Glad your experience has been great. I hear more positive feedback then bad. There are a few that had the same trouble as me. Best I can hypothesize is that with certain speaker/amp combinations the AVM70 calibration process is causes to loud of output or they may have some inconsistent production issues whereby some units are impacted. Several weeks later and no reply for Anthem - perhaps they are just as baffled by the discrepancies some users are reporting while others have not trouble at all. Again glad you are in the majority on this one. -Jon
Waiting may be a good thing. I am going to keep after them to see if they come up with a solution. If they do I will share back. I would like to see them resolve as the sound quality is very nice. -Jon
I was about to buy one of these as I had an Anthem Statement years ago and was happy with it . Thank goodness I came across your video. Anthem is now off my list.
I is really a shame as other then the calibration process, the unit performed very well. Albeit missing a few feature I need for my own system - balanced input and DSD support. -Jon
One of the first things I did when I got my AVM 70 was set a volume limit. I have always done this with my prior AVRs to avoid myself or someone else accidentally blowing up my speakers. Glad I did because the volume control is rough and I have also accidentally blasted to my max as well. Despite this the avm 70 has delivered the best sound I have heard in my set up but it does have caveats. If you get an anthem read the manual front to back and make sure the first thing you do is set the volume limit.
Great suggestion. I did the volume limit. Out of the box the limit is not set so you get +10dB by default. I set mine to +0dB but that was not enough to save the day. -10dB would have been better - especially during calibration. I agree, calibration issues aside, the unit sounded great! Jon
@@ripewave I'd have expected, given the potential cost of the kit this device interfaces with, that it would be safe by default. The customer would have to have read the documentation and purposefully elected to disable the safety limiter when taking it out of the box. This just sounds like poor design. So glad I got to learn from your experience.
Balanced signal is 6db hotter than unbalanced, I noticed that when I "upgraded" to balanced from unbalanced cables. And I agree with your comment that they need to remove the abillity to jump in the level sliders in the WebUI.
Thanks for the 6db hotter detail confirmation from your experience. I need to ping Anthem again as they still haven’t sent back any further explanation. -Jon
I noticed the exact same phenomena. My speakers played extremely loud after running ARC Genesis, easily approaching 10-15dB on average. I have Legacy Focus SE's which aer 4 ohm speakers with a sensitivity of 92dB and I power them with a D Sonic M3a 1200S, which can supply 1375 Watts into 4 ohm loads. Since I had so many other issues with the AVM70, I just sent it back before ever getting a chance to dig into it further.
Seems like your speakers and amps are even a few levels higher quality then mine and you still had issues. Very odd. It just got to a point where I could risk another failure. I have gone decades without damaging a component. -Jon
Very sorry to hear about all the trouble and thanks for the effort to test the Anthem AV70. It was a processor I had on my list to check out so that's not going to happen anytime soon. But I too had once a problem with strange measurements of my speakers and I too have Emotiva Amps but in my case it was a blown filter component in one of my speakers. At first I also thought I might have blown one of the speakers. Now my speakers at that time where already a bit older and a capacitor normally has a live span of 15 years although these speakers where only 9 years old I rebuild and replaced both filters, that said the original filter components where quality wise subpar and the overal filter was pretty small. I rebuild both filters with much better quality parts all with very high quality audio performance components like Mundorf resistors and very big Mundorf MCap 450v capacitors. instead of those old and very small 63v capacitors that where in the original filter. This made the filter pretty big and heavy but the speaker case where large enough. Another thing I changed was the internal speaker wires with some real high quality speaker wire from "van den hull". It resolved my problem with my speaker and it really increased the sound quality of both speakers. Anyway that was my painful journey with a suspected blown speaker issue. Again thanks for all the effort.
I think upgrading the components in my speakers could help. It would be great if that turns out to be the issue, but that would align with the fact I can get good measurement on my left speaker if I simple switch the amplifier.-Jon
Well if Anthem is out have Crutchfield bring in an Arcam AVR😊 Bummer the issues happened. I have Arc Genesis on a pair of paradigm defiance X 12 subwoofers. I was able to run Arc one time through the computer, and after that, it will no longer recognize the subwoofers. I can only do it through the cell phone app, which is not as accurate. I reached out to anthem about it, and they didn’t really have an answer more of a it should be working fine response. The subs are OK. I’m not in love with them. They are going to be around for a few years in my system. Next step is a new AVR. Like I said on your last video, the new Onkyo RZ70 or an Arcam unit is pretty much where I’m at…
Like me, you probably remember companies having beta testers back in the day. Typically they would use random people of varied backgrounds and experiences to test products, hopefully identifying problems to correct prior to public release. While I love Anthem and use the MRX-1120 (prior generation to your test unit), I have to say it has been painful to watch the rollout of the AVM70/90 and MRX-x40s as well as ARC Genesis. I feel your pain and am sorry for your misfortune. Each time I am about to click ORDER on a AVM70, I see a whole new set of problems populate that I cannot blame on user error. Your experience, admittedly had some user error; but, in no way should that happen during a calibration. It is obviously an oversight of the engineers and programmers as well as the testers. It’s not like your high dB complaint is the first with regard to calibration. My guess is Anthem found 90 dB to create the most reflections without causing damage (of any sort). How much that changes at 80 or 85 dB? The lack of documentation and procedural algorithms plague Anthem. Your method (and other YTers) do not follow the varied pattern necessary to “read the room.” Anthem could easily address this with an introduction video covering setup, network connection, and calibration protocols. Instead, they rely upon the forums and their painful customer service/technical support system. The same happened to Monolith and their processor, although it shows to be back online and in stock. While I very much enjoy the Monolith 7X amp, I still have doubts about their first processor. While I await reviews and feedback on the Marantz A10, I will strongly consider Storm and Trinnov processors instead. At this point in my life, it should be the last processor I purchase and the investment seems more clear considering the rollout fiascos seen with other manufacturers. I very much appreciate what your channel does and until now have only been a casual observer. You earned my subscription and I am happy to be part of your audio/video journey. Good fortune to you and many blessings.
The AVM 70 does have a maximum volume limiter setting on the general tab of the online setup. That should help keep you from accidentally blowing anything up. When I got my AVM 70, I also accidentally hit the volume bar and made it jump up quickly but I thankfully didn’t blow anything up. Setting the max volume has prevented that from ever happening again. I’m running mine with a Monolith 7X at the moment. I wonder if the volume limiter would help solve the ARC high volume issue as well?🤔
That is a good tip. I had mine set to 0dB and not the default of +10dB. That may have been very bad. So maybe -10dB would have been enough to save me. -Jon
I appreciate your continued detailed coverage of this unit. Your experiences closely mirror my own. I had actually purchased this last year as the 4k model, and did not have the increased volume for ARCG sweeps via XLR. The test tones were similar to that of Dirac/Audyssey/Trinnov Optimizer. So I don't know whether it's a firmware issue, or something in the newer 8k models that's causing the issue. It's really unfortunate that in testing this unit, your speaker and amp became casualties. That would also leave a sour taste for me. But I do hope that you're able to find your way back to an Anthem as I do feel once they iron out some notable kinks, it's a great platform,. It has such intuitive and effective room correction, and is a notable step from Denon/Marantz, delivering better sonic performance.
Yes - still working with Anthem to determine the cause. If they are able to explain how to overcome or provide a firmware fix I would be willing to try again - especially if sent a loaner unit. Given current status I needed to return to avoid absorbing the $3,400 sale price + tax cost without knowing if this will be resolved. -Jon
@@ripewave Anthem's continued support of the unit has been assuring. Their recent firmware update helped to resolve excessive fan noise many were complaining about. It seems that they're listening, and can actually make the necessary software tweaks to continue to improve stability. It seems like a good long term bet.
Yes - I do recognize that they have made improvements along the way. As one of the smaller companies (vs Denon/Marantz/Harman) their progress is slow. I was running the latest firmware and still found the fan noise to be distracting. I can only imagine how loud it was before the update. -Jon
Same problem here. Speakers were super loud during genesis. However even worse is that now my eArch channel doesn't work anymore and it appears HDMI connections on the back don't connect properly to the cables. Frequent dropouts and connectivity problems.
So sorry to hear that. Is Anthem support being responsive? They only used email communications and those were not timely or helpful. Hopefully, they are able to do more for you. -Jon
Just came across your very detailed video. I have a recently purchased AVM 70, after running arc for the first time I blew my right height channel on my Rotel 5 channel amp. Since the Rotel is on the older side I assume it was the age of the amp but now maybe the Anthem might have been the issue. Thanks for the heads up
oh no! I was hoping my issue wouldn't have impacted others, but I continue to hear similar reports. Not from all, but enough. I think those with more powerful amps are more likely to encounter. Were you able to resolve? -Jon
Greetings. The exact same thing happened to me. I blew my tweeter when I was increasing the volume with my phone. The volume jumped to max when I was tapping the button. Wish they can do a software fix so the volume bar doesn’t jump to max if you accidentally hit the bar. Otherwise I love my AVM 70.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear you had the same issue. Sounds like we are justified in our request to have their interfaces protect against unintentional actions. -Jon
Come to think of it I had a similar issue with volume control on my Marantz SR7010 and AV7705 I am using now. I believe it was related to the phone and App I was using. So I setup the volume limiter to 80% of max and replaced the phone with a new tablet and updated the app. I have not had an issue since. Good Luck PM
Yes the sounds are loud. I can hear that my speakers are not really enjoying themselves although they do not distort. I think the loud output is necessary to achieve a good measurement..I had experience with these kind of systems on Denon and always had to do a lot of corrections afterwards. When you have a speaker in a corner that speaker turns into a kind of megafoon. Low frequencies are filtered out completely probably because it is standing in the corner.. With the ARC Genesis this goes way better but as I have experienced if you let well informed guys take a look at it the are able to make even much more good results .
I agree that the calibration tools are not always plug-and-play and having a well skilled calibrator perform the process can make a big difference on the outcome. I have learn not to trust the first run with these tools but to really learn and re-calibrate until you feel you have it right. The process I use with Dirac is to set levels 20dB above the noise floor. By making your space as quiet as possible (turn off furnace. AC, washer, dryer, kids etc) when measuring lowers the noise floor and therefore lowers then volume needed for a clean calibration. It seems Anthem is pushing high to drown out any noise floor. I would have hoped they could measure the noise floor first then base the volume from there. -Jon
Oh man this is not good news at all and I really feel your pain. Techthusiasm had similar issues, but I'm really disappointed in Anthem. That's them off my list. Despite the cost to you, we appreciate the effort, time and info.
@@ripewave it's very annoying that tech companies nowadays releasing products that are miles away from being finished.....then they cause issues like you are experiencing. I'm not a fan of D&M, but they seem to be one of the only ones with stable products at launch. Got to give them 👍🏽(props) for that.
I think the difference it that smaller companies don’t have the resources to perfect software without more time. Denon and Marantz are large and share technologies and software across brands making them more stable. Even at that they have a major fail with the initial HDMI 2.1 launch. While blame can be directed in part to the chip supplier, their testing should have revealed the need to hold shipment until resolved. -Jon
Thanks for your reviews of the AVM 70 8K, I've been watching with great interest. Sorry to hear about your blown speakers and amp problem, terrible situation. I bought one of these 5 days ago. I have all Emotiva amps, a 5-ch High power (using balanced) and a 6-ch BasX (unbalanced). I noticed the ARC calibration tones to be much louder than anything I've experienced in the past. I am fearing damage after watching your troubles. I have my master volume level set to -15dB. But, Not even sure if this setting is coupled to calibration? Or the accidental clicking on the volume bar and it going to full volume? I hope the master volume setting, and in my case -15dB might save the day? I have subscribed to your channel, and thumbs up! Keep up the good work!
The good news is that once you get past the calibration, the results are very pleasing. I heard recently that Anthem addressed the issue I had. Seems like a recent fix for what I reported almost a year ago - I wasn’t the only one. Make sure you have the latest firmware installed, to ensure the newest fixes are applied first. Hopefully that message was accurate. If the problem is still there I don’t believe any lowering of the volume knob will change the output level during calibration. The only method that worked for me was to lower using the web app Let me know if you are successful. Jon
Hi Jon, I updated the firmware as soon as I took it out of the box. I noticed there’s a calibration volume slider in the software, not sure when that was added? I’ll be experimenting with this as soon as I’m able. I sent one of my amps in to add two more modules, so down for a few days.
I think the adjusting the slider may help. Keep an eye on it. In my case (with older firmware) the volume adjustment was very sensitive. If you click a little to far to the right, it would jump to maximum volume. -Jon
Man, Very sorry to hear about all the trouble and thanks for the effort to test the Anthem AV70. Does the Anthem have volume protection setting built in like the Marantz does where you can set to let's say 80% of max as to protect your investment? That would be my first question to Anthem. I was looking to purchase that down the line but see this and now having second thoughts. Emotiva will take care of your map issues no problem. Good Luck PM
Thanks for your empathy. The Anthem AVM 70 does have a setting that allows you to set a maximum volume. The default is +10dB over reference but I had mine set to 0dB - which was not enough. -Jon
I had my maximum volume limit set to 0dB lowered from the default of +10dB. Apparently not low enough and not sure if that limit applies in calibration mode. -Jon
Maybe it is Quality control problem with AV70. I currently have one and it is working great but it is my second unit. The first one I got only had sound out of the front right and one surround and the subs. I thought I must of hooked something up wrong and spent a good deal of time troubleshooting. Even hooking up my old receiver to prove to myself that all channels are working. I took it back to the shop of where I purchased it from and they found that I was correct and I had a bad unit. They got me another one and it worked correctly right from the start. So it seems like Anthem may have Quality control problem and there seems to be some bad units out there.
I take it the Emotiva rmc-1 is staying it the rack and appears to be a better sounding with dsd support but no aurora 3d , with no hdmi 2.1 Imax enhance , roon ready, and streaming support Spotify connect airplay connect its like a barebone unit with less feature but has the better room correction direc that’s still pack a punch, Emotiva for the win.
I so wanted good news about this processor but with fan noise, crappy documentation, challenges taming it so it doesn't shred cones... I'm going to have to keep looking. Its a shame because the artwork of the front panel is quite appealing.
This was one I approached with optimism. While there was a lot I liked, such as the great sound quality. Unfortunately I ran into those negative items which I needed to communicate along with its better points. I understand they have recently limited the conditions which cause the fan to come on, but it is still loud. -Jon
I too am having the same problem with the test signal only in the surround speaker in my 7.1.4 room. So loud I feel it is close to blowing the speaker. I'm running all KEF speakers but the only pair that have a problem are the KEF Ci200RS-THX that are running with 90db sensitivity as the surround speakers. Also using the AVM-70 with 2 Parasound A52+ (180 watts) amps for the surrounds and atmos and A31 for the RCL. All connected with XLR from processor. The AVM is running the latest version of software. I can't seem to power the surrounds down in the AVM to make any difference once it starts running the ARC. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Great video on the topic btw.
I am going to reach out to Anthem again. While they said their developers were working on this, I haven’t anything since - a few weeks ago. I will let them know others are experiencing the same thing. -Jon
I’ve watched a couple of Anthem AVM90, AVM70, MRX1140, MRX740, MRX540 videos on UA-cam, even followed Kpaceguy’s channel due to him having had the AVM70 for a while, never encountered anyone with this kind o’ issue. It would be interesting to get a second unit in and see if it’s gonna do the same thing.🤔
I will keep working with Anthem until we have a conclusion. Right now I have to return before the 60-day trail runs out. I just can spend the money on good faith this will be resolved. If they come back with knowledge that builds my confidence back we can try again. -Jon
Yeah the Emotiva has problems ...I bought a couple of mono blocks from them xpa 100 and had a problem contacted Emotiva and they didnt want them back in for repair...long story short Gene from Audioholics had problem from Emotiva amps and Emotiva wouldnt do anything about it either....too bad you sending Anthem back but my guess is the emotiva amp was the cause and it effected the Anthem ...just my take from my experience with Emotiva I have a Anthem amp now with no issues for 3 years now
Sorry to hear about your negative experience with Emotiva and glad to hear you found success with Anthem. I am familiar with Gene’s experience as well. I am working with both Anthem and Emotiva. At this point it is too early to determine what the outcome will be. Both companies have responded. I may still have a speaker issue so a call to Polk may be needed as well. -Jon
I would say that is a possibility but if I move the amp to the right speaker the problem moves to the right speaker and the left speaker then operates normally. -Jon
I did not. I only used a secondary amplifier that only had unbalanced connection. The Emotiva amp does support both balanced and unbalanced connection with a flip of a switch. -Jon
Arrg I have lost my way. Your points on the remote and setup issues have really turned me off this this brand. Also the emotiva alturnative not having hdmi 2.1 port takes that off the stage. Leaves me with the marantz 50 or 40 with external amps. Can't find much info on if 40 sounds any better. One blog and thats about it but of course xould be biased. If also wondering if basX 3 or X 3 for LCR should be used to make the 11 channels with better amplifiers. The cost is getting up to entry level seperates. But those entry level processors not having 2.1 is turning me off. Any ideas for alternate options around the $3600 US mark for 7.1.4 hdmi 2.1 and dirac?
Hi John. Did you ever receive follow up from Anthem. I have the same problem while runninc ARC. Not blowing up speaker but my center channel rattle due to 90db+ level going to it with low frequencies. I have the AVM70, parasound A52+ and 92db efficiency 4ohm speakers. Anthem support told me it was normal. Don't believe that answer but not much I could do. However curious to hear any new development you got on this. In advance I thank you.
So sorry to hear about your system issues. It seems to me that there are 3 problems that all need to be addressed. Anthem does need to address the fact that you should not be able to drive the amplifiers with full system output during a set up process since test tones are nothing like the waveform that you will get listening to music or movie soundtracks. This is not only dangerous for your system but also for your ears. Emotiva apparently needs to have better protection circuitry to shut down an amp when overdriven. I've never heard of an amp that has a portion of the frequency curve stop working. It is typically all or nothing. But it also appears that you are driving your speakers with an amplifier that can provide much more power than the maximum power handling capability of the speaker. I have no idea what the maximum power handling is for the Polk speakers that you are using but I highly doubt that it is 1000 watts. You may want to consider this even without the Anthem. If someone accidentally turns up the volume on your system, those amplifiers will probably blow out your drivers once again, regardless of what processor is in your system at the time. Good luck with all your repairs. I do love what you are doing and I appreciate the effort that is obviously involved in all of this.
Thanks for your support. Let’s see what Anthem comes back with. They are researching. Best case is it was my fault and I can explain so others don’t fall into the same problem. At the moment I just connected with Emotiva. Let’s see what they come up with. I have been using those amps with the same speakers since 2018 with no issue. My understanding is that is better to have a good amp that exceeds the power handling of a speaker then an amp that with go into clipping which will do more damage to a speaker over time. -Jon
@@ripewave You definitely don't want to clip but you also don't want to have too much power as you have discovered. Under normal operating conditions it shouldn't be an issue but you run the risk of just this type of situation. Good Luck.
I have an AVM 90 and have done many ARC runs without issue. Have friends with positive results. I use my anthem in a home theater driving Emotiva amps which have been well behaved and you seem to have a bias against Anthem. I have both Emotiva (RMC1-L) in an audio listening room and the Anthem in the home theater. Both sound good. I thought ARC was easier to set up than Dirac.. results are similar. Suggest you try another Anthem unit. Thousands of happy customers like them.
It is comments like yours which suggest I might be doing something wrong. I would prefer that is the case. I am working with Anthem to bring light to the situation. So no bias, just reporting my experiences. I have yet to run into a perfectly designed processor or receiver. As shared in the video I praised Anthem for the resulting sound quality and from that perspective I can see why there are many fans. Once Anthem comes back with there guidance I can share any new knowledge out through this channel. This may be like cars - every once in a while they have one car within a successful design that comes off the production floor a lemon. Jon
BLOWING up a speaker??? As Anthem will - never - reimburse you ... That means a PERMANENT blacklist for this brand... My speakers are way too expensive to have them risk blowing up by any Anthem device...
At this point I am waiting on an explanation or fix from them. Should they come back with something reasonable (and lone me a unit to try) I may risk another try for the benefit of this audience. Until then, I would use caution, hold off or (as you say) seek alternate brands. -Jon
Sure, if given a fixed output I would expect the Emotiva amp always to produce a louder output. What I don’t expect is that a room correction system to always put out a same output level. I expect it would listen and adjust up or down accordingly. In this case the expectation would be that Anthem ARC Genesis would sense that the output was more then it needs for calibration and adjust down. If I do that manually. It tries to adjust it back up a couple of times before giving up, but then tries to ramp up again for the next listening position. They seems to ignore that not all amps produce the same level of gain. -Jon
@@ripewave yeah I'd you had high gain amps and very efficient speakers like 100db+ it would be very loud. All setups should start at low volume and determine level per speaker then output 75db safe level
It may have been: 4449270. While I have since returned the AVM70 8K, I have a screenshot showing the default device name as: AVM 70-43E3F6. I suspect they append the serial number to the name to avoid duplicate names. If I convert "43E3F6" from HEX to DECIMAL, I get 4449270. Jon
@@ripewave I don't think that's the serial #. The correct serial # is an alpha numeric string, 14 characters long. It starts with "ALP" followed by a 1 digit number. Example: "ALP1B00281O011".
I don't agree with your assessment that ARC Genesis "caused" this, or even had any responsibility with it. It's the job of the end user to assure that all settings are correct. A misclick is the fault of the user, not the program designer. And because that misclick caused your 1kW amps to severely over drive your speakers, that is also your issue. It has nothing to do with the AVM 70. To include this in a review is subpar and to falsely label a video as "ARC blew my woofer" is disingenuous at best, straight up lying for clicks at the worst.
I thought he did a good job illustrating how poor volume slider design in the ARC software made it way too easy to accidentally max out the volume. Poor UX design is in fact Anthem's fault, not his. I have an AVM 70 8k and i noticed this issue before I saw this video and I agree with him.
I run two AVM70’s in two different systems with zero problems. Love the 70’s.
Glad your experience has been great. I hear more positive feedback then bad. There are a few that had the same trouble as me. Best I can hypothesize is that with certain speaker/amp combinations the AVM70 calibration process is causes to loud of output or they may have some inconsistent production issues whereby some units are impacted. Several weeks later and no reply for Anthem - perhaps they are just as baffled by the discrepancies some users are reporting while others have not trouble at all. Again glad you are in the majority on this one. -Jon
I was gonna pull the trigger on the AV 70, thank God i didn’t sell my Marantz 7706, I think I’ll just wait now. Very informative video.
Waiting may be a good thing. I am going to keep after them to see if they come up with a solution. If they do I will share back. I would like to see them resolve as the sound quality is very nice. -Jon
I was about to buy one of these as I had an Anthem Statement years ago and was happy with it . Thank goodness I came across your video. Anthem is now off my list.
I is really a shame as other then the calibration process, the unit performed very well. Albeit missing a few feature I need for my own system - balanced input and DSD support. -Jon
One of the first things I did when I got my AVM 70 was set a volume limit. I have always done this with my prior AVRs to avoid myself or someone else accidentally blowing up my speakers. Glad I did because the volume control is rough and I have also accidentally blasted to my max as well. Despite this the avm 70 has delivered the best sound I have heard in my set up but it does have caveats. If you get an anthem read the manual front to back and make sure the first thing you do is set the volume limit.
Great suggestion. I did the volume limit. Out of the box the limit is not set so you get +10dB by default. I set mine to +0dB but that was not enough to save the day. -10dB would have been better - especially during calibration. I agree, calibration issues aside, the unit sounded great!
Jon
@@ripewave I'd have expected, given the potential cost of the kit this device interfaces with, that it would be safe by default. The customer would have to have read the documentation and purposefully elected to disable the safety limiter when taking it out of the box. This just sounds like poor design. So glad I got to learn from your experience.
Balanced signal is 6db hotter than unbalanced, I noticed that when I "upgraded" to balanced from unbalanced cables. And I agree with your comment that they need to remove the abillity to jump in the level sliders in the WebUI.
Thanks for the 6db hotter detail confirmation from your experience. I need to ping Anthem again as they still haven’t sent back any further explanation. -Jon
I noticed the exact same phenomena. My speakers played extremely loud after running ARC Genesis, easily approaching 10-15dB on average. I have Legacy Focus SE's which aer 4 ohm speakers with a sensitivity of 92dB and I power them with a D Sonic M3a 1200S, which can supply 1375 Watts into 4 ohm loads. Since I had so many other issues with the AVM70, I just sent it back before ever getting a chance to dig into it further.
Seems like your speakers and amps are even a few levels higher quality then mine and you still had issues. Very odd. It just got to a point where I could risk another failure. I have gone decades without damaging a component. -Jon
Very sorry to hear about all the trouble and thanks for the effort to test the Anthem AV70.
It was a processor I had on my list to check out so that's not going to happen anytime soon.
But I too had once a problem with strange measurements of my speakers and I too have Emotiva Amps but in my case it was a blown filter component in one of my speakers.
At first I also thought I might have blown one of the speakers.
Now my speakers at that time where already a bit older and a capacitor normally has a live span of 15 years although these speakers where only 9 years old I rebuild and replaced both filters, that said the original filter components where quality wise subpar and the overal filter was pretty small.
I rebuild both filters with much better quality parts all with very high quality audio performance components like Mundorf resistors and very big Mundorf MCap 450v capacitors. instead of those old and very small 63v capacitors that where in the original filter. This made the filter pretty big and heavy but the speaker case where large enough.
Another thing I changed was the internal speaker wires with some real high quality speaker wire from "van den hull".
It resolved my problem with my speaker and it really increased the sound quality of both speakers.
Anyway that was my painful journey with a suspected blown speaker issue.
Again thanks for all the effort.
I think upgrading the components in my speakers could help. It would be great if that turns out to be the issue, but that would align with the fact I can get good measurement on my left speaker if I simple switch the amplifier.-Jon
Well if Anthem is out have Crutchfield bring in an Arcam AVR😊
Bummer the issues happened. I have Arc Genesis on a pair of paradigm defiance X 12 subwoofers. I was able to run Arc one time through the computer, and after that, it will no longer recognize the subwoofers. I can only do it through the cell phone app, which is not as accurate. I reached out to anthem about it, and they didn’t really have an answer more of a it should be working fine response. The subs are OK. I’m not in love with them. They are going to be around for a few years in my system. Next step is a new AVR. Like I said on your last video, the new Onkyo RZ70 or an Arcam unit is pretty much where I’m at…
Very odd about not handling your subwoofers. It would be great if the Onkyo proves out as it is more affordable than the Arcam. -Jon
Like me, you probably remember companies having beta testers back in the day. Typically they would use random people of varied backgrounds and experiences to test products, hopefully identifying problems to correct prior to public release.
While I love Anthem and use the MRX-1120 (prior generation to your test unit), I have to say it has been painful to watch the rollout of the AVM70/90 and MRX-x40s as well as ARC Genesis. I feel your pain and am sorry for your misfortune.
Each time I am about to click ORDER on a AVM70, I see a whole new set of problems populate that I cannot blame on user error. Your experience, admittedly had some user error; but, in no way should that happen during a calibration. It is obviously an oversight of the engineers and programmers as well as the testers.
It’s not like your high dB complaint is the first with regard to calibration. My guess is Anthem found 90 dB to create the most reflections without causing damage (of any sort). How much that changes at 80 or 85 dB?
The lack of documentation and procedural algorithms plague Anthem. Your method (and other YTers) do not follow the varied pattern necessary to “read the room.” Anthem could easily address this with an introduction video covering setup, network connection, and calibration protocols. Instead, they rely upon the forums and their painful customer service/technical support system.
The same happened to Monolith and their processor, although it shows to be back online and in stock. While I very much enjoy the Monolith 7X amp, I still have doubts about their first processor.
While I await reviews and feedback on the Marantz A10, I will strongly consider Storm and Trinnov processors instead. At this point in my life, it should be the last processor I purchase and the investment seems more clear considering the rollout fiascos seen with other manufacturers.
I very much appreciate what your channel does and until now have only been a casual observer. You earned my subscription and I am happy to be part of your audio/video journey. Good fortune to you and many blessings.
The AVM 70 does have a maximum volume limiter setting on the general tab of the online setup. That should help keep you from accidentally blowing anything up. When I got my AVM 70, I also accidentally hit the volume bar and made it jump up quickly but I thankfully didn’t blow anything up. Setting the max volume has prevented that from ever happening again. I’m running mine with a Monolith 7X at the moment. I wonder if the volume limiter would help solve the ARC high volume issue as well?🤔
That is a good tip. I had mine set to 0dB and not the default of +10dB. That may have been very bad. So maybe -10dB would have been enough to save me. -Jon
@@ripewave Yea, I have mine at -10 which is plenty sufficient.
I appreciate your continued detailed coverage of this unit. Your experiences closely mirror my own. I had actually purchased this last year as the 4k model, and did not have the increased volume for ARCG sweeps via XLR. The test tones were similar to that of Dirac/Audyssey/Trinnov Optimizer. So I don't know whether it's a firmware issue, or something in the newer 8k models that's causing the issue.
It's really unfortunate that in testing this unit, your speaker and amp became casualties. That would also leave a sour taste for me. But I do hope that you're able to find your way back to an Anthem as I do feel once they iron out some notable kinks, it's a great platform,. It has such intuitive and effective room correction, and is a notable step from Denon/Marantz, delivering better sonic performance.
Yes - still working with Anthem to determine the cause. If they are able to explain how to overcome or provide a firmware fix I would be willing to try again - especially if sent a loaner unit. Given current status I needed to return to avoid absorbing the $3,400 sale price + tax cost without knowing if this will be resolved. -Jon
@@ripewave Anthem's continued support of the unit has been assuring. Their recent firmware update helped to resolve excessive fan noise many were complaining about. It seems that they're listening, and can actually make the necessary software tweaks to continue to improve stability. It seems like a good long term bet.
Yes - I do recognize that they have made improvements along the way. As one of the smaller companies (vs Denon/Marantz/Harman) their progress is slow.
I was running the latest firmware and still found the fan noise to be distracting. I can only imagine how loud it was before the update. -Jon
Same problem here. Speakers were super loud during genesis. However even worse is that now my eArch channel doesn't work anymore and it appears HDMI connections on the back don't connect properly to the cables. Frequent dropouts and connectivity problems.
So sorry to hear that. Is Anthem support being responsive? They only used email communications and those were not timely or helpful. Hopefully, they are able to do more for you. -Jon
Just came across your very detailed video. I have a recently purchased AVM 70, after running arc for the first time I blew my right height channel on my Rotel 5 channel amp. Since the Rotel is on the older side I assume it was the age of the amp but now maybe the Anthem might have been the issue. Thanks for the heads up
oh no! I was hoping my issue wouldn't have impacted others, but I continue to hear similar reports. Not from all, but enough. I think those with more powerful amps are more likely to encounter. Were you able to resolve? -Jon
Greetings. The exact same thing happened to me. I blew my tweeter when I was increasing the volume with my phone. The volume jumped to max when I was tapping the button. Wish they can do a software fix so the volume bar doesn’t jump to max if you accidentally hit the bar. Otherwise I love my AVM 70.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Sorry to hear you had the same issue. Sounds like we are justified in our request to have their interfaces protect against unintentional actions. -Jon
Come to think of it I had a similar issue with volume control on my Marantz SR7010 and AV7705 I am using now. I believe it was related to the phone and App I was using. So I setup the volume limiter to 80% of max and replaced the phone with a new tablet and updated the app. I have not had an issue since.
Good Luck
PM
Yes the sounds are loud. I can hear that my speakers are not really enjoying themselves although they do not distort. I think the loud output is necessary to achieve a good measurement..I had experience with these kind of systems on Denon and always had to do a lot of corrections afterwards. When you have a speaker in a corner that speaker turns into a kind of megafoon. Low frequencies are filtered out completely probably because it is standing in the corner.. With the ARC Genesis this goes way better but as I have experienced if you let well informed guys take a look at it the are able to make even much more good results .
I agree that the calibration tools are not always plug-and-play and having a well skilled calibrator perform the process can make a big difference on the outcome. I have learn not to trust the first run with these tools but to really learn and re-calibrate until you feel you have it right.
The process I use with Dirac is to set levels 20dB above the noise floor. By making your space as quiet as possible (turn off furnace. AC, washer, dryer, kids etc) when measuring lowers the noise floor and therefore lowers then volume needed for a clean calibration. It seems Anthem is pushing high to drown out any noise floor. I would have hoped they could measure the noise floor first then base the volume from there. -Jon
Oh man this is not good news at all and I really feel your pain. Techthusiasm had similar issues, but I'm really disappointed in Anthem. That's them off my list.
Despite the cost to you, we appreciate the effort, time and info.
I am willing to absorb some pain in am effort to benefit this audience. I just hope my Emotiva mono block survives - I love that amp. -Jon
@@ripewave it's very annoying that tech companies nowadays releasing products that are miles away from being finished.....then they cause issues like you are experiencing.
I'm not a fan of D&M, but they seem to be one of the only ones with stable products at launch. Got to give them 👍🏽(props) for that.
I think the difference it that smaller companies don’t have the resources to perfect software without more time. Denon and Marantz are large and share technologies and software across brands making them more stable. Even at that they have a major fail with the initial HDMI 2.1 launch. While blame can be directed in part to the chip supplier, their testing should have revealed the need to hold shipment until resolved. -Jon
Thanks for your reviews of the AVM 70 8K, I've been watching with great interest. Sorry to hear about your blown speakers and amp problem, terrible situation. I bought one of these 5 days ago. I have all Emotiva amps, a 5-ch High power (using balanced) and a 6-ch BasX (unbalanced). I noticed the ARC calibration tones to be much louder than anything I've experienced in the past. I am fearing damage after watching your troubles. I have my master volume level set to -15dB. But, Not even sure if this setting is coupled to calibration? Or the accidental clicking on the volume bar and it going to full volume? I hope the master volume setting, and in my case -15dB might save the day? I have subscribed to your channel, and thumbs up! Keep up the good work!
The good news is that once you get past the calibration, the results are very pleasing. I heard recently that Anthem addressed the issue I had. Seems like a recent fix for what I reported almost a year ago - I wasn’t the only one.
Make sure you have the latest firmware installed, to ensure the newest fixes are applied first. Hopefully that message was accurate.
If the problem is still there I don’t believe any lowering of the volume knob will change the output level during calibration. The only method that worked for me was to lower using the web app
Let me know if you are successful.
Jon
Hi Jon, I updated the firmware as soon as I took it out of the box. I noticed there’s a calibration volume slider in the software, not sure when that was added? I’ll be experimenting with this as soon as I’m able.
I sent one of my amps in to add two more modules, so down for a few days.
I think the adjusting the slider may help. Keep an eye on it. In my case (with older firmware) the volume adjustment was very sensitive. If you click a little to far to the right, it would jump to maximum volume. -Jon
Man, Very sorry to hear about all the trouble and thanks for the effort to test the Anthem AV70. Does the Anthem have volume protection setting built in like the Marantz does where you can set to let's say 80% of max as to protect your investment? That would be my first question to Anthem. I was looking to purchase that down the line but see this and now having second thoughts. Emotiva will take care of your map issues no problem.
Good Luck
PM
Thanks for your empathy. The Anthem AVM 70 does have a setting that allows you to set a maximum volume. The default is +10dB over reference but I had mine set to 0dB - which was not enough. -Jon
Have no issues with my marantz cinema 50
I did t have these issues with my Marantz Cinema 50 either. -Jon
@@ripewave I have both anthem and marantz. Marantz is more reliable but the Anthem sounds light years above Mt marantz
That is a fair assessment. -Jon
Same happened to me when I used ARC genesis the first time
Sorry to hear. After that have you found a way to avoid? -Jon
@@ripewave Not yet, I only ran it once. Did you try setting the Max volume level on the main zone under general tab to something like -25db?
I had my maximum volume limit set to 0dB lowered from the default of +10dB. Apparently not low enough and not sure if that limit applies in calibration mode. -Jon
Maybe it is Quality control problem with AV70. I currently have one and it is working great but it is my second unit. The first one I got only had sound out of the front right and one surround and the subs. I thought I must of hooked something up wrong and spent a good deal of time troubleshooting. Even hooking up my old receiver to prove to myself that all channels are working. I took it back to the shop of where I purchased it from and they found that I was correct and I had a bad unit. They got me another one and it worked correctly right from the start. So it seems like Anthem may have Quality control problem and there seems to be some bad units out there.
You may be right given your experience. It is possible I have a similar case. -Jon
I take it the Emotiva rmc-1 is staying it the rack and appears to be a better sounding with dsd support but no aurora 3d , with no hdmi 2.1 Imax enhance , roon ready, and streaming support Spotify connect airplay connect its like a barebone unit with less feature but has the better room correction direc that’s still pack a punch, Emotiva for the win.
I so wanted good news about this processor but with fan noise, crappy documentation, challenges taming it so it doesn't shred cones... I'm going to have to keep looking. Its a shame because the artwork of the front panel is quite appealing.
This was one I approached with optimism. While there was a lot I liked, such as the great sound quality. Unfortunately I ran into those negative items which I needed to communicate along with its better points. I understand they have recently limited the conditions which cause the fan to come on, but it is still loud. -Jon
I too am having the same problem with the test signal only in the surround speaker in my 7.1.4 room. So loud I feel it is close to blowing the speaker. I'm running all KEF speakers but the only pair that have a problem are the KEF Ci200RS-THX that are running with 90db sensitivity as the surround speakers. Also using the AVM-70 with 2 Parasound A52+ (180 watts) amps for the surrounds and atmos and A31 for the RCL. All connected with XLR from processor. The AVM is running the latest version of software. I can't seem to power the surrounds down in the AVM to make any difference once it starts running the ARC. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Great video on the topic btw.
I am going to reach out to Anthem again. While they said their developers were working on this, I haven’t anything since - a few weeks ago. I will let them know others are experiencing the same thing. -Jon
@@ripewave I appreciate that John. Hopefully there is an easy fix to this.
I’ve watched a couple of Anthem AVM90, AVM70, MRX1140, MRX740, MRX540 videos on UA-cam, even followed Kpaceguy’s channel due to him having had the AVM70 for a while, never encountered anyone with this kind o’ issue. It would be interesting to get a second unit in and see if it’s gonna do the same thing.🤔
I will keep working with Anthem until we have a conclusion. Right now I have to return before the 60-day trail runs out. I just can spend the money on good faith this will be resolved. If they come back with knowledge that builds my confidence back we can try again. -Jon
Yeah the Emotiva has problems ...I bought a couple of mono blocks from them xpa 100 and had a problem contacted Emotiva and they didnt want them back in for repair...long story short Gene from Audioholics had problem from Emotiva amps and Emotiva wouldnt do anything about it either....too bad you sending Anthem back but my guess is the emotiva amp was the cause and it effected the Anthem ...just my take from my experience with Emotiva I have a Anthem amp now with no issues for 3 years now
Sorry to hear about your negative experience with Emotiva and glad to hear you found success with Anthem. I am familiar with Gene’s experience as well. I am working with both Anthem and Emotiva. At this point it is too early to determine what the outcome will be. Both companies have responded. I may still have a speaker issue so a call to Polk may be needed as well. -Jon
@@ripewave Good Luck!
The crossover of the left speaker is damaged ? 🤔
I would say that is a possibility but if I move the amp to the right speaker the problem moves to the right speaker and the left speaker then operates normally. -Jon
Did you try running the test with same AMP but using the unbalanced connection?
I did not. I only used a secondary amplifier that only had unbalanced connection. The Emotiva amp does support both balanced and unbalanced connection with a flip of a switch. -Jon
Arrg I have lost my way.
Your points on the remote and setup issues have really turned me off this this brand.
Also the emotiva alturnative not having hdmi 2.1 port takes that off the stage.
Leaves me with the marantz 50 or 40 with external amps.
Can't find much info on if 40 sounds any better. One blog and thats about it but of course xould be biased.
If also wondering if basX 3 or X 3 for LCR should be used to make the 11 channels with better amplifiers.
The cost is getting up to entry level seperates. But those entry level processors not having 2.1 is turning me off.
Any ideas for alternate options around the $3600 US mark for 7.1.4 hdmi 2.1 and dirac?
Hi John. Did you ever receive follow up from Anthem. I have the same problem while runninc ARC. Not blowing up speaker but my center channel rattle due to 90db+ level going to it with low frequencies. I have the AVM70, parasound A52+ and 92db efficiency 4ohm speakers. Anthem support told me it was normal. Don't believe that answer but not much I could do. However curious to hear any new development you got on this. In advance I thank you.
So sorry to hear about your system issues. It seems to me that there are 3 problems that all need to be addressed.
Anthem does need to address the fact that you should not be able to drive the amplifiers with full system output during a set up process since test tones are nothing like the waveform that you will get listening to music or movie soundtracks. This is not only dangerous for your system but also for your ears.
Emotiva apparently needs to have better protection circuitry to shut down an amp when overdriven. I've never heard of an amp that has a portion of the frequency curve stop working. It is typically all or nothing.
But it also appears that you are driving your speakers with an amplifier that can provide much more power than the maximum power handling capability of the speaker. I have no idea what the maximum power handling is for the Polk speakers that you are using but I highly doubt that it is 1000 watts. You may want to consider this even without the Anthem. If someone accidentally turns up the volume on your system, those amplifiers will probably blow out your drivers once again, regardless of what processor is in your system at the time.
Good luck with all your repairs. I do love what you are doing and I appreciate the effort that is obviously involved in all of this.
Thanks for your support. Let’s see what Anthem comes back with. They are researching. Best case is it was my fault and I can explain so others don’t fall into the same problem.
At the moment I just connected with Emotiva. Let’s see what they come up with. I have been using those amps with the same speakers since 2018 with no issue. My understanding is that is better to have a good amp that exceeds the power handling of a speaker then an amp that with go into clipping which will do more damage to a speaker over time. -Jon
@@ripewave You definitely don't want to clip but you also don't want to have too much power as you have discovered. Under normal operating conditions it shouldn't be an issue but you run the risk of just this type of situation. Good Luck.
I have an AVM 90 and have done many ARC runs without issue. Have friends with positive results. I use my anthem in a home theater driving Emotiva amps which have been well behaved and you seem to have a bias against Anthem. I have both Emotiva (RMC1-L) in an audio listening room and the Anthem in the home theater. Both sound good. I thought ARC was easier to set up than Dirac.. results are similar. Suggest you try another Anthem unit. Thousands of happy customers like them.
It is comments like yours which suggest I might be doing something wrong. I would prefer that is the case. I am working with Anthem to bring light to the situation. So no bias, just reporting my experiences. I have yet to run into a perfectly designed processor or receiver. As shared in the video I praised Anthem for the resulting sound quality and from that perspective I can see why there are many fans. Once Anthem comes back with there guidance I can share any new knowledge out through this channel.
This may be like cars - every once in a while they have one car within a successful design that comes off the production floor a lemon.
Jon
BLOWING up a speaker??? As Anthem will - never - reimburse you ... That means a PERMANENT blacklist for this brand...
My speakers are way too expensive to have them risk blowing up by any Anthem device...
At this point I am waiting on an explanation or fix from them. Should they come back with something reasonable (and lone me a unit to try) I may risk another try for the benefit of this audience. Until then, I would use caution, hold off or (as you say) seek alternate brands. -Jon
Oh no....the max volume slider is a danger.....it blew my 5 bed speakers tweeters, sometime back....now it's set at -20..
Otherwise love the sound.
It's the gain on the amp not the power ie if your amp is 34db gain it'll be louder
Sure, if given a fixed output I would expect the Emotiva amp always to produce a louder output. What I don’t expect is that a room correction system to always put out a same output level. I expect it would listen and adjust up or down accordingly. In this case the expectation would be that Anthem ARC Genesis would sense that the output was more then it needs for calibration and adjust down. If I do that manually. It tries to adjust it back up a couple of times before giving up, but then tries to ramp up again for the next listening position. They seems to ignore that not all amps produce the same level of gain. -Jon
@@ripewave yeah I'd you had high gain amps and very efficient speakers like 100db+ it would be very loud.
All setups should start at low volume and determine level per speaker then output 75db safe level
Well said - Jon
I'm curious, what is (was) the serial number of your AVM 70?
It may have been: 4449270.
While I have since returned the AVM70 8K, I have a screenshot showing the default device name as: AVM 70-43E3F6. I suspect they append the serial number to the name to avoid duplicate names. If I convert "43E3F6" from HEX to DECIMAL, I get 4449270.
Jon
@@ripewave I don't think that's the serial #. The correct serial # is an alpha numeric string, 14 characters long. It starts with "ALP" followed by a 1 digit number. Example: "ALP1B00281O011".
What a mess
It was. -Jon
I don't agree with your assessment that ARC Genesis "caused" this, or even had any responsibility with it. It's the job of the end user to assure that all settings are correct. A misclick is the fault of the user, not the program designer. And because that misclick caused your 1kW amps to severely over drive your speakers, that is also your issue. It has nothing to do with the AVM 70. To include this in a review is subpar and to falsely label a video as "ARC blew my woofer" is disingenuous at best, straight up lying for clicks at the worst.
I thought he did a good job illustrating how poor volume slider design in the ARC software made it way too easy to accidentally max out the volume. Poor UX design is in fact Anthem's fault, not his.
I have an AVM 70 8k and i noticed this issue before I saw this video and I agree with him.
Although I agree that over amping is a risk he took!