The Anthem MRX SLM looks to redefine what an AV receiver can deliver in a compact form factor, offering installers a versatile solution for a range of AV installations. Our intrepid trade-focused reviewer, Richard Stevenson, turns the focus on this diminutive dynamo.
When rack space is at a premium, anything that takes up just 1U is a bonus. That is rarely a fully featured 5.1 AVR with a full suite of Dolby AV and DTS AV tech, and the very fine ARC Genesis room EQ system. Enter the Anthem MRX-SLM, with much of the tech from the brand’s larger MRX series AVRs only, well, SLiMer.
Those svelte dimensions offer several placement opportunities outside of the rack too. It’s neat looking enough to stand on a shelf location and slim enough to fit vertically behind a TV. I could easily see MRX-SLM acting as a stand-alone unit in lounges or man-caves, where the eARC HDMI connection can be the sole feed from a smart TV or something like an Apple TV 4K media player. Adding to that single solution appeal is Spotify Connect integration, AirPlay, Google Cast and Bluetooth.
Yet, with its own multi-zone capabilities, IP control and integration with Savant, Crestron, Control4, URC, RTI, and ELAN out of the box, a small stack of MRX-SLMs could easily drive a multi-room AV set up from a rack too. Versatile!
Headline stats are 5x50Wpc or 2x90Wpc on the audio, and 4K video over its HDMI 2.0b (HDCP 2.3) connection, complete with Dolby Vision. Given the ‘robust’ pricing of some of Anthem’s MRX products, it even offers ridiculously good value.
Unboxing
In the box, the MRX-SLM comes with a vertical mounting plate, rubber feet for shelf placement, wireless antennas and basic remote control. The full-rack width facia is an optional extra, suggesting Anthem thinks the SLM is most likely to be freestyling it out of the rack. Being an ARC Genesis-enabled unit, it also comes supplied with a mic and, as ever, a slightly too-short USB-A to USB-mini cable.
The supplied remote control is super-basic and has no access to anything resembling a setting. I like it. For those itinerant fiddler customers who mess up your finely tuned system as soon as you walk out of their house, this is perfect. Thankfully, the Anthem Remote app is clear, bright, informative and slick to use – and you can’t say that about many control apps!
Set-up and configuration are by IP or the ACR software running on a PC (or Mac etc.) using the ARC Genesis suite. That is free, very sophisticated and after some recent updates since I last used it, very pretty to look at. The app feels super-premium and compares favourably with other popular EQ systems that can cost, in full spec trim, nearly as much as the MRX-SLM.
Connectivity around the back of the unit is necessarily sparse due to the lack of real estate, and that comes with a major challenge for those with fat fingers and/or fat speaker cables. The five channels connect in a single plug-in Phoenix-style connector. That is 10 connections in a 50mm block with only room for copper up to 1.5sqmm and requiring the sort of screws that mean I have to wear two sets of reading glasses on top of each other.
Given the chunky Chord cables incumbent in our test system, this meant a not-so-speedy rewire with pink 16awg install speaker cable, and getting all 10 connections into that single block was something of a game. That was on a desktop; I would say trying to do that and keep cables neat behind a TV would require Olympic-standard cable management skills and the fingers of a pianist. Five separate stereo Phoenix connectors would have been a little easier than the single block, but I guess you will only have to do it once.
Fast Start
Setup and advanced calibration are straight out of the ARC playbook and, as usual, seamless. Connected to wired ethernet, the MRX-SLM appeared immediately in the ARC software (and Anthem Remote app) and ARC gives you plenty of configuration scope from 5.1 to multi-room stereo. The single sub-out means only a single sub-EQ is possible from the MRX-SLM, but given the customer/installation target, we are probably talking single-sub or no-sub speaker systems anyway.
Measurement in my room from the sofa looked suitably familiar, with a painful suck-out at 90Hz and some lumpy base peaks on either side. ARC did its thing to create a far smoother pattern across the spectrum, and there are a host of other trims, curves and tweaks within the software for fine-tuning. Upload the data to MRX-SLM, and it’s all set.
User control is slick via the app, and I expect the remote will languish in the box. The front end of the app is a big, bold volume control and the ability to switch the ARC EQ on or off. Of course, you can dig into trims, bass, treble controls and switch inputs, but the app’s home page is perhaps the best on the market for beautifully functional simplicity.
Sound in 5.1 and ARC switched on (using Dali Phantom in-walls and B&W DB1D sub) is clear and sprightly, with exceptional dialogue clarity. No surprise, given its size, that it’s no home theatre powerhouse, but for the intended install scenarios, the MRX-SLM is right on the performance money. In stereo mode, the MRX SLM maintains clarity and precision, making it a great option for customers who also enjoy music listening as much as their surround sound.
Switching ARC EQ on/off is entirely room and system-dependent, but I preferred the slightly more aggressive and punchy sound of EQ off over ARC’s EQ smoothness.
In a market where performance often demands space, the Anthem MRX SLM stands out as a slimline AV receiver that doesn’t sacrifice quality for size. It’s a near-unique AVR that opens the possibility of clutter-free surround sound in a secondary room without the sonic compromises of a soundbar or a big-box AVR upsetting the décor. While its small form factor and 1U height make for a neat rack, I can absolutely understand why Anthem doesn’t include the rack-ear fascia as standard: It’s just so well set up for a standalone system in a secondary or tertiary area – that the customer may not have even thought about until you suggest it.
For AV professionals, the Anthem MRX-SLM is a compelling product that can add value to any installation project, either by keeping things very tight in the rack or opening the door for AV scope creep into other areas of the customer’s home.
