Anthem PVA 5 Amplifier

The brand Anthem produces high-end electronic technique to equip home theaters - AV processors, AV receivers and multi-channel power amplifiers. All Anthem products are not only designed, but also made in Canada, which nowadays occurs few and far between. Power amplifiers are divided into two series - the older MCA and the younger PVA. The MCA series includes two-, three- and five-channel models. PVA is more diverse - here you can choose a device with two, four, five, seven and eight amplification channels. Inside the family all components are maximally unified - from identical cases to typical amplifying modules. A five-channel amplifier from the younger series took part in today's test.

The monolithic nature of the aluminum facade is broken only by the power switch and a single LED whose blue glow indicates that the device is ready for operation and red one means the amplifier goes into Standby mode. The order of power management can be selected by the switch on the back of the case. It is suggested either to turn on the amplifier manually, or to control the power remotely via a trigger (12V input and output are located next to the switch), or activate an automaton that in the absence of a useful signal at the inputs will transfer Anthem PVA 5 to the Standby mode during 20 minutes. Under the metal cover there is a large toroidal transformer, mounted centrally at the rear wall. The board of the general power unit is wired before it. The amplifier modules are located to the right and left of the power transformer. The type of these modules is determined by the total number of amplification channels of the model. The five-channel version uses two dual-channel and one single-channel modules. In this case, all three cooling radiators of the output stages are identical, only the boards that are attached to them are different. Cooling in Anthem PVA 5 is organized quite unusual. Engineers did not do a lot of ventilation holes in the walls of the case (although there are additional grilles), and the wide openings were cut equal to the size of cooling radiator. Such holes are in the top cover and on the bottom. As a result, the ends of the radiator are completely open, which contributes to efficient cooling and allows you to do without forced ventilation. For connection to an AV processor or receiver only the usual interface on the RCA connectors is available - balanced switching is implemented only in the older series of MCA amplifiers. Decent gold-plated connectors are located on the back wall of the case quite freely, so you can easily connect the thickest inter-unit cables. Acoustic terminals are distinguished by a special configuration of plastic inserts on screw terminals, which facilitates the connection of cables that are cut off by blades.

Anthem PVA 5 serves movie soundtracks in a big way. You feel a large reserve of power, which makes it possible to work out the most intense scenes of modern blockbusters clearly and without unnecessary fuss. Speaking about musical material, very natural transmission of timbres and the vivacity of acoustic instruments draw attention. At the same time the amplifier sometimes smoothes out the peaks and masks the smallest details, which is aurally perceived as a softening of the sound picture. This feature especially appears at the listening to fervent rock compositions.

Anthem PVA 5 Amplifier photo