schues
Seeker Of Truth
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Post by schues on Feb 14, 2017 14:09:02 GMT -5
I'm looking to replace my 5 year old Denon AVR with a pre/pro & amplifier to help power my M&K 150 speakers (5.1 setup). My setup is mostly 80% movies / 20% music.
I've read a lot these past few months about the different processors. Emotiva always ranks high (and especially on the popular online reviews). Along with Emotiva - it seems the Anthem AV60 and the Marantz 7703 are on the list.
The more you read about the Emotiva concerning it's performance - the more you hear about "problems" with the unit. From bad circuitry, loose wires, to the infamous "pops / clicks" coming from the speakers / subwoofer. Most of these problems I'm reading about are from postings in 2015 and early 2016.
My question is ... have these "problems" been ironed out? Are these unit problem free nowadays? Should I wait longer for these problems to be fixed? I don't care about ATOMS and only need 1 HDMI 2.0 output. My old Denon and my other Marantz SR7010 are rock solid and I have had NO problems with both units.
What is everyones opinion on the Emotiva XMC-1 unit nowadays? Thoughts and suggestions please
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hemster
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...still listening... still watching
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Post by hemster on Feb 14, 2017 14:16:48 GMT -5
Please remember that there are many users of the XMC-1 who do not have problems.
Ultimately you'll hear from people that have issues rather than those who post they don't. It's your choice but this is true of all makes. People are likely to complain with issues rather than post they're happy.
If in doubt, order it, try it out and return it within the return window.
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Post by pknaz on Feb 14, 2017 14:25:21 GMT -5
I "upgraded" from an SR6010 to the XMC-1 - very happy I did.
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Post by jhob on Feb 14, 2017 14:49:55 GMT -5
I upgraded from a Denon 3808, and couldn't be happier. I haven't had one issue with mine, and I've had it for 18 months.
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Jack
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Posts: 75
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Post by Jack on Feb 14, 2017 14:51:30 GMT -5
I currently have a UMC-1 with an XPA-2 gen 1 driving my Magnepan 3.7 speakers. Which would be a better sound upgrade? I could get two XPA-1 amplifiers for the Maggies or I could get an XMC-1. I listen most to classical music. What is my best option?
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Post by ludi on Feb 14, 2017 15:03:47 GMT -5
I currently have a UMC-1 with an XPA-2 gen 1 driving my Magnepan 3.7 speakers. Which would be a better sound upgrade? I could get two XPA-1 amplifiers for the Maggies or I could get an XMC-1. I listen most to classical music. What is my best option? I strongly suggest the XMC-1. I upgraded from the UMC-1 and it was a big improvement. Next to the XMC-1 I'm using an XPA-2 driving Maggies 1.7.
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schues
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 5
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Post by schues on Feb 14, 2017 15:10:08 GMT -5
Please remember that there are many users of the XMC-1 who do not have problems. Ultimately you'll hear from people that have issues rather than those who post they don't. It's your choice but this is true of all makes. People are likely to complain with issues rather than post they're happy. If in doubt, order it, try it out and return it within the return window. I totally agree. And I fully understand that out of the 1000s of XMC-1s Emotiva sell - only a "few" have problems. And even the "big boy" companies have problems. But it's no secret that the first edition of anything comes with problems .... and it takes time and multiple Firmware updates and even hardware updates with newer models (like Generation 2) to help iron out all of the problems. But seeing that it's 2017 and the XMC-1 is on it's 3rd year (?) - have most of the problems been fixed? From the few replies in this post ... it seems you guys are very happy with the unit. Correct to say? Thanks!
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Post by foggy1956 on Feb 14, 2017 15:12:36 GMT -5
Please remember that there are many users of the XMC-1 who do not have problems. Ultimately you'll hear from people that have issues rather than those who post they don't. It's your choice but this is true of all makes. People are likely to complain with issues rather than post they're happy. If in doubt, order it, try it out and return it within the return window. I totally agree. And I fully understand that out of the 1000s of XMC-1s Emotiva sell - only a "few" have problems. And even the "big boy" companies have problems. But it's no secret that the first edition of anything comes with problems .... and it takes time and multiple Firmware updates and even hardware updates with newer models (like Generation 2) to help iron out all of the problems. But seeing that it's 2017 and the XMC-1 is on it's 3rd year (?) - have most of the problems been fixed? From the few replies in this post ... it seems you guys are very happy with the unit. Correct to say? Thanks! I am very happy with mine☺
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Post by socketman on Feb 14, 2017 15:29:29 GMT -5
I think the only thing that hasnt been solved for few people is the tick and pop you mentioned. Some have it and some dont, as luck would have it i dont have any issues with my XMC-1 . It sounds fantastic, i have had it since the beginning with zero issues. Give a go, you can always return it though i doubt you will once you have heard it.
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Post by Hair Nick on Feb 14, 2017 15:33:08 GMT -5
We have sold over 3,000 XMC-1s. Any issues you read about on here only makes up a tiny percent of units that have shipped. Any product that any company releases is bound to have a failure rate for a certain amount of units.
I can't recommend the XMC-1 enough. I have used one non stop for the past 2 years and can't imagine my setup without one. Plus with it being modular, when I finally decide to make the jump to 4K and HDR, I know there will be a solution to help me get there with the same unit I've had in my system.
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Lsc
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Post by Lsc on Feb 14, 2017 15:43:12 GMT -5
I think the only thing that hasnt been solved for few people is the tick and pop you mentioned. Some have it and some dont, as luck would have it i dont have any issues with my XMC-1 . It sounds fantastic, i have had it since the beginning with zero issues. Give a go, you can always return it though i doubt you will once you have heard it. I agree. I have also not had any issues with mine. It's an amazing product. But, having said that if you can wait for the XMC-2, whenever that'll be released then I'd say wait. If you must get it now then you only have 1 choice 😊
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schues
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 5
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Post by schues on Feb 14, 2017 15:50:55 GMT -5
I think the only thing that hasnt been solved for few people is the tick and pop you mentioned. Some have it and some dont, as luck would have it i dont have any issues with my XMC-1 . It sounds fantastic, i have had it since the beginning with zero issues. Give a go, you can always return it though i doubt you will once you have heard it. I agree. I have also not had any issues with mine. It's an amazing product. But, having said that if you can wait for the XMC-2, whenever that'll be released then I'd say wait. If you must get it now then you only have 1 choice 😊 I would rather purchase now for $2000 then for the XMC-2 for $3000
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Feb 14, 2017 15:52:32 GMT -5
Please remember that there are many users of the XMC-1 who do not have problems. Ultimately you'll hear from people that have issues rather than those who post they don't. It's your choice but this is true of all makes. People are likely to complain with issues rather than post they're happy. If in doubt, order it, try it out and return it within the return window. I totally agree. And I fully understand that out of the 1000s of XMC-1s Emotiva sell - only a "few" have problems. And even the "big boy" companies have problems. But it's no secret that the first edition of anything comes with problems .... and it takes time and multiple Firmware updates and even hardware updates with newer models (like Generation 2) to help iron out all of the problems. But seeing that it's 2017 and the XMC-1 is on it's 3rd year (?) - have most of the problems been fixed? From the few replies in this post ... it seems you guys are very happy with the unit. Correct to say? Thanks! I am thrilled with mine, as are most folks here. IMHO, the only reason to not buy right now is the impending change to an upgraded HDMI board for all inputs. If you need that and can wait, you could get that. Even then, you could buy now and then upgrade the board when it comes out. Mark
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Post by Gary Cook on Feb 14, 2017 15:52:38 GMT -5
My experience has been that pops and clicks are mostly caused by something else in the system, I blamed the Denon 3508, then the Denon 3808, then the UMC-1 and then the UMC-200. The cable company introduced a new box and bongo no more pops and clicks. When I read the title of the thread ("Should I purchase an XMC-1 now") I didn't even think of someone asking questions about the XMC-1's reliability, quality etc, it's been so long since any one even mentioned it, it's a given these days.
My answer to the question "Should I purchase an XMC-1 now" would have been no, wait for the full 4K Dolby Atmos upgrade to be available in new units direct from the factory. That's a far more common and logical question.
Cheers Gary
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Post by goodfellas27 on Feb 14, 2017 15:53:39 GMT -5
Wait for March's HDMI/atmos board upgrade.
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Post by monkumonku on Feb 14, 2017 16:13:56 GMT -5
I totally agree. And I fully understand that out of the 1000s of XMC-1s Emotiva sell - only a "few" have problems. And even the "big boy" companies have problems. But it's no secret that the first edition of anything comes with problems .... and it takes time and multiple Firmware updates and even hardware updates with newer models (like Generation 2) to help iron out all of the problems. But seeing that it's 2017 and the XMC-1 is on it's 3rd year (?) - have most of the problems been fixed? From the few replies in this post ... it seems you guys are very happy with the unit. Correct to say? Thanks! I am thrilled with mine, as are most folks here. IMHO, the only reason to not buy right now is the impending change to an upgraded HDMI board for all inputs. If you need that and can wait, you could get that. Even then, you could buy now and then upgrade the board when it comes out. Mark But if you wait, wouldn't the upgraded HDMI board be included at no increase in price? Whereas if you were to buy now and upgrade later, you would have to pay for the upgrade. Anyway, my two cents to the OP, I've had the XMC-1 since May of 2015 and am very happy with it. I have not experienced any problems. No product is perfect but overall if you read the threads I think you will find there is no real "problem" with the unit that is due to engineering or quality control, but more that people have experienced some isolated issues. There is no flaw or issue common to all units. Overall I think Emo did a great job with this processor.
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Post by doc1963 on Feb 14, 2017 16:30:40 GMT -5
In today's world of AV processors, there is no "free lunch" and certainly no product that's guaranteed to be "trouble free" for everyone. Sometimes it takes several rounds of firmware tweaks to get them "right". The early stages of the XMC-1 was no different. You've mentioned the Anthem AVM 60 (which is an excellent product BTW), but did you happen to check out the early adopter postings regarding the trouble with that unit? There's a very good reason why the AVM 60 was released in March 2016, but there were no "professional" reviews published until December. It wasn't quite ready for "prime time". No disrespect to Anthem, they are certainly a "quality" oriented company (and I wouldn't hesitate buying their products), but none of the "boutique" or "Internet Direct" brands have the available resources of D&M Holdings (Denon/Marantz), Onkyo or any of the other "big brands". By the time these guys get a new product out the door, they're already well into development of the next big thing. That said, of the products you've mentioned, my vote would go to either the XMC-1 or the Anthem AVM 60. In comparison, both have specific feature sets. The XMC-1 is 7.2 (with a forthcoming "optional" upgrade to 7.2.4), the AVM 60 is 7.2.4 out of the box. Both certainly meet your current channel requirements and allow you room to grow. The AVM 60 is HDMI 2.0/HDCP 2.2 compliant on all inputs/outputs whereas the XMC-1 has one each (with another forthcoming upgrade to add 2.0a/2.2 across all inputs/outputs). The XMC-1 does DSD natively, the AVM 60 does not. The XMC-1 has 7.1 analog inputs, the AVM 60 does not. The XMC-1 has a tuner, the AVM 60 does not (but most don't use it anyway). The AVM 60 is also devoid of a "true" (fully differential) balanced analog input/output (if you need something of that nature). The AVM 60 does have multiple ARC (room correction) curve presets whereas the XMC-1 has only one Dirac preset (but two for PEQ or manual setup). The AMV 60 also has DTS PlayFi for wireless hi-rez streaming whereas the XMC-1 does nothing of the sort. Both use very high quality and well regarded ADCs and DACs. Emotiva's approach has always been "sonic quality first" and the XMC-1 is certainly a benchmark of their efforts. One of the things that both have in common is superior "room correction" systems. Anthem's ARC and Dirac Live are about the best you can get in a consumer AV product. For me, someone who is 60/40 (music/HT) and appreciates how music sounds, I'm no fan of Audyssey. If you opt for the XMC-1, and decide to keep it (wait for this), purchase the $99 upgrade to Dirac Live "Full". You won't be disappointed with the amount of flexibility this will give you. Finally, the price. The XMC-1 is currently $1999 (in its 7.2 form), the AVM 60 is $2999. What does the Anthem's additional $1000 buy you that you "need" today or, possibly, in the near future? In the case of the AVM 60, you'll have to decide that now as the AVM 60 is not advertised as an "upgradable" (modular) platform. The XMC-1 does have available upgrade paths when, or if, you need them. At the current projected prices for the XMC-1 upgrades, you could buy both and still be slightly under the cost of the AVM 60, yet end up with more useful features, equal quality and a longer warranty. My advice would be the same as everyone else, buy it and try it. You've got nothing to lose except the cost of return shipping. Personally, I've had my XMC-1 since its product launch and, yes, there were some early, relatively small, issues that have been long since corrected. The lack of any "newer" complaints in these (or any other) threads is proof of that. In my setup, my XMC-1 is trouble free and I can give it a solid recommendation. Hope this helps...
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Post by gearhead2003 on Feb 14, 2017 16:35:24 GMT -5
I currently have a UMC-1 with an XPA-2 gen 1 driving my Magnepan 3.7 speakers. Which would be a better sound upgrade? I could get two XPA-1 amplifiers for the Maggies or I could get an XMC-1. I listen most to classical music. What is my best option? I strongly suggest the XMC-1. I upgraded from the UMC-1 and it was a big improvement. Next to the XMC-1 I'm using an XPA-2 driving Maggies 1.7. I second that on the MASSIVE improvement on the umc-1 to xmc-1, I just made the change in the fall of this year.
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Post by total2727 on Feb 14, 2017 16:49:24 GMT -5
Been totally happy with mine for over 2yrs. Had a umc before and only had a few bugs with it. Biggest selling point for the xmc was the promise of updates later. Emotiva has totally came thru with that promise. The only way I will ever sell is too get a RMC,
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Feb 14, 2017 17:22:59 GMT -5
But if you wait, wouldn't the upgraded HDMI board be included at no increase in price? Whereas if you were to buy now and upgrade later, you would have to pay for the upgrade. I don't know. The XMC price could increase at any time. The only thing sure is its current price (well, that, and this brand new tattoo...) Mark
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