Overview
The Anthem P5 is a 5-channel power amplifier built to the highest standards of Anthem’s Canadian engineering heritage. Designed to provide dedicated, high-current amplification for demanding home cinema installations, the P5 delivers 325 watts per channel into 8 ohms across all five channels driven simultaneously. Whether partnered with an Anthem AVM processor or an MRX receiver, the P5 provides the clean, effortless headroom that separates a dedicated power amplifier from the built-in amplification of even the finest AV receiver.
Power and Architecture
The P5 is a Class A/B design, chosen for its combination of efficiency and sonic purity. Five discrete amplifier channels share a single robust power supply built around a custom toroidal transformer, enabling instantaneous delivery of sustained high-current bursts to any speaker in the system. The amplifier is rated at 325 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 500 watts per channel into 4 ohms, with all five channels operating simultaneously, confirming that the rated output is not a single-channel figure achieved by drawing on power set aside for idle channels.
Circuit Design and Signal Path
Each channel uses high-current bipolar output transistors mounted on substantial aluminium heatsinks, ensuring reliable thermal management under continuous load. The signal path has been engineered for minimal noise, achieving a signal-to-noise ratio of 115 dB, which keeps the amplifier’s own noise contribution effectively inaudible even with sensitive loudspeakers. Frequency response extends well beyond the audible band, preserving transient integrity and phase linearity throughout the music and film soundtrack material the P5 is asked to reproduce.
Connectivity
Each of the five channels offers both a balanced XLR input and an unbalanced RCA input, giving full flexibility when integrating with any processor or surround-sound controller. Speaker outputs use audiophile-grade binding posts capable of accepting bare wire, spade terminals, or banana plugs. A 12-volt trigger input allows the P5 to power up automatically when connected to a compatible Anthem processor or receiver, and a corresponding trigger output can chain further amplifiers in larger installations.
Build Quality
Designed and built in Canada, the P5 reflects the exacting manufacturing standards that have defined Anthem since the brand was established by Sonic Frontiers. The chassis is robustly constructed to accommodate the substantial internal transformer and heatsink assembly, and the build quality is consistent with the expectations of a reference-grade home cinema amplifier.