There are few things in life that I claim to know with absolute certainty, but one of them is this: if you present me with the packaging for an A/V receiver of unusual size (AVROUS?), I cannot resist the urge to stack it atop, under, or near the packaging for an AVR of more typical dimensions.
I think I do so because, to paraphrase a past version of myself, I can tell you all day long that the box for Anthem’s new MRX SLM AVR ($1299.99 USD) measures right at 15″ × 15″ × 8″, but it isn’t always easy for people to read such measurements and intuitively understand them.
On the other hand, most of us have a pretty good sense of how big a standard AVR box is. So seeing the difference between the two can be illustrative. But in this case, it’s also slightly deceptive, because it might lead you to believe the MRX SLM is actually far, far larger than it truly is. But we’ll unpack that observation in a moment. First, we need to unpack the product itself.
That’s a pretty simple process, given that the light, compact design of the MRX SLM means it doesn’t require quite as much in terms of padding and protection. And yet, when you open the container, it’s mostly EPE foam (not EPS, thank goodness) and air. And, of course, some accessories.
In little carveouts below a thick EPE foam sheet, you’ll find the expected remote (similar in size and layout to that of many TVs, as well as set top boxes like the Apple TV and Amazon Fire Stick), a two-prong power cord with a non-polar IEC C7 connector, and a microphone for the receiver’s Anthem Room Correction.
Just to be clear about something, there’s not a larger remote control tucked away somewhere in the box. This is not what we used to refer to, in misogynistic and ageist terms, as a “mother-in-law remote.” That’s it as clickers go for the MRX SLM. It provides source selection, volume control, muting, mode select, standby control, and some navigation. And that’s it. Simple as can be.
Pull the receiver out of the box, and you’ll find a few more accessories underneath, including wireless antennas, a USB cable for the ARC measurement mike, an IR extender cable, and even a rack shelf if you plan on rack-mounting the little AVR.
With all that out of the way, here’s our first look at the unboxed MRX SLM, complete with yet another item for scale—in this case, one of my many 56mm speed cubes. (In case you’re super curious, this one’s a UV-coated GAN 12 MagLev, potentially to be replaced as my main cube once I can afford the new GAN 15 New Black, but for the purposes of scale, any of the dozen or so 56mm cubes I could have put my hands on here would have served the same purpose.)
Perhaps the most striking thing about this look is the complete lack of a screen. I knew that going in, of course, but it’s just so odd to see an AVR without any form of display. Granted, the MRX SLM is mostly aimed at the custom-integration market, so many of them will be installed in racks or utility closets, in which case a screen would be a waste. I’m not complaining, of course. I’m just saying it’s yet another striking departure from the norm.
The backside of the MRX SLM isn’t any more conventional. It’s wild to see a fully capable, high-performance 5.1-channel AVR with only a single analog input (3.5mm), an HDMI eARC port, and one dedicated HDMI input. I imagine most people will just combine the receiver with some form of smart TV and rely on eARC. But frankly, I’m not a fan of smart TVs, so I’m glad to see the additional HDMI input. I wouldn’t have minded a second, just so I could have a Roku and PlayStation hooked up at the same time, but I don’t do a ton of gaming in the room where I test AVRs, so it’s not a huge deal.
What is a huge deal is how Anthem managed to pack five speaker-level connections into such a slim box. Unsurprisingly, the company opted for Phoenix connectors, and as you can see here, there are screws on the underside for clamping down on each speaker cable. The Phoenix connector itself also unplugs with a good bit of slow, steady force, which means it’s not going to become dislodged accidentally.
All in all, I’m just about as excited for this review as I have been for any I’ve done in quite some time. I have an unapologetic fondness for Anthem, and I’ve been worried about the increasing irrelevance of AVRs in recent years. If nothing else, the MRX SLM seems to represent a real effort to meet normal people where they are in their A/V needs, which I don’t see enough companies doing.
Of course, if the performance isn’t there, all of that is for nought. And the only way to determine that is to plug it in and start listening. Keep an eye out for my in-depth listening impressions, coming soon to the pages of SoundStage! Access.
. . . Dennis Burger
dennisb@soundstagenetwork.com
