Anthem
A Canadian technical group that scientifically solves 'room acoustic problems.' With the world's highest-level room correction technology 'ARC' at its core, it draws out the true performance of speakers. An extremely rational brand that enjoys absolute trust in the AV amplifier field.
Overview
Anthem is a company established in 1995 as a sister brand to the Canadian speaker manufacturer Paradigm, specializing in high-performance AV amplifiers and processors. The company’s identity is embodied in its proprietary room correction technology “ARC (Anthem Room Correction),” which is rooted in acoustic psychology research findings from the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). Anthem’s philosophy goes beyond pursuing amplifier performance itself and directly confronts the fact that “the greatest uncertainty factor in audio reproduction is the listening room,” aiming to solve this problem scientifically using cutting-edge digital signal processing (DSP). Through this approach, they strive to maximize the inherent performance of speakers and achieve ideal sound reproduction in any environment.
Scientific Validity
\[\Large \text{1.0}\]Anthem products, particularly the core “ARC Genesis,” are a collection of scientific validity. ARC precisely measures the room’s acoustic characteristics (frequency response, standing waves, reflections, etc.) using the included dedicated calibration microphone, correcting acoustic problems of the entire system comprising speakers and the listening room. Its capability to automatically perform not only simple frequency response flattening but also time-domain behavior and phase integration with subwoofers is recognizable as clear sound quality improvement effects even in blind tests. The approach of “removing the room’s adverse effects” rather than idealizing speaker performance is based on extremely scientific and measurable evidence, deserving a perfect score under this review policy.
Technology Level
\[\Large \text{1.0}\]Anthem’s technology level is at the industry’s highest standard in terms of integration between room correction software and hardware.
- ARC Genesis Software: The correction algorithms refined through years of research and development achieve extremely precise correction in both frequency and time domains. Particularly, the function to automatically optimize the phase and distance of multiple subwoofers is advanced technology that competitors cannot match.
- Hardware Design: Hardware is designed with powerful DSP processing capability as a prerequisite. Additionally, insights gained from Paradigm’s speaker development, as a sister brand, are applied to amplifier design, demonstrating stable performance in actual speaker driving.
This tight integration between software and hardware shows high system-level completeness that goes beyond mere feature implementation, deserving a perfect score.
Cost-Performance
\[\Large \text{0.8}\]Anthem AV amplifiers are certainly not inexpensive in absolute terms. However, their price includes the world’s highest-rated room correction technology “ARC.” Considering that standalone acoustic correction processors with similar performance (Trinnov, Dirac, etc.) are extremely expensive, Anthem products offer very high cost-performance. For example, the company’s flagship MRX series, compared to competing Japanese AV amplifier manufacturers’ high-end models, offers clear sonic advantages through ARC while being priced equivalently or even strategically. Unlike pure mass-oriented amplifiers, when considering the added value of “problem-solving capability,” the price is fully justified.
Reliability & Support
\[\Large \text{0.9}\]Anthem products have earned high trust from professional installers for their robust construction and stable operation. The approach of not frequently changing models but selling one model for extended periods while continuously providing firmware updates for feature improvements and bug fixes is reassuring for users. The strong support system shared with Paradigm is also a strength, making these products usable with confidence over long periods. This earns a high rating close to perfect.
Rationality of Design Philosophy
\[\Large \text{1.0}\]Anthem’s design philosophy starts from the problem recognition that “the greatest obstacle to ideal acoustic reproduction is the room” and chooses “scientific measurement and correction” as the solution, making it extremely rational. The approach of using DSP, modern technology, to achieve fundamental problem-solving rather than relying on non-scientific elements like audio cables or insulators is an absolutely correct engineering approach. The close cooperation with Paradigm, a speaker manufacturer, ensures the system is designed with deep understanding of not only theory but also actual speaker behavior, supporting this rationality.
Advice
If you are seriously considering improving the sound quality of your home theater environment, or if you are troubled by room acoustic characteristics even in stereo reproduction, Anthem should be the first brand to consider. Particularly when you have problems with bass control, the effect of ARC is dramatic. Before upgrading to expensive speakers or amplifiers, introducing an Anthem AV amplifier to solve room problems is, in most cases, the most cost-effective sound quality improvement strategy. This should be considered not merely as an AV amplifier, but as an “acoustic problem-solving tool.”
(2025.07.05)