If I were in the market for a pre/processor today, I don’t think that I would look much further than the Anthem AVM 50 or its more refined brother, the Anthem Statement D2. The AVM 50 is basically the same machine as the D2, except that the quality of its AD converters and such isn’t quite as good. So for the ultimate in smooth sound, go for the D2. (Or if you just like its better looks.) But if your ears aren’t as golden anymore, the AVM 50 should do you just fine, and Sound And Vision Magazine has a small review of it and the matching MCA 50 amplifier from Anthem.

The cool thing about this pre/pro is that it can take any composite, s-video, or component signal, and convert it to HDMI. Not only that, it will deinterlace and upscale it as well. And to 1080p video at that! Amazing. The AVM50 has the highly-regarded Gennum VXP chip inside, doing all that video processing magic.

How about sound quality? While it may not measure up to the Statement D2, it is still a great sounding processor. The reviewer at Sound and Vision was quite pleased with it.

Add to that some extremely flexible surround modes, some great connectivity options, and the Anthem brand name backing it all up, and you’ve got a pre/pro that hardly anyone can beat for the price. Which is $4,699.

Anthem AVM 50 Preamp/Processor and MCA 50 Amplifier

Outlaw has two new amplifiers that feature balanced inputs and fully balanced, differential circuit topology. One is a 5 x 200W design and the other is 7 x 200W. They are model numbers Model 7500 and Model 7700, respectively. “The high-current power supplies used in the Model 7700 and Model 7500 are driven by custom-designed dual toroidal transformers with multiple windings for each channel, delivering clean power with headroom to spare for even the largest dynamic transients. Each output module has 12 discrete output devices, and a total of 30,000 microfarads of filter capacitance.”

The seven-channel Model 7700 goes for $2,149, and the five-channel Model 7500 goes for $1,599, with special “Outlaw Family” pricing available when the amplifiers are purchased in a combination package with other Outlaw components.

Outlaw Audio Adds Powerful, Fully Differential Multichannel Home Theater Amplifiers

I don’t know if I mentioned it before, but Ultimate AV (formerly Stereophile’s Guide to Home Theater) is a magazine that I really enjoyed. The reviewers really went in-depth when covering their products. Now Ultimate AV is online only, and one of the things they’re doing now (and had actually started to do while in print) is to do a “Short Take” of a product. A Short Take is basically a mini-review. Good enough to whet your appetite, especially considering that Ultimate AV’s “mini” reviews are as long as some other publications’ full reviews.

The meal they’re serving up this time is of the Anthem amplifier variety. Doesn’t taste so good, but it’s quite filling! And at $1500, it’s not so bad for a seven channel amp that does 105W per channel.

When it comes right down to it, this amp is for people who like good quality sound reproduction. There are other amps out there that will provide more slam at a similar price, but sacrifice the sound. Mr. Buettner concludes his review by saying “Anthem’s PVA 7 is an audiophile’s multichannel amp. That it’s so affordable is gravy. ‘Nuff said.”

If he says he’s said enough, I guess I have too!

Anthem PVA 7 Multichannel Amplifier

NHT (Now Hear This) has always made some good looking and good sounding speakers. They thought creatively, not afraid to sell speakers in strange configurations in the name of quality sound. Now they’re getting into electronics, and have an amplifier and pre-processor.

From Twice: “The first products launched by NHT since its November 2005 acquisition by Vinci Labs include the home-speaker brand’s first component audio electronics. By the end of February, NHT will ship its first preamp/processor and power amplifier. Dubbed the Controller and Power5, they retail for a suggested $2,750 and $2,000, respectively.”

TWICE - NHT Puts Brand On Component Electronics