Sean Greer
Owner
Experience AV, Montrose, CO
970.275.6994
experienceav.com
Sean Greer is a former IT systems engineer and electro-mechanical design engineer who got tired of being laid off in the aerospace and telecommunications industries. “Combining both disciplines in an entertainment based environment seemed like a fun career move,” said Greer, who has been in custom integration for 12 years. A dealer for Anthem for six years, his firm specializes in troubleshooting home automation systems.
How do you rate the MRX-500?
I would rate the Anthem MRX500 a nine for features and a 10 for audio and video quality, at this price point. While it is not as flashy and doesn’t have all the features of other comparable offerings, the MRX500 focuses the features you actually use, and executed flawlessly. The USB jack plays high bit rate music extraordinarily well and the Ethernet port allows you to pollute the fine audio quality of your system with Internet radio.
For what types of installations is it best suited?
The Anthem MRX500 brings the Anthem name and quality to a much more accessible price point and has become our go-to receiver for almost any surround sound project. Many clients familiar with the Anthem name because of the Statement D2 preamp would never dream of putting a unit that expensive in a secondary living room or media room, so I get quite a few surprised looks from clients who know the Anthem brand and see a house full of affordable Anthem product recommendations in their latest project.
What is one feature of the MRX-500 that stands out in your projects?
One of the best things Anthem did was bring the Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system into the MRX line of receivers. By using the proprietary ARC system for acoustical setup, the Anthem MX500 makes a real difference in small to mid-sized rooms. I personally prefer the sound of the ARC auto setup for dealing with the unique acoustics of each installation, as compared to any of the current auto setup technologies. It’s an added bonus for the client who gets a system that is perfectly tuned to their room, something they always appreciate.
What features would you like to see changed or added?
I would like to see a bit more control capability from the serial port or even via the Ethernet port. At that point, the product would really be complete for almost any surround sound situation.