Denon AVC X8500H Owner's thread

You have to hard/bright sounding speakers.
 
You have to hard/bright sounding speakers.
Nothing to do with my speakers. Audyssey is just crap. Anthem room correction is 100 times better.
 
Nothing to do with my speakers. Audyssey is just crap. Anthem room correction is 100 times better.

Don't agree. PL100 is known to sound quite bright.
 
+1
Try Dynaudio for a more neutral sound... I couldn't get MA to work well in my previous pairing with the 7200 too..
I had the Denon 7200 for 2 years with the platinum speakers and that was fine. I think they have tuned the 8500H very different to the 7200. ie the vocals sound bright.
 
I do like ARC but Anthem amps are voiced brighter again than Denon. Plus in this country aren't worth the outlay. Maybe the 7200 was using midrange comp and the 8500 isn't? The Audyssey app makes the EQ system a very nice one indeed. Having had the Anthem 710 and a Denon 6300 I'd choose the Denon over the Anthem for MA speakers. Especially the Platinum's as they are quite bright speakers - I know when I got some P100's at an amazing price from Tyson I had to send them back as they were very up front. This on their dedicated stands, too.

I had the Denon 7200 for 2 years with the platinum speakers and that was fine. I think they have tuned the 8500H very different to the 7200. ie the vocals sound bright.
 
I do like ARC but Anthem amps are voiced brighter again than Denon. Plus in this country aren't worth the outlay. Maybe the 7200 was using midrange comp and the 8500 isn't? The Audyssey app makes the EQ system a very nice one indeed. Having had the Anthem 710 and a Denon 6300 I'd choose the Denon over the Anthem for MA speakers. Especially the Platinum's as they are quite bright speakers - I know when I got some P100's at an amazing price from Tyson I had to send them back as they were very up front. This on their dedicated stands, too.
The Anthem 710 and 720 sound totally different. The 720 is warmer sounding. I never liked the 710 to bright for me just like the new denon.
 
The voices in your head? When you switch the Denon off, do you still hear the voices? Do you think a week is enough to judge?
I had it for 12 days. And yes
 
The Anthem 710 and 720 sound totally different. The 720 is warmer sounding. I never liked the 710 to bright for me just like the new denon.

Audyssey MultEQ Editor App:

This app will allow you to:
  • View the speaker detection results, to check correct installation.
  • View before and after results of the Audyssey calibration, making it easy to identify room problems.
  • Edit the Audyssey target curve for each channel pair to suit your tastes.
  • Adjust the EQ frequency adjustment range for each channel pair.
  • Switch between 2 high frequency rolloff target curves.
  • Enable/Disable midrange compensation to make the vocal region brighter or smoother.
  • Save and load calibration results.
If the 8500 was too bright you could use the app to solve your "objection". In the Surround Parameter section in the receiver; you could have enabled "Cinema EQ".

If the Anthem does the trick for you, then great. The 8500 has many features the Anthem does not have and those features led me to buy the 8500. I will enjoy my 13.1 with Atmos and look forward to the Auro upgrade.
 
Yeah, I agree with this. Especially as the 710 was a higher specification amp but costed less than the 720 it was replaced by. I've no issue with Anthem other than their value is lessened over here due to high asking price - a price at which the Denon appears to offer better value especially with the Audyssey app. If you cut off the frequency at 500 hz or so XT32 works wonders in the bass region.

If the Anthem does the trick for you, then great. The 8500 has many features the Anthem does not have and those features led me to buy the 8500. I will enjoy my 13.1 with Atmos and look forward to the Auro upgrade.
 
Audyssey MultEQ Editor App:

This app will allow you to:
  • View the speaker detection results, to check correct installation.
  • View before and after results of the Audyssey calibration, making it easy to identify room problems.
  • Edit the Audyssey target curve for each channel pair to suit your tastes.
  • Adjust the EQ frequency adjustment range for each channel pair.
  • Switch between 2 high frequency rolloff target curves.
  • Enable/Disable midrange compensation to make the vocal region brighter or smoother.
  • Save and load calibration results.
If the 8500 was too bright you could use the app to solve your "objection". In the Surround Parameter section in the receiver; you could have enabled "Cinema EQ".

If the Anthem does the trick for you, then great. The 8500 has many features the Anthem does not have and those features led me to buy the 8500. I will enjoy my 13.1 with Atmos and look forward to the Auro upgrade.
I didn't realise that the app could do all that. I'm getting my dealer to check it out for me. Thanks
 
Not for the cost over here they don't. I loved my 710 but the power amp section was weak struggling to drive my linn speakers. That fan would kick in very quickly With the 720 having a lower specced amp section but at 3k...id get a Nad777 or Arcam 550. Or even a 8012 with the app if you like a softer sound.

Absolutely. Anthem plays in a different league, for both sound quality and room correction system.
 
8012??? Not in the same league in terms of sound quality and I'm not speaking about value.
 
Well maybe the 8012 is a stretch which is why I said 'even' I do like Anthem but there are others that have a more rounded package. My old Arcam 550 has a very similar DSP board to the latest Anthem amps so I can see why people like both. but the actual amp bit is just not as appealing on the Anthem. What I *will* say is while Dirac may be technically better than ARC it's a right bloody pain to use - corruption of saved files and a propensity to hook up the sub ant rear right to the same target curve... ARC just works and works very well. Just a shame the cost of acquisition is now so high.
 
So as a matter of equality I will be looking at an Anthem 720 in my living room as a demo. I can't afford one, but I thought that I'd put a 720 as opposed to a 710 through its paces. Given that I've had a 6300, arcam 550 and now the Anthem it'll be interesting to see if I feel the Anthem is indeed bloated in price or not.
I guess many folks post on here as gospel and haven't heard the amp in question (like me with the 720) so let's put that to rights over the weekend

Russell
 
Loads of Anthem talk in the 8500 Owners Thread. Can someone link me to the Anthem Receiver with 13.2 channels?
 
Considering how much amplifiers collapse in power just going to 7 channels 13 from one box, while impressive, is impractical. Even with the 8500 I'd still run a power amp for the main 3 speakers.
 
Considering how much amplifiers collapse in power just going to 7 channels 13 from one box, while impressive, is impractical. Even with the 8500 I'd still run a power amp for the main 3 speakers.

You didn't provide the link. How about the link to the Anthem Receiver with Auro?
 
There isn't one? No need being testy with me, especially seeing as a few posts ago I was agreeing with you that the Denon offers better value and I still do. I'm simply trying to corroborate the fundamental issue of amplifier and room eq quality given that I dissed a model based on a prior marque. Which isn't up to my normal post quality.

You know for a long while I didn't post on this forum I'm beginning to remember why.
 
So as a matter of equality I will be looking at an Anthem 720 in my living room as a demo. I can't afford one, but I thought that I'd put a 720 as opposed to a 710 through its paces. Given that I've had a 6300, arcam 550 and now the Anthem it'll be interesting to see if I feel the Anthem is indeed bloated in price or not.
I guess many folks post on here as gospel and haven't heard the amp in question (like me with the 720) so let's put that to rights over the weekend

Russell
I think you will like the Anthem. The Denon 8500 is still a very good amp it's just I didn't like Audyssey. But I did not use the new app but I will rectify that very shortly. :) And I did like other things on the denon that's not on the Anthem.
 
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There isn't one? No need being testy with me, especially seeing as a few posts ago I was agreeing with you that the Denon offers better value and I still do. I'm simply trying to corroborate the fundamental issue of amplifier and room eq quality given that I dissed a model based on a prior marque. Which isn't up to my normal post quality.

You know for a long while I didn't post on this forum I'm beginning to remember why.

I'm never testy. I tend not to be over wordy, so nothing is misconstrued. I asked a simple question as to get a greater sense as to where you are coming from. The getting to "know you" phase. So many people have agendas and biases. They feel that they have to go into threads and shove it in peoples faces.

Not saying that is what you and knucky are doing. I am trying to feel you guys out without being rude. I try to provide useful info and be respectful. Don't be upset with me; I'm probably like the fourth coolest person you will ever know.
 

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