My clever Zone 2 idea didn't work... Any ideas?

[Priapulus]

You can see my equipment below. For movies I use the UMC-1, passing L&R to the XSP-1 preamp via its HT Bypass. For music I ignore the UMC-1 and just use the XSP-1.

I wanted a second zone, so I could follow the sound of a movie or listen to music while in my kitchen. So I bought a Mini-X for the kitchen. I couldn't use the Zone 2 on the UMC-1 because it defaults the zone 2 to "off" every time you turn it off; also I'd not hear any music originating from the XSP-1.

So I thought I'd be clever and use the XSP-1 Processor-Loop-out for feed my kitchen amplifier. It works great for music. Unfortunately, if the movie mode, "HT Bypass" the XSP-1 mutes the Processor out. So I can either connect Zone 2 to the UMC-1 and get movies in the kitchen, or connect to the XSP-1 and listen to music. I'll leave it on the XSP because music is more important to me.

Anyone see a way to hear both music and movies, w/o complication? I just want to hear the L&R output in my kitchen!

[autiger]

y cable 1 to xsp and 1 to umc then to mini x

[jlafrenz]

Just use a pair of "Y' splitters and take one set to each of the amps.

[creimes]

Why not use the MIX out RCA's to one of the inputs of the XSP-1, it will output a fixed level that is playing on the main zone and even down mixes multi channel formats to 2ch.

This is taken directly from the UMC-1 manual.....

Mix - Stereo or 2 channel analog multi channel mix down output for fixed level monitoring (RCA)

Chad

[wizardofoz]

Yes or you could use full range sub outputs on the xsp-1 too, or rec outputs on the umc-1 should also work

[AudioHTIT]

I've also struggled with Zone 2 defaulting to off, I hope Emo has learned from this and won't pass this defect on to the XMC-1.

[autiger]

Now for me I like zone 2 defaulting to off because I have it run to outdoor speakers and the neighbors might resent me firing up the system at midnight and having it pumped also to my outdoor speakers and I would never know until the phone rang, if I heard that

[indyscammer]

Jan 9, 2014 10:46:14 GMT -5 autiger said:

Now for me I like zone 2 defaulting to off because I have it run to outdoor speakers and the neighbors might resent me firing up the system at midnight and having it pumped also to my outdoor speakers and I would never know until the phone rang, if I heard that

Same here. In fact I bought a harmony hub so that I could control everything from outside.

Personally I would just use the zone 2 on the UMC-1 and turn it on if I wanted sound in the other room. A thought, you could get a Harmony (or similar) and program in the activity to turn on zone 2.

[autiger]

Jan 11, 2014 12:33:18 GMT -5 indyscammer said:

Jan 9, 2014 10:46:14 GMT -5 autiger said:

Now for me I like zone 2 defaulting to off because I have it run to outdoor speakers and the neighbors might resent me firing up the system at midnight and having it pumped also to my outdoor speakers and I would never know until the phone rang, if I heard that

Same here. In fact I bought a harmony hub so that I could control everything from outside.

Personally I would just use the zone 2 on the UMC-1 and turn it on if I wanted sound in the other room. A thought, you could get a Harmony (or similar) and program in the activity to turn on zone 2.

I use a rf remote and can control it all from outside, love it. chillin, grillin or for a party.

[AudioHTIT]

I still find it a logic flaw (and an inconvenience), the volume sticks, the input sticks, the on/off state should stick. Maybe for future products a 3rd 'Auto' selection would remember the last state. While you can program a Harmony to automatically turn it on, you defeat the 'Activity' logic of the remote.

[Gary Cook]

I control my Zones with a wifi IR blaster that talks to the UMC-200 using an iDevice (iPad, iPhone etc) which also controls the Apple TV3 which supplies the source music. So on any of the iDevices I can select the tracks that I want to listen to, the Zone that they play in and the volume that they play at. Whether or not Zone 2 stays on from the last time I used it is such a small part of that I'm not sure that it overcomes the basic problem of accidently blasting the neighbours (with Zone 2 )when I was just turning on the UMC-200 for Zone 1 listening. In summary, I like it just the way it is, thanks.

Cheers
Gary

[aduncanson]

Has anybody considered connecting zones in the digital domain by Toslink?

I used an S/PDIF switch like this:

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892448-REG/ocean_matrix_da4x_r_spdif_4x1_digital.html

to select one of up to 8 digital inputs (I presently have 6 including a rarely used A to D converter.) This switch has Toslink and coax outputs. I connected the coax to my XDA-1 DAC in my bedroom and connected the Toslink output to my DC-1 in the living room via a 50ft fiber.

I originally used a Berhinger UCA-202 as a USB to Toslink converter into the switch to allow streaming from a laptop into both systems. But I recently inserted a Firestone Audio Bravo signal processor (re-clocker) with 96/24 USB interface and Toslink and Coax inputs, and Toslink and coax outputs, to give me a 96KHz USB interface and de-jitter function for my bedroom XDA-1. I am enjoying streamed music more with the Firestone Bravo in the system. It also gives me an unused Toslink output that I am considering connecting to my office. The Bravo auto selects inputs (USB before Toslink, Toslink before Coax) and so putting the Bravo after the S/PDIF switch simplifies configuring the system to select the most commonly used sources, the USB & blu-ray player. Some outputs, my TV tuner, and blu-ray player, also have redundant, direct connections to the XDA-1 so that I don't have to power up the Bravo processor or the S/PDIF switch to play these, if I am not interested in sharing them with the other zone.

[brubacca]

Why don't you just utilize both RCA and XLR outputs on the XPS-1? Use the xlr for your XPA and RCA for the mini-x....

[AudioHTIT]

Feb 2, 2014 14:32:11 GMT -5 aduncanson said:

Has anybody considered connecting zones in the digital domain by Toslink?

I used an S/PDIF switch like this:

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892448-REG/ocean_matrix_da4x_r_spdif_4x1_digital.html

to select one of up to 8 digital inputs (I presently have 6 including a rarely used A to D converter.) This switch has Toslink and coax outputs. I connected the coax to my XDA-1 DAC in my bedroom and connected the Toslink output to my DC-1 in the living room via a 50ft fiber.

I originally used a Berhinger UCA-202 as a USB to Toslink converter into the switch to allow streaming from a laptop into both systems. But I recently inserted a Firestone Audio Bravo signal processor (re-clocker) with 96/24 USB interface and Toslink and Coax inputs, and Toslink and coax outputs, to give me a 96KHz USB interface and de-jitter function for my bedroom XDA-1. I am enjoying streamed music more with the Firestone Bravo in the system. It also gives me an unused Toslink output that I am considering connecting to my office. The Bravo auto selects inputs (USB before Toslink, Toslink before Coax) and so putting the Bravo after the S/PDIF switch simplifies configuring the system to select the most commonly used sources, the USB & blu-ray player. Some outputs, my TV tuner, and blu-ray player, also have redundant, direct connections to the XDA-1 so that I don't have to power up the Bravo processor or the S/PDIF switch to play these, if I am not interested in sharing them with the other zone.

I think the digital outputs on Emotiva processors are a great feature that most other products don't have. In my case my whole house amp only has analog inputs so the digital outputs can't be used to solve the Zone 2 problem (I really don't want to add a DAC). Still your solution is a good one with the right associated equipment.

[Priapulus]

> Why don't you just utilize both RCA and XLR outputs on the XPS-1? Use the xlr for your XPA and RCA for the mini-x...

That would work. But the advantage of the processor loop out is that, it isn't affected by the volume control (and the mini-x amp has a volume control). I'm gonna try it.

[AudioHTIT]

Feb 2, 2014 17:23:13 GMT -5 brubacca said:

You would have dual volume then. Is there a tape out on the XSP-1? That would be sans volume control?

That's in essence what the processor loop output he tried is.

[Priapulus]

>> Why don't you just utilize both RCA and XLR outputs on the XPS-1? Use the xlr for your XPA and RCA for the mini-x...

> That would work. But the advantage of the processor loop out is that, it isn't affected by the volume control (and the mini-x amp has a volume control). I'm gonna try it.

Well, I tried it bet it wasn't satisfactory. The signal from the XPA RCAs was dramatically softer than from the processor loop. With my usual XPA loudness setting (soft), I have to turn the loudness control of the mini-x up to about 3 o'clock; it used to be 9 am. I've moved the plugs back to the processor loop and have to be content without my UMC content. We'll see if the XMC-1 changes anything.