Anthem Home Theater Audio Amplifiers, Preamplifiers, Processors & Tuners

Anthem Statement D1 Surround Sound Controller, Audiophile Preamplifier, and Home Theater A/V Control Center

Author: Brian Florian - www.hometheaterhifi.com | Source: statement.anthemav.com

Introduction

In December of 2001 I lavished Anthem's AVM-20 Processor with, if I may say, deserved praise. The folks at Anthem literally seemed to read my mind, and the minds of countless home theater enthusiasts as well. The AVM-20 brought us features we'd been begging for, introduced us to many we did not yet know we wanted, sounded better than anything we had ever heard, and was on the market for half the price of comparable units.

The features were so numerous that Secrets set a new precedent for SSP reviews. The technical depth required to explore the product in its entirety exposed many aspects of SSP design that were being ignored by the press at large.

Don't believe us? Think our enthusiasm is too much? Ask any AVM-20 owner.

It would be almost two years ago now that Anthem first spoke of a subsequent product. Not a replacement for the AVM-20, but a model positioned above it. What on earth could they change or add? Anthem had been very up front about the fact that D1 would be very similar to the AVM-20 in form and function. Their intention was for the D1 to rise above its predecessor in the areas of audio quality specifically.

For me, that calls to mind boutique audio joints which talk about "upgrading" or "mod'ing" something by replacing a couple capacitors with some magical hand made unit rolled by a seraph at Everest base camp. Nonsense say I.

While we are assured by Anthem Home Theater Audio Amplifiers, Preamplifiers, Processors, Tuners that every single component in the D1 (including those capacitors) are simply the best available for the task at hand, the real step forward in the D1 is in the digital domain.

Serenity now.

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