• 03-23-2011, 05:44 AM
    bfalls
    Emotiva UMC-1 Processor Arrives Today
    I've been lusting after Emotiva's UMC-1 pre/proc for some time. I had purchased their XPA-5 5ch (200W/ch) amp about a year ago and three of their ERM-1 speakers during closeout shortly after. I've been very impressed with the quality, price and sound.

    The UMC-1 had a rough start with many bugs in the original firmware. I've monitored the forums for awhile and feel the problems are behind them. The company and people are very good to deal with. I decided on Sunday to purchase the unit. Ordered it on Monday and it's arriving today. The cost for the audiophile quality standalone processor is $699 with free shipping. It has a 30-day money-back guarantee and 5 year warranty. Pretty hard to beat compared to other components in this price range. The norm for warranty is usually 90 days to 1year, 2 years at the most.

    I've been looking through the online manual and setup looks to be pretty straight-forward. I'll provide my impressions after setup and burn-in. I plan to use it in a 7.1 system with the XPA-5 driving the main 5 channels a NAD 906 multi-channel amp driving the additional surrounds and a Yamaha M-65 used to bi-amp the mains.

    I'm using Legacy Focus mains, Legacy Silver Screen center, Klipsch RS-3 side surrounds and T&A P-30 3-ways for rear surrounds. Sources will be Sony 570 Blu-ray player, Dishnetwork HD receiver, Pioneer CLV-1000 Laserdisc, Wii and custom-built HTPC.

    My experience has always been with A/V receivers. I have a Sony STR-DA5300ES, Yamaha RX-V2095 and Denon AVR-3300. Going with the XPA-5 provided a good level of improvement. I'm hoping going totally separates will provide a marked improvement over a receiver as preamp system. Anyone have any experience with the UMC-1?
  • 03-23-2011, 04:43 PM
    Mr Peabody
    I'm really looking forward to hearing your impressions comparing the UMC to your past receivers. I think Kex has one.
  • 03-24-2011, 01:32 AM
    eisforelectronic
    Overall, I like mine. The video switching is just a bit slow.
  • 03-24-2011, 05:10 AM
    bfalls
    I've been delayed. The shipment requires a signature (Emotiva requirement). Fedex won't reroute to a Fedex location so I can pick it up. I'll have to wait until Saturday before receiving it. AAARRRRRGGGHHH!
  • 03-24-2011, 04:48 PM
    Mr Peabody
    My video switching is slow on my Marantz as well, I mean several seconds, I always attributed it to the HDMI hand shake business though. This is my first HDMI unit so I'm not sure if other gear is quicker or not.
  • 03-24-2011, 06:59 PM
    eisforelectronic
    The Denon receiver I upgraded from was quite a bit faster and also a few years old.
  • 03-25-2011, 02:18 AM
    kexodusc
    My video switching only takes a second or two, doesn't seem too bad. It might be a few miliseconds slower than the unit it replaced. Can't remember. I've never really thought about switching time.

    What's normal these days?

    I have mixed feelings about the UMC-1. I love the sound quality it is capable of, and it's working pretty well now. Haven't had any glitches in several months. If you were like me and went through the first 3 months with multiple firmware updates you probably have a few more gray hairs. It's a good but not perfect product. I'd recommend it to "advanced" HT people who don't mind frigging around with their pre-pro settings and like to fine tune things. I wouldn't recommend it for my parents who just want a plug and play unit.

    Big upgrade over more costly a/v receivers in the sound department though, and I think that's the market the UMC-1 is aimed at.

    Bfalls, hope you enjoy yours.
  • 03-25-2011, 05:04 AM
    bfalls
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by kexodusc
    My video switching only takes a second or two, doesn't seem too bad. It might be a few miliseconds slower than the unit it replaced. Can't remember. I've never really thought about switching time.

    What's normal these days?

    I have mixed feelings about the UMC-1. I love the sound quality it is capable of, and it's working pretty well now. Haven't had any glitches in several months. If you were like me and went through the first 3 months with multiple firmware updates you probably have a few more gray hairs. It's a good but not perfect product. I'd recommend it to "advanced" HT people who don't mind frigging around with their pre-pro settings and like to fine tune things. I wouldn't recommend it for my parents who just want a plug and play unit.

    Big upgrade over more costly a/v receivers in the sound department though, and I think that's the market the UMC-1 is aimed at.

    Bfalls, hope you enjoy yours.

    I want it for the sound quality, so if the video switching is a little slow it's OK. I've learned to be patient over the years. As long as the wait isn't too annoying, I think I can handle it.

    My wife is home today. Fedex is supposed to attempt delivery 3 times, today being the third. Hopefully it's there when I arrive home this evening.

    I've been going through the manual and watched the setup and upgrade videos Emotiva supplied on-line. Looks pretty simple and straight forward. They provide a setup chart in the manual so you can work out your setup and have documentation to reference. So far it's all been good with the purchases I've made from Emotiva.
  • 03-25-2011, 10:54 AM
    Mr Peabody
    Kex, would you say the UMC-1 is more difficult to set up than the typical receiver or processor? HT is difficult enough to set up with out throwing us curves.
  • 03-27-2011, 04:40 AM
    kexodusc
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
    Kex, would you say the UMC-1 is more difficult to set up than the typical receiver or processor? HT is difficult enough to set up with out throwing us curves.

    More difficult? No, I don't think so. There's a lot of little customizable settings though that might turn off some people. These days, you can either figure out an HT processor, or you can't.

    The firmware upgrade process is not as easy as other products. I will say that.
  • 03-28-2011, 09:59 AM
    bfalls
    Just a real quick update. I'm not ready to provide a review, but do have a few quick comments.

    Fedex finally found me on Friday. My wife was home, so was able to sign for the unit. I started putting it together on Saturday afternoon. The unit was double-boxed and had no damage. Unpacking was pretty straight forward, nothing new or exciting. Once unboxed setup was pretty basic.

    A couple of things I noticed. The first was the unit was set to zero volume. Once cabled and ready to try, I heard nothing from the unit I decided to turn up the volume to around 22. The second thing I noticed was the instructions provide a list of contents. One item was the batteries for the remote. I didn't see them in the box. I looked again being sure to check the foam and other places within the box. I finally find them inside the remote with one end disconnected, so they weren't active. OK normally, but on this overly-heavy metal remote which requires the removal of six screws to access the batteries, not the best idea. To much potential for stripping or losing the very small 4/40 flat head screws.

    Once powered on I performed the basic setup as documented in the manual. Upon testing the speakers levels I noticed no sub output. I performed a quick inspection and found the sub cable wasn't plugged in fully. Once fixed and levels setup, I put in Stealth, because I knew it was dynamic and a good indicator of bass response.

    Before starting the movie I performed a quick "EmoQue" setup. I noticed a few inaccuracies (distance 16 instead of 13ft), speaker sizes. One other problem I wasn't going to mention because I hadn't seen it mentioned in any other comments or reviews, was the volume control on the remote didn't work. I could see the processor's lights respond to the button pressing, but not adjustment. A quick call to Emotiva and their technical support team has a replacement remote on its way.

    Overall the performance was very good. This unit has much more presence and provides a more substantial amount of bass. Surround effects were off the wall, much more than I'd heard on any of my receivers. Dialogue was crystal clear. I watched a few TV shows and noticed much better surround decoding there as well. The bass is substantial. Much more than I'd expected. Almost to the point where I'd adjust the bass down, but haven't.

    I'm still in the honeymoon phase. It's not tweaked out like I want yet. I'll provide a more thorough update when it is.
  • 03-28-2011, 07:01 PM
    Mr Peabody
    Ahhhh...., the fun of new toys.

    I wonder, if the remote volume control makes the light show on the processor, if the issue is really the remote? It seems if the button didn't work nothing would happen. Good to hear it's an improvement in sound for you.
  • 03-29-2011, 05:34 AM
    bfalls
    It sounded funny to me that I can see communication between the remote and the processor, but the problem is with the remote. It must be sending the wrong code. I figured, it's their unit and they should know what's wrong. Tech Support went straight to this resolution, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Although I won't be surprised it if this is only "step one".

    This unit is a big improvement over the three prior receivers. At one time I'd purchased a Lexicon CP1+ surround processor. It was a very good unit and cost around $1495. I still have it, but it's seriously outdated with it's Dolby Pro Logic movie formats. The DSP section is excellent and very configurable. My problem with it is the technology didn't last long and for $1495 I'd never get half it's worth if sold. This is why the Emotiva gear is so appealing.

    I still haven't had the chance to put the unit through its paces. I still want to see how it handles SACD and other formats.
  • 03-29-2011, 04:27 PM
    Mr Peabody
    Yeah, you probably aren't the first to have the remote issue, so they knew what was up.
  • 04-04-2011, 08:09 AM
    bfalls
    I'm turning in my audio enthusiast's badge. I determined the cause of the remote problem I reported. Before unplugging and moving the unit into another room to check for stray IR, I decided to try it one more time.

    I turned everything on and tried the volume. I see the lights flashing on the processor, when I press the volume, but no change. I looked at the remote to verify I'm using the volume buttons and sure enough they are volume buttons-----but for ZONE 2!! What a ditz. Of course the main volume adjusts just fine now when I use the correct buttons.

    To my defense though, Emotiva did put the Zone 2 volume in the location where most remotes put the main volume. Problem solved, moving forward.

    I did get a chance to listen to the UMC-1 this weekend. I put in the Dark Side of the Moon SACD. I was amazed. I always felt the SACD didn't do justice to the Mobile Fidelity version, but the UMC-1 has changed my mind. It made it sound incredible. It was much easier determining individual instruments. The music had more detail. Going from my Denon AVR-3300 to the Sony STR-D5300ES, the music lost bass presence I was never able to recover with equalization or placement. With the UMC-1 set using the EMOQ, the bass was back. Very prominent, but not boomy. Very enjoyable.

    My wife, who is not a big fan of any upgrade requiring more equipment, loves the new processor. She notices a big difference in presence and detail. Even with TV. The past couple of years I've enjoyed how American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance have presented the sound on their programs especially special Music guests and how amazing the show's stages are. My HD receiver presents them in 5.1. The UMC-1 does an excellent job providing another dimension of enjoyment. At twice the price the UMC-1 would be a bargain. I'm very happy with the results and this is without making any changes to the first EMOQ settings. It can only get better once I tweak it in.
  • 04-07-2011, 11:28 AM
    drseid
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by bfalls
    At twice the price the UMC-1 would be a bargain. I'm very happy with the results and this is without making any changes to the first EMOQ settings. It can only get better once I tweak it in.


    Glad to hear it worked out for you.

    I was extremely close to pulling the trigger on one myself recently as it looks incredible, and as you mentioned, the price is pretty enticing... I got scared off by all the people griping of the various glitches and wound up buying an Integra DHC 40.2 instead for a bit more money. I definitely prefer the looks of the UMC-1 by a mile... I guess I will always wonder if I made the right choice in not taking the chance on the UMC-1 as you did...

    I guess when the 40.2 arrives next week and I install it, I will see if I sacrificed sound quality for glitch peace of mind (I am already missing the Cary Cinema 6 it will replace in my system for two channel, but alas, I needed HDMI for high rez sound format processing).

    Enjoy your UMC-1... I am jealous. :-)

    ---Dave
  • 04-10-2011, 09:56 AM
    eisforelectronic
    Hey, have either of you received a credit card sized card from Emo? It says good for 40% off Generation 3 or higher Emo A/V processor. It came in the mail yesterday.
  • 04-10-2011, 10:41 AM
    kexodusc
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eisforelectronic
    Hey, have either of you received a credit card sized card from Emo? It says good for 40% off Generation 3 or higher Emo A/V processor. It came in the mail yesterday.

    I got mine electronically because I live out of country...
  • 04-10-2011, 03:07 PM
    Mr Peabody
    What's the deal, do you trade yours in or you just get a discount on a new one?
  • 04-10-2011, 05:00 PM
    kexodusc
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
    What's the deal, do you trade yours in or you just get a discount on a new one?

    Just a discount. I think some people sell their old ones when they upgrade.
  • 04-10-2011, 11:33 PM
    eisforelectronic
    Does this mean a new one is coming out soon?
  • 04-11-2011, 12:42 AM
    drseid
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by eisforelectronic
    Does this mean a new one is coming out soon?

    I think the new model is the XMC-1. They have not announced the finalized specs to the best of my knowledge, but it is rumored to be HDMI 1.4a compliant and have balanced outputs among other things... The expected price is $999.99.

    That said, it was supposed to be released last month, and with no status update, who knows when it is going to happen...?
    I was holding out before purchasing the 40.2 on that unit, but when nothing was announced I finally gave up. Still, to those with those handy 40% off coupons it will be an absolute steal whenever it does release I am sure.

    Dave