Description
This Anthem D2V 3D A/V receiver is a top-of-the-line product that offers high-quality audio and video processing. It features 7.1 channels and is in excellent condition, having been owned by only one person. Its original MSRP was $8,000, making it a valuable addition to any home audio or entertainment setup. The Anthem Statement D2V 3D processor receiver is perfect for those who demand the best in audio and video performance. With its advanced features and high-quality construction, it is sure to impress even the most discerning audiophiles and home theater enthusiasts. This receiver is a must-have for anyone looking to take their home entertainment experience to the next level. Performance: Over Worthy of a sequel When we first reviewed Anthem’s Statement D2 in the December 2006 issue, HDMI switching was just emerging. But it wasn’t as crucial as it is today, now that next-gen audio and video applications are firmly established. There’s a story to be told in how the Statement D2 increased its utility in the connectivity tumult of these last two years. And there’s another story in its ability to stand tall even now, as onboard decoding of the advanced audio formats is now emerging in AVRs and pre/pros. The Statement D2 has adapted to the evolving standards and features that HDMI carries. Now at $8K, the Statement D2 offers an advanced auto-setup and room-calibration system that furthers its value. It’s worth a fresh look. Since this is a follow-up, I’ll highlight the new information and features and refer you back to the December 2006 review for the basics. It’s HDMI’s World, Dawg The Statement D2 includes four HDMI 1.1 inputs and one output. While that might seem to be at least two HDMI versions out of date, it works. Here’s how. The D2’s HDMI inputs handle all of the current flavors of 1080p with aplomb, including 24 and 60 frames per second. In addition, it’s lossless-audio friendly. It processes multichannel high-resolution PCM over HDMI, so any next-gen player that decodes Dolby TrueHD and/or DTS-HD Master Audio to multichannel PCM is fair game. Lots of promises have been made with HDMI 1.3. But the fact is, Deep Color and x.v.Color remain figments of marketing people’s imaginations as far as packaged and broadcast high-def media are concerned. I had been using the Anthem AVM 50 for months before the D2 arrived earlier this year. Updates to the two went hand in hand. Over these many months, Anthem’s team delivered exceptional response time with HDMI updates that fix the sticky little problems that inevitably arise. For example, when the PS3 updated to 1080p/24, it first relied on the HDMI handshake to determine whether it would send 1080p/24 over HDMI, which didn’t happen with some displays. Sony eventually provided a forced 1080p/24 mode, but Anthem beat them to it with its own firmware update. While I don’t review as much gear as I used to, I’ve had an eclectic mix of HDMI 1.2- and 1.3-equipped displays and Blu-ray players marching through my system. (And I use a Comcast high-def DVR that’s HDMI version god only knows.) Although the Statement D2’s video processing re-syncs when the input signal’s resolution changes (like switching from a 1080i cable channel to 1080p Blu-ray), it’s rock solid in everyday use. I haven’t had any HDMI-related connectivity issues I can lay at the Statement D2’s feet, which is impressive. And if I ever do, Anthem’s track record suggests it will ride to the rescue with an update posthaste. Video Power We didn’t dig deep into the video processing the first time around, but the D2’s Gennum solution is first rate. It offers a level of utility that’s unsurpassed in my experience. It passed all of the tests Kris Deering devised for the AVR video-processing feature in our June issue. It passed 1080p signals to the very limits in pristine form. It superbly scaled and deinterlaced standard-def sources. And it handled 3:2 pulldown with 1080i sources, which means broadcast 1080i won’t be compromised. The defaults for the video processing are shrewd enough that most people will never have to dig deeper. For those who need to tweak, the useful variables will keep them busy for months. I only have one thing on my wish list for the Statement D2, in respect to video. I’d like a simple-to-engage passthrough that passes every video signal through as is, at its native resolution and frame rate, with no processing. But don’t get me wrong, that would merely be the proverbial icing. The ARC Anthem added a major update that’s available as a $400 add-on for current Statement D1 and D2 owners and is included for new D2 buyers. It’s called the Anthem Room Correction auto-setup and room-EQ system, or ARC, since that sounds so cool. The ARC consists of a microphone and stand, and a CD with software that drives the process. ARC uploads new firmware, and you must install it and run it from a PC connected via RS-232. While this isn’t as simple as an integrated system you can engage over the onscreen display, there are advantages to it, as you’ll see. ARC’s development started with research done in Canada’s famed National Research Council in the ’90s. Now the processing power required for such an elaborate system doesn’t require a supercomputer the size of a refrigerator. In the D2’s case, it requires just two big DSP boards. The system allows more cut than boost (the latter limited to 6 decibels). In default mode, the EQ is active only to 5 kilohertz, which allows a natural rolloff in high frequencies at the listening positions. (The Advanced mode lets the user run EQ all the way up to 20 kHz.) It’s fast and easy to run ARC in Simple mode. When you’re ready at each position, you press Go, and test signals play through each speaker. It took me about 20 to 25 minutes to take the measurements at five listening positions set at least 1 foot apart and to upload the results from the PC to the D2 An advantage of the PC requirement is that you can save any correction file and upload it again later if you want to experiment. ARC lets you view the measured room response and the target correction response on the same graph. If you want to experiment with different speaker positions or different speakers, you’re free to tweak to your heart’s content. But you can always return to your default correction file (or any other you wish to try out) with a button push on the PC. ARC’s correction process also calibrates channel levels, corrects phase to avoid cancellations at low frequencies, and sets the crossovers. Its test signals are wider in range than those you’ll find on most test discs or built into AVRs and pre/pros. When I used Anthem’s supplied microphone, the results were strikingly accurate. The D2 allows sophisticated crossover choices for each channel. I own and use a RadioShack SPL meter and have never trusted a component to make these choices. The ARC made me look like an ass. Its assessment of channel levels was on the money. And I’m willing to give it credit for the times when its choices differed from mine in the crossover settings. As you’ll read, the system sounded better. Think About the Future In addition to frequent firmware updates, Anthem remains aggressive in protecting its customers with an officially sanctioned upgrade path. Statement D1 owners can upgrade to ARC and/or send their units in to upgrade to the D2 for the price difference between the units. Similarly, when it releases a new flagship, Anthem says D2 owners can upgrade for the price difference. Anthem’s simple-to-install firmware updates (RS-232 via PC, with clear, concise instructions) and its upgrade path separate its pre/pros from the emerging crowd of less expensive models. You don’t have to trawl the online forums long to find that some of these less expensive models require difficult-to-install updates to solve critical issues. And when a new model comes out, they’re essentially disposable. Performance The D2 reveals fine inner detail, but it’s also extremely refined and relaxed. To some people, this might sound less splashy and sensational, and also less digital in character (that’s a compliment, too). Its strength is in dynamics that never seem to give. And its character remains consistently suave and naturally detailed, no matter how aggressive the material gets. But this was before the ARC landed. I must admit this was essentially my first foray into auto setup and room EQ. I’ve been a separates guy for years, and this technology has mostly been employed in AVRs until recently. ARC overcame my preconceptions here. It was relatively subtle in overall impact and sounded more natural than many EQ systems I’ve heard in audio-only systems. It can’t hurt that movie soundtracks themselves are so “manufactured” for the most part. The biggest difference was in the bass. It sounded tighter and punchier to me and seemed to dig deeper in extension. With the ARC cleaning up the bass—and some other nips and tucks in EQ—I clearly heard a little more sparkle and detail. And the sound felt less confined to the listening room itself, let alone the speaker positions. The best piece of demo software I’ve come across in years is Cloverfield on Blu-ray. I thought my room was literally coming down with the rest of New York. The bass impact and dynamics felt crushing. I A/B’d some of its critical scenes with ARC on and off. This revealed that, with the ARC off, the bass was looser and not as well defined. The Large Scale Aggressor lost some of its oomph with ARC defeated. Jumper might not be A-list cinema, but the soundtrack rocks. A jolt of bass accompanies each “jump,” and it sounded much more present and visceral with ARC engaged. The Blu-ray edition of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World also emphatically drives home the improved spatiality. Master’s battle sequences put you right on that ship, and man, it’s downright scary. Belowdecks, you can hear your shipmates walking around topside. And when you’re up in the ocean air, the wind and sails and creaks and groans from the ship are everywhere. Lossless audio on Blu-ray is ushering in a golden age in surround sound quality. The D2 reveals these nuances with extraordinary clarity and heightens the sense of involvement dramatically. Conclusion Anthem’s Statement D2 is unequivocally the most versatile pre/pro I’ve ever used—in the most important ways. I recommend this pre/pro as the standout in its category today. And I do so with the utmost confidence that it will remain so over time, based on Anthem’s commitment to updates and upgrades. I can’t say that about many products. This one is special. Highlights Outstanding performance with audio and video Anthem Room Correction is the real deal Extraordinary flexibility and versatility Anthem’s commitment to updates and upgrades makes for a solid investment
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