Post by pop on Nov 26, 2011 14:20:12 GMT -5
After years of needing ;D/wanting a beautiful sounding audio system it is finally here. 1 month of rat race saving and $4,000 dollars later I am now the proud owner of an XPA-5, UMC-1, 3xERM-6.3, pair ERD-1, X-REF 12, and all Emo interconnects. Everything, front to rear. 
Keep in mind, I have no comparison from other products, and am definitely not a professional. This review is solely to represent my thoughts.
shipping/packaging:
Emo is very quick to get the shipment out of their warehouse. 4 separate orders, they all processed and shipped the next morning, and were in my home within 2 days. of course thanks to fed-ex as well. When the packages trickled in some of them were pretty beat up. This is to be expected with such heavy items, but Emo wins the battle with their wonderfully safe packaging. Everything I received from them was packed very nice and tight and completely reinforced. Speakers were all in nice bags, amp properly covered etc. etc. etc. 5 stars here Emo. ;D
XPA-5:
This dude is a monster. I'm 26 years old, fairly fit, but I have huge muscles ;D. Moving this amp around is a job. I'm pretty sure my Fed-ex guy is at the chiropractor right now
. All of the rear connections are very secure, and labeled well. The option of balanced and unbalanced is very nice. The sound I get through the amp is very clean and clear. I don't feel there is any disturbance in my music/movies going through it. I have had it run for 12 hours straight at pretty loud volume, and it was only slightly warm. I do not feel the need for more power at all, it is ample in all departments (pun INtended) 
. Emo gets another easy 5 stars here.
UMC-1:
The features and options on the UMC-1 are great, and Connection is simple. The absence of all the other crap most receivers are loaded with is a complete bonus. All of my Emo connects fit very snug into the back. Sound quality is amazing. Paired with the XPA-5, it is an EXTREMELY nice match. I enjoy its simplistic physical appearance. However, not completely necessary for me, the OSD is very nice and convenient. Once again, sound quality is fantastic. ;D
I do have a couple of minor complaints about the UMC-1 though.
The largest being video. I feel the picture quality from my bluray player has slightly diminished. I tried to mess with the video settings from the UMC, but it looks best from the factory "neutral" settings. My eyes could be playing tricks on me, but when I directly connect video to my plasma it seems to look better. My girlfriend can't tell a difference, so maybe I am being overly critical?
I do tend to rightfully possess that quality with my electronics.
Handshaking is slow, but that really just doesn't bother me that much. It is the difference of all of 2-4 seconds. NOT a big deal at all. Of course I would like it to be more seamless, but this problem is for the birds.
I do OCCASIONALLY get speaker pops switching between sources and upon powering up. It is completely random and hardly happens. I am sure to turn my UMC down before powering off just in case of a pop, and so I don't jolt the system with a loud feed from a source, like my HTPC. So, this is very very minor and of hardly any concern.
I am not the biggest fan of the remote. Don't get me wrong I do LOVE the features and ease of use, but the clicking and bulkiness is a little silly. I'm sure there is some sort of reasoning behind this, but once again hardly an issue for me.
I have not reviewed the center channel dropout issue, because I only have stereo setup right now. However I do not have cable or satellite and am confident this will not be an issue for me. Also, I might not be understanding the LFE issue. I am very happy with the sound from my SW. Ignorance is bliss
I'm glad I remembered this because I am hoping this is something I have overlooked. This is VERY irritating to me. Is there seriously not a sleep timer??? Please tell me I am missing this....Please.
Also, a quick question. How do I set my PC and Bluray source to stereo so I don't have to change it every time? For some reason I can't figure this out. Might be another silly thing I am overlooking.
All in all, the sound quality obliterates any of the negatives I have listed. I am satisfied with the UMC especially for the price. I give this a rating of 3 stars, but could easily be remedied to 4 or 5 with the application of the new firmware update and a solution to my video concerns.
X-REF 12:
After shifting the sub around the room I have found a fantastic spot for it next to but not near my bed, facing the left and right speakers. Simply put, this SW sounds fantastic. I have it turned down pretty low and it provides plenty of lovely low frequencies. It is extremely clean and pleasant. Exactly what I was looking for. It compliments my 6.3s wonderfully. Due to how low I have it set, it is hard for me to imagine spending more on a SW. I was worried that it was going to be too much, but it has proved me wrong with its ability to be so subtle. The tweaking features are fantastic, and make it very easy to get it at exactly what levels you want. The bass surrounds the room and it is very hard to tell that the sub is in any exact location. I have barely even driven this baby to its full potential, and I have already been wowed and impressed. I Have it crossed over at 100 and set on flat. It seamlessly picks up the bass. I actually really want to get the X-REF 10 to cross over a little higher, and set the 12 lower. I believe I will make this purchase when I begin to setup my HT. The X-REF 12 can be just ever so slightly bassy for my taste in the higher frequencies. This is extremely minimal, and I think I just need to play with it a little more to really hone it in. If I can't find a solution I think the 10 would be just lovely for those higher frequencies. ;D ;D ;D
I really really love this SW. I couldn't be happier. The holiday pricing on this literally puts a huge smile on my face. A huge 5 stars for the X-REF 12. Thank you Emo. You are the shiznit.
Interconnects X-Series XLR/RCA/Speaker Cables:
The build quality is FANTASTIC. You could tie a yacht up with the speaker cables. Very snug fit on all connects. I haven't done a sound comparison with standard wire, but given how much I spent on them I don't think I would want to know. They are very attractive, and I can't say enough for the quality of build. The colored rubber indicators do come out of place a little easy for my taste. on one end of my speaker cables the indicators have completely fallen off. I am not sure what steps to take to determine them positive and negative. 4 stars.
ERM-6.3
Through the roof. These speakers are dynamite. They are so deliciously natural sounding. Very easy on the ears. They do not distort at all at higher volumes, thanks to the XPA-5/UMC-1 as well. They are relaxing so beautifully the more break in time they get. I have found myself listening to music I don't even prefer. The sound Imaging is wonderful. I feel as if I am sitting in front of a large stage in all of my live music. It's like I am back at the show, only it sounds FAR FAR better, and it doesn't take so long to get a beer. ;D When I sink into my listening position and close my eyes, it is impossible to hear the music coming from one certain speaker. Even when I sit at my computer, which is to the left of my system, it sounds as if I am sitting in front of it. I have them setup tweeters on the outside and slightly towed out. Every genre of music sounds so freaking amazing. The past couple of days I haven't been able to get off of classical. I can't even tell you how great this is. So many Flac files, and FINALLY I hear them at their full potential. It's hard for this to even be humanly possible, but I love music so much more. Build quality once again is immaculate. The speakers are not flashy and pretty basic, but they have that strong HT vibe. Truly remarkable, I can't say enough wonderful things about these speakers. 5 well deserved stars. ;D ;D
I have not gotten the chance to review the ERD-1. I will save that little surprise for when we get our HT room in our new home. I have no doubt based on my love for my 6.3s that they will not fall short of perfect. I feel blessed to not have gotten the chance to demo any of these products and now be so confident and love them. Thank you all for your posts/reviews/positive feedback/negative feedback/help with silly questions (as I'm sure there are more to come)/patience/creativity. This is an extremely helpful forum, Emo is a fantastic company with amazing products, and I am just tickled to be listening to this audio dream.
-Pop
Keep in mind, I have no comparison from other products, and am definitely not a professional. This review is solely to represent my thoughts.shipping/packaging:
Emo is very quick to get the shipment out of their warehouse. 4 separate orders, they all processed and shipped the next morning, and were in my home within 2 days. of course thanks to fed-ex as well. When the packages trickled in some of them were pretty beat up. This is to be expected with such heavy items, but Emo wins the battle with their wonderfully safe packaging. Everything I received from them was packed very nice and tight and completely reinforced. Speakers were all in nice bags, amp properly covered etc. etc. etc. 5 stars here Emo. ;D
XPA-5:
This dude is a monster. I'm 26 years old, fairly fit, but I have huge muscles ;D. Moving this amp around is a job. I'm pretty sure my Fed-ex guy is at the chiropractor right now
. All of the rear connections are very secure, and labeled well. The option of balanced and unbalanced is very nice. The sound I get through the amp is very clean and clear. I don't feel there is any disturbance in my music/movies going through it. I have had it run for 12 hours straight at pretty loud volume, and it was only slightly warm. I do not feel the need for more power at all, it is ample in all departments (pun INtended) 
. Emo gets another easy 5 stars here.UMC-1:
The features and options on the UMC-1 are great, and Connection is simple. The absence of all the other crap most receivers are loaded with is a complete bonus. All of my Emo connects fit very snug into the back. Sound quality is amazing. Paired with the XPA-5, it is an EXTREMELY nice match. I enjoy its simplistic physical appearance. However, not completely necessary for me, the OSD is very nice and convenient. Once again, sound quality is fantastic. ;D
I do have a couple of minor complaints about the UMC-1 though.
The largest being video. I feel the picture quality from my bluray player has slightly diminished. I tried to mess with the video settings from the UMC, but it looks best from the factory "neutral" settings. My eyes could be playing tricks on me, but when I directly connect video to my plasma it seems to look better. My girlfriend can't tell a difference, so maybe I am being overly critical?
I do tend to rightfully possess that quality with my electronics.Handshaking is slow, but that really just doesn't bother me that much. It is the difference of all of 2-4 seconds. NOT a big deal at all. Of course I would like it to be more seamless, but this problem is for the birds.
I do OCCASIONALLY get speaker pops switching between sources and upon powering up. It is completely random and hardly happens. I am sure to turn my UMC down before powering off just in case of a pop, and so I don't jolt the system with a loud feed from a source, like my HTPC. So, this is very very minor and of hardly any concern.
I am not the biggest fan of the remote. Don't get me wrong I do LOVE the features and ease of use, but the clicking and bulkiness is a little silly. I'm sure there is some sort of reasoning behind this, but once again hardly an issue for me.
I have not reviewed the center channel dropout issue, because I only have stereo setup right now. However I do not have cable or satellite and am confident this will not be an issue for me. Also, I might not be understanding the LFE issue. I am very happy with the sound from my SW. Ignorance is bliss
I'm glad I remembered this because I am hoping this is something I have overlooked. This is VERY irritating to me. Is there seriously not a sleep timer??? Please tell me I am missing this....Please.
Also, a quick question. How do I set my PC and Bluray source to stereo so I don't have to change it every time? For some reason I can't figure this out. Might be another silly thing I am overlooking.
All in all, the sound quality obliterates any of the negatives I have listed. I am satisfied with the UMC especially for the price. I give this a rating of 3 stars, but could easily be remedied to 4 or 5 with the application of the new firmware update and a solution to my video concerns.
X-REF 12:
After shifting the sub around the room I have found a fantastic spot for it next to but not near my bed, facing the left and right speakers. Simply put, this SW sounds fantastic. I have it turned down pretty low and it provides plenty of lovely low frequencies. It is extremely clean and pleasant. Exactly what I was looking for. It compliments my 6.3s wonderfully. Due to how low I have it set, it is hard for me to imagine spending more on a SW. I was worried that it was going to be too much, but it has proved me wrong with its ability to be so subtle. The tweaking features are fantastic, and make it very easy to get it at exactly what levels you want. The bass surrounds the room and it is very hard to tell that the sub is in any exact location. I have barely even driven this baby to its full potential, and I have already been wowed and impressed. I Have it crossed over at 100 and set on flat. It seamlessly picks up the bass. I actually really want to get the X-REF 10 to cross over a little higher, and set the 12 lower. I believe I will make this purchase when I begin to setup my HT. The X-REF 12 can be just ever so slightly bassy for my taste in the higher frequencies. This is extremely minimal, and I think I just need to play with it a little more to really hone it in. If I can't find a solution I think the 10 would be just lovely for those higher frequencies. ;D ;D ;D
I really really love this SW. I couldn't be happier. The holiday pricing on this literally puts a huge smile on my face. A huge 5 stars for the X-REF 12. Thank you Emo. You are the shiznit.
Interconnects X-Series XLR/RCA/Speaker Cables:
The build quality is FANTASTIC. You could tie a yacht up with the speaker cables. Very snug fit on all connects. I haven't done a sound comparison with standard wire, but given how much I spent on them I don't think I would want to know.
They are very attractive, and I can't say enough for the quality of build. The colored rubber indicators do come out of place a little easy for my taste. on one end of my speaker cables the indicators have completely fallen off. I am not sure what steps to take to determine them positive and negative. 4 stars.ERM-6.3
Through the roof. These speakers are dynamite. They are so deliciously natural sounding. Very easy on the ears. They do not distort at all at higher volumes, thanks to the XPA-5/UMC-1 as well. They are relaxing so beautifully the more break in time they get. I have found myself listening to music I don't even prefer. The sound Imaging is wonderful. I feel as if I am sitting in front of a large stage in all of my live music. It's like I am back at the show, only it sounds FAR FAR better, and it doesn't take so long to get a beer. ;D When I sink into my listening position and close my eyes, it is impossible to hear the music coming from one certain speaker. Even when I sit at my computer, which is to the left of my system, it sounds as if I am sitting in front of it. I have them setup tweeters on the outside and slightly towed out. Every genre of music sounds so freaking amazing. The past couple of days I haven't been able to get off of classical. I can't even tell you how great this is. So many Flac files, and FINALLY I hear them at their full potential. It's hard for this to even be humanly possible, but I love music so much more. Build quality once again is immaculate. The speakers are not flashy and pretty basic, but they have that strong HT vibe. Truly remarkable, I can't say enough wonderful things about these speakers. 5 well deserved stars. ;D ;D
I have not gotten the chance to review the ERD-1. I will save that little surprise for when we get our HT room in our new home. I have no doubt based on my love for my 6.3s that they will not fall short of perfect. I feel blessed to not have gotten the chance to demo any of these products and now be so confident and love them. Thank you all for your posts/reviews/positive feedback/negative feedback/help with silly questions (as I'm sure there are more to come)/patience/creativity. This is an extremely helpful forum, Emo is a fantastic company with amazing products, and I am just tickled to be listening to this audio dream.
-Pop
