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Post by nottaway on Mar 28, 2010 8:40:18 GMT -5
Anyone done direct comparisons on the UMC-1 v/s a good AVR/ or pre/pro?
Against any of the following?
Onkyo 807 and up(TX-NR1007B)
Pio Elite SC 05 and up
How does emo-q compare to Audessey or MCCAC?
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,952
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Post by hemster on Mar 28, 2010 18:46:06 GMT -5
Anyone done direct comparisons on the UMC-1 v/s a good AVR/ or pre/pro? Against any of the following? Onkyo 807 and up(TX-NR1007B) Pio Elite SC 05 and up How does emo-q compare to Audessey or MCCAC? I have used MCCAC, Audyssey Pro and EMO-Q. To me they all have their uses. I tend to treat them as giving a great head start, then I can confirm/tweak.adjust using other means (tape measure, sound meter, ears!). To that end, they are all useful. What none of them do is to magically equalize your room... i.e. they are not a single push-button panacea to room problems. IMHO, that is not possible to do. |
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Post by jdskycaster on Mar 28, 2010 19:51:48 GMT -5
I did. Because I had not had much experience with current AVR's I picked up an Elite VSX21-TXH which sells for about the same price as the UMC-1. The bottom line for me in my room was that the UMC-1 had an edge in both SQ and Video performance.
The killer for the Pio for me was a total lack of OSD. You cannot tweak the unit (or even see what mode the unit is in) on-screen while using it. Since my gear is all in a rack in another room this just does not work for me. The Pio did automatically select the proper input and processing mode but if I wanted to tweak anything I had to go physically look at the front display to see what was happening.
That said I am experiencing some of the same issues others have reported here. EMO-Q not working properly, intermittent sound drop-outs with my Dish DVR, occasional lock-ups when cycling through inputs.
If these things get ironed out in the next couple of F/W releases the UMC-1 will fit my needs perfectly. If not I am in a bit of a bind as I sold my previous Pre-pro on Ebay too quickly.
Best Regards,
JD
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Post by moodyman on Mar 28, 2010 20:07:40 GMT -5
I did. Because I had not had much experience with current AVR's I picked up an Elite VSX21-TXH which sells for about the same price as the UMC-1. The bottom line for me in my room was that the UMC-1 had an edge in both SQ and Video performance. The killer for the Pio for me was a total lack of OSD. You cannot tweak the unit (or even see what mode the unit is in) on-screen while using it. Since my gear is all in a rack in another room this just does not work for me. The Pio did automatically select the proper input and processing mode but if I wanted to tweak anything I had to go physically look at the front display to see what was happening. That said I am experiencing some of the same issues others have reported here. EMO-Q not working properly, intermittent sound drop-outs with my Dish DVR, occasional lock-ups when cycling through inputs. If these things get ironed out in the next couple of F/W releases the UMC-1 will fit my needs perfectly. If not I am in a bit of a bind as I sold my previous Pre-pro on Ebay too quickly. Best Regards, JD Huh???  Lack of OSD?? I had a VSX-21 for about 2 weeks. You can do everything with the OSD. Even my Elite unit from 2006 has an OSD. If you mean that you can't watch a movie while using the OSD yes that is true...The OSD totally blocks whatever you are watching... |
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Post by jdskycaster on Mar 28, 2010 20:21:12 GMT -5
Moody,
That is exactly what I mean. My gear is in another room. Pretty hard to see it from where I am sitting. You do not even get basic volume info (not that I really care about volume level info) but even my first Yamaha DSP-E1000 circa 1990 would provide overlay of volume and processing mode info. Seems you need a Kuro display and then you only get volume info and disable other features by using it. Total killer for me.
JD
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Post by BillBauman on Mar 29, 2010 10:18:26 GMT -5
Anyone done direct comparisons on the UMC-1 v/s a good AVR/ or pre/pro? Against any of the following? Onkyo 807 and up(TX-NR1007B) Pio Elite SC 05 and up How does emo-q compare to Audessey or MCCAC? I have used MCCAC, Audyssey Pro and EMO-Q. To me they all have their uses. I tend to treat them as giving a great head start, then I can confirm/tweak.adjust using other means (tape measure, sound meter, ears!). To that end, they are all useful. What none of them do is to magically equalize your room... i.e. they are not a single push-button panacea to room problems. IMHO, that is not possible to do. I was under the impression that you could not modify your Audyssey settings after they were set. I have only used it once a couple years back, so I'm not an expert. Can you actually modify the settings after you've run it? |
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twilkins
Emo VIPs 
Sometimes it's to your advantage for people to think you're crazy -
Posts: 252
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Post by twilkins on Mar 29, 2010 10:54:35 GMT -5
I was under the impression that you could not modify your Audyssey settings after they were set. I have only used it once a couple years back, so I'm not an expert. Can you actually modify the settings after you've run it? With Audyssey I've been able to change crossover and level settings but nothing in EQ. |
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Post by mick16 on Mar 29, 2010 16:14:20 GMT -5
I'm going to try out an Onkyo TX-NR807 that I have coming tomorrow, so I'll be able to give you review as to how it compares to the UMC-1 at least as a pre/pro. I've got an Outlaw 750 amplifier which I plan to continue to use to power my speakers, but I'll give the Onkyo amps a chance to see how they compare.
I too made a mistake of selling my previous pre/pro on Ebay (Outlaw 970), too early, and its kind of biting me in the butt now. Price for the 807 was comparable ($719 vs. $800) and the network features of the 807 were a plus as well.
The UMC-1 is a quality product, but in addition to the bugs, the lack of EQ features via LPCM (I have a PS3 fat and a Toshiba HD-A30) without a definite time frame for when (or if) it will be corrected was my main reason for looking for a replacement for my UMC-1. Who knows - maybe I'll stick with the UMC-1 even with the bugs if it sounds that much better, but at this point, I at least want to try something else out.
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Post by tjb4141 on Mar 29, 2010 18:09:43 GMT -5
Mick16
Looking forward to your review, as I am on the Fence as well. Options are Denon 3310CI or Onkyo 5007 or UMC-1. My main concern is the audio performance only.
Thank you
Todd
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Post by jdskycaster on Mar 29, 2010 19:35:43 GMT -5
Todd,
Curious as to why the 5007. If you decide to go the Onkyo route why not the Onkyo Pro - PR-SC5507P?
Regards,
JD
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Post by obiwan99 on Mar 29, 2010 20:04:00 GMT -5
I'ved also considered this but overall, I think I'd spend my $$$$ on a pre-pro. If you have to buy a receiver just to use the pre-pro section and have no intention whatsoever to use the amp section of the receiver, I feel that is wasted $$ that I would prefer to go to the pre-pro section. That's why I'm just waiting until Emotiva irons out all the UMC-1 bugs or save $$$ to buy another pre-pro brand. Currently, I am using my receivers as pre-pro (Pioneer Elite) but this is an older elite model that does not support HDMI and the lossless audio. I'm on the fence if I should just buy a second Oppo BDP-83 or perhaps the 80 or upgrade to a UMC-1 and keep the Sony PS3 for all my bluray playback. The Elite has 7.1 analog input.
Thanks.
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NorthStar
Seeker Of Truth
"And it stoned me to my soul" - Van Morrison
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Post by NorthStar on Mar 29, 2010 20:47:28 GMT -5
This is a very personal preference, only you can determine what sounds best in your own system setup and in your own room with your own set of audio values.
Best is to try them all in your room, but I admit that it is rather difficult for the majority of people; and when one chooses one solution, they're rather usually influenced by psychoanalysis and would side to their own judgement based only on what they know and experience; it is quite a normal human behavior (after all we all pretty much believe that we pick the right woman to share our life, right?).
Only YOU is the true Master of your own House & Destiny.
Cheers,
Bob
P.S. From personal experience and knowledge, I like what Audyssey MultEQ XT does in my own systems. But YMMV.
...And I also read good things about Pioneer Advanced MCACC.
And some other people swear by what YPAO from Yamaha does in their system setups.
...See what I mean...
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NorthStar
Seeker Of Truth
"And it stoned me to my soul" - Van Morrison
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Post by NorthStar on Mar 29, 2010 21:00:19 GMT -5
I was under the impression that you could not modify your Audyssey settings after they were set. I have only used it once a couple years back, so I'm not an expert. Can you actually modify the settings after you've run it? Bill, your Onkyo PR-SC885P pre/pro is Audyssey MultEQ PRO Installer-Ready, so you CAN alter your target curves, and have a much greater set of options with up to 32 microphone's positions. But without PRO, NO you cannot alter your target curves, you're at the mercy of Audyssey MultEQ XT (which could be pretty dam good if all your manoeuvres are properly set up), but with very elaborate FIR filters, and in particular in the Bass area, which is the MOST IMPORTANT one, as you well know already. Advanced MCACC from Pioneer has some amazing leaway in the way of separate adjustments, and also Yamaha's YPAO with its Parametric EQ that is fully adjustable to suit your needs (if you know what you're doing with the proper instrumentation, that is). Cheers, Bob |
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