Juggernaut VS Juggernaut! Trinnov Altitude 32 VS Anthem AVM90 AV Processor

[@mattgiunt]

Excellent work. Ive been trying to find out how Anthem and ARC calibration sound and you just delivered it. Thanks

[@shaneducholke364]

Great video as always brother. I always listen to your comparisons with my eyes closed with quality headphones. I didn't notice much difference in the video comparisons, the area I noticed was the first part of the Fury demo when it did the 360° pan amd the Trinnov was a little cleaner but sounded like it had far more speakers than the Anthem. The bass was the same amd maybe the Anthem was a touch deeper in one of the clips. After you mentioned the bubbles, I listened again with my eyes open and definitely noticed rhe bubbles. That taught me I should do a visual test after the blind test. The main differences came with the music. The second comparison of the Gentleman track was night and day, the clap sounds on the Trinnov had so much more depth and almost a ring to it that was nowhere to be heard with the Anthem. This track didn't have a ton of layers in it but you could hear things on Trinnov that were not there on the Anthem. The Jazz demo took it to another level, the sound was so much richer and detailed, over all, the biggest separation differences were in the higher frequencies. A comparison in classical music would separate these processors even further. I would love to hear the layers of an orchestra on the Trinnov. My conclusion is that of you primarily watch movies, you won't notice any difference as you are watching the movie and not focused on the sound, even then, unless you have $100k speakers, you won't be missing anything. If most of your listening was music, you will notice a difference, depending on genre. Classical and jazz will have the biggest improvements as well as layered EDM. Classic rock with certain groups with higher registers like Aerosmith or BeeGees you will have a richer sound. I am a movie guy and even if I had the budget, I wouldn't I would not uograde an AVM 90 to thr Trinnov as that extra $16k USD can be used to improve many other areas of a theater room first. That would probably have to be my last gear upgrade, but even then, there is always a better projector or MadVR that would give you a better upgrade. Thx for the great comparison. A thought I had, probably since I listen to the demos with my eyes closed for a more blind test, would adding a little test tone for a gear change affect the quality of your production? When there isba longer clip, it is sometimes hard to tell when there is a gear switch which sometimes has me peeking only to see no change has been made. Just a thought and probably only pertains to a handful of people

[@theoracleprodigy]

It seems to me that the Trinnov has better sound calibration that allowed it to control the bass. Even based on diagrams that's sort of what he stated up front. This would make a difference in music where you want a flatter response. I agree though not worth the 16k usd and you could flatten out the response other ways with the Anthem. Also that extra savings could do room treatment and better speakers. Those response curves looked horrid to me.

[@iamnojedi6291]

Great video. Would love to hear more comparisons. Both units sounded 👌

[@baycchief3785]

This is actually a VERY VERY EXCELLENT comparison. Normally audiophile enthusiast would not compare apple to orange but this demo gives us a better understand the differences between the two level of brands and sound quality vs. their perspective costs. Would be nice to see some high ends demo of Mcintosh like the MX170 or MX180. Thank you!

[@JohnWickFour]

Great review and was on my mind as fair as future upgrade path goes. Decided to buy the Anthem MRX1140 instead of Denon. Will be upgrading from 7.2 yamaha, so noticeable jump. And seperates are are dream for now. Cheers

[@XudenGroupLLC]

This deserves a thumbs up from every viewer!

[@SpecOfTech]

haha thanks Scott, if only it were that easy!

[@BobbyJ337]

I think people who buy Trinnov is not just 4 sound improvement but all the flexibility it has to offer. For just sound quality the price doesn't justify the cost difference. I would go with the maestro x9 or lyngdorf mp-60

[@BoyGenius-1]

Great demo. I agree with your synopsis. 👍🏾

[@SpecOfTech]

Thank you.

[@Novilicious]

I preferred the anthem AV 90 for all the music, and rhe trinnov for the movies. Strange…but would take OPs word over mine!

[@sebna]

Thank you for your continues posting of those comparison videos. Such a shame nobody else is doing it, at least not at the scale you do. They are of great value (if not taken too literally for what one hears when listening to those comparisons). One of your vids was actually the final straw that pushed me over the edge to buy my current pre. and it was the only one where SQ differences are very obvious to hear for me (XMC-2 vs AVM 70). Rest of them seem to be much more difficult to discern (not impossible, but more difficult). I always listen to your comparisons on few systems I have at home and they sound different on each system :), leading quite often to different conclusions or no conclusions depending on the system in use). That of course highlights the obvious and why I said in the opening paragraph that the comparisons cannot be taken too literally as there are (too) many variables in the chain. To name a few: master volume and mic gain settings on your end -> scene selection -> mic -> YT compression -> playback system on viewer end. But even it makes hard to ultimately judge the sonic performance of the devices it certainly allows, to some extent, to judge some of the differences which can be heard on the recording. And now about the comparisons. About the ones I was mostly interested in. Maybe you can let me know what are your thoughts about the below: 1. For me XMC-2 is clearly superior vs AVM70 in your comparison. It is very easy to hear in your vid how much more spatial and low level resolution there is in XMC-2 vs AVM70, which sounds like "looking through murky glass" in comparison. XMC-2 vs AVM70 is the easiest differences to discern among all the different pairs compared IMHO. 2. In AV70 vs AVM90 vid you say that the difference is quite stark but it is not so clear to hear in the recording. Yes the difference can be heard but it is splitting hairs (don't get me wrong - I am not saying it is like that IRL, just what video depicts on my end with my systems). 3. Extrapolating from 1 and 2 it seems that XMC-2 has a potential to sound better than, or on similar level to AVM90 as the difference I can hear on the vids is much bigger between XMC-2 and AVM70 than AVM70 and AVM90 (and you also gave a sonic win to XMC-2 vs AVM70). 4. And finally Trinnov is mostly clearly better sounding for both cinema and music than AVM90 but again the difference is not as big as between XMC-2 and AVM70, although bigger than between 70 and 90 comparison (I am talking about recordings only not actual gear as this I would not dare to judge by only listening to YT videos as per previous explanation). Actually the difference between AVM70 and XMC-2 is so big on the recording that it makes me wonder if there was an error of procedure of some sort when recording AVM70 leading to botched recording? Trinnov has "much" deeper look into recordings. More finesse and subtleties are drawn out. It can be clearly heard, to me, on music reproduction where it's top end is sweet versus etched with AVM90, but of course, not only on music. Anyway I think the strongest point of T is its Optimizer system, which really allows to maximize (or totally break) how your room sounds :). But at this price point great base performance is a must and it seems that T is not disappointing. Still as it is only a PC there is so much left on the table if a dedicated well designed hardware could be used instead of run of the mill noisy PC components. Can you comment on my deductions, which were extrapolated from comparing your different comparisons. It would be very interesting if you could put a weight to it from perspective of a person who listened them live and say for example, this is about right or that did not sound like that IRL etc. Thanks

[@SpecOfTech]

I have actually been wondering the same thing lately. I am considering comparing the Emotiva RMC-1 to my Anthem AVM90. I am not sure if you are aware, but I purchase or borrow most of the equipment I compare, most companies aren't will to work with me on review units just yet. It would be a pricey comparison, I just can't afford to keep buying equipment to compare, it is extremely hard on the pocket book. I do sell the equipment after my reviews and comparisons to help fund the next purchase, but even with that I lose money on each one. That money lost is not being replaced by the funds I make on YT, since I don't make enough ATM. With all that said, I have to be more careful with my purchases when they may be difficult to sell after, and Emotiva is a difficult sell because of their UI and firmware issues. I may be able to get my hands on an XMC-2 for comparison, but I would really like the Emotiva flagship to go against the Anthem Flagship. I suspect even the XMC-2 may sound as good, possibly slightly better, than the AVM90, but the AVM90 will win hands down in every other category.

[@sebna]

​@@SpecOfTech I have seen most of your content as it was released and caught up by now on most back log from before I knew about your channel. IMHO easily one of the best, if not the best HT gear centric channel out there. From your vids I know how you organize your gear for reviews, which is very impressive. I am sure that, what I am going to write next has crossed your mind on more then few occasion ;), and I really don't want to write it, as I am really enjoying the unique work you are doing with comparisons. I would imagine that if brands would start sending you gear for reviews they would never let you do head to head like this with sound demos. Those comparisons are very powerful and lay things bare for potential customers out there to see how things are, while otherwise they can hide behind their marketing talk and who really have opportunity to do much demoing not to mention head to head comparisons before buying? Those are not exactly cheap things as you know best yourself. I would not be surprised if those comparisons is something that might be stopping brands from wanting to send you their gear... hopefully not! Please don't change the formula! :D To give you simple example how powerful your comparisons are. I was considering XMC-2 for a very long time. My finger hovered over buy button at least 3-4 times in recent 2 years time. I was interested in it, because I read about it's high sound quality but I also knew about it's legendary bugs and as I had no chance to hear it in my system or anywhere else for that matter I always decided against it fearing the bugs. In one of those situations I decided in favor of CX-A5200. It was the comfortable choice. I knew it will not be as good sounding but I did not know by how much XMC-2 could be better and for that unknown factor I was not willing to risk the potential bugs coming with it. In the end it was your XMC-2 vs AMV70 comparison after watching which I knew straight away that I am getting XMC-2. I could hear the SQ difference is real and as I am used to comparing ton of stereo gear in real life in my room your video told me all that I needed to know as to what kind of potential to sound better XMC-2 actually has. And I was not mistaken and your video was of invaluable help :). So thank you for that. On the other hand, without it, I would not buy any Emo pre. I would probably try to get HTP-1 or Trinnov down the line (which will probably still happen eventually but I am not in rush now as I know I have great sounding Pre (by listening to it)). To finish this part of reply - I am in EU but if I would live in Canada I would definitely be sending you my XMC-2 or CX-A5200 or both if would like for extended testing and comparisons. Not really a feasible option to do it from here. About the other part of your message - apparently nobody, including Emotiva themselves, as I believe stated by their staff on Emo forum, can tell any sonic difference at all between XMC-2 and their higher ranked RMC series. Apparently that is because of the only difference being, other than channel count, is that for RMC series all channels have two DAC chips per channel vs only LCR on XMC-2. All XMC-2 and RMC channels are fully balanced anyway. I might be mistaken if it is really two chips per channel or is it some other trickery but that how it is done in high quality stereo systems so probably here is the same. And apparently that makes no real difference, as all are balanced but some in a bit more audiophile way but for channels, for which let's face it, it is harder to notice the ultimate fidelity, especially when differences between internal audio signal path topology are so minute (XMC vs RMC). To sum up - all interested say they sound exactly the same, including people who compared them. Maybe your tests would prove different but until then I am happy to think it is the case and from what you are saying, that should make your comparison of Emo vs AVM90 a bit easier (and a lot cheaper) to organize :). And to finish off this ever longer reply. XMC-2 is a beast but in all of its aspects, good and bad. It sounds great but OMG the bugs are real :D. So yes I agree with what you have said about it vs AVM90. My Yamaha just works, each day and every day. XMC-2 is a constant anxiety inducing struggle... don't get me wrong, it works but you never know what kind of gremlin will jump at you randomly next :). Saying this, they hired some HDMI programming magician and are working on releasing new Firmware with his input in it and as ever with Emo processors, there is a hope it will all get resolved and fully stable. Until then you either agree to be a beta tester or just don't buy their processor as you will almost certainly sooner or later run into some odd behaviors or bugs. For most there are workarounds - but that is the problem, you don't want to have to do some steps to get it working you just want it to work... still the sounds quality is very good and those are priced extremely competitively and they offer cheap upgrade plans to new gen when it is released in 1-2 years. For a about 1k USD your current gen will be replaced with brand new equivalent from new line-up when it goes live. That is impressive if you are prepared to live with, what seems to be, never ending beta testing part... Comparison chart of different Emo processors: emotivalounge.proboards.com/attachment/download/35791 And the most important. Thank you for your honest reply!

[@scottt3566]

Great video man! I absolutely love my AVM90 and have no desire to jump up to the Trinnov. This is always a budget decision though… Can’t wait to see a review video of those new JTR subs!

[@SpecOfTech]

The AVM90 is an amazing processor. I hope to work on the JTR review in the next few weeks. These things are beasts though.

[@spatel30]

@@SpecOfTech waiting for your JTR subs review. Curious to know if you replaced your x15s with JTRs?

[@GunnyPhillips]

Really great you went through the trouble of borrowing a Trinnov Altitude to make this video. I'm with you on it's price being out of range for me. I'll probably end up replacing my Marantz AV7702mkii with an Anthem AVM70 as even the 90 is a little steep for me.

[@shaneducholke364]

Love the new microphone, brings your demos to a completly new level!!

[@SpecOfTech]

Oh awesome, that's what I want to hear. I like how it captures everything moving around the room.

[@shaneducholke364]

@@SpecOfTech easily one of the best demos/comparisons I have seen. This alone will increase traffic. Maybe you can start doing shorts to increase exposure, even if KZbin doesn't monetize for copyright for movie clips, it will grow your base.

[@SpecOfTech]

@@shaneducholke364 I 100% agree, I have been planning on doing shorts.

[@andrewmacgregor6131]

This is both fantastic and very interesting! I'm listening to this on Sony XM5 headphones and understand that what I hear through the headphones might not be entirely accurate, especially with KZbin compression, but I'm going to describe my thoughts anyway. I felt the Trinnov was definitely more accurate in positioning and seamlessly moved objects around better which was awesome. It also had better detail especially in the surround channels, but I felt it was a little cold and touch artificial at times - perhaps it wasn't in reality? Dare I say it, in the two channel test I thought the Trinnov was a little flat with respect to depth of sound stage by comparison to the Anthem, which is a real concern to me because I find my Arcam flattens the soundstage too when Dirac is on and that spoils Dirac for me. The Anthem was miles ahead in that Jazz piece. The Anthem was a little bass heavy and bringing the bass level down a touch may have closed the gap on the difference in clarity with the Trinnov - it's amazing how a little too much bass can impact the perception of clarity! Overall, I liked the detail and positional accuracy of the Trinnov and it was definitely better in the upper frequencies, but it was a bit cold, almost like there was a bit of suck out in the lower midrange. I came into this thinking the Trinnov would walk over the Anthem, but it really didn't, at least not as far as I can tell through my headphones. I hear what you are saying about the Trinnov in the two channel stuff, but to me at least, in that section the Anthem sounded better. The other contender is the Lyngdorf!

[@tomb375]

Hey Bear! Great Video as always. I see you still have the Sonus Farber Sonetto's. I would love to see a Comparison shoot out between these three, Arendal 1723 THX and the Martin Logan Motion XT F200. I heard the Martain Logan in North Carolina at the Audio advice Expo and they were amazing, Your Thought's between the three, Thank you as always.

[@Sparkyc511]

Both sounded excellent but To me I preferred the AVM90 for the music demos and the Trinnov for the video demos.

[@shaneducholke364]

I was the complete opposite haha

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

Have you seen the difference in response with EQ on both processors on the subwoofers? What will there be up to 20 Khz? This comparison is not objective or rigorous. written with translator Greetings

[@מיקמקיםלאביא]

very nice review. you shuld review the lyngdorf products as well.

[@FrankieKennethL]

I’m about to sit and watch and I’m scratching my head. Cause this can’t be expected to be a fair competition. I’m an Anthem owner and while it’s maybe step or two above the ‘mainstreamer’ variants, I myself have never held it in a ‘Juggernaut’ / end game category. I’ve reserved that label to offerings from Trinnov, Storm, And a few niche types? So even before I hit, play I’m going in with some biases hehe

[@SpecOfTech]

I had to make it a little dramatic lol. The title had to be exciting.

[@FrankieKennethL]

@@SpecOfTech hehehe. 👊👊

[@dbascur2]

What i can tell from youtube compression, Trinnov for movies hands down but i prefer the sounds coming out of the AVM90 for music listening. I would love to hear the shootout between the Marantz AV10 vs the AVM90.

[@shaneducholke364]

Interesting, I was the complete opposite haha, proves different ears prefer different things

[@william1252]

Did Marantz step up the dac game or what? Why are they so expensive now? If I had 7k to spend I'd buy a used Marantz 7705 for the legacy inputs and probably an emotiva with the new prices they have. Maybe even have a grand or 2 left for an amp. If I had to choose one though I would probably go avm90. It seems like a very complete high end product for the price.

[@JuanJose-wt5yj]

Have you seen the difference in response with EQ on both processors on the subwoofers? What will there be up to 20 Khz? This comparison is not objective or rigorous. written with translator Greetings

[@BigStreetCinema]

You can’t tell shit from this YT comparison sound 😂

[@ronj1215]

Trinnov was a tab clearer, and the highs are on another level, but for the price... not worth it over the Anthem. Great video, SIR!

[@JesusGutierrez-pr4po]

Thanks for the video! Now I love more my AVM90.

[@alphaplus4162]

Anthem is holding is down very nicely. My choice I'm so motivated to buy one thanks for this.

[@hifihometheater]

Very cool! that must have bene fun getting to demo the Trinnov in your own space.

[@SpecOfTech]

It was an amazing opportunity. I couldn't believe the gent who owned it was willing to bring it down, what a good sport he was.

[@zackw4941]

I like the red and blue light to distinguish each device.. But each color sets such a different mood, I feel like it changes my bias to naturally expect that the red demo is warmer and the blue demo is cooler and more spacious. And that is what I that is what we all heard anyway.. And I'm pretty good at keeping my bias' in line, but we're all only human. Great review! But you're kind of an a**hole for showing me how badly I want a $30k thing that I just don't need :)

[@SpecOfTech]

I pride myself in helping those spend money they didn't know they wanted to spend lol.

[@Creator-uj8je]

Trinnov is much, much better! It takes the system to another level.🤘

[@pradeepreddy3744]

Thank you for the amazing work. I heard that the VTV Purifi class D amplifier can increase the detail retrieval for the speakers. If possible, do you mind pairing the amp with Anthem AVM 90 to see if the detail retrieval is improved to the extent of hearing those water bubbles you otherwise could not with AVM 90 when it's heard with Trinnov. Trying to see if the pairing can make a difference and bring it closer to Trinnov in terms of detail retrieval.

[@santabanta6988]

Would be awesome if the detail level is increased. It can save money and provide a good alternative option to many

[@gufiaito69able]

I think the trinnov was cleaner and more detailed you decently felt the added space the avm90 is more forward sounding for my taste.

[@jesseaylward7469]

Great video! Must have been a lot of work to set up and compare the systems but really appreciated on this end. Digging the comparison product concept 👍

[@SpecOfTech]

Thanks brother. I definitely can be a lot of work, but at the same time it's fun playing with audio gear, so it's more like playtime lol.

[@albertdenton]

The trinnov was a incremental difference in movie scenes, music anthem kicked its ass. Trinnov not worth that jump

[@matta9316]

This is a good vid; The problem you have now is once you hear something better, you can't "un-hear" it - so get ready for the upgrade bug

[@SpecOfTech]

lol Yeah you are 100% right, I pretty much live in a constant state of upgrade-itis!

[@Fluterra]

Once you go with Trinnov there is nothing to “upgrade” to!

[@adamjj85]

Great video. Did you use the fancy Trinnov mic for its measurements? How about their speaker mapping technology and all of their other knobs and features? I'm assuming that stuff has to put it far ahead of the Anthem?

[@SpecOfTech]

We did use their fancy mic for the room calibration. The feature set and customization of the Trinnov is well beyond that of the Anthem

[@CanadianPonchman]

Thank you for this review. As an avm90 owner I wanted to hear this. Always wondered 😊

[@SpecOfTech]

No problem, I'm glad you found it helpful.

[@TheLkdude]

@Spec Of Tech , A truly rare review! Great review, BTW - did you use the Trinnov mic to optimize ?

[@SpecOfTech]

Thank you, I appreciate that! Yes we used the Trinnov mic to calibrate it for my room.

[@Cblan1224]

Throw in the AV10 and it'll be one heck of a video. I've been considering av10 vs avm90 for a long time. I went with the av10. Getting it tomorrow

[@SpecOfTech]

Congrats, that AV10 is a beautiful unit!

[@junior-OG]

😍

[@Novilicious]

Did you also go with the matching amplifier from Marantz? Because I think getting that perfectly matched amplifier may do you wonders! Congrats 🎊

[@Cblan1224]

@Novilicious no. I already have 2 8-channel amps. The amp10 is definitely an interesting piece, and I'd love to hear it, but I build my own amps using the same modules that marantz puts in the PM10, which have more power, and less distortion, than the modules in the amp10

[@dmssa9725]

@@Cblan1224 Its been a few months since, I believe you received your AV10. How do you like it? What were you upgrading from if you had a previous processor? I wonder if anyone here has done a comparison between the AV10 and the AVM 90.

[@jamesmccallum8866]

I have a trinnov altitude 16 wich is haf the price of altitude 32 it sound the satly you could look at the cheaper option and upgrade from anthem avm90 to trinnov altitude 16 instead.

[@sebna]

And 2nd hand Alt16 tend to go for around 10-11k euro / USD :), which make them very much in ball park of new AVM90. Until in few years there are some low priced AVM90 on the market I see 2nd hand Alt16 as the only option to upgrade to for myself (or maybe a HTP-1 but that would be a side-step for me more than a upgrade).

[@wezzman1]

Great review mate and you are correct in the movie scenes the trinov was more detailed, but for music the Anthem sounds better. It had more bottom end and sounds fuller.

[@SpecOfTech]

Music is a strong suit of the AVM90, it's a fantastic piece of gear.

[@iosifderecichei3743]

Great video! You are doing quite a professional job, very entertaining and useful.

[@SpecOfTech]

Thank you!

[@mustangfred2006]

Really cool comparison. Of course the Trinnov would kick ass! But the money. Holy shit! I am considering upgrading to the Anthem 90 though.

[@Johnnytrades101]

Awesome video! The new mic is much better. IMO, Trinnov is the holy grail of HT processors. For systems that are 11 ch, and around there, the Trinnov is a massive overkill. If you have 17, or 21 or even more ch then the Trinnov makes sense for sure. That is a big ass home theater! Great comparison, and I agree with your thoughts on the value.

[@gmartin0312]

Totally false. Whether you have 5.1.2, 7.1.4 or 16 channels, the Trinnov is leaps and bounds better than these boutique processors. That’s like saying the Anthem is useless if you are using the same number of channels 5.1.2 etc. the Altitude 16 (now 20 via software upgrade) is easily the most future proofed processor out there. Huge difference between software based vs “cheapest chips” which eventually are outdated and running “some form” of the actual codec e.g. Dolby, DTSX, Auro.

[@MW-ii5nb]

Does the Anthem have PEQ ability or do active crossovers? The Trinnov can time align 10 time more precisely, has the ability to have a complex excursion curve, 3d room measurement etc. The Trinnov has measurement settings for the mic, did you use the correct ones, such as start frequency, crest factor, threshold of response. What did you use for resolution of response?

[@gaurd3]

Trin 32….. easy. can’t even make the justification for it. 😂 I don’t have the space or the hardware for it. I would need some killer speakers l, and a lot of them before I would look at that. Probably be the last thing I would get. Crazy the 2.1 is an upgrade at that price. Old tech at this point should be included

[@avtechman77]

Can we get a comparison between the new Marantz AV10 and the Anthem?

[@SpecOfTech]

I would love to do that comparison, I am hoping to get my hands on an AV10. So far it's looking like I would have to buy a unit if I want to review it, and that is just too expensive for me to do unfortunately.

[@avtechman77]

@@SpecOfTech Hopefully they'll send you one

[@rankinginsight1976]

Great stuff! Very interesting. I guess you get what you pay for with Trinnov

[@Christopher._M]

From this alone I would save the extra 22k and just buy the Anthem.

[@adrianbarac3063]

I just have to say it - Is there really much validity to the comparison, when the room isn't properly treated, and you're not feeding bi or tri-amped powered speakers / studio monitors? You'd get a MUCH more noticeable improvement by just doing that - at an absolute fraction of the whopping cost!

[@nomaninb]

Very Good video i request pls compare Trinov altitude 16 vs Macintosh Mx 180 pls

[@davidmusoke]

Finally, a difference I can hear. The layering from the Trinnov is much superior to the Anthem...and I'm an Anthem fan (D2v). More 3-dimensional with deeper imaging, even with stereo content. I can now rest in knowing that the Trinnov price is justified. Anthem is the best processor under $10K, in my opinion.

[@TechinaSec101]

Thank you for doing this Review. I was in the same park but I believe you reached the point of diminishing returns with the Trinnov. However, there is a Pre-Amp that is up there with the Trinnov, Has a few things better than the Trinnov and costs ALOT less than the Trinnov that I went with. I couldn't be happier :) Can you guess what it is?

[@SpecOfTech]

hmmmm...tough to say really. It would depends on what "things" you would consider as "better" than the Trinnov lol. I could venture a guess of Storm Audio, but I wouldn't consider them to be "A LOT" less than Trinnov, depending on the models we are referencing. Long story short lol, I guess Storm Audio.

[@graysonpeddie]

Could it be Storm Audio?

[@Youthman]

Sick intro! Watching video now

[@SpecOfTech]

Thanks brother, I hope you enjoyed it.

[@alhillary2391]

Trinnov VS Mcintosh MX 180 or MX 123. Great work by the way.

[@kalexan9]

You've got to be kidding, right? I don't think an MX123 would best a totl Denon

[@ericwilliams1419]

Great comparison video. I agree with your assessment 100%. The Trinnov simply reveals more details within the music or movie...just can't afford it. By the way, love the look of your speakers. Are they Paradigm? I have Studio 100's, CC-690 ,40's and ADPs for my base layer. If those are Paradigms, what series are you using all around for your base layer? Thanks.

[@SpecOfTech]

Thanks brother! I am using Sonus Faber Sonetto VIII towers, Sonetto CII center, Sonetto Walls for side surrounds and Sonetto II bookshelves for rears.

[@junior-OG]

@@SpecOfTech we are still waiting for the review🙄

[@invisibles362]

I think that Anthem and some companies will get closer and closer to Trinnov an Storm in the near future, with more affordable PrePro......

[@70grade37]

Ok so I asked you a question about 7 months ago which has now lead to a 2nd if you don't mind. What were you using to Power everything Amp wise??? Would keeping my pair of Anthem MCA 525's and upgrading to the Trinnov Alt 16 or 32 Processor cause a noticeable/Better difference??? Thanks

[@SpecOfTech]

Trinnov has fantastic sound processing software. I'm sure you would hear a difference upgrading to the Trinnov. Their 3D sound placement is second to none.

[@sebastiankorfanty8015]

Hi, Do you know if this Altitude 32 was running Sabre or older DACs? Thanks

[@Menard892000]

Wow that microphone is crazy good lol. As always superb video.

[@GaneshPerumal-qt1ly]

How would you describe the difference b/w denon x4800 and anthem mrx740...sound and options to tweak it?

[@70grade37]

So I have the AVM90 and am considering getting the Amplitude 8… Thoughts on Mixing those together? Pros, Cons (If any)

[@SpecOfTech]

I don't foresee there being any major cons to that pairing, because you can always EQ the sound to taste. But, if you are using speakers that lean towards the cooler side of neutral, then you could find things leaning to the bright side with that pairing. The Anthem products are known to be on the cooler side of neutral, class D amps are also known to lean to the cooler side of neutral. Pairing that with speakers that lean on the cooler side may not be the best combination, unless you are familiar with using ARC to adjust for that.

[@madcrabber1113]

Great video but with 2 kids in college both are out of my budget. Maybe someday!

[@FrankieKennethL]

I have the Altitude 16 on my dream wish list. The 32 is all but a pipe dream to me. I could however make a realistic goal of buying an TA16 within two years like Tony build montage aspired and did.

[@SpecOfTech]

That's an excellent goal, I have no doubt you would be impressed.

[@Hellspawn22222]

I am myself a Trinnov owner since the altitude32 was first released. In order to understand the comparison better, I am curious on the room calibration. Since the default calibration is basically a flat line, the result is pretty bad with to much treble and to little bas. If I understand it correctly you hade the optimizer enabled but with default/unaltered roomcurve? I do believe that the Trinnov is more of a software company and that is were their strength lies, but it is super interesting to understand how good the anthem stacks up against the Trinnov from a true audiophile perspective. Did you do any comparison using "unprocessed" (or only correcting the bas region) audio the evaluate the DAC/Preamp section?

[@SpecOfTech]

I did not have the time to play with all the intricacies. I had the unit for a limited amount of time. The calibrations used were there baseline calibrations, this is the only way to keep things fair and unbiased. Of course you can customize the sound of each processor, but then that introduces new ways for it not to be fair. You can adjust many different factors of each unit, but how do you do that while keeping it fair? If you want more bass, you can get that from each unit, if you want a calibration curtain, you can do that with both as well. I would say the software is the strongest attribute of the much more expensive Trinnov, as both units have world class hardware.

[@Hellspawn22222]

@@SpecOfTech It would be intresting to compare them without room optimizer as that would be easier to understand core performance. And as next step it would be to add the calibration as that is almost an artform with lots subjective and objective decissions that needs to be made etc.

[@nathandaniels4823]

So where’d you get the Nature’s Fury demo? I haven’t seen/heard that one yet.

[@SpecOfTech]

I have the Dolby App on my Xbox Series X, that app has that demo on it.

[@SanandanDA]

You otta review the Emotiva BasX MC-1 super budget pre-pro

[@michaelnyansafo7343]

Where can I get this demos?

[@hjksk8610]

Nice video, where to get that Dolby Atmos demo?

[@SpecOfTech]

I used my Xbox Series X, it has a Dolby Atmos app with demos in it.

[@hjksk8610]

@@SpecOfTech btw for the bass I have a preference for the Anthem to my ears

[@gmartin0312]

Interesting comparison I understand the Altitude was on loan but the Altitude 16 would have been a much more viable comparison in terms of dollars and channel processing. I am not sure how anyone can hear a difference playing this through KZbin compression and what is probably through iPad speakers or something of the like. I had the AVM70, Rotel, and Arcam AV40, I chose to go with Trinnov after not experiencing any real differences over my Marantz SR8015 receiver. The Trinnov altitude 16 is not 4 times the cost of the avm90, and the VAST MAJORITY of people will not need the Altitude 32 other than double the channels and 96-192khz higher res decoding for music its not worth it. The demo that shook me was watching A Quiet Place on Kaleidescape, I had the AVM70 still and the Trinnov altitude 16, NIGHT and DAY difference, I agree with your comment about hearing every little ambient sound clear and in it’s precise direction (thanks to their incredible remapping tech). Another incredible “feature” people don’t speak about much is the customer service you get, I remember calling up Rotel for issues with their new HT processor and taking weeks to get back to (eventual return), that being said, Trinnov Techs respond almost immediately and connect to your unit remote to install updates, correct issues and guide you through any issues or settings you don’t understand. - I’ve never worked with Anthem support so I cannot comment.

[@jamband4230]

I'm listening to a cheap 200$ Samsung phone with a pair of kz pros. So I'm not nearly the clarity of some of the other viewers on your channel but it seemed to me like the anthem has more bass impact and like you im a big bass head that's what set these 2 processors apart. It was hard to tell much difference in the 2 but I imagine without the "bloated" bass you were hearing more details in the trinov. I'm sure with some adjustments you could've dialed that trinov in perfect. But it was hard to understand what I was listening to through the binoral mic. I'm sure it sounded great in room but unfortunately it didn't transfer through my cheap setup. It was a good video. I liked the lights in your room. They looked like lightsabers above your speakers which is a pretty cool effect for a movie room. Last time I saw you, you had legacy speakers it looks like you switched to sonas Faber. Both great speakers. Personally I would've gone with sonas Faber they've always one of favorite speakers to listen to. Thanks for the video. It was fun

[@trauma50disaster1]

I prob have no idea what I'm saying but I picked up another 3800h today and I seemed to have did what I wanted in auro3D, which is 5.1.6 to 7.1.8. But who knows I have no idea what I'm doing. Just plugged the output of one to the input of the 2nd, messed around in video option to turn monitor 1/2 to activate and I got sound, I already had picture. Then I go to to the speakers plug them in and it works, also the info button shows the channels active as intended. But again I'm prob looking at something wrong. The remote works for both. I can get a 16th channel using the vog of the 2nd avr and 8 subs.

[@imhighonlife9075]

So they both sound great. Another option is to get something like a Denon 6700, put it in your rack and 99.999 percent of people won’t be able to tell the difference. Great video though , keep it up!

[@SpecOfTech]

Yeah they both do sound fantastic, but there are some noticeable differences. You're right the general public won't be able to tell the difference, but I sure would lol. My system is about my enjoyment, it's a selfish hobby.

[@imhighonlife9075]

@@SpecOfTech no doubt , well said!

[@Laissez_Faire]

I could hear the difference in the music. But for now I’ll stick to my avm60 🤷🏻‍♂️. For now!!

[@BuildMontage]

Interesting video mate... Personally I don't think it's quite a fair comparison (not that your video idea is bad!) just that possibly something like a Storm would be closer. For the money, Anthem is hands down the best in class for it's pricepoint and if I didn't pursue owning a Trinnov as hard as I did to the point of obsession, Anthem would have been my next choice. There is so much to what a Trinnov can do, especially in non-perfect rooms, and the level of calibration options is very extensive... phase, impulse, plus access to excursion curve control etc... to me.. it was the end game hardware I knew I needed for my room. Good video mate - glad I finally got around to watching it since coming back from the Trinnov room at ISE :D

[@SpecOfTech]

lol Oh yeah, vastly unfair, so much so I had to make sure to make that clear in the video. This comparison was more for fun, and to help answer some questions in the community, because there were quite a few asking this question online. The Trinnov is such an amazing piece of kit, I can see why that was your goal for so long. I'm glad you were able to achieve it. I would love to hear your room, or at least a room like it, with Trinnov and Krix equipment. Although, I have a feeling I would want some upgrades coming out of it. Your space is just impressive, amazing looks, and no doubt, amazing sound. As always, thanks for watching brother.

[@கணேஷ்குமார்-ன4ழ]

Anthem gives crispy treble.. Trinnov gives detail treble..

[@dwalker112]

The most accurate description 👌🏾

[@mrlinde6518]

Great video. I hope you can make a DIRAC SSP(Storm, Arcam etc) vs the Trinnov, that's one of the most asked questions currently.

[@SpecOfTech]

I would love to, but it might be tough to get my hands on all 3, but who knows.

[@820stovall]

Nice comparison. Not sure I hear the $22,000 difference.

[@pepe73737]

Is it worth buying a trinny if you have an open floor plan? My basement is an L shape. Thanks in advance

[@SpecOfTech]

Honestly, the Trinnov would be the best option because with the cal mic it can adjust the speakers location virtually to help get you the best response even without proper speaker placement. It can tell if your speakers are not optimally placed and adjust that in the software virtually.

[@patrickvanlanen4037]

Hey Barrett never heard of StormAudio? Compare that one with the Trinnov.

[@chebrubin]

Yup StormAudio is the exclusive partner for Dirac 2023 tech (everyone has to wait for 2024) vs Trinnov.

[@SpecOfTech]

I have heard of Storm Audio, and I wonder how they compare to Trinnov as well.

[@glynmatthews678]

I am installing storm into my system... its superb

[@SpecOfTech]

@@glynmatthews678 Very nice, congrats brother!

[@vipiriusvt]

Great video! I would love to see a comparison between the AVM90 and the new Marantz AV10. Especially for 2 channel/music performance. The AV10 has a few small features I would like but not at the expense of sound quality

[@blueflame0003]

Really against marantz, or your just playing...i don't even need the comparison..marantz, denon are overrated 😴

[@SpecOfTech]

I have not heard the AV10, so maybe they have made some vast improvements on sound quality. But, given my past experience with Marantz, and from what I have read, I would expect the Anthem to be clearer and cleaner with less warmth (coloration). Take that with a grain of salt, since it is only based on my assumption with no real information from the AV10 itself.

[@blueflame0003]

@@SpecOfTech i totally agree with you from what heard also,plus i have the denonx8500h, and i regret buying it..can't wsit for my avm90. Im getting closer to making that move...already got the amps...great video as always.

[@demonreturns4336]

@@blueflame0003what didn’t you like about the 8500?

[@garemz]

Any way you can get your hands on the Marantz AV10 for a review?

[@SpecOfTech]

I hope to get a review unit in the future, but I haven't had any luck this far.

[@garemz]

@@SpecOfTech Im In Edmonton can always let you review mine

[@Mrtscrp30]

Anthem sounds warmer with music Trinnov sounds cold in music. But in movies the Trinnov sounded better than the Anthem the Anthem sounded like it was in a hallway where the Trinnov sounded forward and clear separation.

[@Mrtscrp30]

But in all honesty I don't see a justification in such a high price for the Trinnov unless your a commercial user. But my pockets aren't anywhere near deep enough for that kind of equipment so hats off to those can afford it.

[@googoo-gjoob]

agreed... the Trinnov is the mack daddy. but...... is it 300% better, only if i win the lotto

[@jarvisN10280]

Could you please tell me what speaker brand was used in this vedio?

[@SpecOfTech]

They are Sonus Faber Sonetto.

[@da7omi911]

10:14 anthem made it extra boomy 11:22 Trinnov less boomy

[@iampuzzleman282]

Anyone know how the anthem Avn 90 compares to the NAD Master Series M17 V2i?

[@SpecOfTech]

Stay tuned on the channel, I have a comparison coming between those two.

[@darrenburtoft1792]

Awesome 👏

[@hellonwheelsuknow6556]

Wow, I gotta say the Anthem sounds better to me from what I can hear here....

[@mdjak3686]

Great job as always.

[@SpecOfTech]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@william1252]

Badass review dude.

[@Kickinitwithd18]

Awesome video

[@SpecOfTech]

Thanks!

[@TheOrlandoRealtor]

How do these processors compare to the JBL synthesis?

[@SpecOfTech]

I'm not sure to be honest, I have never heard the JBL.

[@Masterkale82]

3d placing of the trinnov is much better. Anthem sounds more harsh and bass is less good balanced.

[@truwarrior22]

Is it using some form of compression to bring up the lower volume details? DACs, etc. are weird… Enabling dynamic volume in by SR8015 bring out a lot of lower volume details.

[@geohof]

Which one did you like better for music? I know each one has their strengths. Both w/w/o calibration. Even if it’s close.

[@SpecOfTech]

We didn't do a lot of comparison on the music side, but we did do some. With the calibrations, I found the Trinnov a little more neutral. The Trinnov is able to bring out the subtle nuances better, so I personally preferred it over the AVM90. That being said, the AVM90 is absolutely amazing for music, it's one of its clear strengths. Considering it is 4 times less $$ than the Trinnov, the AVM90 performs well over its price point for music.

[@keepingupwiththejones2933]

Seems like someone's suspension is over♥️♥️🔥🔥🔥. Love that opening

[@SpecOfTech]

Thanks brother!

[@brettvanhereweghe7990]

What will you buy now that you sold the Anthem ?

[@SpecOfTech]

I bought an Emotiva RMC-1L. Definitely not the same league when it comes to UI and usability, but sound quality...we'll see ;).

[@demonreturns4336]

@@SpecOfTechso 4 months later how ya feel about the emotiva?

[@SpecOfTech]

@@demonreturns4336 I had to return it. Due to me having a YT channel and needing to test other equipment like amplifiers and speakers, I need something reliable. The Emotiva still has too many bugs IMO to be considered reliable enough to be used for a reviewer.

[@florinbizu7583]

Trinnov Altitude 32 vs. Marantz AV10 sound quality...when? :)

[@SpecOfTech]

I would love to say, soon, but that probably won't happen. I am not able to get an AV10 review unit, so I would have to buy it just to review it and I definitely can't afford that.

[@theatremad9797]

Mx180 vs trinnov vs storm audio.

[@JLRJ]

After watching your review you make me feel like my Anthem AVM70 is a BoomBox!😢

[@SpecOfTech]

haha, no way man, that AVM70 is still a fantastic unit. It is just a fantastic unit in a different price category.

[@JLRJ]

@@SpecOfTech LOL! I was just kidding but I would Love to have that 90 but that’s out of my price range! I bought my 70 before they sent them with the 2.1 upgrade and now they want $500. I feel they should give people who have already purchased the 70/90 a break and only charge $250. $500 to me is too much just for a 2.1 board and you have to send it in or take it to a shop.

[@sebna]

@@JLRJ Did not know that. That is a bit greedy. Is it self install or does the unit has to be sent back?

[@JLRJ]

@@sebna No,you have to send it in to Anthem or take it to an authorized dealer to have it installed. They will not allow the customer to self-install. So if you don’t have a nearby dealer you will have to box it and ship and Pray it doesn’t get damaged along the way!

[@sebna]

@@JLRJ Not to mention potential customs charges etc. if sending between trading zones etc. Thanks for coming back to me :)

[@MrHamit64]

Well how many channals does the AVM 90 have? Cause the 32 thoucgh it's called the 32 can do 35 atmos channals. The 1 you used if it indeed only had 16 channals is the altitude 16. They meaning Trinov were supposed to open a place here in CT where I live. I'd love to hear the thing in person.

[@SpecOfTech]

The Anthem is 19 channels including the 4 subwoofer channels. The Trinnov Altitude 32 base model has 16 channels, but can do up to 20 with external DACs. the Altitude 16 also comes with 16 channels, but that is their entry level processor that has other differences from the Alt32 model. The Altitude 32 I had in house, was an Alt32, but it had 16 total channels, it's upgradeable to a higher channel count for a fee. I have no doubt you would love the sound of the Trinnov, it is something else.

[@Limpit_ca]

@@SpecOfTech The base model for the ALT32 is actually only 8ch its called the Altitude 32-88.

[@SpecOfTech]

@@Limpit_ca I stand corrected, there you have it @mrhamit64. Martin knows his Trinnov.

[@MrHamit64]

@@SpecOfTech Yeah I've heard the demo on that home theater dude. with the Triad speakers. FBruh sounds like a freekin movie theater. Yeah I'd love 1. Wiyth it's full chanal count. I found out about it when discussing I thik with Techno Dad my thing about how Atmos disks don't tell you their channal count. How my beliefe that if you can just get the full channal count so you hear everythiing in the ddisk. But I'm an audio nurd. I love listening to stems and multi tracks of songs as well. I've been nurding out on the Atmos stems of As It was by Harry Styles.

[@MrHamit64]

@@SpecOfTechAh yea thinks to Martin for that then. So any who yeah I love the idea of music in Atmos. Check out the channal pop Deconstructed they have the multi tracks for lots of songs. Ah I've also been nurding out on the stems for Post Malone I Like You A Happir song.

[@chebrubin]

Is it me or the surround sound more detail with the Trinnov? Maybe we should have done the face-off initially without room correction? Spec you do the best videos. How many channels are using the Tonewinner Class A amplifiers?

[@SpecOfTech]

The front LCR are on the Tonewinner amps

[@Skye_the_toller]

I have the AVM 70 8k… and very surprise how bad is your room (acoustic!) 😂

[@shaneducholke364]

Not sure what you are trying to say here... Barret has stated many times his room is far from perfect but you can't compare what you hear in your room to a youtube recording. A great pair of over the ear headphones greatly improves the sound but it isn't close to in room experience adding a headphone DAC will improve it better. What you have to do is compare the differences of the comparisons for what they are, not what they would be in real life. If you are comparing what you hear in your room to a KZbin video, you are comparing apples to rabbit turds

[@SpecOfTech]

Lmao, apples to rabbit turds. Thanks for saving me the time and replying to him for me, I appreciate it.

[@shaneducholke364]

@@SpecOfTech many just are not aware that they need to manage expectations when listening on KZbin

[@95redz]

I’m holding out for Dolby extended environment (dee) only found in the new maranthem 64 channel processor. It has 64 channels of processing available so you can run extended environmental sounds in each and every room of your house, including outside. Helicopters flying overhead and dinosaurs walking by will be a whole new experience…one that even your neighbors can enjoy!! Dolby extended environment! Coming soon!!