New to Emotiva -> Considering buying the XMC-1

[feragoth]

Hey guys,

for the longest time I have been looking for a processor with Dirac Live included. I am already using a Marantz AV8802 and the MiniDSP 8-Channel unit, so I am aware of how Dirac works and what it can do.

Now what always annoyed me is that the MiniDSP unit is between the Marantz and my powered Studio Monitors. The MiniDSP adds to the noise floor and I cant use the balanced XLR outputs on the Marantz/XLR Inputs on my speakers as I have to get the MiniDSP in between.

I have now reached a point where I am willing to buy the XMC-1. When it was initially released I was put off by all the bugs/issues reported, but I hope the situation is more stable now with the new firmware versions.

However before ordering (I am ordering from Germany and would like to avoid having to send the unit back, so I want to make sure that I have all my points checked) I had a couple of questions which I raised to Emotiva directly.

Unfortunately it seems to be very hard to get a reply from them via mail/in time hence I am now trying my luck on the forums. Would appreciate if someone could help me out

1. How is the overall situation with bugs, pops from the speakers etc.? I remember that this was a huge issue back when the unit was initially released but I hope this is all fixed now?

2. Is there some kind of dialogue boosting functionality available in the XMC-1? Even with Dirac I sometimes have trouble understanding dialogue of some Blu Rays and the Marantz allows to boost the dialogue somehow, so it makes it easier to understand.

3. How is the Bass Management in combination with Dirac working on the XMC-1? I know that Arcam royally screwed the bass management up and would like to understand if it is done in the correct way on the XMC-1 (before Dirac filters are applied)?

4. Did anyone had a chance to compare the XMC-1 to the Marantz units? Dirac is a lot better than Audyssey, thats without question, but does the XMC sound different to the Marantz e.g. cleaerer, less warm etc.?

5. Does anyone have experience of the overall noise floor in combination with the balanced XLR outputs and ideally powered speakers? As mentioned above the MiniDSP adds an audible amount of ground noise to my speakers and I would like to get rid of it.


Thanks everyone and sorry if this post ends up in the wrong section of the forums (I find the setup of the Lounge to be really confusing, but maybe thats just because I am old  )

Happy Easter everyone!

[fattykidd]

Apr 16, 2017 1:42:26 GMT -5 feragoth said:

Hey guys,

for the longest time I have been looking for a processor with Dirac Live included. I am already using a Marantz AV8802 and the MiniDSP 8-Channel unit, so I am aware of how Dirac works and what it can do.

Now what always annoyed me is that the MiniDSP unit is between the Marantz and my powered Studio Monitors. The MiniDSP adds to the noise floor and I cant use the balanced XLR outputs on the Marantz/XLR Inputs on my speakers as I have to get the MiniDSP in between.

I have now reached a point where I am willing to buy the XMC-1. When it was initially released I was put off by all the bugs/issues reported, but I hope the situation is more stable now with the new firmware versions.

However before ordering (I am ordering from Germany and would like to avoid having to send the unit back, so I want to make sure that I have all my points checked) I had a couple of questions which I raised to Emotiva directly.

Unfortunately it seems to be very hard to get a reply from them via mail/in time hence I am now trying my luck on the forums. Would appreciate if someone could help me out

1. How is the overall situation with bugs, pops from the speakers etc.? I remember that this was a huge issue back when the unit was initially released but I hope this is all fixed now?

Not everyone experienced the pops and clicks. You may get lucky. It was found to be in the dsp used, so there was no fix for those experiencing them. 



2. Is there some kind of dialogue boosting functionality available in the XMC-1? Even with Dirac I sometimes have trouble understanding dialogue of some Blu Rays and the Marantz allows to boost the dialogue somehow, so it makes it easier to understand.

That sounds like more of a center channel placement issue. 

3. How is the Bass Management in combination with Dirac working on the XMC-1? I know that Arcam royally screwed the bass management up and would like to understand if it is done in the correct way on the XMC-1 (before Dirac filters are applied)?


Can't help here... I don't remember.

4. Did anyone had a chance to compare the XMC-1 to the Marantz units? Dirac is a lot better than Audyssey, thats without question, but does the XMC sound different to the Marantz e.g. cleaerer, less warm etc.?


I went from an xmc to a 7702 and 2 minidsp units, Dirac is definitely superior to audyssey in every way except the way it handles dual subs. 
The xmc is the most clinically detailed sounding prepro I've heard, but regret nothing in my move. 

5. Does anyone have experience of the overall noise floor in combination with the balanced XLR outputs and ideally powered speakers? As mentioned above the MiniDSP adds an audible amount of ground noise to my speakers and I would like to get rid of it.


I have no audible hiss or otherwise issues from more than 18" from the compression drivers on my High sensitivity(99db) mains. I do remember the noise floor being a black hole(8-10") on with the xmc, but I was running different amps at the time as well.. I've had noise floor issues in my room and it turned out to be the amplifiers causing it. 
Is it maybe possible to lower the input gain on the powered modules in your speakers? 

Thanks everyone and sorry if this post ends up in the wrong section of the forums (I find the setup of the Lounge to be really confusing, but maybe thats just because I am old  )

Happy Easter everyone!

All in all you could be EXTREMELY happy with the xmc, It is absolutely incredible... If you're a lucky one. I personally am awaiting the "Xmc-2" with baited breath... With what Emotiva has learned from the last couple prepro "upsets" it should be stellar. 
Happy Easter to you as well sir.. And furthermore Happy Listening. 

[socketman]

Hi, i will try and answer your questions as best i can,it is a long weekend so not to much action here right now.


1. As for ticks and pops, most of this has been resolved though a lot of it was equipment dependent meaning some people with certain setups had more problems than others. I myself had minor issues with ticks when changing tracks on cd's and blurays which are no longer present. Really no guarantees you wont be able to find something that may annoy you.

2. No dialogue booster that i am aware of. Since so much info comes from the center channel i built my own using drivers i purchased from the manufacturer of my main speakers. If your having problems hearing dialog get a center channel from Axiom Audio such as the VP160 ,its a beast but you will never have trouble again.

3.Now for bass management there is still some shortcomings in most peoples eyes as to how the XMC handle's more than one sub so for now if your fussy a minidsp is your best freind. There was a upgrade announced by Dirac that is forthcoming but what it will do and whether it will work with the XMC is yet to be determined we are all hopefull it will address the bass management strategy.

4.Cant help with this at all. came from a Denon AVR 3311 with audyssey and the XMC-1 was like putting a big window where a wall used to be. I assure you the XMC-1 does not disappoint.

5. The only thing i can really add here is that any noise picked up along the way from your pre/pro to amplified speakers is going to be magnified by the speakers. All the connections are low voltage and much more susceptible to EMR than plain speaker wire. With the XMC you will be able to go xlr to xlr which should address your concerns. I use Emotiva amps with my XMC connected with very short XLR cables and have no issues with noise what so ever.

Hopefully this helps you with your decision.

[foggy1956]

Apr 16, 2017 11:52:36 GMT -5 socketman said:

Hi, i will try and answer your questions as best i can,it is a long weekend so not to much action here right now.


1. As for ticks and pops, most of this has been resolved though a lot of it was equipment dependent meaning some people with certain setups had more problems than others. I myself had minor issues with ticks when changing tracks on cd's and blurays which are no longer present. Really no guarantees you wont be able to find something that may annoy you.

2. No dialogue booster that i am aware of. Since so much info comes from the center channel i built my own using drivers i purchased from the manufacturer of my main speakers. If your having problems hearing dialog get a center channel from Axiom Audio such as the VP160 ,its a beast but you will never have trouble again.

3.Now for bass management there is still some shortcomings in most peoples eyes as to how the XMC handle's more than one sub so for now if your fussy a minidsp is your best freind. There was a upgrade announced by Dirac that is forthcoming but what it will do and whether it will work with the XMC is yet to be determined we are all hopefull it will address the bass management strategy.

4.Cant help with this at all. came from a Denon AVR 3311 with audyssey and the XMC-1 was like putting a big window where a wall used to be. I assure you the XMC-1 does not disappoint.

5. The only thing i can really add here is that any noise picked up along the way from your pre/pro to amplified speakers is going to be magnified by the speakers. All the connections are low voltage and much more susceptible to EMR than plain speaker wire. With the XMC you will be able to go xlr to xlr which should address your concerns. I use Emotiva amps with my XMC connected with very short XLR cables and have no issues with noise what so ever.

Hopefully this helps you with your decision.

The xmc-1 processor will not handle the dirac upgrade

[socketman]

was that straight from Dan?

[LCSeminole]

Apr 16, 2017 14:27:49 GMT -5 socketman said:

was that straight from Dan?

Good question, did I miss something on the Lounge lately? or maybe was it in the last PodCast that I missed?

With the actual Dirac software being run on your local laptop/desktop, and the Dirac servers processing the filters that get loaded to your XMC-1, I would guess that the XMC-1 would be capable. I could easily be wrong though. I'll not speculate any further until a final word comes from Dan/Lonnie/Ray/Keith.

[socketman]

yeah i read around quite a bit on the major sites and i havent heard Jack about this , maybe its inside info. I hope its wrong but whatever Dirac is still fantastic just as it is.

[novisnick]

Apr 16, 2017 14:34:16 GMT -5 LCSeminole said:

Apr 16, 2017 14:27:49 GMT -5 socketman said:

was that straight from Dan?

Good question, did I miss something on the Lounge lately? or maybe was it in the last PodCast that I missed?

With the actual Dirac software being run on your local laptop/desktop, and the Dirac servers processing the filters that get loaded to your XMC-1, I would guess that the XMC-1 would be capable. I could easily be wrong though. I'll not speculate any further until a final word comes from Dan/Lonnie/Ray/Keith.

Yep, good question indeed! 

[socketman]

I think Foggy be trollin our ass'

[foggy1956]

Apr 16, 2017 14:50:22 GMT -5 socketman said:

I think Foggy be trollin our ass'

Wanna bet?

[pknaz]

Apr 16, 2017 1:42:26 GMT -5 feragoth said:

1. How is the overall situation with bugs, pops from the speakers etc.? I remember that this was a huge issue back when the unit was initially released but I hope this is all fixed now?
        I've not heard any pops. I've seen one bug, but it was easily fixable by rebooting the unit. The front panel LCD display and the on-screen display volume/gain representation were out of synch.
2. Is there some kind of dialogue boosting functionality available in the XMC-1? Even with Dirac I sometimes have trouble understanding dialogue of some Blu Rays and the Marantz allows to boost the dialogue somehow, so it makes it easier to understand.
    No dialogue boosting that you will find on other receiver type units, but honestly, it really isn't needed.  Dirac is night and day better than Audyssey and with a decent center channel, dialog will naturally be better on the XMC.  Additionally, trim controls are very easily accessed on the remote to bump up the gain on the center channel if needed.  Seperate trim controls for the Subs, Center, Surrounds and back channels are all handy at the bottom of the remote.    
3. How is the Bass Management in combination with Dirac working on the XMC-1? I know that Arcam royally screwed the bass management up and would like to understand if it is done in the correct way on the XMC-1 (before Dirac filters are applied)?
    There are a number of options for bass management, depending on how many subs you have.  I suggest you grab the owners manual in PDF form from the XMC page on their site.  Like others have mentioned, I'm also running a miniDSP to manage my 4 subs.
4. Did anyone had a chance to compare the XMC-1 to the Marantz units? Dirac is a lot better than Audyssey, thats without question, but does the XMC sound different to the Marantz e.g. cleaerer, less warm etc.?
    I moved to the XMC from a Marantz 6010 and there isn't a single thing I miss from the marantz.  Even without using Dirac, the sound quality is better in just about every way.  To me, the marantz sounded like they did too much processing on the sound, even in supposed "Direct" mode.
5. Does anyone have experience of the overall noise floor in combination with the balanced XLR outputs and ideally powered speakers? As mentioned above the MiniDSP adds an audible amount of ground noise to my speakers and I would like to get rid of it.
    I'm feeding my L/R channels from my XMC into a pair of XPA-1's (Gen 1) via XLR, sensativity on my mains is roughly 89db/w/m with a nice pair of ribbon tweeters.  With my ears next to the tweeters, I hear no noise.  I can also turn the gain up to +11 (well beyond 110db at my listening position) with music paused and hear no noise at my listening position (About 15ft away from the speakers).

[foggy1956]

Apr 16, 2017 14:27:49 GMT -5 socketman said:

was that straight from Dan?

It was straight from tech support. FWIW

[socketman]

Apr 16, 2017 15:53:23 GMT -5 foggy1956 said:

Apr 16, 2017 14:27:49 GMT -5 socketman said:

was that straight from Dan?

It was straight from tech support. FWIW

Ok , but i will wait to hear from one of the Big cheese' since Dirac hasnt released any info to the GP that im aware of. I heard some straange things posted here by people who have talked to tech support so i think i will leave the speculating to others for now and remain hopefull.

[foggy1956]

Apr 16, 2017 16:13:08 GMT -5 socketman said:

Apr 16, 2017 15:53:23 GMT -5 foggy1956 said:

It was straight from tech support. FWIW

Ok , but i will wait to hear from one of the Big cheese' since Dirac hasnt released any info to the GP that im aware of. I heard some straange things posted here by people who have talked to tech support so i think i will leave the speculating to others for now and remain hopefull.

I also hope I have been told incorrectly.  I have asked this question several times on different posts and the big Cheeses won't  nibble.  Shout out to Keith, Lonnie, big Dan, somebody tell me it ain't  true

[foggy1956]

Apr 16, 2017 16:13:08 GMT -5 socketman said:

Apr 16, 2017 15:53:23 GMT -5 foggy1956 said:

It was straight from tech support. FWIW

Ok , but i will wait to hear from one of the Big cheese' since Dirac hasnt released any info to the GP that im aware of. I heard some straange things posted here by people who have talked to tech support so i think i will leave the speculating to others for now and remain hopefull.

Strange we can't  get the Big cheese to comment on this thread.  I see Keith active on others, odd don't  you think?

[socketman]

I think Dirac is holding their cards pretty close to their chest ATM so i dont think there is really anything to report. Probably best to wait for Dirac to release more details.

[LCSeminole]

Apr 17, 2017 11:12:24 GMT -5 foggy1956 said:

Apr 16, 2017 16:13:08 GMT -5 socketman said:

Ok , but i will wait to hear from one of the Big cheese' since Dirac hasnt released any info to the GP that im aware of. I heard some straange things posted here by people who have talked to tech support so i think i will leave the speculating to others for now and remain hopefull.

Strange we can't  get the Big cheese to comment on this thread.  I see Keith active on others, odd don't  you think?

It could just be that they are preparing for Axpona in Chicago this coming Friday, April 21. It's not like this is an official forum for Emotiva announcements, as we've been reminded of this on many occasion in the past, though we all like to think it is.

[foggy1956]

Apr 17, 2017 12:43:48 GMT -5 LCSeminole said:

Apr 17, 2017 11:12:24 GMT -5 foggy1956 said:

Strange we can't  get the Big cheese to comment on this thread.  I see Keith active on others, odd don't  you think?

It could just be that they are preparing for Axpona in Chicago this coming Friday, April 21. It's not like this is an official forum for Emotiva announcements, as we've been reminded of this on many occasion in the past, though we all like to think it is.

Sure you are correct.  Just happened to see Keith active on several other threads.  Probably just overlooked this one

[cwt]

Apr 16, 2017 1:42:26 GMT -5 feragoth said:

3. How is the Bass Management in combination with Dirac working on the XMC-1? I know that Arcam royally screwed the bass management up and would like to understand if it is done in the correct way on the XMC-1 (before Dirac filters are applied)?

Just on this '
There is a thread floating around here somewhere Feragoth where it was determined via REW that the XMC1 does Bass Management properly before the Dirac filters are applied ;)That test wasn't complicated with dual subs and how they are summed I hasten to add ..

Thankfully Emo's dirac implementation is unique to Emo ; its fascinating to see Arcam backpedal with new firmwares

There are 2 possible dirac improvements being discussed afaik . Higher sampling rate 24/96 from 24/48 and the purported improvements [ algorithms ?]sound and vision reported . One of which has been mentioned above :)Best to wait as always

[feragoth]

Thanks all for the replies.

Still not 100% sure what I will do as there seem to be a lot of the mentioned issues reported on other forums, which to be honest scares me a bit.

Would be a bit easier if the return process for defect units/30 days trial would be a bit easier/cheaper from good old Europe.   But it is what it is.

I think I will wait until the weekend is over, because from what I understood Axpona is coming up in the US. Maybe there are news about release dates etc or even new products shared.