Hi...from the other side of the pond

[alexthefrench]

He everyone,

I'm Alex, from France.. I've been looking at the board for a while now.. 33yrs old, working in the aeronautic industry

Interested in HT mainly even if I like listening to music a lot
Not sure if I should post this here?? anyway

Here is my current HT setup:
- Yamaha RXV 630 reciever
- JMlab (Focal) Onyx 710 main speakers (94db 4ways 4ft tall 90lbs monsters)
- Focal Chorus CC800V center
- Focal Chorus 706 surrounds
- Magna Omega 380 sub (15")

Now I'm rushing to ask you guys some more questions

Thanks

[geebo]

Welcome to the Lounge, Alex. You'll find a lot of knowledgeable and helpful folks around here.

[wizardofoz]

Start with those questions Alex... we are all ears!! looks like you will be asking about some amps for those monsters of yours up front...

3 x XPA-1's maybe or XPA-100's perhaps at a pinch .... or will it be an XPA-2/3 on the cheap just top get you hooked in

[Jim]

Nov 8, 2012 9:51:13 GMT -5 wizardofoz said:

3 x XPA-1's maybe or XPA-100's perhaps at a pinch .... or will it be an XPA-2/3 on the cheap just top get you hooked in

Any of those could be a nice entrance to the amp addiction that afflicts many of us.....

Some good amplification would match those speakers nicely!

[alexthefrench]

Hey thanks for the warm welcome

So as I said, I'm mainly doing HT but I also like good music (dilemma!!)

I'm aware you might not know all these equipments but anyway, here is my situation:
I'd like improve all this by replacing the Yamaha receiver with a UMC-1 UPA5 combo and change the main speakers to smaller bookshelf Focal Chorus 807V. => Space/WAF factor..

I was looking at adding a dedicated DAC to the system and to link it to my Synology DS211 NAS. Thinking about Grant Fidelity tubeDAC, Audio-GD NFB2.x, Maverick Tubemagic D2, Shiit Bitfrost. I need something on the "warm" side since 807V are quite analytical/cold speakers


Questions:
- Is a DAC going to bring any value or should I use the UMC-1 (except there's no USB), meaning is teh UMC-1 DAC really "good" for 2ch audio?
- In case I use a DAC, is the UMC-1 really pass trough?

[frenchyfranky]

Salut Alex "le cousin",

Bienvenue dans le Lounge.

Je ne crois pas qu'utiliser le UMC-1 comme DAC pour une écoute stéréo 2 ch. soit une bonne solution. un DAC dédié à cette fin donnera un résultat de beaucoup supérieur, je possède un UMC-1 et ce n'est pas en stéréo que cet appareil brille mais bien en cinéma.

Sorry folks for the few french words. ;D

[AudioHTIT]

I don't know if you mentioned the UMC-1 and UPA-5 because they are available locally? At this point in time I would wait for the new UMC-200 due out in the next couple months, you could couple that with a UPA-500 or XPA-5 depending on budget and power needs. You could start with just the amp (if your Yamaha has Pre outs), and then add the UMC when it's released or when you're ready.

As for an external DAC it's not really 'pass through' as you're still using the line level section of the processor (including the volume control). The external units you mentioned would likely improve the quality of music sources with a CD player or music server, lots of variables to determine how much.

Oh, and welcome to the lounge!

[alexthefrench]

Thanks guys

Well, thing is that I just found a 2nd hand UPA-5 a few miles away from my place for $500.. and these babies are quite rare around here..
I'm looking at the UMC-1 coz I want best value for money.. and I'm not ready to spend $$ in some HT kit right now.. Keep in mind that a UMC-1 comes in at $750 landed over here with the current $499 price tag..

I'm keeping an eye on the adds.. hopping someone sells an UMC-1 and is willing to ship over here..

[frenchyfranky]

Nov 9, 2012 5:21:13 GMT -5 alexthefrench said:

Thanks guys

Well, thing is that I just found a 2nd hand UPA-5 a few miles away from my place for $500.. and these babies are quite rare around here..
I'm looking at the UMC-1 coz I want best value for money.. and I'm not ready to spend $$ in some HT kit right now.. Keep in mind that a UMC-1 comes in at $750 landed over here with the current $499 price tag..

I'm keeping an eye on the adds.. hopping someone sells an UMC-1 and is willing to ship over here..

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