nrde
Minor Hero
Posts: 62
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Post by nrde on Apr 27, 2017 3:31:25 GMT -5
nrde, I know it seems a little obvious but, did you check your mic is firmly plugged??. I have heard this issue once and it was just a matter of the mic not being detected as connected. Yes, I tried to connect it multiple times and to me the connection was as good as the connector allowed. I'll continue today, hopefully it wakes up properly this time. edit: no luck after keeping the unit main power off the whole day, sticking the mic plug as far into the hole as possible. Going to check the mic next.
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Post by frraksurred on May 29, 2017 21:31:51 GMT -5
My first unit was a nightmare to get delivered, and then it was defective. My current unit works, but everything sounds like it's in a can or stuffed in a suitcase. I've tried everything from the most basic speaker distance manual settings to running the Audessey software repeatedly. Ive experimented with multiple SS modes also, but nothing improves the situation. Audessey makes things even worse; set the sub crossover to 250 twice. I have one manual setting that is 'tolerable'... until I switch sources, then it sounds like muffled crap again until I reboot it.
My Oppo, PS4 Pro & Samsung tv all update firmware through their network port. I get a popup notification and a reboot and I'm done. This thing wont recognize any of my 3 thumbdrives, one of which is 7 yrs old, so updates are a pita.
When I hooked my UMC 200 back up everything sounded great again. The cheap $170 Sony reviever and entry level Polk Audio speakers in my bedroom are currently kicking the ass of my $6k living room system, so I guess you could say that my "first impressions" have been less than enthusiastic. To be frank I'm considering a refund & researching other brands. This thing is too picky... freakin' bipolar even when it's working 'properly'. If I'm spending the money, I want something reliable that I don't have to mess with constantly, and the family doesn't hate me for owning.
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Post by garbulky on May 30, 2017 10:31:23 GMT -5
I tried the MC-700 with a Basx system. In terms of sound quality, this is not what I would go for. Though it wasn't BAD, the sound didn't feel very fleshed out to me. I find the sound of the PT-100 to be more musical to me. The remote is an improvement from the PT-100. The HDMI inputs were very very slow to switch which would make it a deal breaker for my family. I know for sure one of my family members would assume that the thing crashed or stopped working because of the speed and just give up using it pretty much instantly. The OSD also went away for some reason when it was working the other day which made it frustrating as we were trying to turn Emo-q off. So we went to the manual which was unfortunately no help. It was a friendly manual but not enough in depth info. The on screen LED display menu system was also incomprehensible for me to do it that way.
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Post by stevebaune on Aug 21, 2017 13:40:47 GMT -5
Received the MC-700 (sw ver. 2.9.1) on Saturday and have it hooked to an XPA-5. Ran the EMO-Q and I thought it did a great job setting up the speakers. Distance was pretty much spot on, and it did a nice job setting the EQ and levels. I think it sounds a little better than the Marantz SR6003. Vocals seem clearer and the music I’ve streamed sounds more balanced. Now for what I’m not liking nearly as well at the Marantz. I stream from a Sonos connect and every time I switch to it, I have to use the mode button and put it back in stereo mode. Is there a way to set this by default? If there is, I haven’t found the setting yet. I'm using the coax, should I use the 2 channel analog in instead?
I’m running a BJ certified HDMI cable between the MC-700 and Vizio P702. When I switch it to DirecTV Genie, (input HDMI 4 / output HDMI 1) the video is taking over a minute to come up. It will flash the video a couple of times with delays in between before finally coming on. Is this a normal delay? If so, this will be a deal breaker, my wife already said it doesn’t sound THAT much better to be worth having to deal with this. I know from past experience, she has to be able to hit “Watch TV” or “Sonos” on the Harmony remote and have it work every time without doing anything else, or it will have to be returned.
Any help resolving these issues would be great.
Thanks
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Post by foggy1956 on Aug 21, 2017 14:07:39 GMT -5
Received the MC-700 (sw ver. 2.9.1) on Saturday and have it hooked to an XPA-5. Ran the EMO-Q and I thought it did a great job setting up the speakers. Distance was pretty much spot on, and it did a nice job setting the EQ and levels. I think it sounds a little better than the Marantz SR6003. Vocals seem clearer and the music I’ve streamed sounds more balanced. Now for what I’m not liking nearly as well at the Marantz. I stream from a Sonos connect and every time I switch to it, I have to use the mode button and put it back in stereo mode. Is there a way to set this by default? If there is, I haven’t found the setting yet. I'm using the coax, should I use the 2 channel analog in instead? I’m running a BJ certified HDMI cable between the MC-700 and Vizio P702. When I switch it to DirecTV Genie, (input HDMI 4 / output HDMI 1) the video is taking over a minute to come up. It will flash the video a couple of times with delays in between before finally coming on. Is this a normal delay? If so, this will be a deal breaker, my wife already said it doesn’t sound THAT much better to be worth having to deal with this. I know from past experience, she has to be able to hit “Watch TV” or “Sonos” on the Harmony remote and have it work every time without doing anything else, or it will have to be returned. Any help resolving these issues would be great. Thanks Call tech support
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Post by Gary Cook on Aug 21, 2017 18:18:55 GMT -5
Almost guarantee that the problem is your DirecTV Genie, my guess is it uses an "older" HDMI/HDCP standard. No matter which 4K suitable processor or AVR you choose it's almost a certainty that the DirecTV Genie won't work nicely with it. From memory there's a newer model that supports 4K and hence is HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 compatible, I thinks it's called DirecTV Mini or something similar. You should check it out.
You're not the only one to suffer from issues with the DirecTV Genie and Vizio TV's. Maybe try a search for other's experiences.
Cheers Gary
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Post by rbk123 on Aug 21, 2017 20:35:46 GMT -5
I'm going to assume his DirecTV Genie didn't have issues with the Marantz, only now when connect to the MC700.
I have the Genie upstairs in the living room hooked up to an Onkyo receiver with no HDMI issues of any kind. I have one of the remote DirecTV boxes downstairs hooked up to my MC700 and it causes the most problems. In the end it works, it just requires me to be patient with it. If your wife doesn't have the patience, send it back as it won't get better unless you switch to a different DVR setup.
I have used both BJC and the Monoprice premium certified and they both helped dramatically from regular HDMI, but I still have issues. Interestingly, I can't tell a difference in performance between the BJC and Monoprice but my wallet did ($17 vs. $4).
Also, with regular (i.e. crappy) HDMI cables and the DirecTV remote box connected to my XMC-1, I had no troubles.
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Post by Gary Cook on Aug 21, 2017 21:37:37 GMT -5
I'm going to assume his DirecTV Genie didn't have issues with the Marantz, only now when connect to the MC700. Most likely because they both (DirectTV and Marantz) are using the "old" standards for HDMI and HDCP ie; no compatibility problems. It (the need to align the standards) can't be dodged forever, eventually we all have to face up to the reality that we can't go on forever mixing vintages. We don't have it here in Australia but friends of mine in the US rent their DirectTV and so they simply asked for an upgrade to the 4K version. It was $few extra a month but they not only solved the capability issues they also gained access to 4K content. Cheers Gary
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Post by rbk123 on Aug 22, 2017 8:24:16 GMT -5
Most likely because they both (DirectTV and Marantz) are using the "old" standards for HDMI and HDCP ie; no compatibility problems. It (the need to align the standards) can't be dodged forever, eventually we all have to face up to the reality that we can't go on forever mixing vintages. We don't have it here in Australia but friends of mine in the US rent their DirectTV and so they simply asked for an upgrade to the 4K version. It was $few extra a month but they not only solved the capability issues they also gained access to 4K content. I'm not so sure that's the issue. As mentioned, the XMC-1 of mine has no issues with the DirecTV gear, yet the UMC did and so does the MC. If what you're saying is true it means the UMC and MC use the "new" standards, but the XMC and the Onkyo use the "old" standards. Pretty positive that is not the case. And that doesn't even address the case of other devices that have HDMI sync issues with the MC, but just less frequent.
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Post by stevebaune on Aug 22, 2017 8:26:34 GMT -5
I'm going to assume his DirecTV Genie didn't have issues with the Marantz, only now when connect to the MC700. Most likely because they both (DirectTV and Marantz) are using the "old" standards for HDMI and HDCP ie; no compatibility problems. It (the need to align the standards) can't be dodged forever, eventually we all have to face up to the reality that we can't go on forever mixing vintages. We don't have it here in Australia but friends of mine in the US rent their DirectTV and so they simply asked for an upgrade to the 4K version. It was $few extra a month but they not only solved the capability issues they also gained access to 4K content. I didn't have the DirecTV box hooked to the Marantz via HDMI, I was using optical for audio only. One of the goals of changing was to eliminate a number of cables. The DirecTV box is about a month old, but it's not the newest version. They upgraded me to this one when I moved, but I still have a free upgrade available. I was waiting for more 4K content before upgrading to the new one, but I may have to reconsider if that's going to fix the problem. Thanks for the input
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Post by rbk123 on Aug 22, 2017 8:43:21 GMT -5
I doubt it'll fix the issue but you can try it before your return window happens. Report back and let us know how it turns out.
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Post by doc1963 on Aug 22, 2017 10:52:51 GMT -5
Most likely because they both (DirectTV and Marantz) are using the "old" standards for HDMI and HDCP ie; no compatibility problems. It (the need to align the standards) can't be dodged forever, eventually we all have to face up to the reality that we can't go on forever mixing vintages. We don't have it here in Australia but friends of mine in the US rent their DirectTV and so they simply asked for an upgrade to the 4K version. It was $few extra a month but they not only solved the capability issues they also gained access to 4K content. I didn't have the DirecTV box hooked to the Marantz via HDMI, I was using optical for audio only. One of the goals of changing was to eliminate a number of cables. The DirecTV box is about a month old, but it's not the newest version. They upgraded me to this one when I moved, but I still have a free upgrade available. I was waiting for more 4K content before upgrading to the new one, but I may have to reconsider if that's going to fix the problem. Thanks for the input I think your problem is with the exchange of EDID information (the handshake) and the fact that the MC-700 uses different chipsets between input ports 1-3 and 4-6 for 4K UHD support. The momentary flashing of video that you're seeing points to an EDID synchronization delay. Here's something to try… since your TV is 4K UHD (HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2) compliant, if you have an available port 1-3 on the MC-700, try using one of those as an input for your Genie STB. Also, since your Vizio is only 4K UHD @ 60Hz compliant on HDMI Input 5, you should use that input. Before making these changes, fully power down all of the components in the HDMI chain (not just in "stand-by" mode) by turning off the master power switch on the back of the MC-700. You may have to unplug both the TV and the Genie STB as those devices may not have a true "off" mode. Leave everything off for at least five minutes while you switch the inputs. Once completed, power up the TV first, wait for the TV to fully boot, then turn on the MC-700, wait for it to fully boot, then turn on the Genie STB. This will force a reset and renegotiate a new EDID exchange (handshake) between all of your components. If this works, great. If not, then maybe an upgrade of the Genie would be in order, but keep in mind that it "might" not fix your problem. It's also now recommended by many knowledgeable users that "passive" HDMI 2.0 Certified cables be kept at a minimum length of 6' and a maximum of 15'. Cables shorter than 6' can cause negotiation issues and those longer than 15' are not guaranteed to work in all cases. I have a Monoprice 20' (HDMI 2.0 Certified) that works fine in my setup, but others have needed to go "active" to achieve reliability at that length. HDMI is a finicky animal…
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Post by stevebaune on Aug 22, 2017 12:00:07 GMT -5
I didn't have the DirecTV box hooked to the Marantz via HDMI, I was using optical for audio only. One of the goals of changing was to eliminate a number of cables. The DirecTV box is about a month old, but it's not the newest version. They upgraded me to this one when I moved, but I still have a free upgrade available. I was waiting for more 4K content before upgrading to the new one, but I may have to reconsider if that's going to fix the problem. Thanks for the input I think your problem is with the exchange of EDID information (the handshake) and the fact that the MC-700 uses different chipsets between input ports 1-3 and 4-6 for 4K UHD support. The momentary flashing of video that you're seeing points to an EDID synchronization delay. Here's something to try… since your TV is 4K UHD (HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2) compliant, if you have an available port 1-3 on the MC-700, try using one of those as an input for your Genie STB. Also, since your Vizio is only 4K UHD @ 60Hz compliant on HDMI Input 5, you should use that input. Before making these changes, fully power down all of the components in the HDMI chain (not just in "stand-by" mode) by turning off the master power switch on the back of the MC-700. You may have to unplug both the TV and the Genie STB as those devices may not have a true "off" mode. Leave everything off for at least five minutes while you switch the inputs. Once completed, power up the TV first, wait for the TV to fully boot, then turn on the MC-700, wait for it to fully boot, then turn on the Genie STB. This will force a reset and renegotiate a new EDID exchange (handshake) between all of your components. If this works, great. If not, then maybe an upgrade of the Genie would be in order, but keep in mind that it "might" not fix your problem. It's also now recommended by many knowledgeable users that "passive" HDMI 2.0 Certified cables be kept at a minimum length of 6' and a maximum of 15'. Cables shorter than 6' can cause negotiation issues and those longer than 15' are not guaranteed to work in all cases. I have a Monoprice 20' (HDMI 2.0 Certified) that works fine in my setup, but others have needed to go "active" to achieve reliability at that length. HDMI is a finicky animal… Thanks for the suggestions, it all makes sense. The only thing about using HDMI input 5 is I'd lose the ARC, and only having 1 Optical and 1 Coax limits what I can actually plug in. I did check my DirecTV box and it's a HDR44-700 which they call a 2nd Gen. The BJC HDMI cable I'm using is 12' so that shouldn't be an issue. I ordered 2 new Monoprice 3' HDMI certified cables to replace the ones to the DirecTV and Blu-ray player. I guess I should have ordered the 6', but I'm trying to clean up all the excess cables for a clean install. I'll have to see how the shorter ones work. Tested the switching last night and it seems like it was working better, only about a 20 second delay. I figured out how to fix the mode for the Sonos, so that has eliminated that frustration. I still need to figure out how to force it to go to Input 4 from the Harmony when I select "Watch TV". I've programmed it for HDMI 4, but sometimes I still have to select the 4 on the MC remote.
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Post by doc1963 on Aug 22, 2017 15:47:54 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions, it all makes sense. The only thing about using HDMI input 5 is I'd lose the ARC, and only having 1 Optical and 1 Coax limits what I can actually plug in. I did check my DirecTV box and it's a HDR44-700 which they call a 2nd Gen. The BJC HDMI cable I'm using is 12' so that shouldn't be an issue. I ordered 2 new Monoprice 3' HDMI certified cables to replace the ones to the DirecTV and Blu-ray player. I guess I should have ordered the 6', but I'm trying to clean up all the excess cables for a clean install. I'll have to see how the shorter ones work. Tested the switching last night and it seems like it was working better, only about a 20 second delay. I figured out how to fix the mode for the Sonos, so that has eliminated that frustration. I still need to figure out how to force it to go to Input 4 from the Harmony when I select "Watch TV". I've programmed it for HDMI 4, but sometimes I still have to select the 4 on the MC remote. Don't worry about the 3' cables. If they work, you're good to go. When it comes to HDMI, the synergy between various components can be different for everyone. Some have better luck with a 6' cable while others have no problem whatsoever using a 3'. If you still have issues with the unstable handshake once you get your cables, maybe then try a 6 footer. IMO, 20 seconds is too long to acquire a stable HDMI connection. If you need HDMI ARC, then I suppose your stuck. Kinda doesn't make sense why Vizio would choose an input that doesn't support the full UHD bandwidth to provide ARC, but it is what it is. But then again, why would we need to upgrade to a newer set with full 4K UHD support across all inputs... If nothing else, I would definitely try using HDMI inputs 1-3 as your Genie input in an effort to keep everything on the same video chipset through the MC-700. That should minimize any inherent delay within the MC-700 architecture itself.
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Post by Gary Cook on Aug 22, 2017 15:59:16 GMT -5
The problem with power up protocols (which turns on first) is that when the usual suspects, the cable, satellite or in your case Direct TV box, changes fiormats then it doesn't matter what start up order was used originally. This happens with changes of channels from UHD to HD or SD or even format changes whilst on the same channel due to commercials or channel ID. I have yet to encounter a case where an update in the "box" hasn't fixed the problem. If you want to stick with the current DircectTV box then I'd suggest going back to toslink for audio will end up being the best solution.
Cheers Gary
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Post by rbk123 on Sept 2, 2017 19:21:10 GMT -5
Some small vindication/credit for Gary and Doc that I wanted to mention. My Genie box is the model C51-700 which has no 4K capabilities - no problem as my tv is an LG 65" plasma that is only 1080p. I had been using input 5 (non-4k) for it and it's been problematic as mentioned. However Gary and Doc's posts jarred an idea - why not try one of the 3 4K inputs on the MC? I plugged the Genie into #2 and it has yet to give me a problem. It works so well, I moved my HTPC and BR player to the other 2 inputs. Here is what I've noticed:
- DirecTV syncs audio more quickly (than ports 4-6) and has yet to get confused. It is still overall slower than the XMC or my Onkyo receivers but much closer and with the absence of sync issues is perfectly acceptable. - Changing between sources 1-3 is also a little quicker than it was when they were on 4-6. Plus it doesn't get confused/out of sync (i.e. no audio; screen goes all green; weird things like that) now between 1-3 like it would between 4-6 at times. - Surround processing seems a little better; seems like there's more info in the surrounds and the separation of the front 3 seems better. However this could be placebo as well since I'm so much happier with the 4K HDMI ports. I can't confirm one way or another. - You lose the OSD with the 4K ports (I knew that) but I really don't need it. All I used it for was to see the volume level and occasionally to see if the MC was processing DTS HD/TruHD or not. Although my eyes are declining, so far I can still make both out from the MC's display.
The Genie is, I assume, an HDMI 1.4 device, so I'm thinking that the newer 2.0 capable chips (in the MC) handle the older 1.4 standard better than the 1.4 chips. ie. the newer chips are just better chips and more HDMI mature (I think Gary's thoughts are onto something). The 4-6 chips are probably the same ones in the UMC-1/200. Another possibility is Emo focused their programming on the 4K ports moreso, since they have more problems with 4K devices, and I'm reaping the benefit with non-4K devices.
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Post by spectah on Jan 9, 2018 20:51:54 GMT -5
Hi, I just completed my first home theatre setup. Have the Mc-700 running the show and am pretty pleased. My take is the sound is crisp, impactful, and really well integrated across the channels. I did struggle getting used to the interface/menus and there is an audible noise when audio mode changes (which happens frequently between menus on AppleTV and the shows/content). I told my wife to put up with it as it’s a known issue and overall, the quality of music and movies far outweighs the issue. Separate from controls, zero complaints on sound or video processing — both work great!
Having running the Emo-Q twice, I can say prior to the sub it worked great, after I got the HSU hooked up it came back with weird settings (all speakers to large and sub crossover at 251hz, but that could have been me with the wrong initial sub settings — not sure).
Overall, my theatre setup sounds fantastic, hits hard and plays loud, and I was really conscience of the bang for the buck and came out feeling good. Family is accliminated to the controls and loving movie time.
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Post by Ex_Vintage on Jan 9, 2018 21:29:52 GMT -5
I have had the MC-700 and an A-500 for about 3 weeks now. The unit is fairly easy to set up once you get used to the menu structure. The sound is excellent. Very neutral sound with ELAC UF5's for front channels. I mostly listed to music (CD's from a Toshiba BR player and from my PC music library). I have had some issues I am working through with the support folks. My PC does not recognize the HDMI connection until I turn the TV on? Once the HDMI is recognized, I can turn off the TV and the connection stays. Strange. ARC does not work for me (not a deal breaker). The issue with the HDMI connection is a deal breaker and if I cannot get it resolved before the 30 day, out it goes. The amp is nice and clean with plenty of power to drive the ELAC's.
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Post by Gary Cook on Jan 10, 2018 1:02:44 GMT -5
Strange. ARC does not work for me (not a deal breaker).. If it's Samsung TV check that it doesn't need CEC turned on for ARC to work, mine does Cheers Gary
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Post by Ex_Vintage on Jan 13, 2018 20:44:53 GMT -5
I have had the MC-700 and an A-500 for about 3 weeks now. The unit is fairly easy to set up once you get used to the menu structure. The sound is excellent. Very neutral sound with ELAC UF5's for front channels. I mostly listed to music (CD's from a Toshiba BR player and from my PC music library). I have had some issues I am working through with the support folks. My PC does not recognize the HDMI connection until I turn the TV on? Once the HDMI is recognized, I can turn off the TV and the connection stays. Strange. ARC does not work for me (not a deal breaker). The issue with the HDMI connection is a deal breaker and if I cannot get it resolved before the 30 day, out it goes. The amp is nice and clean with plenty of power to drive the ELAC's. The solution to the PC thinking the HDMI cable is not connected is to make sure the screen on the PC is set to Duplicate vs. Extended. On Extended the HDMI shows up as "cable not connected" with the display set for Duplicate, it works OK.
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