{"product_id":"anthem-open-box-avm-90-preamp-processor-a-grade-5fuhtw","title":"Anthem OPEN BOX AVM 90 Preamp\/Processor - A Grade","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"hp-title\"\u003eCompany \u0026amp; Product Overview\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthem is one of our favorite home theater brands at Audio Advice because their products sound so good for the money and Anthem puts all of their emphasis on giving you the best possible sound and home theater experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe were lucky enough to be part of the Anthem beta team to test out and have an advance look at their new products launched in late 2020.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/anthem-avm-home-theater-processors-review\/\"\u003eAnthem AVM 70 \u0026amp; AVM 90 Surround Sound Processors Overview\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/new-anthem-mrx-home-theater-receivers-review\/\"\u003eNew Anthem MRX Home Theater Receivers Overview\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/anthem-mca-gen-2-amplifiers-overview\/\"\u003eAnthem MCA Gen 2 Amplifiers Overview\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDue to a fire at a parts supplier for some of the components in the AVM90, it was delayed. This delay did have a silver lining as Anthem was able to come up with some improvements to make it even better than they originally envisioned. We just got our hands on one of the first models to make it to North America and we have to say - it’s been worth the wait.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/avm90_front.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90 - Front view\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"hp-title\"\u003eFeatures \u0026amp; Technology\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eMore Channels for Immersive Audio\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Audio Advice, we love immersive home theater audio. When \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/the-evolution-of-surround-sound-technology\/\"\u003eDolby Atmos\u003c\/a\u003e and other object-based surround formats came on the scene a few years ago, we were totally thrilled! Dolby Atmos for the home maxed out at 11 channels plus subwoofer(s) until just recently. You can now find 9.4 and even 9.6 Dolby Atmos configurations guides on the Dolby website.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor larger spaces, this is pretty cool as the 8th and 9th lower channels place speakers on the side walls in front of you between your side surround speakers and your left and right front speakers making the soundfield even more seamless! And with 6 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-audio\/speakers\/dolby-atmos-speakers\"\u003eAtmos height speakers\u003c\/a\u003e, the height effects will go to a new level!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLike the earlier released \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/anthem-avm70-15-2-av-pre-amplifier-processor\"\u003eAVM70\u003c\/a\u003e, the AVM90 has 15 channels of preamp outputs available with either regular RCA or balanced audio connections, but the AVM90 adds even more with the addition of 4 discrete subwoofer outputs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/streaming.jpg\" alt=\"Streaming platform logos: Spotify Connect, Roon, Airplay2, Chromecast\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eNew Streaming Platform\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe streaming platform in the AVM90 includes Chromecast, Airplay2, Bluetooth, Spotify Connect and an upcoming update will add \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/roon-everything-need-know\"\u003eRoon\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eBuilt-In Phono Preamp\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother nice bonus connection is a built-in moving magnet phono preamp. This is no afterthought either as the engineers spent some serious time developing a great moving magnet phono stage. This means the AVM90 is not only a terrific surround sound processor, but also can serve as an outstanding preamp for your music system. In fact, as Apple, Tidal and Amazon roll out music in Atmos, having a surround sound processor double as your music system makes total sense. If you have not experienced Atmos music yet, you are in for a treat. Check out our article listing the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/top-10-dolby-atmos-songs\/\"\u003etop 10 Dolby Atmos songs\u003c\/a\u003e, play them through your Atmos theater, and you will have a whole new appreciation for great music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eAll the Formats\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe AVM90 has decoding for Dolby Atmos, DTS:X Pro, and IMAX Enhanced. These are somewhat competing formats for mixing the audio tracks of movies. Dolby Atmos is the most widely adopted and has clear guidance on where to place your speakers. IMAX enhanced uses DTS which can adapt to various speaker layouts. The great news is, no matter how that new movie was mastered or that classic one was remastered, the AVM90 has you totally covered no matter how the soundtrack was produced. And for those of you using a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater\/televisions\"\u003eTV\u003c\/a\u003e capable of Dolby Vision, you will be pleased to know the AVM 90 supports Dolby Vision as well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/51856173078_eb9ee18ca3_k.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003e8K Ready\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe AVM90 comes with HDMI 2.1 full 8K video capabilities built-in. So you can connect all of your sources including 8k sources directly through the AMV90 and then connect the HDMI out to your television or \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater\/projectors\"\u003eprojector\u003c\/a\u003e. The AVM90 also has e-ARC so you could also use the sources on your television and have it send fully uncompressed object-based surround audio signals back to the AVM90 for processing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003e30 Virtual Inputs With Great Lip Sync Capabilities\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor inputs, you get 7 HDMI, 3 Toslink digital, 2 Coax Digital, 4 Analog, plus the MM phono preamp. Like the AVM70, the AVM90 also has zone 2 audio and HDMI outputs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost home theater products lock you into using an HDMI input only once. Not so with Anthem. You can create up to 30 inputs using any combination you wish. You basically create a source in the Anthem setup and then assign any HDMI video input and any audio input, whether from that HDMI feed or from any other audio input to the Anthem. As an example, think about watching a sporting event but having the audio tune into the local radio station so you can hear your local announcer. Or you could have a source where you listen to music while simultaneously watching the stock reports or a news feed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/avm90_back.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90 - Back view\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSome of you who are serious listeners may have noticed there is a bit of difference in lip-sync between streaming platforms. Lip Sync problems usually occur when the audio arrives ahead of the video. You see this most often with projectors or when there is substantial video processing slowing down the video.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother awesome feature that we love is the ability to assign a different lip sync for each input. There’s a range of adjustment from 0-500ms, which is very wide compared to some other products. If you are using a home theater with a separate \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater\/home-theater-components\/movie-sources\"\u003evideo processor\u003c\/a\u003e after your AVM90, like a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/shop-by-brand\/madvr\"\u003eMadVR Envy\u003c\/a\u003e or Lumigen, you will really need this as video processors add a delay to the video of around 200-250ms before any delay caused by your projector or other display device. In the setup tips and tricks that we send to everyone who purchases their surround processor from Audio Advice, we include a link to our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/how-to-set-lip-sync-calibration-home-theater\"\u003eLip Sync video\u003c\/a\u003e that will help you dial it in perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eWeb Setup Interface\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf typing in 30 names of your virtual inputs using the cursor makes you think that is going to be time-consuming, you’ll be super happy with the great web interface. All you have to do is look up the IP address of your processor, (which you can find by selecting the network display) then you have full access to every single part of the setup right from your laptop! This also means you can sit in your primary listening position and quickly fine-tune the settings to really dial in the audio if you wish. For those of you who have your processor in a rack that does not have easy line of sight from your primary listening position, being able to make adjustments wirelessly from laptop is a huge benefit versus most systems that require a direct connection to the processor for calibration and setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/51856419854_c109258fa7_k.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eAnthem Room Correction\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/anthem-room-correction-genesis-overview\"\u003eARC Genesis\u003c\/a\u003e is one big reason we love Anthem gear. The room correction they developed called ARC is simply one of the best on the market. The room itself has a tremendous impact on the ultimate sound of your system. The problem is every room will cause certain frequencies to be too loud and others to be canceled out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthem Room Correction takes measurements of the room and smooths out the response. We have been beta testing the new version launching concurrently with the AVM90 and really love its ease of use and new capabilities. It adds even more great features to better phase align subwoofers to main speakers plus sets distances and levels. The result is extremely impressive. In room correction, the quality of the microphone has a big effect on the end result. The AVM90 comes with the same improved microphone as the AVM70. They even designed the microphone to be directional so the dot on the front faces forward just like a moviewatcher faces forward in theater seats. The end result is an even better calibration. The new microphone is a step up from the prior one, looks much beefier, and has a little indicator you will need to point exactly towards the front of the room.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe are most excited about the tech Anthem is using in the new version of ARC Genesis to blend the subwoofers with your speakers. It is pretty easy to use a tape measure to get the distances correct on your main speakers, but nailing subwoofer blending has been a task that can take some work. Most subs add some delay through their built-in digital signal processing and it was a bit of trial and error in the past to get them aligned properly. It makes such a massive difference in the sound that we have made a video just on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/how-to-set-up-a-subwoofer\"\u003ehow to calibrate multiple subs together\u003c\/a\u003e. ARC Genesis now makes this simple and takes it a step further by looking at the phase response of both your main speakers and your subs to time-align them into one cohesive unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/imac-illustration-1-1536x970-1.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem Room Correction\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorically, if you wanted more than 2 independent sub outs, you were spending over $20,000 on a processor. The AVM90 has it. This enables your combined sub output to be phase aligned such that you get the best response curve across your seating positions. We can tell you from experience, watching a movie or concert using a system with 4 fine tuned high performance subwoofers is like nothing you have heard before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn our testing, we connected four subs independently to the AVM90. Once we had everything else connected and ARC Genesis run, our jaws dropped at how much time it saves and how great the bass impact is in the room across all key listening positions. We did find that if you want to go true audiophile-level, you may want to tweak the room gain and deep bass after ARC has run, but we walk you through that in the ARC Genesis Tips \u0026amp; Tricks video.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd speaking of subwoofers, ARC Genesis gives you the option to run your main speakers’ full range and send bass to a subwoofer at the same time for those audiophiles who prefer their left and right speakers to just roll off naturally.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother thing we like about ARC is the fact it has 4 presets. This means you could set up one room correction for the best sound at your own favorite seat. You could do another that optimized across 2-4 seats for date nights, another for a room full of guests, and another for late-night listening with your subwoofers turned down or off. And along with these 4 ARC presets, they also have full adjustments for level, crossover, and distance for each one. For those of you who geek out on getting the most from your system, this literally has it all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/51855133032_88a6b8d071_k.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"subhead margin\"\u003eAudiophile Level DAC's\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the AVM90, Anthem uses very high-end audiophile-level DAC's that work at 32bit\/768kHz. This is one of the improvements that came from the delay in the initial shipments of the AVM90. The Anthem engineers had more time to evaluate all of the best DAC’s available. We’ll digress a bit here, but one of our all-time favorite surround sound processors from a pure audio standpoint was the Classe SSP800. It just sounded like a high-end piece of two-channel gear. Interestingly enough, a few of the team at Anthem used to be associated with Classe and had their own personal SSP800’s to compare the test samples they made when developing the revised AVM90. They totally nailed the audio in the AVM90, it sounds much better than our old SSP800 for pure two-channel audio, which is saying a lot. With the AVM90 your sound will be smoother and sweeter with deeper bass extension and a more effortless presentation. If you are considering either the AVM70 or 90 and plan to use your home theater for music listening, you will definitely appreciate the great DAC’s in both of these units, but the AVM90 is a substantial jump up in audio quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"hp-title\"\u003eOverall Recommendation\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/anthem-avm-home-theater-processors-review\"\u003eAnthem processors\u003c\/a\u003e have always done a fantastic job at spatial imaging. They can locate effects in precise positions with special effects panning across or around the room sounding totally natural. With the better DAC’s and improved power supplies the AVM90 got even better. In our listening test, it could float effects with pinpoint accuracy all over the home theater soundfield.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI know a lot of you watching this are probably considering both the AVM70 and AVM90.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe question comes down to whether the AVM90 is worth the additional cost for your situation than the AVM70? Honestly, for most people, the AVM70 will be a perfect fit and offer excellent sound and spatial imaging in a great home theater. But, if you have the budget and want to get the very best sound and movie experience you will love the AVM90. Now that Apple, Tidal, and Amazon all have Atmos music, the music experience in an Atmos-enabled theater is unparalleled and is only getting better as new music is mastered in Atmos. For those of you who are diehard two-channel fans, check out our videos on the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/top-10-dolby-atmos-movie-scenes\"\u003etop 10 Atmos movies\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/videos-reviews\/dolby-atmos-music-streaming-services\"\u003emusic\u003c\/a\u003e and you’ll experience a whole new level of audio that you never knew existed in the 2-channel world. I’ll admit that some of the remasters are a little hokey, but new music mastered in Atmos correctly will give you goosebumps.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnother scenario where you should choose the AVM90 over the AVM70 is if you have more than 2 subwoofers and want the advantage of ARC Genesis blending them perfectly into your system. Don’t underestimate the difference this can make if you have more than 2 subs!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinally, if you have the budget and you love great audio and have more than 2 subs, you’d be crazy not to get the AVM90!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_full\"\u003e\u003cimg style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/wordpress2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/51855133102_ad14c05159_k.jpg\" alt=\"Anthem AVM90\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"col_narrow\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are trying to decide whether to invest in the AVM90 or not, feel free to give us a call or chat with us at AudioAdvice.com or stop by one of our award-winning showrooms. We’d be happy to help you figure out what is best for your situation. In addition to our price guarantee, we also offer free shipping and lifetime support.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt Audio Advice, we've been designing and installing high-performance home theaters \u0026amp; \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/smart-home\"\u003esmart home systems\u003c\/a\u003e for decades. In fact, we've delivered more custom theaters than anyone in the Southeast! We are now offering Home Theater Design no matter where you live in the United States. If you are interested in a custom home theater or upgrading your current system, give us a call at 888.899.8776, \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/v2.zopim.com\/widget\/popout.html?key=oGoQ89mok15uBcXDpG6bX3XoNsC4fLL6\"\u003echat with us\u003c\/a\u003e, or stop by one of our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/about\/locations\/\"\u003eaward-winning showrooms\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are thinking about building a home theater or updating yours, be sure to check out \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater-design\"\u003eHome Theater Central\u003c\/a\u003e, including our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater-design#designer\"\u003efree 3D home theater designer\u003c\/a\u003e where you can design your system, see lots of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater-design#showcase\"\u003evideos of complete installations\u003c\/a\u003e, and browse our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/inspiration\/\"\u003einspiration gallery\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.audioadvice.com\/home-theater-design#guides\"\u003ehow-to videos\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Anthem","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45319600603159,"sku":"ANTHEM:AVM90-BSA","price":1005.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0806\/0639\/6439\/files\/m2sz0fr1i5jj_9581a278-5702-4cf4-82e4-3b13e2334981.jpg?v=1784652158","url":"https:\/\/audiodvice.shop\/products\/anthem-open-box-avm-90-preamp-processor-a-grade-5fuhtw","provider":"Wild Fern Baby Essentials","version":"1.0","type":"link"}