The Anthem Legacy
Great things don’t start at the top. They start with a relentless drive—a need to push beyond what’s been done before. That’s the DNA of Anthem. We didn’t follow the industry’s roadmap; we built our own.
Our roots trace back to the 1990s with Sonic Frontiers, a brand revered for its uncompromising approach to high-fidelity audio. Crafted by passionate engineers and audiophiles, Sonic Frontiers built reference-quality, no-compromise audio components that turned heads in the high-end.
Sonic Frontiers Transport 3
Innovation is both art and science. The Transport 3, with its iconic iris-ported disc-loading mechanism, proved that a CD transport could be a kinetic sculpture. It was a product so visually and technologically ahead of its time, it even earned a spot on the silver screen—a testament to its status as a true design icon.
Sonic Frontiers Line 3
The Line 3 wasn't just a preamplifier; it was a statement of purpose. At a time when others were simplifying, we were refining—obsessed with the minute details that transform sound into an experience. As our flagship linestage, the Line 3 was engineered to be the quietest and most transparent preamplifier of its era, allowing music to emerge from a background of absolute silence. It was the culmination of our research-driven approach and a testament to the idea that true reference-quality sound is not a goal—it's a relentless pursuit.
Sonic Frontiers Power 3
We believe in power without compromise. The Power 3 monoblock amplifier was our definitive statement on the matter. It was a direct and unapologetic assault on the state of the art, a masterpiece of engineering that combined the rich, dynamic character of tubes with an iron grip on speaker control. With its immense power and meticulous design, the Power 3 was more than an amplifier—it was a force of nature, demonstrating that true authority in sound comes not from sheer volume, but from effortless command and absolute precision.
But we weren’t content with just serving the elite—we knew there was a bigger opportunity.
We saw a future where exceptional sound wasn’t just for the privileged few—it was for everyone who craved something better. That vision led to the birth of Anthem—a brand built to deliver world-class performance without the excess, without the waste—just pure, uncompromised sound.
Born from a Culture of Innovation
Anthem was built on passion, science, and a refusal to accept “good enough.” That hasn’t changed—and it never will.
Where We’re Headed
Our history isn't just a record of what's been done—it's the blueprint for what's next. Four decades of relentless innovation have led to iconic achievements, and we're just getting started.
The Anthem legacy is built on a simple, singular truth: science doesn’t guess. It proves. This belief was the foundational principle of our sister company, Paradigm Electronics Inc., established in 1982. From day one, our founders were on a mission to translate the rigorous research of the National Research Council (NRC) into the kind of lifelike audio that had never been heard before.
Our momentum was building, but we knew a dedicated, centralized hub was key to our future. In 1993, we established the Paradigm Anthem Research Center (PARC). By bringing several of the National Research Council's leading acoustic engineers directly into our fold, we gained a technical bench strength unmatched in the industry. Today, PARC is not just a building—it's the relentless engine of our most advanced development efforts, where real science fuels every breakthrough.
We made a pivotal move to expand our legacy of excellence. Paradigm acquired the highly regarded Sonic Frontiers brand, a name already revered for its uncompromising, no-holds-barred approach to high-end components. But we didn’t just stop there. We saw an opportunity to fuse that artisanal craftsmanship with our own research-driven philosophy. The result was not just an acquisition, but a new beginning: the Anthem brand you know today, a testament to what's possible when passion and science converge.
More than a processor, the Statement D1 was the central nervous system for the world’s most demanding home theater systems. We engineered it with powerful DSP engines and advanced upsampling, creating a new benchmark for audio and video realism. It was our definitive statement on the future of high-end entertainment.
We extended our Statement series with the P2 and P5 amplifiers. These were engineered for pure, uncompromised power—built to deliver effortless dynamics and defy obsolescence. So fundamentally sound in their design, they remain in production today, a testament to our commitment to timeless engineering.
We solved the ultimate audio problem—the room. In 2006, the Statement D2 launched with our groundbreaking Anthem Room Correction (ARC). Born from years of psychoacoustic research, ARC-1 was an industry-leading solution that redefined what was possible, proving that true sound perfection starts with science.
In early 2009, the industry was still preoccupied with sound. We had already moved on. The Statement D2v wasn't an upgrade; it was a revolution. We didn’t just add on-board video processing—we dictated a new standard, proving that true immersion demands the uncompromising unification of perfect sight and perfect sound. While others follow, we lead.
We’ve never been content with just serving the elite. Our mission was to bring world-class performance to everyone who craved something better. In 2011, we made that a reality with the launch of our first-generation MRX Series. While others were busy building entry-level products that cut corners, we packed our performance and our revolutionary Anthem Room Correction (ARC) into a new, accessible form factor. This wasn't a compromise—it was a declaration. We didn't just join the category of AV receivers; we redefined it.
We didn't just build an amplifier; we created a category. At a revolutionary 1U high, the Statement M1 was the world’s most powerful and compact monoblock amplifier. We defied convention by perfecting Class D technology, delivering 1,000 watts of uncompromised power and proving that when it comes to performance, size has nothing to do with it.
We conquered another new category with our first whole-home distribution amplifiers, the MDX8 and MDX16. We didn't just build them like many others do—we engineered them with both advanced matrix switching and our revolutionary Anthem Room Correction (ARC). This delivered our signature peerless performance to every room, proving that a simple solution is never enough.
We believe in perfecting our best. In 2019, we re-engineered the future of sound calibration with ARC Genesis. More powerful and precise than ever, we made it fully backwards compatible and available for free download. While others were building for obsolescence, we simply gave you the future.
In 2024, we took the "less is more" philosophy to its illogical conclusion. Building on the spirit of the M1, we introduced the MRX SLM, an impossibly slim A/V receiver engineered to fit into spaces no other product could. At a mere 1.5 inches high—just 1U with a rackmount kit—we proved that an entire 5.1-channel home theater system could be condensed without a single compromise in performance. We didnt just design a sleek new product; we liberated installations, leaving no doubt that with Anthem, you dont have to sacrifice power for aesthetics.
We didn't get here by following trends; we got here by creating them. Our legacy is a testament to what happens when relentless drive meets scientific discipline. As we look to 2025 and beyond, we know the future of audio is a wide-open frontier. While others are still busy catching up with our past innovations, we are already re-engineering what's next. We don't guess at perfection—we engineer it. We don't just innovate; we dictate the future of sound. And that's why we will continue to lead.
