Anthem MRX 540 8K 5.2-channel home theater receiver with Dolby Atmos®

About the Anthem MRX 540 8K

Elite 5.1-channel surround sound

Anthem’s MRX 540 8K receiver is an excellent option for creating a high-performance home theater in a smaller room. It has everything you need — fantastic A/V processing, robust amplification, and exceptional room calibration — without extra channels of power that would go unused.

Please note: This advanced home theater receiver requires running Anthem’s acclaimed ARC Genesis calibration system on your Mac® or Windows® laptop during setup, using the included microphone and stand. It’s not the simplest process we’ve seen, but it does a wonderful job of tuning the sound to your specific room. (See our video in the image carousel above.)

Built for high-quality content

This upscale receiver is an especially good choice if you plan to play premium content through it — like 4K Blu-ray discs or uncompressed music files from a high-resolution library. It even has the latest HDMI technology for 8K video sources, including premium gaming consoles.

The MRX 540 8K is engineered to squeeze every drop of detail out of these high-res formats, and that’s why it’s worth considering over more modestly priced 5.1-channel receivers.

Intuitive web-based controls

One of the features that makes Anthem’s home theater receivers stand out from the crowd is their user-friendly control interface. Access it from a web browser or download the new Anthem Remote app (currently available as a public beta). You can adjust settings, select inputs, toggle Anthem Room Correction, and more.

Advanced room calibration with ARC Genesis

The MRX 540 8K includes the company’s own highly regarded ARC (Anthem Room Correction) Genesis software — one of the industry’s best room-correction platforms.

ARC Genesis measures the acoustics of your room with the included microphone, and then fine-tunes the output of your system to match the unique sonic characteristics of your space. The resulting sound is clear, smooth, and ultra-detailed, with tight bass and high-impact dynamics.

Note: You’ll need to install the free ARC Genesis software on your Mac® or PC prior to calibration.

Product highlights:

Power and processing:

• 5-channel Class AB amplifier
  • 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 1% THD, with 2 channels driven
• Dolby® and DTS® surround sound decoding
  • Dolby Atmos® and DTS:X processing for use with in-ceiling or “height” speakers for more enveloping home theater sound
  • supports 5.1.2 Atmos setup with optional external power amp
• IMAX® Enhanced reproduces the full dynamic range of specially encoded IMAX soundtracks from compatible sources
• ARC Genesis speaker calibration system helps fine-tune your system to match your room’s acoustics
  • requires installation of free ARC Genesis software on a Mac or PC prior to calibration
• audiophile-grade 32-bit/768kHz DAC (digital-to-analog converter)
• large front-panel display gives you easy-to-read status updates at a glance

Digital and streaming music options:

• built-in Bluetooth for wireless music listening with smartphones, tablets, and compatible computers
• built-in Wi-Fi for listening to music from a networked PC, free internet radio, and music services
  • free future firmware update will include support for Spotify® and Roon
• Apple AirPlay 2 lets you stream directly from an iPhone® or iPad® and ask Siri to play Apple Music® (via free future firmware update)
• Google Chromecast for wireless music streaming from compatible devices

HDMI features:

• HDMI 2.1 audio/video switching: 7 in, 2 out
  • all HDMI connections support 4K/120Hz and 8K/60Hz
  • HDCP 2.3 technology ensures compatibility with Ultra HD sources and TVs
  • HDR-compatible for extended picture contrast and brightness with compatible TVs and HDR-encoded content
  • supports HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision™, and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma)
• supports ARC (Audio Return Channel) and eARC (Enhanced Audio Return Channel)
  • eARC receives uncompressed surround sound signals including Dolby Atmos and DTS:X via the HDMI connection with your compatible TV

Other connections:

• digital audio inputs: 3 Toslink optical, 2 coaxial
• 5 analog stereo RCA audio inputs
• 7.2-channel RCA preamp outputs
• outputs for 5 speakers (Front L/R, Center, Surround L/R)
• full-sized front-panel headphone jack

Warranty and other info:

• intuitive browser-based control interface
  • easily adjust audio settings, rename sources, and more
  • supports smartphones, tablets, and computer browsers
• free Anthem Remote app lets you use your phone as a Wi-Fi remote (currently available as public beta)
• support for IP-based third-party remote control systems
• does not include a built-in AM/FM tuner
• 17-1/16″W x 6-9/16″H x 14-15/16″D
  • height with antennas extended: 12-5/16″
• weight: 28.2 lbs.