New advice regarding XMC-1 Atmos/DTS-X upgrade!!!!!

[ÈlTwo]

When I get a chance I'm going to call Emotiva. I can just wait for now and route around the XMC-1, but I'd like the ATMOS upgrade.

[AudioHTIT]

Aug 16, 2018 8:42:32 GMT -5 ÈlTwo said:

When I get a chance I'm going to call Emotiva. I can just wait for now and route around the XMC-1, but I'd like the ATMOS upgrade.

I think that’s the right thing to do, though they still have the wording on the website, and they’ve changed the name to XMC-1 v3 (I prefer XMC-1 G2.3)

“The Path To The Future

Home theater technology has made rapid strides since the XMC-1 was first introduced, and the technology in the XMC-1 has advanced apace. We've just released the first major hardware upgrade for the XMC-1, which added support for HDMI 2.0b video, including all the latest 4k UHD formats like HDR and Dolby Vision. All future XMC-1 units will include these capabilities, and the upgrade will be available for every XMC-1 we've ever sold. The next major upgrade we have scheduled will add support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X - the newest object-oriented surround sound formats.”

[jjkessler]

"All future XMC-1 units will include these capabilities, and the upgrade will be available for every XMC-1 we've ever sold. The next major upgrade we have scheduled will add support for Dolby Atmos and DTS-X - the newest object-oriented surround sound formats.”

Is it safe to assume older XMC-1's would be able to upgrade to ATMOS one available based on this text? That's the true beauty of the platfrom

[Gary Cook]

Aug 15, 2018 18:49:00 GMT -5 Bonzo said:

Aug 15, 2018 17:41:07 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

And there are lots who don’t, but they don’t post about it because they have nothing to complain about. The silent majority.

To clarify, I’m not bragging about not having any issues, just in my own small way balancing the responses. According to Jessica’s post earlier today the sales of XMC-1’s with 4K has far exceeded their expectations. So plenty of people must be happy.

Sorry Gary, but you are making a few huge assumptions here. Most people who have bought the XMC are not on this forum. This forum represents a major minority. If only people here buy Emotiva products, they would have gone out of business a long time ago. So there could quite possibly be thousands of people havings issues, but they called Emotiva instead of coming here. Considering a lot of people here are blue koolaiders, people who tend to look for reasons to give Emotiva accolades, of which there have been very few regarding the V3 board, I'd say your assumptions might just be backwards. And let's not forget about lurkers. If their problem has already been brought up, then they are probably just waiting for a fix quietly.

I'm not saying anything is fact, just that I think your assumptions are just that, and, in all likelyhood are wrong on this one.

I think you might be misreading what I posted, or maybe my Australian English has a different emphasis. I only posted that I wasn’t having any problems because I didn’t want any casual readers believing that everyone had problems. When plainly that’s not the case. Secondly that Emotiva seem to have sold way more upgrades and/or faster than they thought. That to me indicates a level of success that again the casual reader may not pick up on if the only posts on here are the ones with problems. I’m the first to admit that I don’t know the exact numbers of the have and have not problems. But as you pointed out judging a product based on posts, favourable or unfavourable, on here is unlikely to reveal the true status.

Cheers
Gary

[Bonzo]

Aug 16, 2018 12:31:56 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

I think you might be misreading what I posted, or maybe my Australian English has a different emphasis.

I didn't misread anything, because you are saying the same thing again.

I only posted that I wasn’t having any problems because I didn’t want any casual readers believing that everyone had problems. When plainly that’s not the case.

But it's NOT plainly the case. Just because YOU aren't having any problems, does not "plainly" say anything. What it says for sure is that maybe you just aren't using any of the associated equipment that is causing the problems. Who's not to say if you incorporated one of those devices you would instantly have issues? That's why I'm saying your assumptions are misguided.

Secondly that Emotiva seem to have sold way more upgrades and/or faster than they thought. That to me indicates a level of success that again the casual reader may not pick up on if the only posts on here are the ones with problems.

Again, your assumption is based on nothing. Just because they sold a lot of them very quickly does NOT mean they have a a bunch of happy customers. So many people have been waiting SO long for this that a lot of people just bought without thought or hesitation, thinking or assuming Emotiva would have perfected the board by now and trusted that it was 99% worked out when released. So sales volume / speed means nothing right now as to who are happy and who aren't.

I’m the first to admit that I don’t know the exact numbers of the have and have not problems.

Exactly. Silence here or mass purchases do not lead "plainly" to assumptions either way. They could easily lead either way. I'm not saying the vast majority of people have problems, or the vast majority don't, but your assumptions have no solid basis.

But as you pointed out judging a product based on posts, favourable or unfavourable, on here is unlikely to reveal the true status.

I agree with you, and myself.

[musicfan]

Aug 16, 2018 15:50:19 GMT -5 Bonzo said:

Aug 16, 2018 12:31:56 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

I think you might be misreading what I posted, or maybe my Australian English has a different emphasis.

I didn't misread anything, because you are saying the same thing again.

I only posted that I wasn’t having any problems because I didn’t want any casual readers believing that everyone had problems. When plainly that’s not the case.

But it's NOT plainly the case. Just because YOU aren't having any problems, does not "plainly" say anything. What it says for sure is that maybe you just aren't using any of the associated equipment that is causing the problems. Who's not to say if you incorporated one of those devices you would instantly have issues? That's why I'm saying your assumptions are misguided.

Secondly that Emotiva seem to have sold way more upgrades and/or faster than they thought. That to me indicates a level of success that again the casual reader may not pick up on if the only posts on here are the ones with problems.

Again, your assumption is based on nothing. Just because they sold a lot of them very quickly does NOT mean they have a a bunch of happy customers. So many people have been waiting SO long for this that a lot of people just bought without thought or hesitation, thinking or assuming Emotiva would have perfected the board by now and trusted that it was 99% worked out when released. So sales volume / speed means nothing right now as to who are happy and who aren't.

I’m the first to admit that I don’t know the exact numbers of the have and have not problems.

Exactly. Silence here or mass purchases do not lead "plainly" to assumptions either way. They could easily lead either way. I'm not saying the vast majority of people have problems, or the vast majority don't, but your assumptions have no solid basis.

But as you pointed out judging a product based on posts, favourable or unfavourable, on here is unlikely to reveal the true status.

I agree with you, and myself.

I do know this....one of you is outstanding at debating and making your point clear. The other is pretty terrible and talks in circles and tries to retract what they say when called out on it

[Gary Cook]

Aug 16, 2018 15:50:19 GMT -5 Bonzo said:

Aug 16, 2018 12:31:56 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

I think you might be misreading what I posted, or maybe my Australian English has a different emphasis.

I didn't misread anything, because you are saying the same thing again.

I still think you are misreading what I posed, I certainly hope you are deliberately not reading it the way it was written.

I only posted that I wasn’t having any problems because I didn’t want any casual readers believing that everyone had problems. When plainly that’s not the case.

But it's NOT plainly the case. Just because YOU aren't having any problems, does not "plainly" say anything. What it says for sure is that maybe you just aren't using any of the associated equipment that is causing the problems. Who's not to say if you incorporated one of those devices you would instantly have issues? That's ¡why I'm saying your assumptions are misguided.

Plainly I’m not having any problems, which plainly means that not everyone is having problems. Which is what I posted. If you read back through the posts in the 4K thread you will find that I’m not the only one who is plainly not having any problems. Is that plain enough for you?

Secondly that Emotiva seem to have sold way more upgrades and/or faster than they thought. That to me indicates a level of success that again the casual reader may not pick up on if the only posts on here are the ones with problems.

Again, your assumption is based on nothing. Just because they sold a lot of them very quickly does NOT mean they have a a bunch of happy customers. So many people have been waiting SO long for this that a lot of people just bought without thought or hesitation, thinking or assuming Emotiva would have perfected the board by now and trusted that it was 99% worked out when released. So sales volume / speed means nothing right now as to who are happy and who aren't.

Maybe I credit XMC-1 owners with more market intelligence than you, that like me they did some research before they went out and ordered the 4K board. I did say that’s what it indicates to me, I don’t dispute that it may not indicate the same to you. Maybe it is “99% worked out” for a number of us, how many I think we agree we don’t know.

I’m the first to admit that I don’t know the exact numbers of the have and have not problems.

Exactly. Silence here or mass purchases do not lead "plainly" to assumptions either way. They could easily lead either way. I'm not saying the vast majority of people have problems, or the vast majority don't, but your assumptions have no solid basis.

Just for emphasis, I only used the “plainly” descriptor to describe the fact that not everyone is having problems.

But as you pointed out judging a product based on posts, favourable or unfavourable, on here is unlikely to reveal the true status.

I agree with you, and myself.

We often have spirited debates and just as often we agree, but either way I come away with an understanding of your point of view, which is what forums are all about.

Cheers
Gary

[Gary Cook]

Aug 16, 2018 16:14:46 GMT -5 musicfan said:

I do know this....one of you is outstanding at debating and making your point clear. The other is pretty terrible and talks in circles and tries to retract what they say when called out on it

No excuses but I had just spent 14+ hours on a plain from Sydney to LA, then had the connecting flight to Salt Lake City delayed for 2 hours and I was typing on a phone using the slowest connection known to man. So I was really in no position to debate too strongly, terribly sorry that I let you down.

Cheers
Gary

[Gary Cook]

An example. I was happy to note that plainly I’m not the only one

Aug 13, 2018 15:23:35 GMT -5 mr said:

Aug 12, 2018 17:19:27 GMT -5 mr said:

I will try that tomorrow, when the Sunday company is gone. Thanks Gary.

Gary:
Can't thank you enough for your advice. I picked up a couple of "certified" HDMI cables this am, swapped the ones I was using for the new ones, and all is good. 
I am much relieved thanks to you.
Any time you find yourself in Colorado, I owe you lunch!

Cheers
Gary

[Gary Cook]

Another plain example, has no problems but like me acknowledges that other do.

Aug 11, 2018 3:00:08 GMT -5 LCSeminole said:

Aug 10, 2018 16:38:21 GMT -5 Gary Cook said:

Obviously no Dolby Vision (a deliberate choice) but I don't suffer from banding in HDR using an ATV4K through an XMC-1 to a Samsung TV and I'm still using the original 5.0 version software. I don't have any reason to update at the moment, everything works just fine.

Same here, I’m not getting any banding with any of my 4K sources(AppleTV 4K/FireTV Cube/Oppo UDP-203) and HDR looks absolutely gorgeous on my calibrated Samsung full-array panel. I am however on firmware v5.1 because of the “no audio” problem that occurs only with my non-4K Oppo blu-ray players(BDP-83/93) with firmware versions 5.1a/5.2/5.2b. For me in my situation, v5.1 has thus far been flawless. I do however acknowledge the banding problem, pictures that Doc posted earlier in this thread clearly show this issue with the LG oled’s so hopefully this gets fixed soon for these LG oiled panel owners.

Cheers
Gary

[doc1963]

Oh for the love of Pete... the answer is simple. If you have a Dolby Vision capable display, you have serious problems. If you don’t, then you’re probably very happy with things just as they are. However, there is also a very large “mixed bag” of issues in between the two extremes.

Whether you’re effected by these issues (or not) does not excuse the fact that this board, currently, is flawed and is NOT performing as it is supposed to do. After waiting two years for this board, I’m firmly in the camp who’s not very happy with the results and I won’t be singing its praises until it works perfectly for everyone.

[jdmusante]

Aug 16, 2018 19:59:43 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

Oh for the love of Pete... the answer is simple. If you have a Dolby Vision capable display, you have serious problems. If you don’t, then you’re probably very happy with things just as they are. However, there is also a very large “mixed bag” of issues in between the two extremes.

Whether you’re effected by these issues (or not) does not excuse the fact that this board, currently, is flawed and is NOT performing as it is supposed to do. After waiting two years for this board, I’m firmly in the camp who’s not very happy with the results and I won’t be singing its praises until it works perfectly for everyone.

This pretty much sums it up. You guys have been waiting for two years and its super buggy. I've only had this thing for 5 months. When I buy a 4k display, it will have Dolby Vision. 

While I love the sound of this pre/pro, I'd be screwed if my plasma went out right now. I bought it with the idea that it was upgradable, like most of you. I keep tossing around the idea of selling it for a 8802a. I just don't want to be stuck with something that requires work arounds, resets, etc. I don't have time for that. I just want it to work. The XMC-1 doesn't seem to be that for 4K HDMI.

[doc1963]

Aug 16, 2018 20:35:19 GMT -5 jdmusante said:

Aug 16, 2018 19:59:43 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

Oh for the love of Pete... the answer is simple. If you have a Dolby Vision capable display, you have serious problems. If you don’t, then you’re probably very happy with things just as they are. However, there is also a very large “mixed bag” of issues in between the two extremes.

Whether you’re effected by these issues (or not) does not excuse the fact that this board, currently, is flawed and is NOT performing as it is supposed to do. After waiting two years for this board, I’m firmly in the camp who’s not very happy with the results and I won’t be singing its praises until it works perfectly for everyone.

This pretty much sums it up. You guys have been waiting for two years and its super buggy. I've only had this thing for 5 months. When I buy a 4k display, it will have Dolby Vision. 

While I love the sound of this pre/pro, I'd be screwed if my plasma went out right now. I bought it with the idea that it was upgradable, like most of you. I keep tossing around the idea of selling it for a 8802a. I just don't want to be stuck with something that requires work arounds, resets, etc. I don't have time for that. I just want it to work. The XMC-1 doesn't seem to be that for 4K HDMI.

FWIW, I have pulled my XMC-1 back out of my system and replaced it, once again, with the Marantz AV7703 that I purchased as a temporary “4K compatible” solution as I waited for this board to be released.

The AV7703 (and the 8802a) uses the same Panasonic HDMI switching/transmitting chipset as is used in the new Emotiva HDMI board. I do not experience any of the issues with the 7703 that I do with the Emotiva board (as it currently is). The 7703 “just works” and the picture quality is identical. I’m confident that Emotiva will eventually resolve the issues with this board, but I’ll never find fault with anyone seeking other alternatives.

For typical theatrical soundtracks, there is no discernible difference between my 7703 and my XMC-1. Two channel music is where they differ with the XMC-1 being the noticeably better performer. But since I don’t use my 7703 for music, that doesn’t matter to me.

The 880x series, however, is at an entirely different level than the 7703 and definitely more comparable to the XMC-1 in two channel performance.

Many will say that Audyssey is the biggest downfall to the Marantz products and I wouldn’t disagree. The Audyssey MultEQ Editor app (which I have used with my 7703) has done a lot to correct what is wrong with Audyssey and (somewhat) closes the gap between Audyssey, Anthem ARC and Dirac in terms of functionality and the ability to achieve better results. But unfortunately, the 8802a is not compatible with that app. The 8805, however, is.

When “friendly” multi-user reliability and quality of sound matters, I wouldn’t hesitate recommending an 8802a. Whether user accessible control over Audyssey is possible or not. As I see it, “OFF” is a perfectly acceptable solution. There are other external RoomEQ solutions available if one is really needed. Better yet, treat the room, tame the subs and enjoy the natural response of your speakers...

[mick]

Aug 16, 2018 19:59:43 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

Oh for the love of Pete... the answer is simple. If you have a Dolby Vision capable display, you have serious problems. If you don’t, then you’re probably very happy with things just as they are. However, there is also a very large “mixed bag” of issues in between the two extremes.

Whether you’re effected by these issues (or not) does not excuse the fact that this board, currently, is flawed and is NOT performing as it is supposed to do. After waiting two years for this board, I’m firmly in the camp who’s not very happy with the results and I won’t be singing its praises until it works perfectly for everyone.

Well said, end of story  

I've had my board for a few weeks now and have NOT installed it because of the issues.

[cawgijoe]

Aug 17, 2018 0:46:26 GMT -5 mick said:

Aug 16, 2018 19:59:43 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

Oh for the love of Pete... the answer is simple. If you have a Dolby Vision capable display, you have serious problems. If you don’t, then you’re probably very happy with things just as they are. However, there is also a very large “mixed bag” of issues in between the two extremes.

Whether you’re effected by these issues (or not) does not excuse the fact that this board, currently, is flawed and is NOT performing as it is supposed to do. After waiting two years for this board, I’m firmly in the camp who’s not very happy with the results and I won’t be singing its praises until it works perfectly for everyone.

Well said, end of story  

I've had my board for a few weeks now and have NOT installed it because of the issues.

I don't have Dolby Vision capability in my current Samsung, so I really don't have issues with the new board.

Except for one small annoying issue with having to switch inputs on the XMC-1 when first turned on to get audio to come on.

I would not be happy either if I had Dolby Vision and it did not work.

Hopefully these issues will be resolved soon.

[Priapulus]

Aug 16, 2018 21:26:14 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

The AV7703 (and the 8802a) uses the same Panasonic HDMI switching/transmitting chipset as is used in the new Emotiva HDMI board. I do not experience any of the issues with the 7703 that I do with the Emotiva board (as it currently is). The 7703 “just works” and the picture quality is identical. 

This is good news. It suggests a firmware (software) problem rather than a hardware problem. So is fixable with a software upgrade.
/b

[ÈlTwo]

I did call Emotiva yesterday and asked a couple of questions.
They told me the ATMOS upgrade is still planned, but couldn't tell me when it would come out.
I also asked about the discount for doing the HDMI and ATMOS upgrades at the same time, and was told there would still be a $100 discount, but I'd have to send the unit in (which we all knew).

I did not ask about what Nick was implying.

[rbk123]

Aug 16, 2018 16:14:46 GMT -5 musicfan said:

I do know this....one of you is outstanding at debating and making your point clear. The other is pretty terrible and talks in circles and tries to retract what they say when called out on it

You do realize, of course, that both will immediately assume they are the former and the other is the latter...

[jjkessler]

I'm holding out for both upgrades and will upgrade my Projector to 4K once both updates are available. I am very happy with my XMC-1 and entire Emotiva system and will take my time building out my ATMOS setup while we await the ATMOS/HDMI combo upgrade. I plan to sent it to the factory for that dual upgrade and a general checkout at that point

"I did call Emotiva yesterday and asked a couple of questions.
They told me the ATMOS upgrade is still planned, but couldn't tell me when it would come out.
I also asked about the discount for doing the HDMI and ATMOS upgrades at the same time, and was told there would still be a $100 discount, but I'd have to send the unit in (which we all knew)."

[doc1963]

Aug 17, 2018 7:18:25 GMT -5 Priapulus said:

Aug 16, 2018 21:26:14 GMT -5 doc1963 said:

The AV7703 (and the 8802a) uses the same Panasonic HDMI switching/transmitting chipset as is used in the new Emotiva HDMI board. I do not experience any of the issues with the 7703 that I do with the Emotiva board (as it currently is). The 7703 “just works” and the picture quality is identical. 

This is good news. It suggests a firmware (software) problem rather than a hardware problem. So is fixable with a software upgrade.
/b

Let's hope so, but just because they share two components (the Panasonic HDMI switches and transmitter) does not mean the boards are the same. There are other components on the boards (that I'm sure are different) that may or may not be contributing to the issues, but I don't personally believe that to be the case.

Since both Dan and Lonnie have stated in this forum that the Panasonic chips are more complicated than they'd thought, I'm confident that it's just a matter of getting the firmware "right".

Let's hope we find out within the coming days (hopefully, not weeks or months).