is kind of weird that you are running $129 speakers off a $4k processor. I read the review of the speakers, and yes they seem pretty good for the money, have you lifted them up so that the tweeters are at ear level as suggested in the review? Before upgrading speakers I had Infinity Primus speakers that similarly outperformed their price point. I used landscaping blocks to raise them up and ran them off an Anthem MRX-510 for a few years until the front channel amps of the MRX failed. My 5.1 system now consists of an Emotiva XPA-5 amp, XMC-2 processor, and T2+.C2+, and B1+ Emotiva speakers, and an older 15" Definitive Tech subwoofer.. At some point I hope to add a basX amp and additional speakers for additional surround. The Emotiva speakers have really surprised me, great dynamic sound, even at lower volumes. Also, soundstage, detail, and dialogue are really nice with them. They have significantly exceeded my expectations. One more thing, I never install the back panel on the component stand. Not only does that make connections far easier (and allow for shorter cables), it also allows more airflow to keep the equipment cooler.
Thanks and I do get that comment a lot about the speakers. I don't know if you saw some of my earlier videos but I originally saved up for the MRX740 but was mistakenly given the 1140. I tried to return it but they were out and so just let me keep the 1140. A $2k receiver was probably still more than enough for my speakers but is definitely not as a big gap as a $4k receiver. I'll probably start saving some money for speakers but I have also seen a few videos that say that if you're happy with what you got then just enjoy them. As for the suggestion to raise them up, yes, I show them in my home theater tour but I built some platforms and then placed them on top of some acoustic pads to help lift the tweeter and it does make a difference. I have been impressed so far with the BasX so it's good to hear from a customer that their speakers are good too. I may have to add those to my list of possibilities. I have heard that the law of diminishing returns comes pretty quickly with audio and I don't have a ton of extra money so definitely appreciate those value speaker systems. While I definitely like the idea of the no back panel, since my theater is in our main living area it also has to conform to wife approval and I had originally suggested that was shot down on that one. Hence making a small hole instead. In all transparency I didn't tell her that I did that but I don't think she watches my videos.
@@RandomDistractionsYT This was the first video of yours I have seen. How lucky to get the 1140 by mistake! For that back panel, just keep adding additional holes until it gives you the access you need. :)
@@RandomDistractionsYT it’s an amazing receiver, no bells and whistles. Built like a tank and provides atmos and DTS X processing. You should try to get one to review.
I've got 2 fronts and a sub. My fronts are 150w my Denon avr is running them at 90w per channel. Was looking at the same amp which is 175w per channel which doesn't make any sense.
Yeah if you only have the 2 fronts, the A5 is probably not the best option. However, the Basx A2 may be a better option. It does 160w by 2 at 8 ohms (20 hz to 20 khz) and 250w by 2 at 4 ohms (1khz). You mention your fronts are 150w and from what I've heard from other folks is that you want more power available from the amp then having a lower power amp and pushing it harder. The good thing is the A2 is also cheaper than the A5.
@@Buzza235 Yes that is 160w per channel. As for blowing the speakers it depends on what kind of speakers you have and how loud you like to listen to them. From what I have read and seen in other videos, you run a higher risk of blowing your speakers if you are using a lower powered amp and pushing the volume up. When you use a lower powered amp and you turn up the volume the amp will get to it's clipping point faster were it can no longer keep up and cause distortion. This can lead to blowing out your speaker. On the other hand if you have an amp that has more power, you can turn it up reasonably loud and still be getting good clean power from the amp with no distortion. Would definitely suggest asking others for feedback but that is what I have heard.
Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately my speakers are not bi-ampable. Now that I’ve listened to them a little longer I’m still feeling good of how it sounds so don’t feel too bad that I can’t try that.
Great video! I am looking at upgrading my old Marantz to an Anthem but your video got me thinking of which model is best for my needs. Knowing what you know now, that adding an external amp makes your system sound better, would you have gone with the MRX 740 or 540 instead saving some money?
Thanks! I actually mention it in my tour video but I did originally order the 740. The store gave me the 1140 by mistake and when I went to return it they found out that their inventory was incorrect so they let me keep the 1140 as compensation. However, I would agree, if you have a certain budget and the 540 and 740 will give you enough channels for your home theater I would use the rest of the money for amps. I'm still really surprised of how it sounds with what most have commented as being a basic amp so can only imagine what more powerful amps would accomplish.
Hi !! Anthem 540 I looked at my Kef R5 set !? Many people think there are few… Emotiva A300 or A500 stacks you think might be good? Or does it all need the 740 !? Marantz 7015 and Nad T758V3i looked even better from them on the 540 Anthem !? Thank you Have a Nice Day
Hi there, I'm not sure I understand the question but it seems like you are looking at different receivers and amps for your speakers? If so I guess it would depend on how many speakers you have in total. The 540 and NAD are 7.2 and 7.1 while the 740 and Marantz are for 11.2 and 9.2. If you only have a 5.1 system I would say to go with the 540 or NAD and use the savings to buy the amps. It looks like the R5s can handle up to 200watts for the towers so the A300 would provide 150watts and you can use the A500 for the rest. Or if you just do the A500 for your 5 main speakers that would provide 110 watts to each channel. The 540 only does 100w by 2 and the NAD says 60w per channel so either amp option should provide more power than just the receiver alone. You have lots of good choices. Best of luck!
@@RandomDistractionsYT Thank you very much!!!! Sound quality Nad or marantz or Anthem 540?Music&Movie Emotiva then the point is to be stronger than the amp! Thank You Very much
@@tibitibi1407 I've only heard the Anthem so can say that it sounds great in movies and music impresses me more each time I hear it. I haven't heard the Marantz or NAD but in the Anthem Facebook group I am in there is a lot of Marantz owners that have switched to Anthem and have commented that the sound quality is better with the Anthem. As for the NAD, I've heard that the 778 is good and DIRAC is supposed to be good at room correction as well. I'm assuming the 758 should be good but I just don't have any experience with it.
Currently matrixing FRONTS to Wides and using the 1140 INTERNAL amp to power my 4 Atmos. Everything else on my 9.2.4 system is separate AMP powered. Based on your comment that the 1140 as two internal amps, (Class AB and D) which amp is driving my WIDES and 4 ATMOS.? How much power is going to Wides? Atmos? In your opinion would the basX A7 make a major difference power wise vs how it is hooked up right now via the 1140?
I'm not an expert so this is just based on the information off Anthem's website. The first 5 channels of the receiver use the 140 watts x 2 ch driven the remaining channels use the lower 60 watts x 2 ch driven. So in your case the wides should be getting 140 watts each and the 4 Atmos are sharing the 60 watts amp. Not sure how much lower from 60 it would be since you are running 4 and you also have to remember that even though they are separate amps, they still share the same power so that may also reduce the amount to all the speakers running from the receiver. It also depends on how efficient your speakers are too. To your second question, I would imagine that using the BasX A7 to run consistent 90watts does seem like it would offer in increase in performance. Since they are wide and height speakers though I'm not sure how much sound is coming from them to know if you would hear the difference. The one suggestion I can think of is maybe putting in one of your favorite movies and turn off you external amps to hear how much is going to the wide and heights. If you do get the amp you might be able to use this same test to see how much of a difference it makes. Emotiva is raising their prices at the beginning of the year so it may be a good time to get one if you do get it. The other thing to think about is if you are happy with the performance now does it really matter? Again, I'm not an expert so just some things for you to take into consideration. Best of luck either way!
I'm actually leaning towards one day getting maybe a separate amp for the front using the BasX A5 for the rest. However, I'll need to upgrade my speakers first.
@@RandomDistractionsYT I have a 3 Channel power amp to my receiver for fronts only i let my receiver handle the surrounds plus it takes off load of receiver little less work to do
i have a denon x 4700h with the A7 iam using this amp to power my R-L AND CENTER WITH 2 KLIPSCH ATMOS SPEAKERS AND I ALSO HAVE SURROUND SP WHAT A difference in soundstage every is clear the a7 has very good power for 90 watts my denon rating of 125 watts.per channel this amp delivers with a 9.1 setup.
I've heard that too but was pleasantly surprised how well it did, although I have since updated to a different amp for the front stage and have moved the Emotiva to height duty.
That's strange. Is it connected via wifi or ethernet? Also when you go to the network setup does the IP address match what you are typing into your browser? (Here is a video on how to find that: ua-cam.com/users/shortsqbzLTFfYj6E). Your computer or phone need to be on the same network as the receiver. The other option is to use the beta app for the MRX line (Link to that: www.anthemav.com/remote-app/).
Hi and thanks for checking out the video. To be honest I'm not sure I understand the question and I don't personally use the Zone 2 function on the receiver. However, it looks like there is only one output for Zone 2 for using an external amplifier when using Zone 2. You can also specify to use the receiver's amplification for Zone 2 from any of the speakers (Front, Surround, Back, Height 1, and Height 2). Then as for inputs from what I can tell since you can set up as many inputs as you need you should be able to use any of the inputs to the receiver to output to Zone 2. Unfortunately, like I said I don't use Zone 2 so not sure how or if this works as I'm understanding. Sorry.
Interesting torroidal vs torroidal and the MRX1140 looks at least as big as the BasX. I'm assuming they are both 800 Watts. Have you bi-amped your left/right? I would push 2 channels back to the MRX. Even if you don't bi-amp, push the surrounds to the MRX since it's 150 watts for 2 channels and the Atmos aren't technically real channels. This will increase the power to the LCR to 140 watts but I would still bi-amp and try that especially if you have towers for your mains.
Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately the 1961 towers don't support bi-amping. I'm not sure on the specs of the toroidal transformers on each of them but since this video I actually switched over to a different amp for the LCR. More power(225w @ 8ohm per channel, 425w @ 4ohm per channel) which has increased the performance for my setup in my space. I'm using the BasX for Atmos Height duty and do have the MRX powering the 2 surrounds until I can get another amp.
Yes, the Anthem is awesome! This was my first time going with external amplification and was actually thinking that it wouldn't make too much of a difference since the Anthem was doing such a good job. I was proven wrong though and maybe eventually will work on an upgrade.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Is the Anthem fan loud? I have heard that it can be quite noisy. I am looking for a substitute of my Denon 4400h. Do you think it's a huge step up?
@@Seedlinux I’ve lucked out and got one that is quiet. Since I don’t use the amp in the receiver and I also have an infinity fan on top that also helps to not have it run. I have heard that some have not had good luck with it but not sure if there is any issues since they have updated to the 8k version. As for differences between the Denon, I don’t have personal experience so all I can say is that I have heard a lot more people in the Anthem Facebook group that said that they preferred the Anthem over the Denon. A lot of them mentioned the improved soundstage and detail as well as the more advanced room calibration.
Hi Nicholas, the 540 does provide pre-outs for the front (left, right), center, surrounds (left, right) and a pair of heights (left, right). I'm assuming you are thinking one amp for the fronts and another for the rest? If that is the case, yes you would be good for a 5.2.2 with the 540. However, that is the max but if you don't want to go beyond that you will be just fine.
You don't mention which Fosi amps you have but I would imagine that there would be some sort of difference since one is class D and the other is class A/B which I have heard does sound different for most people. Depending on which Fosi you have you may have less power or more power which may also sound different. To be honest though if you are happy with how your system sounds then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Do I wish I had something stronger or different, yeah, but I am happy with the current set up so I don't really NEED to make any changes.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Thank you so much for your response. For center channel I used Fosi 200 Watt mini mono audio amp, for 6 other channels I used Fosi Audio TDA 7498E 2 channel Stereo Audio Amplifier (160W X 2). Though I believe it is marked 160 W, reviewers say it gives out like 50-60 W. I have HKTS 16 for 5, the Polk OMW for 2 (100W each), and acoustic audio for Atmos. Total setup is 7.2.4. It is definitely better than using just AVR but when turning volume up it's still not the best. I just ordered Emotiva BasX A7. I will update once i set that up.
That is a lot of amps! At least this will be less amps to connect to. I did a quick search on the amps and do see that the stated power is probably not what you will get so hopefully the emotiva will provide you more consistent power. Will be interested to hear how it goes for you after you get it all hooked up.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Absolutely. Will record the sounds like you did and will share. Appreciate what you do and the time you take out to share and to respond. God bless you.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Hi. I returned the emotiva a7. Great audio but low volume and dynamics weren’t even close to my class d amplifiers. I had to really increase the channel levels very high to push the volume. I am for now gonna stick with my class d amplifiers. Thanks so much for all the inputs. It was a great help.
I have considered doing a wall mount but as for the stand since it's in our living room my wife still wants it to sort of look like a living room but if I had a dedicated room would probably go for a rack.
I did use the receiver for a while without the amp but switching over to the amp, I do hear a difference. I was actually not expecting to hear a difference but in my experience the more I used the amp the more I noticed even though it's not the most powerful. There is more presence in the sound and better balance of sound especially when turning it up. I was genuinely surprised.
I was surprised and impressed, considering that I had a few comments that said it may not make a difference. Will be enjoying the current setup for a while.
Which cabinet are you using? I've been searching for one for more than 6 months, and I can't find one that it's deep enough for the Onkyo TX-NR Z50. I don't want a rack because I don't have much equipment ( just the receiver, a Roku Ultra, and I'm planning getting this amplifier, a power distribution and a fan). My speakers are the klipsh 5.0.2 from Costco. I already purchased the subwoofer and a pair of Dolby Atmos Speakers. I'd appreciate any input, especially with the cabinet. I didn't see any link for it. Greetings from Houston.
@@menacordero1 Hey another fellow Texan. I'm up north of the Dallas area. As for the cabinet I use it's one made by Ashley Furniture the Trinell 63" TV Stand (www.ashleyfurniture.com/p/trinell_63_tv_stand/W446-68.html?cgid=tv-stands#start=158&sz=36). It's pretty solid and has held up well over the years. Sounds like you have a nice setup and hopefully this cabinet will finish it out for you.
@@RandomDistractionsYT BTW, after having the A5 for several months, would you still buy it or you'd buy the A3. I have the reference system from Costco 5.0.2. The Dolby Atmos Speakers are built in on top of the towers. I got the subwoofer and another pair or Dolby Atmos Speakers that could be used as Dolby Atmos Speakers or surround height. I was thinking of getting the A3 for the towers and center channel, and the Onkyo TX-NR Z50 for the 4 Atmos and the 2 surround speakers. The Onkyo supposedly handle 140 watts, two channels driven. And finally, do you have a link affiliated to the Emotiva amps? Just trying to help you with your UA-cam channel. BTW, it was an excellent Idea to cut out the back of your cabinet. Before I forget, Happy Thanksgiving.
@@menacordero1 Thanks, hope you had a good Thanksgiving as well! As for your question, it does depend on your speakers, and looking up the specs for that system if I had them I would probably lean toward the A5. The good thing about Klipsch is that they are usually really sensitive so they don't require a lot of power to get them going. The A5 provides 95 - 120 watts per channel and per the specs, your towers and center can do 100 watts continuous and the surrounds do 50 watts continuous. The less demand from your receiver the better so you would just have the 4 atmos speakers hooked up to that which don't need as much power as your base layer of speakers. Plus since you have a subwoofer the A5 will be able to easily provide power to them since lower frequencies are usually the ones that require more wattage. On the flip side, the A3 would provide you more than enough power for the front stage and you could always pick up a separate 6-channel amp later on to do the rest. Just some things to think about. Unfortunately, I don't have an affiliate link for Emotiva but may be something I should look into. Appreciate you asking though.
@@RandomDistractionsYT . Thank you so much your information. I really appreciate that you took the time to reply my questions. I went ahead and today around 2am I purchased the A3 because I was watching several videos and most of the people say that 80% of the sounds come from the front stage. So I decided that the receiver just power the 4 Dolby Atmos speakers and the 2 surrounds for now. I live in an apartment, so I can't use mulch power; otherwise, my neighbors on the second floor will kick me out. Thanks again and good luck growing your UA-cam channel.
I just bought the Basx A7 and i totally agree. It sounds great and I have heard sounds in movies that I have never heard before. I also rock a pretty old speaker setup ( Jamo D6) and changing to the A7 instead of running just the receiver just made me once again understand why I bought them in the first place!
That's awesome, I think my need for new speakers is due to GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) more than anything else because I do feel that ever since the receiver and now amp purchase that my speakers have sounded the best that they ever had and feel like I'm getting everything out of them now. Congrats on the new and old gear!
Nice. I am thinking about the A7 as well. What is the power rating of your jamo d6 speakers. I want to compare to see if it would run my klipsch towers. Thanks
@@josemunoz7368 I think they are rated at 130 watts or something. They are pretty hard to drive only 87db @ 8 ohm but the 90 watts/channel do an amazing job with them!
Sorry that's at 4 ohm.
I just hooked my A5 up tonight Christmas to my X4700h. I can hear the difference but more so in movies & scenes I've seen before. My speakers sound clearer & bigger dynamic shifts are done very well.
Congrats on the new gear and that is definitely what I am experiencing as well, it's pretty awesome!
@@RandomDistractionsYT Quick update. I upped my system to Klipsch RP Gen 2 & I started using 🍌 clips. Wow what a difference. Gonna get an A4 for my 4 atmost. I don't have any of my 2 subs on but my RP 504C II (2022) has nice bass
@@o.c.g.m9426 Congrats on the speakers! Looked them up and they look good. Not sure if you saw some of my newer vids but I have also changed up my speakers (Arendal). Now you just need to dial in the subs then but like yourself having better speakers helps with the overall sound.
Great update And glad you were happy with the results - the exact base layer amp configuration I’m going for. Definitely interested in seeing the results post arc rerun!
I do find it odd that the MRX 740 can redirect / matrix the fronts to height 1 or 2, surrounds to height 2, and back to height 1. Odd there’s seemingly more flexibility with the amp matrix on the lower model?
Btw. You may want to look at what kind of results you get changing the phase on one sub (15 deg increments at a time / rerun rew) before you add eq at 50 hz - Svs helped me with a terrible null using phase that I just couldn’t eq out - Absolutely amazing results!
Now off to convince the wife…
Thanks and I think that it's a good combo even to start out with. Will hopefully have a chance to rerun it this coming week.
That's interesting about the MRX740 allowing for the additional options. I don't have automatic updates so wondering if maybe I need to do an update? Will do that before running ARC as well and see if that makes any difference.
Thanks for the tip on the phase, I'll definitely take a look at that as I haven't messed with it.
Good luck with the wife, that is always a part of the process!
The a7 was so good I just ordered the A3 for my front soundstage. Wanted the extra power the A3 will supply.
Glad to hear that it worked out and congrats on the A3! I'm actually considering the same thing myself.
@@RandomDistractionsYT I’ll report back tomorrow
@@RandomDistractionsYT got the A3 all hooked up. Even more detail from the front sound stage. Haven’t had a chance to put it through it’s paces by watching a movie but from what I can tell it’s well worth the purchase. It also looks cool in my rack above the A7
@@Prettytony0627 Good to hear Tony. Man, I'm really considering pulling the trigger then on an A3 especially since they have them back in stock and they got that sale going on.
I picked up an A3 to power my LCR on a Denon x3700h. With LR in preamp mode. Definitely makes a difference. The Denon handles the rest of the surround channels. More than enough for my small room(18x10x10). Very tempting to get A4s for the surrounds but it's not necessary for my setup. More than enough sound. The fronts are much better and can be crossed over at 60hz now.
That's why I left home theaters to go into a audio file two channel experience with a 2.1 slam high-end components preamp to amplifier
Thanks for checking out the video. I'm hoping to do some sort of 2.1 system for my desktop setup. I work from home and usually listen to music at my desk so hoping to get something that will have a great experience.
Great vid, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching!
Earned a sub. +like! Love it!
Thanks for checking out the video and subscribing!
Enjoyed your review.
It is kind of weird that you are running $129 speakers off a $4k processor. I read the review of the speakers, and yes they seem pretty good for the money, have you lifted them up so that the tweeters are at ear level as suggested in the review?
Before upgrading speakers I had Infinity Primus speakers that similarly outperformed their price point. I used landscaping blocks to raise them up and ran them off an Anthem MRX-510 for a few years until the front channel amps of the MRX failed. My 5.1 system now consists of an Emotiva XPA-5 amp, XMC-2 processor, and T2+.C2+, and B1+ Emotiva speakers, and an older 15" Definitive Tech subwoofer.. At some point I hope to add a basX amp and additional speakers for additional surround. The Emotiva speakers have really surprised me, great dynamic sound, even at lower volumes. Also, soundstage, detail, and dialogue are really nice with them. They have significantly exceeded my expectations.
One more thing, I never install the back panel on the component stand. Not only does that make connections far easier (and allow for shorter cables), it also allows more airflow to keep the equipment cooler.
Thanks and I do get that comment a lot about the speakers. I don't know if you saw some of my earlier videos but I originally saved up for the MRX740 but was mistakenly given the 1140. I tried to return it but they were out and so just let me keep the 1140. A $2k receiver was probably still more than enough for my speakers but is definitely not as a big gap as a $4k receiver. I'll probably start saving some money for speakers but I have also seen a few videos that say that if you're happy with what you got then just enjoy them.
As for the suggestion to raise them up, yes, I show them in my home theater tour but I built some platforms and then placed them on top of some acoustic pads to help lift the tweeter and it does make a difference.
I have been impressed so far with the BasX so it's good to hear from a customer that their speakers are good too. I may have to add those to my list of possibilities. I have heard that the law of diminishing returns comes pretty quickly with audio and I don't have a ton of extra money so definitely appreciate those value speaker systems.
While I definitely like the idea of the no back panel, since my theater is in our main living area it also has to conform to wife approval and I had originally suggested that was shot down on that one. Hence making a small hole instead. In all transparency I didn't tell her that I did that but I don't think she watches my videos.
@@RandomDistractionsYT This was the first video of yours I have seen. How lucky to get the 1140 by mistake! For that back panel, just keep adding additional holes until it gives you the access you need. :)
@@sayerseely3195 Thanks and will do!
I’m sure she doesn’t watch your videos,
Pairing with my Sony Strza 3100es! Can’t wait
Wasn't familiar with that receiver but after looking at it the amp should provide some good power and take a load of your receiver.
@@RandomDistractionsYT it’s an amazing receiver, no bells and whistles. Built like a tank and provides atmos and DTS X processing. You should try to get one to review.
@@TheUsmc0802 Wish I had that kind of influence but right now have to buy the stuff I review. Maybe one day. Enjoy your combo!
I've got 2 fronts and a sub. My fronts are 150w my Denon avr is running them at 90w per channel. Was looking at the same amp which is 175w per channel which doesn't make any sense.
Yeah if you only have the 2 fronts, the A5 is probably not the best option. However, the Basx A2 may be a better option. It does 160w by 2 at 8 ohms (20 hz to 20 khz) and 250w by 2 at 4 ohms (1khz). You mention your fronts are 150w and from what I've heard from other folks is that you want more power available from the amp then having a lower power amp and pushing it harder. The good thing is the A2 is also cheaper than the A5.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Is the 160w per channel? Cause wouldn't I need an amp with lower wattage than 150w otherwise wouldn't I blow my speakers?
@@Buzza235 Yes that is 160w per channel. As for blowing the speakers it depends on what kind of speakers you have and how loud you like to listen to them. From what I have read and seen in other videos, you run a higher risk of blowing your speakers if you are using a lower powered amp and pushing the volume up. When you use a lower powered amp and you turn up the volume the amp will get to it's clipping point faster were it can no longer keep up and cause distortion. This can lead to blowing out your speaker. On the other hand if you have an amp that has more power, you can turn it up reasonably loud and still be getting good clean power from the amp with no distortion. Would definitely suggest asking others for feedback but that is what I have heard.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Ok thanks for your advice.
@@Buzza235 No problem and best of luck!
Just a thought...Have you tried bi-amp'ing the front L/R and using the last channel for your center? This way the receiver could manage the surrounds.
Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately my speakers are not bi-ampable. Now that I’ve listened to them a little longer I’m still feeling good of how it sounds so don’t feel too bad that I can’t try that.
@@RandomDistractionsYT got it... Happy Holidays
@@ben23a31 Happy Hoidays to you too
Great video! I am looking at upgrading my old Marantz to an Anthem but your video got me thinking of which model is best for my needs. Knowing what you know now, that adding an external amp makes your system sound better, would you have gone with the MRX 740 or 540 instead saving some money?
Thanks! I actually mention it in my tour video but I did originally order the 740. The store gave me the 1140 by mistake and when I went to return it they found out that their inventory was incorrect so they let me keep the 1140 as compensation. However, I would agree, if you have a certain budget and the 540 and 740 will give you enough channels for your home theater I would use the rest of the money for amps. I'm still really surprised of how it sounds with what most have commented as being a basic amp so can only imagine what more powerful amps would accomplish.
Hi !! Anthem 540 I looked at my Kef R5 set !? Many people think there are few… Emotiva A300 or A500 stacks you think might be good?
Or does it all need the 740 !?
Marantz 7015 and Nad T758V3i looked even better from them on the 540 Anthem !?
Thank you
Have a Nice Day
Hi there, I'm not sure I understand the question but it seems like you are looking at different receivers and amps for your speakers? If so I guess it would depend on how many speakers you have in total. The 540 and NAD are 7.2 and 7.1 while the 740 and Marantz are for 11.2 and 9.2. If you only have a 5.1 system I would say to go with the 540 or NAD and use the savings to buy the amps. It looks like the R5s can handle up to 200watts for the towers so the A300 would provide 150watts and you can use the A500 for the rest. Or if you just do the A500 for your 5 main speakers that would provide 110 watts to each channel. The 540 only does 100w by 2 and the NAD says 60w per channel so either amp option should provide more power than just the receiver alone. You have lots of good choices. Best of luck!
@@RandomDistractionsYT Thank you very much!!!! Sound quality Nad or marantz or Anthem 540?Music&Movie
Emotiva then the point is to be stronger than the amp!
Thank You Very much
@@tibitibi1407 I've only heard the Anthem so can say that it sounds great in movies and music impresses me more each time I hear it. I haven't heard the Marantz or NAD but in the Anthem Facebook group I am in there is a lot of Marantz owners that have switched to Anthem and have commented that the sound quality is better with the Anthem. As for the NAD, I've heard that the 778 is good and DIRAC is supposed to be good at room correction as well. I'm assuming the 758 should be good but I just don't have any experience with it.
Currently matrixing FRONTS to Wides and using the 1140 INTERNAL amp to power my 4 Atmos. Everything else on my 9.2.4 system is separate AMP powered. Based on your comment that the 1140 as two internal amps, (Class AB and D) which amp is driving my WIDES and 4 ATMOS.? How much power is going to Wides? Atmos? In your opinion would the basX A7 make a major difference power wise vs how it is hooked up right now via the 1140?
I'm not an expert so this is just based on the information off Anthem's website. The first 5 channels of the receiver use the 140 watts x 2 ch driven the remaining channels use the lower 60 watts x 2 ch driven. So in your case the wides should be getting 140 watts each and the 4 Atmos are sharing the 60 watts amp. Not sure how much lower from 60 it would be since you are running 4 and you also have to remember that even though they are separate amps, they still share the same power so that may also reduce the amount to all the speakers running from the receiver. It also depends on how efficient your speakers are too.
To your second question, I would imagine that using the BasX A7 to run consistent 90watts does seem like it would offer in increase in performance. Since they are wide and height speakers though I'm not sure how much sound is coming from them to know if you would hear the difference. The one suggestion I can think of is maybe putting in one of your favorite movies and turn off you external amps to hear how much is going to the wide and heights. If you do get the amp you might be able to use this same test to see how much of a difference it makes.
Emotiva is raising their prices at the beginning of the year so it may be a good time to get one if you do get it. The other thing to think about is if you are happy with the performance now does it really matter? Again, I'm not an expert so just some things for you to take into consideration. Best of luck either way!
All you need is a power amp for the 3 fronts and let receiver for surround’s
I'm actually leaning towards one day getting maybe a separate amp for the front using the BasX A5 for the rest. However, I'll need to upgrade my speakers first.
@@RandomDistractionsYT I have a 3 Channel power amp to my receiver for fronts only i let my receiver handle the surrounds plus it takes off load of receiver little less work to do
@@victorpulos823 That sounds like a good setup and does help the receiver.
I don't agree! Since i just upgraded to the A7 the detail in the surrounds are WAY better!
i have a denon x 4700h with the A7 iam using this amp to power my R-L AND CENTER WITH 2 KLIPSCH ATMOS SPEAKERS AND I ALSO HAVE SURROUND SP WHAT A difference in soundstage every is clear the a7 has very good power for 90 watts my denon rating of 125 watts.per channel this amp delivers with a 9.1 setup.
Emotiva Bas x 7 Amp will Good for sourround (Atmos) speakers only....
I've heard that too but was pleasantly surprised how well it did, although I have since updated to a different amp for the front stage and have moved the Emotiva to height duty.
I just bought a3 because i only have lcr speakers the two floor speakers and center channel speaker and subwoofer of klipsch rp
Congrats on the new gear! Should be a good combo. Let me know what you think when you got it set up.
Hi when I type in IP address of the Av receiver it doesn’t load the page. Please help thank you.
That's strange. Is it connected via wifi or ethernet? Also when you go to the network setup does the IP address match what you are typing into your browser? (Here is a video on how to find that: ua-cam.com/users/shortsqbzLTFfYj6E). Your computer or phone need to be on the same network as the receiver. The other option is to use the beta app for the MRX line (Link to that: www.anthemav.com/remote-app/).
Hi ,
I have question mrx 1140, how many outs can be used for zone 2 ? is it only 2 or more than 2 ?
Hi and thanks for checking out the video. To be honest I'm not sure I understand the question and I don't personally use the Zone 2 function on the receiver. However, it looks like there is only one output for Zone 2 for using an external amplifier when using Zone 2. You can also specify to use the receiver's amplification for Zone 2 from any of the speakers (Front, Surround, Back, Height 1, and Height 2). Then as for inputs from what I can tell since you can set up as many inputs as you need you should be able to use any of the inputs to the receiver to output to Zone 2. Unfortunately, like I said I don't use Zone 2 so not sure how or if this works as I'm understanding. Sorry.
Interesting torroidal vs torroidal and the MRX1140 looks at least as big as the BasX. I'm assuming they are both 800 Watts.
Have you bi-amped your left/right? I would push 2 channels back to the MRX. Even if you don't bi-amp, push the surrounds to the MRX since it's 150 watts for 2 channels and the Atmos aren't technically real channels. This will increase the power to the LCR to 140 watts but I would still bi-amp and try that especially if you have towers for your mains.
Thanks for the suggestion, unfortunately the 1961 towers don't support bi-amping. I'm not sure on the specs of the toroidal transformers on each of them but since this video I actually switched over to a different amp for the LCR. More power(225w @ 8ohm per channel, 425w @ 4ohm per channel) which has increased the performance for my setup in my space. I'm using the BasX for Atmos Height duty and do have the MRX powering the 2 surrounds until I can get another amp.
@@RandomDistractionsYT what amp?
I went with the Buckeye Amps Purifi 1ET400A 3-ch version.
@@RandomDistractionsYT how were they connoisseur to the Basx?
@@techsamurai11 I have a video that I talk about it (ua-cam.com/video/DeOKd0Xo9Ag/v-deo.html) but it’s been great!
Anthem is way bad ass, aren't u going backwards adding an amp quite a bit further down the audio ladder?
Yes, the Anthem is awesome! This was my first time going with external amplification and was actually thinking that it wouldn't make too much of a difference since the Anthem was doing such a good job. I was proven wrong though and maybe eventually will work on an upgrade.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Is the Anthem fan loud? I have heard that it can be quite noisy. I am looking for a substitute of my Denon 4400h. Do you think it's a huge step up?
@@Seedlinux I’ve lucked out and got one that is quiet. Since I don’t use the amp in the receiver and I also have an infinity fan on top that also helps to not have it run. I have heard that some have not had good luck with it but not sure if there is any issues since they have updated to the 8k version. As for differences between the Denon, I don’t have personal experience so all I can say is that I have heard a lot more people in the Anthem Facebook group that said that they preferred the Anthem over the Denon. A lot of them mentioned the improved soundstage and detail as well as the more advanced room calibration.
@@RandomDistractionsYT thank you for this feedback, much appreciated!
If i get the 540 can buy 2 external amplifiers and hook it to the 540? Im looking to do a 5.2.2 setup.
Hi Nicholas, the 540 does provide pre-outs for the front (left, right), center, surrounds (left, right) and a pair of heights (left, right). I'm assuming you are thinking one amp for the fronts and another for the rest? If that is the case, yes you would be good for a 5.2.2 with the 540. However, that is the max but if you don't want to go beyond that you will be just fine.
I have 4 fosi class d amplifiers. Definitely better than using avr. Is this amp worth the upgrade?
You don't mention which Fosi amps you have but I would imagine that there would be some sort of difference since one is class D and the other is class A/B which I have heard does sound different for most people. Depending on which Fosi you have you may have less power or more power which may also sound different. To be honest though if you are happy with how your system sounds then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Do I wish I had something stronger or different, yeah, but I am happy with the current set up so I don't really NEED to make any changes.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Thank you so much for your response. For center channel I used Fosi 200 Watt mini mono audio amp, for 6 other channels I used Fosi Audio TDA 7498E 2 channel Stereo Audio Amplifier (160W X 2). Though I believe it is marked 160 W, reviewers say it gives out like 50-60 W. I have HKTS 16 for 5, the Polk OMW for 2 (100W each), and acoustic audio for Atmos. Total setup is 7.2.4. It is definitely better than using just AVR but when turning volume up it's still not the best. I just ordered Emotiva BasX A7. I will update once i set that up.
That is a lot of amps! At least this will be less amps to connect to. I did a quick search on the amps and do see that the stated power is probably not what you will get so hopefully the emotiva will provide you more consistent power. Will be interested to hear how it goes for you after you get it all hooked up.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Absolutely. Will record the sounds like you did and will share. Appreciate what you do and the time you take out to share and to respond. God bless you.
@@RandomDistractionsYT Hi. I returned the emotiva a7. Great audio but low volume and dynamics weren’t even close to my class d amplifiers. I had to really increase the channel levels very high to push the volume. I am for now gonna stick with my class d amplifiers. Thanks so much for all the inputs. It was a great help.
a tv wall mount and like a 12u network rack is what you need, not that 80's entertainment center
I have considered doing a wall mount but as for the stand since it's in our living room my wife still wants it to sort of look like a living room but if I had a dedicated room would probably go for a rack.
Try 1140 with out power amp i bet you wont hear much difference
I did use the receiver for a while without the amp but switching over to the amp, I do hear a difference. I was actually not expecting to hear a difference but in my experience the more I used the amp the more I noticed even though it's not the most powerful. There is more presence in the sound and better balance of sound especially when turning it up. I was genuinely surprised.
@@RandomDistractionsYT i am thinking of adding 325 gen 2 anthem power amp to my 1140 in 2 minds
@@Samzep That sounds awesome, I can only imagine what a difference that will make. You'll have to let me know how it sounds.
Hello:)) Anthem Facebook group name Please !?:))
Sure thing it's "Anthem Audio lovers"
@@RandomDistractionsYT Thank You👌😎😘