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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 7:54:49 GMT -5
Mickey, I don't see a UMC-1 in your signature but I'm assuming you have one.  |
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Post by mickeyharlow on Oct 28, 2011 13:35:14 GMT -5
Youthman,
Thanks for reminding me to update my signature. I hope you are as pleased with your UMC-1 as I am mine.
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 15:16:06 GMT -5
I'm heading into the HT to play a bit with it. I still have more questions about how to setup the EQ.
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 15:27:24 GMT -5
Just not sure how you know what settings to set the EQ to. Like when to boost, when to cut certain frequencies. Do you need to have software? Or use EmoQ then tweak it to my liking? I tried using the EmoQ this morning before work. It finished the test but I wasn't sure if it saved the settings.
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Post by darien87 on Oct 28, 2011 15:34:38 GMT -5
I believe I'm getting the pop just before the source begins to play (ex. DVD player). Maybe this is the UMC-1 connecting with that device? Another odd thing is with the PS3, when I click play on a song, it takes 2 - 3 seconds for sound to begin so I miss the first few notes of the song unless I hit back and start the song over. Then it plays fine. Can't remember if this happens with the first song of a CD on the Integra DVD source. I'll have to check that tonight when I get home. Is this part of the "audio drop" problem or something different? Unfortunately this is a function of the UMC-1 having to "re"-lock on to the audio stream every time it is interrupted. I get the same problem with my PS 3. Many others have noted it with CD players as well. I think Emotiva has done all they can to speed up this process so it's just something we will have to live with. Kind of a bummer but not a deal breaker for me. |
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Post by darien87 on Oct 28, 2011 15:37:09 GMT -5
Just not sure how you know what settings to set the EQ to. Like when to boost, when to cut certain frequencies. Do you need to have software? Or use EmoQ then tweak it to my liking? I tried using the EmoQ this morning before work. It finished the test but I wasn't sure if it saved the settings. Generally you want to cut frequencies, not boost them, when trying to flatten out your response. You can try using Emo-Q and then doing your own tweaking but the best thing to do is to do it manually. For that you're going to need a test tone CD like the Rives disc. Then you plot out your existing curve with that and use the EQ in the UMC to cut the frequencies that are too high. |
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NorthStar
Seeker Of Truth
"And it stoned me to my soul" - Van Morrison
Posts: 0
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Post by NorthStar on Oct 28, 2011 17:10:03 GMT -5
^ Very true that an EQ works best at cutting frequencies than boosting them.
Also, a Parametric EQ is preferred over a Graphic one,
so you can adjust the separate Qs from each audio frequency.
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 17:49:34 GMT -5
Ok, I've had about a few hours. I was able to get the EmoQ to work. I had previously setup the Manual EQ 1 preset and saved the EmoQ to Manual EQ 2 preset. Strange thing is that when I was listening to Norah Jones, None and EQ 2 Preset sounded the same but EQ 1 sounded really great. I was definitely smiling at the detail, broad soundstage and separation. When I looked at the settings for Preset 1, it looked like the settings the EmoQ setup because (I remembered the xover settings it had determined).
Regardless of whether it was the EmoQ or my manual settings, I was REALLY enjoying it!
In the Integra DVD Player, I had it set to 2ch. It sounded "ok". But when I switched it to "PCM" it sounded amazing but it was still only being sent as 2ch through my speakers from the UMC-1.
Needless to say, I'm pretty confused. LOL Definitely a lot to learn on this unit and now I'm seeing where the "tweeking" possibilities are. I just had not looked through the Parameters section and the other menus. I'm sure I'll be posting lots of questions. I appreciate everyone's help in advance.
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 21:07:52 GMT -5
all I can say is wow. seriously 2ch has NEVER sounded so good. so smoothe detail is superb depth rich separation is distinct. I can absolutely see why this unit is superb for 2ch listening. I'm usually at my computer but I cant leave the HT because I have so many cd and concert dvds I'm relistening to. one thing I LOVE is I don't have to have it cranking loud to really enjoy it. gosh I cant stop smiling as I'm listening to Newsong right now. piano has never sounded so rich. I can hear so much detail it is really a joy to just sit in my theater chair with lights down low. I don't want to say I'm a fanboy yet but I am truly a very satisfied customer so far. if I can get HT to sound like this it will be exactly what I've been searching for! I cant believe I just typed all this on my phone cause I am soooo slow lol
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 21:21:01 GMT -5
I think that thing that amazes me the most is I am watching eagles hell freezes over and have it set at about 70db and it is absolutely crystal clear and I can hear every detail. I no longer have to crank it to enjoy it. this is a gamechanger for me. sounds fabulous with klipsch and the parasound
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 21:54:35 GMT -5
even pandora sounds really good
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Post by dad311 on Oct 28, 2011 22:20:24 GMT -5
even pandora sounds really good Try MOG, 320k stream! |
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NorthStar
Seeker Of Truth
"And it stoned me to my soul" - Van Morrison
Posts: 0
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Post by NorthStar on Oct 28, 2011 22:55:13 GMT -5
Reg ( sticknstones), is big on MOG! |
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xki
Emo VIPs 
Gwack!
Posts: 1,756
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Post by xki on Oct 28, 2011 23:17:18 GMT -5
even pandora sounds really good I use Pandora quite a lot. It has it's downsides but, it does offer stuff that I don't have the $$$ to put out for. A couple things about Pandora (maybe it's the LG BluRay Player): Almost always the L/R balance isn't correct. Should be no? It can push +2 db to the left channel often. Seems that the source EQ is not flat. For example, if you have, oh, say, a Jorden Rudess Channel and a Steve Morse channel, a Jorden cut on the Jorden channel sounds sweet. But a Jorden cut on the Steve Morse Channel has the low frequencies boosted. Why? --- more --- |
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Post by Youthman on Oct 28, 2011 23:33:07 GMT -5
I'll have to check out MOG. Thx.
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xki
Emo VIPs
Gwack!
Posts: 1,756
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Post by xki on Oct 28, 2011 23:47:14 GMT -5
Just not sure how you know what settings to set the EQ to. Like when to boost, when to cut certain frequencies. Do you need to have software? Or use EmoQ then tweak it to my liking? Now is the time to experiment! The hard part is training your ears to know what frequency +/- will do the overall sound. Even when you know and find what you think is correct, there are probably tweaks needed due to differences in source material. At the risk of starting a whole bunch of debate, I offer some simple hints that I use to set the EQ. 1) Start flat or start with what EmoQ has set. 2) If the bass is boomy, decrease the 63Hz equally for L/R and maybe the 125 just a little Hz until the boom decreases. 3) If the sound is thin and cold (HaHa) try increasing the 500Hz just a bit. That's the band that I find will warm it up. 4) If the source sounds harsh or tinny, decrease the 1KHz and or the 2.2KHz bands. This takes some trial and error. 5) The 9KHz and 18KHz bands I always boost to bring that "LIVE" feel out. The amount of boost is of course personal preference. These are just hints and not to be taken as rules. I go through a much longer and tedious setup since I don't have the gear to do it perfectly. Your room, from what I see, shouldn't have much variance from left to right on each particular frequency band. My room does so, I go through a very long process of determining the L/R boost/cut for each frequency. I've had my UMC-1 for over a year and I'm still tweaking, moving speakers about, and searching for the right compromise. I still need a crossover and tweeter upgrade and that will make me start all over again! I'm sure you will probably have a much shorter journey. Have a ton of fun. I've found that even when it's not quite right, the UMC-1 kicks butt and impresses many. |
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xki
Emo VIPs
Gwack!
Posts: 1,756
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Post by xki on Oct 28, 2011 23:51:17 GMT -5
I REALLY want MOG. Just can't do it right now. Not the right equipment. Pandora is available on the BluRay.
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hemster
Global Moderator 
Particle Manufacturer
...still listening... still watching
Posts: 51,951
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Post by hemster on Oct 29, 2011 0:14:17 GMT -5
all I can say is wow. seriously 2ch has NEVER sounded so good. so smoothe detail is superb depth rich separation is distinct. I can absolutely see why this unit is superb for 2ch listening. I'm usually at my computer but I cant leave the HT because I have so many cd and concert dvds I'm relistening to. one thing I LOVE is I don't have to have it cranking loud to really enjoy it. gosh I cant stop smiling as I'm listening to Newsong right now. piano has never sounded so rich. I can hear so much detail it is really a joy to just sit in my theater chair with lights down low. I don't want to say I'm a fanboy yet but I am truly a very satisfied customer so far. if I can get HT to sound like this it will be exactly what I've been searching for! I cant believe I just typed all this on my phone cause I am soooo slow lol I'm not one for saying 'I told you so' but... Told you so! ;D  Take your time with the tweaking.. a little patience now will pay huge dividends for a long time to come. In all that tweaking.. don't forget to enjoy it!  ;D |
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LCSeminole
Global Moderator
Res firma mitescere nescit.
Posts: 20,851
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Post by LCSeminole on Oct 29, 2011 3:56:32 GMT -5
all I can say is wow. seriously 2ch has NEVER sounded so good. so smoothe detail is superb depth rich separation is distinct. I can absolutely see why this unit is superb for 2ch listening. I'm usually at my computer but I cant leave the HT because I have so many cd and concert dvds I'm relistening to. one thing I LOVE is I don't have to have it cranking loud to really enjoy it. gosh I cant stop smiling as I'm listening to Newsong right now. piano has never sounded so rich. I can hear so much detail it is really a joy to just sit in my theater chair with lights down low. I don't want to say I'm a fanboy yet but I am truly a very satisfied customer so far. if I can get HT to sound like this it will be exactly what I've been searching for! I cant believe I just typed all this on my phone cause I am soooo slow lol Great to hear you are enjoying and re-discovering the CD collection. I know I still am and still get that pleased look on my face. |
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Post by Youthman on Oct 29, 2011 8:33:22 GMT -5
Thanks everyone. I definitely believe it was a worthwhile purchase and so far, with all the features, it is truly going to be an upgrade over the Yamaha AVR.
Picture quality appears to be even better. 2ch is totally an improvement and I can tweak the settings even more as I learn more about it. I've always had a low hum (ground loop or something) in my system and the UMC-1 hasn't removed it but it is a LOT lower so that is good. I'm able to use XLR for my sub which is a plus.
I feel I'm pretty tech savy but I can definitely say there is a lot I do not understand about the UMC-1 and much I have to learn. I'll be posting a separate thread about it soon but basically, what I'm having trouble understanding is that with an AVR, you select your source (PS3, CD etc) and you simply change the Mode (Stereo, All Channel Stereo, Movie Standard etc) and it's all good. That's basically the only settings I use. Movie Standard was the PCM since the PS3 does not bitstream. If the DVD was encoded with DTS-Master, that's what I was getting. If it was DolbyTrue HD, it would be playing that.
However, the UMC-1 seems a bit more complicated than that since I do not have the option of selecting All Stereo. I'm sure it's probably me and I need to change some things.
But to keep this thread on track and not become a troubleshooting thread about the UMC-1, suffice it to say, if I can get HT to sound nearly as good as 2ch, then the UMC-1 was totally the right decision for me.
In all my research, my hesitation was that the UMC-1 was going to be plagued with bugs. Here are the bugs I have found with my setup:
1) Calibration Mic fails during the first test (Ambient Test). Workaround is you have to snap your fingers or make some noise (but not too much) in order to wake up the mic. Once it's alive, you are all good.
2) Small Pop when turning on the unit - I believe this has to do with the UMC-1 locking onto the source via HDMI.
3) Calibration Setup, testtones were around 90db! LOL. It was funny. I was like dang that's loud for white noise and sub test tones. Nothing like what my Yamaha did. Not sure if turning down the volume before running the calibration would fix that.
4) Delay in Source Switching. It takes 8-9 seconds for the UMC-1 to switch from Integra DVD Player to PS3 but it only takes 3 seconds to switch from PS3 to Integra DVD Player.
5) Initial Sound Delay when listening to music on PS3. When I select music from the PS3 hard drive, the first second of the first song is cut off so you usually miss hearing the first note or two of the song. Hitting back on the remote fixes it.
I knew going into it that the UMC-1 was not perfect. My Yamaha had ZERO issues, never once had any issues with anything on it. It just worked. The UMC-1 has some quirks but for me, none of those are deal breakers, merely nuisances, most which have workarounds.
But to me, it goes back to Pros/Cons. So far....the UMC-1 has MUCH more on the Pros side than the Con side and makes it definitely a keeper!
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