Yes, occasionally even Stereophile gets it right.

Kalman Rubinson - Music In The Round

Ive had the Anthem 225 integrated for six months now and it is a fantastic bit of kit.

Its excellent value, great features, great sound.

It will never be accepted by the hifi people though because it is just a well made great sounding good value peice of kit.

Now if they took the same electronics, wrapped them in brass and perspex and charged $20,000 instead of $1,500 it would be a world beater.

As we know from all the expert opinions on here it costs at least $20,000 to make a good sounding amp, no way it can be done for $1500 not possible. All the components have to be marked up at least 10 times as much as Anthem marks then up.

Alan

i don't think i can totally agree about s-phile not loving lower dollar gear. they seemed to think very well of the vincint integrated that is $2000. the exposure 2010 received good press and that is under $1500 i think and in the equipment ratings, it was said to be a better value than the more expensive 3010. the rega p3 is a perrenial favorite. don't they have one of the writers, john marks i think on a quest to put together a good sounding under $3500 system? i've read about this the last few issues. granted, these are not the cover page headline grabbers like the really high dollar stuff (think wilson maxx3), but this info is there for the finding. i enjoy reading about that equipment as much as any of it.

http://forum.stereophile.com/forum/showf...=true#Post68249

jan: i think there was once an old twilight zone story (the rod serling days) where one version of Hell was a continual loop that never ended, just the same thing repeating. i think this is the audiophile version of Hell.

Dante had seven levels of Hell, this is but one.

because so much of what i see offends my sense of logic, i can't help myself, i generally will only make one post in a thread such as this. i have now made it, it will be ignored because it pointed out counterarguments that the participants do not like to see. so i will no longer participate and generally only read a few more rounds to see if anyone responded and i need to make a reply, but then its off the merrygoround and leave them to it.

?

Quote:
TIts about the music and the films, period. ...

um, no. its about the music. this is stereophile. not stereo and filmophile. there is a hometheatre forum for that video nonsense.

I've still got an eye out and a lust for the last (and only) Anthem Hybrid. I wanna strip it down, rebuild it, and make it really rock. (It's a good foundation for serious modifications)

I am shocked that there has not been a full review of the Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD/CD player yet in Stereophile. This is truly an example of what you are talking about; truly STATE-OF-THE-ART sound at a price that those of us not driving a Rolls-Royce or Ferrari can afford!

This Sony costs $1500 and is the best player on the market for under $8000; it is a truly revolutionary product. It blows away my $6000 Ayre C5xe, which was definitely the best for under $10,000 3 years ago when I bought it.

Kal said some good things about it, but that was hardly a full review (his main interest was its HDMI output capabilities, apparently...)!

I think that this unit has really changed the game in CD/SACD playback. There MAY be units that cost over $10,000 that sound better, but I personally have never heard a unit that even comes close in reproducing a piano, voices, harp, violin etc. etc.

Until I got this Sony I thought that the Ayre was fantastic, but now I realize that the Ayre "stretches out" notes rather than reproduce them precisely and accurately. Slowly plucked individual notes on a string bass, for example, can sound a little "fuller" on the Ayre, but more rapid passages get run together and you lose the realism and clarity that the Sony gives you.

In classical piano music, I have never heard the playing of the masters brought out so clearly; every subtle nuance of their keyboard technique is as clearly heard as in a live recital. I have never heard anything that even approached this level of accurate reproduction before, from any CD, SACD, OR vinyl!!!!

I am certainly one audiophile who loves this unit, even if it does weigh only 20 pounds and doesn't have a platinum remote control...lol.

The ears are the only thing...!!!!

Nonsense, Welsh!

The NAD 3020 was a great-sounding $200 no-frills product that was enthusiastically embraced by audiophiles, and there have been other similar watershed products over the years at attractive prices.

There may be some so-called audiophiles that buy jewelry for their shelves rather than sound quality, but for the true audiophile there is nothing better than a great-sounding product at a reasonable price.

The Sony SCD-XA5400ES is the latest revolutionary product!
It may well be the best-sounding CD/SACD player available now at ANY price; ANY PRICE!!! IT is certainly the best for under $8000...and it costs $1500.

Why do you think that you can speak for everyone ?

Hifi is so subjective, just because you like the sound it does not automatically make it the best thing on the market.

Ive heard loads of supposedly great equipment and thought it sounded like crap

Please get of your horse

Alan

im going to buy that 5400

My opinion is my opinion is my opinion; no more...no less.

If I said something that made you think I was trying to speak for "everyone", you obviously misinterpreted it. Anything and everything that I say here is just my opinion, unless I state an accepted fact.

I, also, have heard equipment that got good reviews and sounded crappy, at least in my system. That is one good reason for these forums, so we CAN share our personal experiences and opinions, for what it is worth.

I will report what my ears tell me and you can do as you wish with the information.

As for you telling me to shut up...lots of luck!

I'll say what I feel like...and so can you!

Welshsox wrote:

Ive had the Anthem 225 integrated for six months now and it is a fantastic bit of kit.

Its excellent value, great features, great sound.

It will never be accepted by the hifi people though because it is just a well made great sounding good value peice of kit.

Now if they took the same electronics, wrapped them in brass and perspex and charged $20,000 instead of $1,500 it would be a world beater.

As we know from all the expert opinions on here it costs at least $20,000 to make a good sounding amp, no way it can be done for $1500 not possible. All the components have to be marked up at least 10 times as much as Anthem marks then up.

Alan

I went and listened to a Anthem 225 integrated amp and I agree you get "A LOT of BANG for your buck"! I'm thinking about getting one to go with my improved BOSE 901 series 6 mk2 speakers.

I auditioned the 225 when I bought my Paradigm Reference Studio 60's a few months ago. I agree with several reviewers that the volume control is hard to set. It moves in large steps and I found it difficult to dial in just the right volume I wanted. I was using the remote. Other than that it seemed like a very nice rig at a reasonable price, but the volume control issue was enough for me to pass it up.

Did I read about an Anthem receiver? Anyone seen or heard it yet?

Allen Fant wrote:

Did I read about an Anthem receiver? Anyone seen or heard it yet?

Is this what you are asking about?
http://www.anthemav.com/products/anthem/a-v-receiver