Just joined the Emo tribe

I'm in the process of upgrading the audio portion of my HT. The trusty eight year old NAD T763 receiver has provided trouble-free service but lacks a number of useful features such as HDMI switching and TrueHD audio capability. On Thursday, I ordered an Emo UMC-1 processor and XPA-5 amp. They shipped on Friday and arrived today. Build quality is good - call it "upper" consumer electronics grade and bang for buck quotient is pretty high. I spent only about fifty bucks more for this combo than the NAD.

Tonight, I'll be giving them a good break-in and learning about the option set. So far, so good. The added headroom is nice and BR sources definitely sound better. :)

rw

i've been emo curious myself, but never had the experience. looking forward to your impressions as they develop.

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Originally Posted by E-Stat

I'm in the process of upgrading the audio portion of my HT. The trusty eight year old NAD T763 receiver has provided trouble-free service but lacks a number of useful features such as HDMI switching and TrueHD audio capability. On Thursday, I ordered an Emo UMC-1 processor and XPA-5 amp. They shipped on Friday and arrived today. Build quality is good - call it "upper" consumer electronics grade and bang for buck quotient is pretty high. I spent only about fifty bucks more for this combo than the NAD.

Tonight, I'll be giving them a good break-in and learning about the option set. So far, so good. The added headroom is nice and BR sources definitely sound better. :)

rw

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I'd love to hear your thoughts on how the XPA-5 fares in your main system... Whether it is totally embarrassed or does a decent job, etc...

Emo gear is an easy recommendation for US customers looking for something powerful, flexible and affordable...

I have the Emo XPA-5/UMC-1 setup I use with my Legacy Focus speaker system. I'm also in the process of demoing my other systems. I have three ERM-1s in a system with Klipsch RS-3 surrounds, an entire Klipsch 7.1 system (Kg4 mains, KV3 center, RS-3 side/rear surrounds), a Klipsch bookshelf surround system (4-B2 mains/surround, KV3 center) and a 4-Scandyna Minipod, KLF-C7 center system. All systems use the sub portion of my Legacy Focus which are bi-amped for bass.

So far all sound reasonably good. Of course the Legacy system sounds the best, but cost several times more than the others. The B2/KV3 system sounds amazing for the least cost. I purchased one pair of B2s from Amazon for $125, the other pair used for the same price. The Legacy speaker system would retail for about $10,800, the B2 system for about $1000. I would recommend both systems. The XPA-5 and UMC-1 can be had for about $1500 and does both systems justice.

Watched special edition of Avatar last night. Simply awesome. Having more headroom delivered more weight and accessing the TrueHD layer provided far more clarity to the presentation. I found myself laughing out loud how much better the soundtrack sounded at times. I could make out more dialog and subtle sounds everywhere which is exactly what detail junkies like me like.

Ajani, I'll eventually take it upstairs and try it with the stats. Sucker is pretty heavy though! Wifey will like the fact that you no longer have to separately switch the video and audio sections. Today, I'll finish the job by ty-wrapping all the cabling to the rack. Surprisingly, the new units fit in the same space as before with the amp taking up the space previously used by the receiver with the processor added to the cable box/BR player stack.

So far, :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

rw

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Originally Posted by E-Stat

Watched special edition of Avatar last night. Simply awesome. Having more headroom delivered more weight and accessing the TrueHD layer provided far more clarity to the presentation.

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I wished more poeple would realize that more power or headroom does not equal louder. But rather it equal more clarity and lower distortion. So specifications does matter.

Good show and enjoy your new toys :)

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Originally Posted by Smokey

I wished more poeple would realize that more power or headroom does not equal louder. But rather it equal more clarity and lower distortion. Good show and enjoy your new toys :)

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SO TRUE, which is why my sole external amp is on the front two channels(for audio listening).
ESTAT, glad to see another Emo convert, there is no
downside to their gear. Reliable, too. I LOVE MINE and get a
ton of oohs and ahhhs, especially when I POP THE TOP and
show off my toroidial.
CONGRATS.:1:

Ralph,
Congrats on your purchase, and glad to see you enjoying it. Now you are able to hear soundtracks in their full glory!

Congrats E, it's a great day when anybody gets new toys and especially so when they fill a niche. Glad your HT sounds better and I'm eagerly awaiting some descriptions from the forthcoming Stat adventures.

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Originally Posted by E-Stat

Watched special edition of Avatar last night. Simply awesome. Having more headroom delivered more weight and accessing the TrueHD layer provided far more clarity to the presentation. I found myself laughing out loud how much better the soundtrack sounded at times. I could make out more dialog and subtle sounds everywhere which is exactly what detail junkies like me like.

Ajani, I'll eventually take it upstairs and try it with the stats. Sucker is pretty heavy though! Wifey will like the fact that you no longer have to separately switch the video and audio sections. Today, I'll finish the job by ty-wrapping all the cabling to the rack. Surprisingly, the new units fit in the same space as before with the amp taking up the space previously used by the receiver with the processor added to the cable box/BR player stack.

So far, :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

rw

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by E-Stat

Watched special edition of Avatar last night. Simply awesome. Having more headroom delivered more weight and accessing the TrueHD layer provided far more clarity to the presentation. I found myself laughing out loud how much better the soundtrack sounded at times. I could make out more dialog and subtle sounds everywhere which is exactly what detail junkies like me like.

Ajani, I'll eventually take it upstairs and try it with the stats. Sucker is pretty heavy though! Wifey will like the fact that you no longer have to separately switch the video and audio sections. Today, I'll finish the job by ty-wrapping all the cabling to the rack. Surprisingly, the new units fit in the same space as before with the amp taking up the space previously used by the receiver with the processor added to the cable box/BR player stack.

So far, :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

rw

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Congrats man" good deal, now show that "Avatar" who is In Charge.:cool:

Thanks for the comments, guys. Naturally, I watched some more Blu Ray content last night and never got around to dealing with the initial cable mess!

rw

Cable mess. I've two very good friends who have a great LCD, good Legacy speakers and a great new Blu-Ray player but thier receiver is from the dark ages of Component video. I told them that if they let me get them a modern midfi receiver they can get all the new DSP and TruMaster and all dat. They were singularly unimpressed. When I told em I could get rid of 90% of the wires behind their cabinet... they jumped on it. Amazing what wire clutter can do.

Worf

PS congrats on the new gear, I assume these are seperates you bought?

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Originally Posted by Worf101

When I told em I could get rid of 90% of the wires behind their cabinet... they jumped on it.

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Well, not exactly for me. I still have seven power cords and actually ended up with an extra one or two wires since there are now five interconnects going from processor to power amp. I intend to bundle all the wiring neatly and affix to back of stand. Previously, I didn't attempt full switching with its duplicate cabling.

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Originally Posted by Worf101

PS congrats on the new gear, I assume these are seperates you bought?

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Thanks! Yes:

Processor
Power amp

I wanted more power than is practical in a receiver format and also get the additional flexibility.

rw

=E-Stat;361155]Well, not exactly for me. I still have seven power cords and actually ended up with an extra one or two wires since there are now five interconnects going from processor to power amp. I intend to bundle all the wiring neatly and affix to back of stand. Previously, I didn't attempt full switching with its duplicate cabling.


Thanks! Yes:

Processor
Power amp

I wanted more power than is practical in a receiver format and also get the additional flexibility.

SOONER or later this is where all serious enthusiasts wind
up. RECEIVERS are good all purpose midfi devices, but cant beat a dedicated pre-pro and amp.:1:
rw

Here's a pic of the new arrangement. Amp clearance above is not ideal because it just fits!

http://gallery.audioreview.com/data/...500//ht111.jpg

rw

That's a cool looking system. I have looked at Emotiva stuff from time to time and wondered about their stuff. I have heard good experiences form them and bad. I will say they offer a lot of separates for the dollar in today's world and that part is a good thing and their amps seem to sound good for the price. I have heard of a few failures in their amps but not many and their customer service is good from what I hear. I use an older 545 series 2 Adcom which does me right and sounds great but I know its not going to last forever but I won't replace the old dog until she dies but its good the hear some positive on their gear since lately I have been hearing negative.

Congrats on the new toys E-Stat. I'm still happy with my Emotiva stuff, though the first few months of firmware goofery almost made me send it back.

I too am curious how the amp makes out with the Stats. fighting above its weight class methinks, but always an eye opener to try.

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Originally Posted by pixelthis

ESTAT, glad to see another Emo convert, there is no
downside to their gear. Reliable, too. I LOVE MINE and get a
ton of oohs and ahhhs, especially when I POP THE TOP and
show off my toroidial.

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Can't say I totally agree on the "Reliable" claim as I'm currently waiting on a replacement relay for my amp (relay died and the amp was hardly being used at the time)....

My view on Emo is that if you are in the US, then they're well worth a try, if you're overseas then it's probably best to buy something else...

Estat, love your setup. EVEN THO you have the larger amp, I WOULDN'T worry about their close proximity, mine never get that hot.
AS FOR THE EMO "firesale" I see that the amp I bought(125wpc)
even on sale is 350 bucks. I paid 250 on sale. GUESS I got
an even bigger bargain than I thought.:1: