Post by DYohn on Jun 7, 2011 11:07:15 GMT -5
I recently obtained a slightly used AV-7005 from forum member emann30 and decided to take the opportunity to compare it with the UMC-1. This is not a scientific test nor did I set up my RTA to scope anything, it is simply my impressions of the Marantz and the UMC-1 used sequentially.
The source used is a Sony BDP-S570 via Emotiva X-series HDMI to the preamp, Emotiva UPA-7 amp to the mains, my smaller sub (Dual Exodus Shiva-X driven by a Velodyne SC-1250) no surround speakers employed for this test, and my Sony 52" LCD connected via another Emotiva X-series HDMI cable. I watched some Netflix streaming and a BRD of "Frida."
I am very familiar with the performance of the UMC-1 having owned it in this system since January 2010. I am also familiar with its quirks and instabilities, which will be the topic of another thread. Even so, in order to fairly compare the two I entered factory defaults and ran Emo-Q fro the main listening position, accepting all the defaults. Emo-Q correctly set distances and levels, but the EQ seems all out of whack. No matter, defaults saved. Then I made sure HDMI-1 was set properly and watched one of the more colorful and musical sequences from the middle of "Frida" to give my memory a base-line. Then I swapped in the Marantz.
First off, my initial impression of the AV-7005 is that this thing is HUGE. Yea, it needs more real estate on the back than the UMC-1 mainly because of the balanced outs and more I/O in general, but the chassis is a standard receiver size (almost exactly the same footprint as the UPA-7) and after having the svelte UMC-1 in the rack the Marantz looked like a bloated monster. My wife likes the front design aesthetics, me I'm not so sure. I must say that it almost completely disappeared in a semi-darkened room, with only a hint of a blue circle announcing its presence. This is a stark contrast to the multiple bright blue lights on the front of the UMC-1. No matter, this is not a review of the looks of the thing but of how it performs.
Setup was very easy (especially since I only had to connect power and two HDMI cables and four RCAs for this test.) I ran it through the auto setup routine which included Audyssey. I only did 4 test points and even with that it took almost 20 minutes to run. It correctly set distances and levels, and although I didn't like the looks of the EQ settings it chose I left them as set by the machine. Next was to watch the same segment of "Frida."
I was immediately shocked by the image quality difference. The Marantz is much more natural-looking than the UMC-1. The image from the UMC-1 always seemed a bit over-saturated and with sharp edges, as if everything was processed by a Photo Shop "sharpen" filter. I found myself really adjusting the video settings in the unit, sometimes from one program to the next, as the degree of processing seemed to change with the input type. The Marantz (with everything in "auto") was beautiful and watchable right out of the box and made my calibrated display look wonderful. The Anchor Bay processor in the AV-7005 seems better than the Torino in the UMC-1.
Then I listened carefully to the sound. The edge here definitely goes to Emotiva. The sound from the UMC-1 is crisp, clear, slightly forward, with emphasized bass and slightly rolled-off high end. Perfect for home theater, in my opinion, and a joy to listen to. The AV-7005 was much more laid-back, neutral and "average." Since I was listening to the Dolby Digital soundtrack from the BRD this has to be either a difference between the audio DACs in the two units or a difference between what Audyssey thinks sound should be VS what Emo-Q thinks sound should be. Regardless, while the sound from the Marantz was certainly acceptable, I preferred the UMC-1's audio performance.
I then stopped the disc and flipped over to Netflix and watched an episode of the excellent BBC series "Luther." Again, I was struck by the overall balance and depth of the video image. A definite improvement in image quality.
A few other observations: It is not only easy to tweak nearly every setting in the UMC-1, it is quite fun to get in there and play around. Not so with the AV-7005. The settings here are either buried deep in menus or not available at all. And some settings are impossible to decipher even with the 118-page owner's manual (and even for me who has been working in this industry since the stone age.) I could not figure out how to choose a specific video output setting or how to tell it I wanted stereo-only audio, for example. I'm sure these things are in there but they are not obvious nor available the way they are in the Emotiva GUI. Also the crossover settings are very limited and offer the user rather gross almost-full-octave leaps between some settings. I found that I inadvertently turned Audyssey off by playing with the crossover and EQ settings. I just decided to try tweaking the center channel graphic EQ in the Marantz and noticed a huge sound change in bands I hadn't touched. I guess this is because you either get it all or nothing. Interesting - and annoying since in the Emotiva you can use Emo-Q simply to set the baseline and then everything is adjustable from there without affecting anything else.
Bass output was much more balanced through the Marantz. Perhaps this is a result of the Emotiva's well-publicized bass management signal path or perhaps it is because Emo-Q sets a more aggressive house curve than does Audyssey, but the subwoofer was well-blended after setting up the AV-7005 and never became obtrusive the way it can if you leave the Emo-Q default settings.
The Marantz has quite a few more I/O options than the Emotiva, most of which I'll never use. The AV-7005 has three audio zones and two video zones, although as in most pre-pros the second and third zones either duplicate the main or must use analog only input signals. It offers 6 HDMI inputs and 2 outputs (not sure if they can be used simultaneously.) It has a moving magnet phono input, RS-232, and both single-ended and balanced outs. There are a bunch of other proprietary connectors that I didn't pay much attention to, but it seems like you could connect whatever you want to the thing. The balanced outs are for a 7.1 setup and the single-ended can be used for up to 9.1. There are dual subwoofer outputs on both sides, but they are actually both the same mono signal. You cannot setup a 7.2 or 9.2 using them. The Marantz only has two trigger outputs and they are not input-specific they are zone-specific. The Emotiva has three trigger outputs that are activated by input selection, a real plus in my book.
One real edge goes to Marantz in terms of network connectivity. It has an Ethernet port on the back. I plugged it into my home network and it automatically set itself up, connected to the Marantz server on the web and told me there was a firmware update available. I told it to go ahead, and although the update took 18 minutes to complete, it did everything automatically without me having to touch a thing. Also, the Marantz appears as a device on my network and I can apparently remote control it using a PC, and I was able to browse my music server and play back some WAV files directly. There is apparently a $49 upgrade available that will make the AV-7005 Air Play compatible and then I could directly access my iTunes library. I likely will not activate this function since I use a Squeezebox and external DAC that suits my taste for this.
The Marantz retails for $1499, the Emotiva for $699. So is the Marantz worth twice the price? Depending on who you are, yes it is. Let me explain.
The UMC-1 is like a British sports car. Fast, nimble, fun to drive and exciting. It puts the top down and lets the wind blow through your hair while you slam through the manual gear box and feel every bit of the road through the wheel. But you can only really get the most out of it if you like to tinker with the engine; if you pay close attention to the oil pressure and temperature as you drive; if you are prepared for a hiccup now and then and don't mind lifting off the throttle around curves lest the rear end get out in front of you. And there is always the likelihood that it may break down at any moment and require more tinkering to get back on the road.
The AV-7005 is like a Lexus. It is big, reliable, smooth and comfortable. It is designed to get you down the road quickly and with a minimum of fuss or attention from the driver. You hop in, turn the key, and off your go. It may not offer the highest performance in the world, but it's no slouch either and it will get you there in comfort and style and with very little for the driver to do other than point it in the right direction.
So, if you want the best value product, if you like tweaking your system in order to squeeze out the utmost performance, or if excellent audio is your primary goal, the UMC-1 has the edge. If you want things to be automatic and you don't want to have to think about it, the AV-7005 is the better choice, and worth the price premium to that user, IMO.
The source used is a Sony BDP-S570 via Emotiva X-series HDMI to the preamp, Emotiva UPA-7 amp to the mains, my smaller sub (Dual Exodus Shiva-X driven by a Velodyne SC-1250) no surround speakers employed for this test, and my Sony 52" LCD connected via another Emotiva X-series HDMI cable. I watched some Netflix streaming and a BRD of "Frida."
I am very familiar with the performance of the UMC-1 having owned it in this system since January 2010. I am also familiar with its quirks and instabilities, which will be the topic of another thread. Even so, in order to fairly compare the two I entered factory defaults and ran Emo-Q fro the main listening position, accepting all the defaults. Emo-Q correctly set distances and levels, but the EQ seems all out of whack. No matter, defaults saved. Then I made sure HDMI-1 was set properly and watched one of the more colorful and musical sequences from the middle of "Frida" to give my memory a base-line. Then I swapped in the Marantz.
First off, my initial impression of the AV-7005 is that this thing is HUGE. Yea, it needs more real estate on the back than the UMC-1 mainly because of the balanced outs and more I/O in general, but the chassis is a standard receiver size (almost exactly the same footprint as the UPA-7) and after having the svelte UMC-1 in the rack the Marantz looked like a bloated monster. My wife likes the front design aesthetics, me I'm not so sure. I must say that it almost completely disappeared in a semi-darkened room, with only a hint of a blue circle announcing its presence. This is a stark contrast to the multiple bright blue lights on the front of the UMC-1. No matter, this is not a review of the looks of the thing but of how it performs.
Setup was very easy (especially since I only had to connect power and two HDMI cables and four RCAs for this test.) I ran it through the auto setup routine which included Audyssey. I only did 4 test points and even with that it took almost 20 minutes to run. It correctly set distances and levels, and although I didn't like the looks of the EQ settings it chose I left them as set by the machine. Next was to watch the same segment of "Frida."
I was immediately shocked by the image quality difference. The Marantz is much more natural-looking than the UMC-1. The image from the UMC-1 always seemed a bit over-saturated and with sharp edges, as if everything was processed by a Photo Shop "sharpen" filter. I found myself really adjusting the video settings in the unit, sometimes from one program to the next, as the degree of processing seemed to change with the input type. The Marantz (with everything in "auto") was beautiful and watchable right out of the box and made my calibrated display look wonderful. The Anchor Bay processor in the AV-7005 seems better than the Torino in the UMC-1.
Then I listened carefully to the sound. The edge here definitely goes to Emotiva. The sound from the UMC-1 is crisp, clear, slightly forward, with emphasized bass and slightly rolled-off high end. Perfect for home theater, in my opinion, and a joy to listen to. The AV-7005 was much more laid-back, neutral and "average." Since I was listening to the Dolby Digital soundtrack from the BRD this has to be either a difference between the audio DACs in the two units or a difference between what Audyssey thinks sound should be VS what Emo-Q thinks sound should be. Regardless, while the sound from the Marantz was certainly acceptable, I preferred the UMC-1's audio performance.
I then stopped the disc and flipped over to Netflix and watched an episode of the excellent BBC series "Luther." Again, I was struck by the overall balance and depth of the video image. A definite improvement in image quality.
A few other observations: It is not only easy to tweak nearly every setting in the UMC-1, it is quite fun to get in there and play around. Not so with the AV-7005. The settings here are either buried deep in menus or not available at all. And some settings are impossible to decipher even with the 118-page owner's manual (and even for me who has been working in this industry since the stone age.) I could not figure out how to choose a specific video output setting or how to tell it I wanted stereo-only audio, for example. I'm sure these things are in there but they are not obvious nor available the way they are in the Emotiva GUI. Also the crossover settings are very limited and offer the user rather gross almost-full-octave leaps between some settings. I found that I inadvertently turned Audyssey off by playing with the crossover and EQ settings. I just decided to try tweaking the center channel graphic EQ in the Marantz and noticed a huge sound change in bands I hadn't touched. I guess this is because you either get it all or nothing. Interesting - and annoying since in the Emotiva you can use Emo-Q simply to set the baseline and then everything is adjustable from there without affecting anything else.
Bass output was much more balanced through the Marantz. Perhaps this is a result of the Emotiva's well-publicized bass management signal path or perhaps it is because Emo-Q sets a more aggressive house curve than does Audyssey, but the subwoofer was well-blended after setting up the AV-7005 and never became obtrusive the way it can if you leave the Emo-Q default settings.
The Marantz has quite a few more I/O options than the Emotiva, most of which I'll never use. The AV-7005 has three audio zones and two video zones, although as in most pre-pros the second and third zones either duplicate the main or must use analog only input signals. It offers 6 HDMI inputs and 2 outputs (not sure if they can be used simultaneously.) It has a moving magnet phono input, RS-232, and both single-ended and balanced outs. There are a bunch of other proprietary connectors that I didn't pay much attention to, but it seems like you could connect whatever you want to the thing. The balanced outs are for a 7.1 setup and the single-ended can be used for up to 9.1. There are dual subwoofer outputs on both sides, but they are actually both the same mono signal. You cannot setup a 7.2 or 9.2 using them. The Marantz only has two trigger outputs and they are not input-specific they are zone-specific. The Emotiva has three trigger outputs that are activated by input selection, a real plus in my book.
One real edge goes to Marantz in terms of network connectivity. It has an Ethernet port on the back. I plugged it into my home network and it automatically set itself up, connected to the Marantz server on the web and told me there was a firmware update available. I told it to go ahead, and although the update took 18 minutes to complete, it did everything automatically without me having to touch a thing. Also, the Marantz appears as a device on my network and I can apparently remote control it using a PC, and I was able to browse my music server and play back some WAV files directly. There is apparently a $49 upgrade available that will make the AV-7005 Air Play compatible and then I could directly access my iTunes library. I likely will not activate this function since I use a Squeezebox and external DAC that suits my taste for this.
The Marantz retails for $1499, the Emotiva for $699. So is the Marantz worth twice the price? Depending on who you are, yes it is. Let me explain.
The UMC-1 is like a British sports car. Fast, nimble, fun to drive and exciting. It puts the top down and lets the wind blow through your hair while you slam through the manual gear box and feel every bit of the road through the wheel. But you can only really get the most out of it if you like to tinker with the engine; if you pay close attention to the oil pressure and temperature as you drive; if you are prepared for a hiccup now and then and don't mind lifting off the throttle around curves lest the rear end get out in front of you. And there is always the likelihood that it may break down at any moment and require more tinkering to get back on the road.
The AV-7005 is like a Lexus. It is big, reliable, smooth and comfortable. It is designed to get you down the road quickly and with a minimum of fuss or attention from the driver. You hop in, turn the key, and off your go. It may not offer the highest performance in the world, but it's no slouch either and it will get you there in comfort and style and with very little for the driver to do other than point it in the right direction.
So, if you want the best value product, if you like tweaking your system in order to squeeze out the utmost performance, or if excellent audio is your primary goal, the UMC-1 has the edge. If you want things to be automatic and you don't want to have to think about it, the AV-7005 is the better choice, and worth the price premium to that user, IMO.
