The Anthem STR (buy at Crutchfield) is a midrange option in the world of audiophile integrated amplifiers with a price tag of $4,999. Anthem has chosen to take a very audiophile route with this integrated amplifier. What I mean by this is that, instead of adding technology into this unit that might also appeal to someone who is looking to add their TV into their home audio configuration, they have built this integrated amplifier the old-school way, with all of the inputs that audio enthusiasts are looking for when music is their focus. Now, this isn’t to say that you cannot connect your television using one of the optical cables, because you certainly can (and I did). The Anthem STR has ARC room correction, a digital section with a USB-B input, AES/EBU connection, two coax inputs, and two optical inputs. Balanced XLR inputs, four analog RCA inputs, and both a moving magnet and moving coil inputs go into the phono preamplifier. You also have two dedicated subwoofer outputs that can be configured in either stereo or mono. On top of that, the amplifier itself uses Class-AB power to provide 200 watts per channel at eight ohms or 400 watts per channel at four ohms.
What Makes the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier So Special?
- ARC Room Correction is one of the best options on the market, and only available in Anthem gear. If you don’t have a perfect room, and let’s be honest, how many of us really do, Anthem’s room correction can be a total game-changer. ARC room correction uses a microphone that is included, along with a stand to measure how your room reacts to sound, and then makes adjustments to the audio signal in the digital domain to make your system sound its best in your specific room. The whole process takes around 10 minutes, and one of the coolest things about it is that you can adjust it manually. So, for example, if you feel like you want more bass for your sonic tastes, you can make that adjustment after it has provided the output, so that you can keep the rest of its suggestions while still making it your own. The other wonderful thing that Anthem has done is, they let you turn off ARC for each input if you wish. If you’re someone who doesn’t want their analog signal digitalized with room correction, just turn it off. If you want to really hear the difference between your room with room correction and your room without, then just configure one input with it and one without, and you can do AB testing with ease.
- Anthem’s internal DAC inside of this integrated amplifier is fantastic. While the DAC stood out to me when I reviewed the Anthem STR Preamplifier (read the review) back in 2022, after listening to many other DACs that are in integrated amplifiers, and even some standalone DACs, this one really stands out with how revealing it is. I was quickly reminded just how much better my compact discs sounded when I had them played through Anthem’s DAC configuration.
- You can really customize everything on this integrated amp. The amount of configuration options you can have with this component feels endless at times. As I mentioned, you can turn room correction on or off for each input, but you can also choose whether you want to convert your analog inputs to digital. You can create different speaker profiles that either use or don’t use the subwoofers and, in those profiles, you can choose to have the subwoofers set to mono or stereo, and more. You can then apply those profiles to each of the inputs. You can set the listener position so the pre-amplifier section adjusts its output to the amplifier to optimize sound, based on where you listen from. Anthem really built this integrated amplifier with the intention of letting you do everything your way and really understanding that everyone’s listening room is different.
- Unlike many other audiophile components in the class, there are a lot of subwoofer options.To date, this is the only integrated amplifier that allows you options for your subwoofer(s). I have had single subwoofer options, and multiple subwoofer options, but this is the only one I have had that allows me to use them in stereo or mono, and it lets me choose which inputs I want to use for each configuration.
Why Should You Care About the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier?
Anthem really has created a compelling value proposition with this integrated amplifier. The internal solid-state preamplifier that is included in this package is easily among the best you can find, in this price range, or really within a thousand or two above it. On top of that, you are getting a big-time amplifier under the hood with it as well. Most serious listeners will not spend much time anywhere close to the peak of 200 watts that is provided (other than in short musical bursts), but you will always have peace of mind knowing that you have the headroom there for any peaks that come from big swings in the dynamic window of your music. The Anthem STR integrated amp acts like separate components (I know, because I have the closely matching Anthem STR preamp [buy at Crutchfield] and Anthem MCA 225 Gen 2 stereo amp [read the review] as my reference), all in one priced-right component.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier
- There is no HDMI connection. While I would likely expect the next version of this integrated amplifier to have an HDMI connection with eARC, this one simply doesn’t have it. Anthem’s AV receivers have HDMI, as you would expect, and that can be an option for those who need HDMI connectivity in the now.
- The screen on the front face is smaller than you might expect. When you see the marketing materials that Anthem has on their site, you see this big black space and you think, oh, they must use all of this for something, but the reality is Anthem uses about one-eighth of the real estate on the front left of the panel for the screen, and the rest is just a black void.
Listening to the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier …
I ran this integrated amplifier with the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 floorstanding speakers, theMusic Hall CD 25.3 CD Player, the Pro-Ject X1 B (read the reviews) turntable, and I streamed using Qobuz through the Sonos Port.
One of the first tracks I listened to was “Elevation” (from Compact Disc) from U2’s 2000 album All That You Can’t Leave Behind. This track comes well past U2’s prime in the late 1980s, but as a demo track, it provides all of the things that U2 did so well to make them one of the biggest bands in the world, and even got them another Grammy. The Anthem STR integrated amplifier shows off all the little details that are in the track, from the gritty yet tasty distortion on The Edge’s guitar to the effects that are placed onto Bono’s vocal close to the midpoint of the song. My instinct is that the internal DAC quality is where this clarity and resolution comes from, as I did some informal testing with a different input on the Anthem STR to be able to test a few lower-cost yet external audiophile DACs (Schiit, iFi – well under $1,000 options), and liked the Anthem internal DAC best. When I pushed the track to higher levels of volume, I didn’t hear any added distortion or coloring. What I heard was a beautifully-produced track from one of the most well-known acts of the last 40 years, like I had a window to the master tape. That’s additionally a good example of how the reserve of power in the Anthem STR integrated acts more like a standalone audiophile power amp.
Another track that I like to use is “Intervention” (on Compact Disc) from The Arcade Fire’s 2007 album Neon Bible. This is one of the few tracks I can think of that features a pipe organ and a xylophone. The entirety of this album was recorded in a renovated church, southeast of Montréal, near the Vermont border. These are unique sounds, but the Anthem Integrated amplifier allowed them to sound realistic in my listening. The DAC again really shines on this track, as you can pick up all of the different sounds, and it even made it easy to hear that the guitar was being palm-muted throughout the track, and to pick out the various string instruments that come in and out.
The last track I used to test the Anthem STR integrated amplifier was “ABC” (on vinyl) from Ludovico Einaudi’s 2015 classical album Elements. This track really showed off the better-than-expected quality of the phono preamplifier in the Anthem STR integrated amplifier. It was able to reproduce this piano-heavy track with ease, the higher frequencies never sounded sweet or rounded-off, and the piano always sounded real, as if it was being played right in front of you. I pushed the volume with this track as well. Even on vinyl, I wasn’t able to detect much noise coming from the vinyl itself and, again, the amplifier didn’t add any color to the track, even at higher volumes. There is no need for an external phono stage, unless you are talking, say, north of $1,000 for an external one, as the internal Anthem option is rock-solid in terms of performance.
Will the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier Hold Its Value?
It would be hard for me to imagine a world where this integrated amplifier doesn’t hold its value for years to come. Anthem is a well-known audiophile brand, and there is very little that they have not put into this integrated amplifier. I was able to find two on the used market, one on Audiogon and one on eBay. The one on Audiogon was listed at $3,000 used, and the one on eBay sold at 3,000. That is 60 percent of the retail price for a used component, which is rare. It also comes with a five-year warranty, which should also help this unit keep its value.
What is the Competition for the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier?
The McIntosh MA5300 ($6,000 – buy at Crutchfield) has some similarities to the Anthem STR integrated amplifier. Both are built in North America (Anthem in Canada, McIntosh in Birmingham, New York), both feature a collection of analog and digital inputs, and both feature a DAC that upscales to 32bit/384khz. However, this McIntosh unit provides only half the amount of power at 100 watts, doesn’t have room correction, or a moving coil phono preamplifier built into it, and it’s a little more money as well.
When you’re looking at this price range, you should always be looking at Rotel Diamond Series RA-6000 ($4,499 buy at Crutchfield). Rotel has a similar offering in terms of power, also providing 200 watts of Class-AB, and many of the same inputs, with a few exceptions. Rotel offers three coax and optical inputs, but it doesn’t have an AES/CEB digital input. It does have Bluetooth with aptX, it is Roon-ready, and it will decode MQA. Again, you do not get room correction in this package, nor do you get the same subwoofer options, although you do get two subwoofer outputs, but they are only in mono.
Lastly the Yamaha A-S2200 ($4,499 buy at Crutchfield) sits in this price range as well. Yamaha offers you only 90 watts of power, no subwoofer output, no room correction, nor any digital inputs, as it doesn’t have a DAC. However, it does offer you balanced XLR inputs, a USB-B input, and a phono preamplifier that handles both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. At this price, it is likely a tough sell, but Yamaha certainly has its fanbase, and I don’t believe that is by any means an accident.
Final Thoughts on the Anthem STR Integrated Amplifier …
In the world of audiophile integrated amplifiers, there are not many that do what the Anthem STR Integrated amplifier does, and even less that do it as well or better. If you’re someone who is interested in room correction and wants high-end features and controls, I think this is the best option on the market. Anthem has developed a preamplifier section that lets you listen to your music the way you want to listen to it, no matter how you want to listen to it, as every input can be adjusted and configured to match your taste. The amplifier is powerful and reproduces sound that has very little color to it. This combination is one that really sets this unit apart, and really the only things that might keep many audiophiles from owning it are the price, or the preference to have their preamplifier and amplifier separated. However, if you are someone who likes everything in one package, you would be well-served to give the Anthem STR Integrated amplifier an audition. It will likely take you some time to find where all the settings are, but I trust once you have everything set the way you like it, you will be happy you spent the time.
