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Anthem MRX 540 8K (North American version)

SCORE:
85
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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 capable
  • HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, 8K Passthrough
  • AirPlay 2, Chromecast
  • Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
  • USB and Phono inputs

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Content

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 receiver and gave 85 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
VIDEO FEATURES
100
AUDIO FEATURES
87
CONNECTIVITY
87
MULTIZONE
71
MISCELLANEOUS
60
RADIO
73
OVERALL
85

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.
  eARC
  New HDCP Version
  HDR10
  HDR10+
  Dolby Vision
  Auto Low Latency Mode Pass-through
  VRR
  QFT
  4K or 8K Video Passthrough
  Chromecast Built-In
  Ethernet
  Wi-Fi
  Bluetooth
  Many HDMI Inputs
  Many 8K Inputs
  Many Optical Inputs
  RCA Pre-Outs
  Zones
  Analog Tuner
  Spotify
CONS
  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 Pandora
  No Tidal

Audio Section

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.

    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.

    Dolby Atmos

    Anthem MRX 540 8K supports Dolby Atmos. It is a cinematic audio format in which sounds exist as individual entities, called audio objects. In Dolby Atmos, any sound can exist as an independent audio object, free of channel restrictions. They can be precisely placed and moved anywhere in your room, including overhead, to flow above and around you in three-dimensional space. Through the use of audio objects, overhead sound, and all the richness, clarity, and power of Dolby sound, Dolby Atmos turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment. The format supports up to 128 simultaneous independent audio objects in a mix for rich, realistic, and breathtaking sound. It recreates the director's original concept through descriptive metadata to provide customized playback for home theater and delivers sounds above you through overhead speakers, special upward-firing Dolby Atmos speakers, or a Dolby Atmos enabled sound bar.

    • Dolby 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. A technique used in DTS:X is similar to the one used in Dolby Atmos. Instead of a fixed number of channels, DTS:X defines object locations from the listener in polar coordinates. An a/v receiver then dynamically renders sound according to the current speaker configuration. The speaker layout employed by DTS:X is the sum of Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D. It has standard 7.1 channel base layer, a 5 channel height layer above the base layer on the front and side walls, and 3 rows of speakers on the ceiling.

    • DTS Neural:X: DTS 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.
    • DTS Virtual:X: DTS 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.

    Enhanced Audio Return Channel (eARC)

    Audio Return Channel (ARC) feature allows the compatible TV to send audio signal to the a/v receiver 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.


    Sound Processing

      Room Calibration

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

        Video Section

        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. 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.

        • HDR10: HDR10 uses the wide-gamut Rec. 2020 color space. It sends static metadata via video stream to the TV which calibrates its screen brightness and color according to that. HDR10 supports 10-bit color which corresponds to 1024 shades of the primary RGB colors. It is technically limited to a maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness, however common HDR10 contents are mastered with peak brightness from 1,000 to 4,000 nits.
        • HDR10+: HDR10+ is an HDR video technology that adds dynamic metadata to HDR10 source files. The dynamic metadata are used to adjust brightness levels on a scene-by-scene or even frame-by-frame basis. HDR10+ supports maximum of 10,000 nits peak brightness and 10-bit or more (up to 16-bit) color bit depth. It uses Samsung's dynamic metadata defined in SMPTE ST 2094-40.
        • Dolby Vision: Dolby Vision is a set of technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories for high dynamic range (HDR) video. It covers content creation, distribution, and playback. Like HDR10+, it includes dynamic metadata that are used to adjust and optimize each frame of the HDR video to the consumer display's capabilities in a way specified by the content creator. Dolby Vision allows for a maximum resolution of 8K up to 12-bit color depth, maximum peak brightness of 10,000 nits and a color gamut up to Rec. 2020. It uses Dolby's proprietary dynamic metadata defined in SMPTE ST 2094-10.
        • Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG): The Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG) is a transfer function developed mainly for HDR live video feed and over-the-air broadcasts. It is an HDR format that uses BT.2020 color primaries and a bitdepth of 10-bit. It is backward compatible with the transfer function of SDR and is designed to be better-suited for television broadcasting, where the metadata required for other HDR formats is not backward compatible with non-HDR displays. HLG defines a non-linear optical-electro transfer function, in which the lower half of the signal values use a gamma curve and the upper half of the signal values use a logarithmic curve.

        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.
        • IMAX Enhanced Content: IMAX Enhanced studio partners have announced IMAX Enhanced versions of movies that exclusively feature IMAX's signature picture, sound and scale.
        • Picture: Stunning, ultra-vivid 4K HDR picture that utilizes the newest, proprietary Digital Media Remastering technology (DMR) developed by IMAX. DMR accurately reduces noise and grain under the filmmaker’s guidance to best optimize the content for a much higher-quality, higher-brightness display. Without this technology, high-dynamic range content can actually look worse than what was originally seen and intended by the filmmaker.
        • Sound: IMAX and DTS have partnered with award-winning Hollywood sound mixers leveraging DTS:X codec technology integrated in home audio equipment and select televisions to deliver an IMAX signature sound experience with deeper bass and more dynamic range.
        • Scale: Select IMAX Enhanced titles that were shot with IMAX-certified cameras or specially formatted for IMAX theatres feature its exclusive expanded aspect ratio, enabling viewers to see the full scale and scope of the picture on 4K HDR TVs.
        • Streaming Services: IMAX Enhanced is now available on the world’s biggest streaming services, including Disney+, BRAVIA CORE, Tencent, iQiyi and more.

        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.

        • Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM): Auto Low Latency Mode enables the ideal latency setting to automatically be set allowing for smooth, lag-free and uninterrupted viewing and interactivity. When the receiver detects a gaming signal it will enter ALLM. The signal will also be sent to the TV causing it to automatically switch to a low-latency, low-lag mode for gaming. Some functions will not be available on the receiver and TV during ALLM.
        • Variable Refresh Rate (VRR): VRR enables a gaming source such as a console or computer to deliver video frames as fast as it can, which in many cases is slower than the normal static refresh rate. It allows the TV to adapt to certain frame rate which reduces or eliminates lag, judder and frame tearing for more fluid and better detailed gameplay.
        • Quick Frame Transport (QFT): QFT reduces latency for smoother no-lag gaming, and real-time interactive virtual reality. It transports each frame at a higher rate to decrease display latency, which is the amount of time between a frame being ready for transport in the GPU and that frame being completely displayed.

        Inputs and Outputs

        Audio

        • Analog Pre-Outs: Anthem MRX 540 8K has 7.2 preamplifier outputs which allow you to connect the a/v receiver 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 receiver 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.
        • XLR Inputs: There is one pair of XLR inputs on this a/v receiver. If your CD player, Blu-Ray player or other source have XLR outputs you can connect them to the Anthem MRX 540 8K's XLR Inputs for higher quality balanced connection.
        • Analog Line Inputs and Outputs: There are 4 line inputs and 1 line output for analog audio connection.
        • Digital Inputs and Outputs: 1 optical input, 3 optical outputs 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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        Specifications

        Here we list all the available features and specifications of Anthem MRX 540 8K.

        BASICS
        BrandAnthem
        ModelMRX 540 8K
        TypeA/V Receiver
        CountryNorth America
        Release Year2021
        AMPLIFIER
        Channels5.2
        Front Wide Channel Support
        AmplifierClass 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
        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 Dialog 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
        HDMI Version2.1
        Enhanced ARC
        HDCP Version2.3
        HDR10
        HDR10+
        Dynamic HDR
        Dolby Vision
        HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
        BT.2020 color space
        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
        Chromecast Built-In
        DTS Play-Fi
        Works with Amazon Alexa
        Google assistant
        Apple Siri
        Works with SONOS
        AirPlay AirPlay 2
        Apple Product Connection iPod, iPhone and iPad
        Remote App Anthem Remote App
        Ethernet
        Ethernet Switch
        Wi-Fi
        Bluetooth
        HDMI Inputs7
        HDMI Outputs2
        8K Inputs7
        USB Input for factory service
        USB DC Out Port
        RCA Line Input4
        RCA Line Output1
        XLR Line Inputs
        Phono Input
        Optical Inputs3
        Optical Outputs1
        Coaxial Inputs2
        Composite Video Input
        Composite Video Output
        S-Video Input
        S-Video Output
        Component Video Input
        Component Video Output
        PC In
        Multi-Channel Input
        RCA Pre-Outs7.2
        XLR Pre-outs
        Front A/V Inputs
        Headphone Out6.3 mm (1/4")
        ZONES
        Zones1
        RS-232C Interface
        +12V Trigger Output3
        Remote (IR) Input/Output1 / 0
        MISC
        IP Control for CI
        Display
        Detachable Power Cord
        RADIO
        Analog Tuner
        Digital Radio
        Pandora
        Spotify
        Tidal
        Deezer
        Napster
        SiriusXM Internet Radio
        CONSTRUCTION
        Speaker Terminals5
        Large Speaker Terminals5
        POWER
        Power SupplyAC 120 V, 60 Hz
        Toroidal Transformer
        Power Consumption365 W
        Standby Power0.3 W
        GENERAL
        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)
        SPECS
        Power Output (8 Ω, 1 kHz, 2100 W (1% THD)
        Power Output (6 Ω, 1 kHz, 2130 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

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