Caleb Denison of Digital Trends reviewed the Anthem Integrated 225 amplifier and thoroughly enjoyed this special "middle child" so much so that it earned the Editors' Choice award. Here are a handful of teasers from the review:
Features and design
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Both the appearance of the front face and component layout inside the case are kept incredibly simple and straightforward... The Integrated 225's connection bay on the back couldn't be better laid out either."
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That’s part of the beauty of this piece, though. There’s an absolute minimum of components generating noise and surplus heat. Maybe it’s a purist thing, but we like it and, as we’re about to discuss, we think it makes a pretty significant difference."
Performance
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The Anthem Integrated 225 floored us with the very first note it produced... The very first second we heard the Integrated 225 doing its work, we knew we had a winner on our hands. In all the time we’ve spent reviewing A/V receivers, pre-amps, amplifiers and integrated amps we’ve never heard this track reproduced with such purity and pinpoint precision...." (Track: Tierney Sutton singing
"I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face")
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...we’ve used the same source and speakers with other receivers and integrated amps, none of which were able to match the Integrated 225’s authority, truth and pure muscle...The Integrated 225’s muscle proved useful whether we were listening to delicate, acoustic music or raw, highly energized rock."
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Good amps won’t just reproduce the notes, but expose sympathetic string noise and the subtle harmonics that go with it. Great amps will do all of that, then smack you right in the face when the rest of the band comes in. The Integrated 225 just about blew us out of our chair."
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The Integrated 225 handles music reproduction like a masterful sculptor who at one moment pounds clay into submission then turns around and exposes fine details with precision and finesse."
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The Integrated 225 worked with our turntable to provide a big, warm, highly detailed sound with powerful bass and wonderfully liquid midrange...found something new to enjoy every time we put needle to wax."
Conclusion
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The fact that Anthem’s entirely solid state Integrated 225 is able to take listeners to that magical place for $1500 is not just a testament to its value, but also to the brilliant engineering involved in its design and construction."
"...once you hear what this remarkable integrated amp can do, you will be forever spoiled. We enthusiastically offer our Editor’s Choice Award to this fine piece of gear from Anthem."
When the only complaint holding us back from a perfect 10/10 rating is an overly sensitive volume control, we're ok with a 9.5!
Click here! for more information on the Integrated 225.
