Anthem MRX 540 8K

    87
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    North America
    Europe
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    Highlights

    • 5.2 Channels
    • 7.1 Channel Processing
    • 100 W (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven)
    • HDMI 2.1
    • Dolby Atmos, DTS:X
    • HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision
    • 8K Passthrough
    • Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet
    • Phono Input

    Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

    Table of Contents
    1. Overview
    2. Pros and Cons
    3. 2021 Lineup
    4. Amplifier
    5. Speaker Configurations
    6. Immersive Audio Formats
    7. HDMI 2.1
    8. Room Calibration
    9. Inputs and Outputs
    10. Evaluation
    11. Specifications

    1. Overview

    Anthem MRX 540 8K was introduced in 2021. It is equipped with 5 channel amplifier with 100 W (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven) power per channel and is capable of 7.1 maximum channel processing. It supports Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, passes 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz video signal.

    We evaluated the a/v amplifier and gave 87 overall score out of 100. Our ranking system is based on the amplifier specifications, audio and video features, connectivity, multizone capabilities, radio and many other details.

    Amplifier
    84
    Audio Features
    87
    Video Features
    100
    Connectivity
    87
    Zones
    71
    Radio
    73
    OVERALL
    87

    For more details about the ranking please go to    Evaluation section.

    2. Pros and Cons

    In this section we present pros and cons of Anthem MRX 540 8K.

    PROs

    •   Dolby Atmos
    •   DTS:X
    •   IMAX Enhanced
    •   Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.
    •   HDR10
    •   HDR10+
    •   Dolby Vision
    •   HDMI 2.1
    •   eARC
    •   New HDCP Version
    •   Auto Low Latency Mode Pass-through
    •   VRR
    •   QFT
    •   8K Passthrough
    •   Wi-Fi
    •   Bluetooth
    •   Chromecast Built-In
    •   7 HDMI Inputs
    •   7 8K Inputs
    •   Phono Input
    •   RCA Pre-Outs
    •   Ethernet
    •   Analog Tuner
    •   Spotify

    CONs

    •   Few Channels - 5.2
    •   No Front Wide Channel Support
    •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
    •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
    •   No DSD via HDMI
    •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
    •   No USB Input
    •   No Composite Video Inputs
    •   No Zones
    •   No Digital Radio
    •   No Pandora
    •   No Tidal

    And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

    AVERAGE

    •   Power Output - 100 W
    •   7.1 Channel Processing
    •   2 HDMI Outputs
    •   RCA Line Inputs

    3. Anthem 2021 Lineup

    In 2021 Anthem released 3 new receivers. Here is the lineup:

    Anthem 2021 Lineup
    ModelChannelsPowerMax. Ch. Proc.Pre OutsZones Price
    MRX 1140 8K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		11.2140 W15.215.22
    MRX 740 8K Image cannot be found
    Compare
    		7.2140 W11.111.22
    MRX 540 8K Image cannot be found 5.2100 W7.17.21

    You can view their side-by-side comparison here: Anthem MRX 1140 8K vs MRX 740 8K vs MRX 540 8K.

    4. Amplifier

    5 channel Class A/B Amplifier

    Anthem MRX 540 8K features 5 channel power amplifier with Class A/B design on Channels 1-5 and Class D design on the rest. It is rated at 100 W (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven) and is able to drive 4 ohm speakers.

      AMPLIFIER
      Channels5.2
      Power Output100 W (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven)
      Front Wide Channel Support
      Amplifier DesignClass A/B on Channels 1-5 and Class D on the rest
      THX™ Certification
      Continuous 6 Ω Rated
      Certified 4 Ω Performance
      Bi-amp Capability

      5. Speaker Configurations

      Anthem MRX 540 8K's 5 channel amplifier can be assigned for different speaker configurations.

      • Dolby Atmos Configurations: The following speaker configurations are supported for Dolby Atmos:
      • 3.1.2 with internal amplifier.
      • DTS:X Configurations: The speaker configurations for DTS:X are the same as for Dolby Atmos:
      • 3.1.2 with internal amplifier.
      • Configurations without height channels: There are also other speaker configurations available which do not include height channels:
      • 5.2 with internal amplifier.
      • 7.2 with addition of external 2 channel amplifier.
      • 2-ch Bi-Amp: Anthem MRX 540 8K allows you to bi-amp up to 2 main channels simultaneously. During bi-amplification two amplifiers are used for one speaker. One amplifier powers the midrange and tweeter section of the speaker and another amplifier powers the low frequency woofers. Each amplifier is less loaded and performs better. In order to use this feature speakers must have 2 pairs of connectors.

      6. Immersive Audio Formats

      Dolby Atmos

      Anthem MRX 540 8K supports Dolby Atmos with Surround Upmixer.

      • Surround Upmixer: If the content is not mixed in Dolby Atmos then the Dolby surround upmixer will expand the audio to all channels including ceiling speakers. The upmixer has replaced the Dolby Pro Logic II family with improved upmixing algorithms.

      DTS:X

      Anthem MRX 540 8K supports DTS:X with Neural:X and Virtual:X.

      • Neural:X is an advanced upmixer that can take non DTS:X content and upmix it to the DTS:X speaker layout. It has replaced the DTS Neo family with improved flexibility.
      • Virtual:X bridges the gap between DTS:X codec and the reality of so many consumers' homes, allowing you to enjoy multi-dimensional sound regardless of room size, layout, or speaker configuration. If you have a limited speaker setup you will miss a full immersive potential of your entertainment system. DTS Virtual:X adds height and surround audio effect to your system without adding height speakers. It works with multiple configurations and delivers immersive sound experience out of 5.1 or even 2.1 speaker layouts.
      • DTS Dialog Control: This function adjusts the dialog levels during playback of the DTS:X stream. It allows you to separately increase the dialog levels in contrast with the background sound and hear dialog easily even under noisy circumstances.

      IMAX Enhanced

      Anthem MRX 540 8K is IMAX Enhanced certified. To qualify for IMAX Enhanced certification, 4K HDR televisions, projectors, sound bars, a/v receivers, loudspeakers, powered subwoofers and other premium home entertainment devices must meet carefully prescribed performance requirements established by IMAX, DTS and Hollywood's leading experts.

      • What makes an IMAX Enhanced A/V receiver different from an A/V receiver with DTS:X technology? DTS:X technology is commonly found in most multi-channel A/V receivers on the market today. All IMAX Enhanced A/V receivers include DTS:X technology and deliver additional features, such as auto-sensing of IMAX Enhanced content, via IMAX Mode. IMAX Mode indicates that your A/V receiver supports fully immersive IMAX signature sound.
      DECODING
      Dolby Atmos
      Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
      Dolby Atmos Music
      Dolby TrueHD
      Dolby Digital Plus
      Dolby Surround Upmixer
      Dolby Pro Logic
      DTS:X
      DTS Neural:X
      DTS Virtual:X
      DTS Neo
      DTS-HD Master Audio
      DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
      DTS 96/24
      IMAX Enhanced
      Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer

      7. HDMI 2.1

      Anthem MRX 540 8K features 7 HDMI 2.1 inputs with 8K support. It has 2 outputs which work parallelly and output the same signal.

      • 8K/60Hz and 4K/120Hz Passthrough: All inputs pass up to 8K 50/60Hz and 4K 100/120Hz 4:4:4 video signal.
      • BT.2020 Color Space: BT.2020 or Rec. 2020 is a color standard which delivers a wider color gamut compared to Rec. 709. It covers approximately 75% of the total visual spectrum while the Rec. 709 covers only 35%.
      • HDCP 2.3 Copy Protection: All inputs and outputs are HDCP 2.3 compliant which is a requirement for 4K/HDR copy-protected content transmission.
      • 3D Ready: Anthem MRX 540 8K is able to pass 3D video through HDMI.

      HDR (High Dynamic Range)

      Anthem MRX 540 8K supports HDR (high dynamic range) video formats such as HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Hybrid Log-Gamma via HDMI ports. High dynamic range video has greater dynamic range than standard dynamic range (SDR) video with brighter whites and deeper blacks. The result is greater contrast and more details in dark and bright areas, better color and depth.


      Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

      Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v amplifier through the same HDMI cable which is used to send audio and video signals to the TV. So one HDMI cable is used to transfer audio signal in both directions. New Enhanced ARC will support uncompressed audio formats such as Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio whereas the previous ARC could support only Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, DTS, DTS HD, and PCM.


      Gaming Features

      Anthem MRX 540 8K supports Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM), Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) and Quick Frame Transport (QFT) for lag-free and smooth gaming.



      VIDEO FEATURES
      HDR10
      HDR10+
      Dynamic HDR
      BT.2020 color space
      Dolby Vision
      HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
      HDMI Version2.1
      Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
      HDCP Version2.3
      ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
      VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
      QFT (Quick Frame transport)
      3-D Ready
      Video Signal Passthroughup to 8K 50/60Hz and 4K 100/120Hz 4:4:4

      8. Room Calibration

      Anthem MRX 540 8K comes with Anthem Room Correction (ARC Genesis) room correction system and includes the calibration microphone.

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        9. Inputs and Outputs

        Audio

        • Phono Input: There is an MM phono input with built-in phono stage for connecting the moving magnet cartridge output of the turntable directly to the a/v amplifier.
        • Analog Pre-Outs: Anthem MRX 540 8K has 7.2 preamplifier outputs which allow you to connect the a/v amplifier to the external power amplifier. You may want to use a high quality external amplifier for certain channels, usually for front L/R and center, and use the a/v amplifier to power the rest. Also, Anthem MRX 540 8K has 7 channel processing but has only 5 channel amplifier, so it needs the external amplifier connected to the analog pre-outs in order to reach the maximum speaker configuration.
        • Analog Line Inputs and Outputs: There are 4 line inputs and 1 line output for analog audio connection.
        • Digital Inputs and Outputs: 3 optical inputs, 1 optical output and 2 coaxial inputs are available for digital audio connection.
        • Headphone Output: There is a 6.3 mm (1/4") headphone output jack on the front panel.

        Video

        • HDMI:
        • Inputs: 7   Outputs: 2
          8K Inputs: 7
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        TERMINALS
        HDMI Inputs7
        HDMI Outputs2
        8K Inputs7
        USB Input for factory service
        USB DC Out Port
        Optical Inputs3
        Optical Outputs1
        Coaxial Inputs2
        RCA Line Inputs4
        RCA Line Outputs1
        XLR Line Inputs
        Phono Input
        Multi-Channel Input
        RCA Pre-Outs7.2
        XLR Pre-outs
        Composite Video Inputs
        Composite Video Outputs
        S-Video Inputs
        S-Video Outputs
        Component Video Inputs
        Component Video Outputs

        10. Evaluation

        We evaluate Anthem MRX 540 8K and give score of 87 out of 100. We also give separate scores for 6 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new receiver is added to the database.


        OVERALL
        87

        Amplifier

        GOOD
        84

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 84 for Amplifier features.

        •   Few Channels - 5.2
        •   Power Output - 100 W

        Audio Features

        EXCELLENT
        87

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 87 for Audio Features features.

        •   Few Channels - 5.2
        •   No Front Wide Channel Support
        •   7.1 Channel Processing
        •   Dolby Atmos
        •   No Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        •   DTS:X
        •   IMAX Enhanced
        •   No Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        •   No DSD via HDMI

        Video Features

        EXCELLENT
        100

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 100 for Video Features features.

        •   HDR10
        •   HDR10+
        •   Dolby Vision
        •   HDMI 2.1
        •   Auto Low Latency Mode Pass-through
        •   VRR
        •   QFT
        •   8K Passthrough

        Connectivity

        EXCELLENT
        87

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 87 for Connectivity features.

        •   eARC
        •   New HDCP Version
        •   Wi-Fi
        •   Bluetooth
        •   Does not Work with Amazon Alexa
        •   Chromecast Built-In
        •   7 HDMI Inputs
        •   2 HDMI Outputs
        •   7 8K Inputs
        •   No USB Input
        •   RCA Line Inputs
        •   Phono Input
        •   RCA Pre-Outs
        •   No Composite Video Inputs
        •   Ethernet

        Zones

        GOOD
        71

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 71 for Zones features.

        •   No Zones

        Radio

        GOOD
        73

        We give Anthem MRX 540 8K a score of 73 for Radio features.

        •   Analog Tuner
        •   No Pandora
        •   Spotify
        •   No Tidal

        11. Specifications

        GENERAL
        BrandAnthem
        ModelMRX 540 8K
        TypeA/V Amplifier
        CountryEurope
        Release Year2021
        AMPLIFIER
        Channels5.2
        Power Output100 W (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven)
        Front Wide Channel Support
        Amplifier DesignClass A/B on Channels 1-5 and Class D on the rest
        THX™ Certification
        Continuous 6 Ω Rated
        Certified 4 Ω Performance
        Bi-amp Capability
        AUDIO FEATURES
        Digital Signal Processing (DSP) EngineNext-Generation DSP Platform
        DAC Specs768 kHz/32 Bit
        Maximum Channel Processing7.1
        Dolby Atmos
        Dolby Atmos Height Virtualization
        Dolby Atmos Music
        Dolby TrueHD
        Dolby Digital Plus
        Dolby Surround Upmixer
        Dolby Pro Logic
        DTS:X
        DTS Neural:X
        DTS Virtual:X
        DTS Neo
        DTS-HD Master Audio
        DTS-HD High Resolution Audio
        DTS 96/24
        IMAX Enhanced
        Auro 3D with Auro-Matic Upmixer
        PCM 2-ch/Multi-ch Input
        DSD via HDMI
        DSD via USB
        DSD to PCM Converter
        USB DAC
        DTS Dialogue Control
        Audyssey Dynamic EQ
        Audyssey Dynamic Volume
        Audyssey LFC
        Audyssey Sub EQ HT
        Audyssey DSX
        Independent Subwoofer Outputs
        CALIBRATION
        Auto Speaker Calibration System with Mic.Anthem Room Correction (ARC Genesis)
        VIDEO FEATURES
        HDR10
        HDR10+
        Dynamic HDR
        BT.2020 color space
        Dolby Vision
        HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
        HDMI Version2.1
        Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)
        HDCP Version2.3
        ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode)
        VRR (Variable Refresh Rate)
        QFT (Quick Frame transport)
        3-D Ready
        Video Signal Passthroughup to 8K 50/60Hz and 4K 100/120Hz 4:4:4
        CONNECTIVITY
        Wi-Fi
        Bluetooth
        Works with Amazon Alexa
        Google Assistant
        Chromecast Built-In
        Apple Siri
        Works with SonoS
        DTS Play-Fi
        AirPlay AirPlay 2
        Apple Product Connection iPod, iPhone and iPad
        Remote App Anthem Remote App
        TERMINALS
        HDMI Inputs7
        HDMI Outputs2
        8K Inputs7
        USB Input for factory service
        USB DC Out Port
        Optical Inputs3
        Optical Outputs1
        Coaxial Inputs2
        RCA Line Inputs4
        RCA Line Outputs1
        XLR Line Inputs
        Phono Input
        Multi-Channel Input
        RCA Pre-Outs7.2
        XLR Pre-outs
        Composite Video Inputs
        Composite Video Outputs
        S-Video Inputs
        S-Video Outputs
        Component Video Inputs
        Component Video Outputs
        Ethernet
        Ethernet Switch
        PC In
        Front A/V Inputs
        Headphone Out6.3 mm (1/4")
        Detachable Power Cord
        ZONES
        Number of Zones1
        RS-232C Interface
        +12V Trigger Output3
        Remote (IR) Input/Output1 / 0
        MISCELLANEOUS
        IP Control
        Display
        RADIO
        Analog Tuner
        Digital Radio
        Pandora
        Spotify
        Tidal
        Deezer
        Napster
        SiriusXM
        CONSTRUCTION
        Speaker Terminals5
        Large Speaker Terminals5
        POWER
        Power SupplyAC 220-240 V, 50/60 Hz
        Toroidal Transformer
        Power Consumption365 W
        Standby Power0.3 W
        PHYSICAL
        Dimensions (W x H x D)431.8 mm x 152.4 mm x 364 mm
        17" x 6" x 14-1/2" x
        Weight12.8 kg (28.2 lbs)
        SPECIFICATIONS
        Power Output (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel Driven, FTC)100 W (1% THD)
        Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2 channel driven, FTC)130 W (1% THD)
        Maximum Preout Level and Impedance5.2 VRMS, 7.1 VRMS
        Rated Headphone Jack Output Level and Impedance32 Ω - 600 Ω
        S/N Ratio (Line, IHF-A)110 dB
        Frequency Response (Analog In)20 Hz - 30 kHz +/-0.2 dB

        * - 480i/576i and 480p/576p only
        ** - 480i/576i only
        *** - no 1080p/24 upconversion
        **** - 1080p signal is not converted

        Discussion

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