Anthem P2, 2-Channel Power Amplifier

Performance From The Heart

In life we admire “heart.” When we say someone has heart we mean passion, spirit, fortitude. And we applaud it. While the amplifier is the brawn behind every successful music and movie presentation, it is also the heart! Its role is as crucial as that of the speakers in its ability to render delicate musical detail one moment and deliver room-shaking explosions the next. The most exquisite piece of music falls flat without clean, quiet power to sustain it through to its natural, musical ebb. Movie special effects require an inordinate supply of stable, high current power to give visceral credibility to the “special” aspect of each effect! In fact, all truly successful sound reproduction requires “heart.” The heart of an amplifier rests with its design and it is here that P2 and P5 amplifiers reveal their high-end lineage: multi-layered, hand-designed circuit boards with thick copper traces; rugged, independent power supplies with tuned toroidal power transformers for each amplifier channel; fourteen rugged bipolar output devices per channel; custom-designed convection-cooled heatsinks with serrated fins; a “no-fuse” design strategy. And the list goes on.

Edge-Of-The-Art Multi-Mono Design

By design, P2 and P5 amplifiers are powerful independent “monoblock” amplifiers. Each channel is self-contained on its own glass-epoxy circuit board and heatsink and benefits from an independent power supply. Since there is no common audio path between channels there is a complete absence of crosstalk.

Frequency-response channel matching is superb. The musical picture is seamless and exquisitely detailed with a multichannel soundstage that is astonishingly transparent, cohesive and three dimensional.

Cascoded Complementary Feedback Input Stage

P2 and P5 amplifiers benefit from our proprietary input topology—a unique departure from the classical differential input stage. Eight low-noise bipolar input devices, hand-matched for superior balance, are configured in a complementary active-load cascoded feedback arrangement. Heat shrink tubing applied around each critical input pair ensures superior thermal tracking.

Designed to reduce distortion, this arrangement not only ensures exceptionally linear response, but also superior bandwidth and superb amplifier reliability.

Independent Power Supplies

P Series amplifiers are the cleanest, quietest amplifiers in the industry. Each amplifier channel features two separate and autonomous power supplies fed from separate transformer windings. The amplifiers are thus able to deliver stable, continuous power at maximum output, regardless of the number of channels being driven.

While some amplifiers tend to oscillate when driving lower impedance loads, the P2 and P5 remain perfectly stable under all conditions. If pushed into clipping, the proprietary anti-saturation tracking power supply circuit takes over to ensure a seamless recovery.

Since the use of a regulated power supply in the driver stage removes noise emitted by the bridge rectifier (often heard as an audible hum at 120 Hz and its harmonics), the P2 and P5 achieve an utterly silent noise floor.

Massive Toroidal Transformers

Conservatively rated, in a low-profile design, these low-impedance toroidal power supplies—one per amplifier channel—make no sacrifices when it comes to delivering a continuous supply of pure, clean low noise power.

They are shaped to minimize hum while a sequence-controlled soft turn on significantly reduces power line transients and in-rush current during start up, thereby preventing accidental tripping of the circuit breakers.

Fourteen Bipolar output Devices Per Channel

An amplifier’s ultimate performance is directly related to the number of high-quality, high-current devices used in the output stage. The greater the number of devices employed per channel, the greater the available power to deliver the crescendos in music and the thunder and explosions in movies. And the greater the amount of current that can be held in reserve.

While some manufacturers cut corners to save costs in this area, our designers incorporated fourteen bipolar output devices per channel. This results in tremendous current held in reserve.

Hand-Designed Circuit Boards

Our two-layer military-spec (FR-4-rated) glass-epoxy circuit boards feature plated through-holes and 2-ounce copper traces, promoting excellent conductivity.

Extensive use of power and ground planes ensures exceptionally low noise and increased protection from stray electromagnetic energy— internally as well as externally from other devices.

"No Fuse" Design

P2 and P5 amplifiers are Direct-Connected to the power supply capacitor bank. This keeps output impedance remarkably low while making more power available to the amplifier. Even when driving lower- or complex impedance loads, the result is audibly superior performance. If an output short circuit does occur, only the AC line breaker will trip—there are no fuses to replace.

The standby low-power supply is protected by self-resetting Positive Temperature coefficient thermistors (PTCs). Once the condition that tripped the PTC disappears, the circuit restores itself automatically.

Oversize Gold-Plated Binding Posts

Our custom-designed binding posts are easy to use, ensure full power delivery at all times and facilitate large speaker cable connectors.

Technical Data

• Inputs: 2 Single-Ended, 2 Balanced, 1 Relay Trigger (3.5 mm Mono Jack)
• Outputs: 2 Pairs Speaker Binding Posts, 1 Relay Trigger (3.5 mm Mono Jack)
• THD+N (225 W into 8 Ω): 0.0007% at 1 kHz, 0.008% at 20 kHz
• IMD: 0.00019% (CCIF, 325 W into 8 Ω)
• POWER BANDWIDTH: 10 Hz to 150 kHz (+0 -3 dB, 325 W into 8 Ω)
• FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+0 -0.15 dB), 5 Hz to 100 kHz (+0 -2 dB)
• INPUT SENSITIVITY (RCA and XLR 0 dB inputs): 1 Vrms in for 28.3 Vrms out (100 W into 8 Ω)
• INPUT IMPEDANCE: 18 kΩ (RCA), 22 kΩ (XLR)
• DAMPING FACTOR: >600 at 20 Hz, 400 at 1 kHz (ref. 8 Ω)
• S/N RATIO: 125 dB, A-weighted (ref. 325 W)
• CROSSTALK (between any two channels): -140 dB (20 Hz), -80 dB (20 kHz)
• VOLTAGE GAIN: 29 dB
• SLEW RATE: 40 V/µs
• Height: 9-3/8 inches (23.8 cm) including feet
• Width: Faceplate 19-1/4 inches (49 cm)
• Chassis: 17-1/4 inches (43.8 cm)
• Depth: 22-1/2 inches (57.2 cm) including handles
• Weight: (unpacked)75 lb (34 kg)