|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 8:40:45 GMT -5
Help me decide what to replace my broken LMC-1 with on a budget.
My requirements: First off the LMC-1 is still sufficient for me the only issue I have is the lack of inputs. Even HDMI is not a necessity sine I bought my 4k TV with 3 HDMI inputs one with ARC to send audio to the receiver via toslink. A bonus would be BT or streaming/usb audio in for high res.
Stereo sound is top priority, with movies second (I only use 5.1). I do need 5.1 analog inputs for SACD or an Oppo down the line. I still have a tape deck with lot's of mixed tapes from my youth which would be nice to have. The only reason for HDMI would be to use the high definition dolby/DTS decoder for movies though this could be managed through the analog input via an Oppo.
My consideration:
UMC-1 Would work if I can find a good one though reliability would be an issue
XMC-1 refurbished This would bring me up to date with current HDMI etc. It's a bit out of my budget, but if it were to go on sale again at $999 I might be able to justify it if there are no other options. My concern would be reliability again with Emotiva's policy of not servicing units shortly out of warranty. Does anyone know if they replace the common capacitors to fail on the power supply board of previous units like the UMC-1 as part of the factory refurbish process? If I'm going to invest $1000+ I expect it to last at least 5 years but realistically more like 10 as I would not need to upgrade for a long time.
Non-Emotiva options:
Integra DHC-9.9 There is one for sale locally for $250 which looks very attractive. Ticks all my boxes the only concern here would be the stereo SQ vs the LMC-1. BTW I'm totally happy with the LMC-1 hooked up to my Rotel RMB-1075. Bonus here is the Integra is THX certified and I'm curious what it brings to the table. Negative, only 1.3 HDMI but would still work.
Marantz AV7005 It's available for $350 but would need to be shipped. This is similar to the Integra except it has HDMI 1.4. Negative is it's fugly IMHO and I do place value in a good looking unit as I will be looking at it every day in my living room.
Rotel RSP-1570/1572 I always loved the Rotel sound. I started out with one of their 20W per channel stereo integrated amps and acquiring the RMB was a major life event for me. It would be cool to pair it up with a Rotel processor. A 1570 is available in silver now for $300.
I have spent some time reading the forums when the UMC-1 was coming out and some went with Integra/Onkyo/Marantz. If you have experience with any of these your comment would be greatly appreciated.
The Integra looks like a good option for now as it's available locally. Though this is not urgent as I can limp along without my left channel for a while until a good option comes up locally. I would prefer local to avoid shipping costs and possible damage.
|
|
|
|
Post by 405x5 on Jun 26, 2020 8:50:09 GMT -5
Help me decide what to replace my broken LMC-1 with on a budget. My requirements: First off the LMC-1 is still sufficient for me the only issue I have is the lack of inputs. Even HDMI is not a necessity sine I bought my 4k TV with 3 HDMI inputs one with ARC to send audio to the receiver via toslink. A bonus would be BT or streaming/usb audio in for high res. Stereo sound is top priority, with movies second (I only use 5.1). I do need 5.1 analog inputs for SACD or an Oppo down the line. I still have a tape deck with lot's of mixed tapes from my youth which would be nice to have. The only reason for HDMI would be to use the high definition dolby/DTS decoder for movies though this could be managed through the analog input via an Oppo. My consideration: UMC-1 Would work if I can find a good one though reliability would be an issue XMC-1 refurbished This would bring me up to date with current HDMI etc. It's a bit out of my budget, but if it were to go on sale again at $999 I might be able to justify it if there are no other options. My concern would be reliability again with Emotiva's policy of not servicing units shortly out of warranty. Does anyone know if they replace the common capacitors to fail on the power supply board of previous units like the UMC-1 as part of the factory refurbish process? If I'm going to invest $1000+ I expect it to last at least 5 years but realistically more like 10 as I would not need to upgrade for a long time. Non-Emotiva options: Integra DHC-9.9 There is one for sale locally for $250 which looks very attractive. Ticks all my boxes the only concern here would be the stereo SQ vs the LMC-1. BTW I'm totally happy with the LMC-1 hooked up to my Rotel RMB-1075. Bonus here is the Integra is THX certified and I'm curious what it brings to the table. Negative, only 1.3 HDMI but would still work. Marantz AV7005 It's available for $350 but would need to be shipped. This is similar to the Integra except it has HDMI 1.4. Negative is it's fugly IMHO and I do place value in a good looking unit as I will be looking at it every day in my living room. Rotel RSP-1570/1572 I always loved the Rotel sound. I started out with one of their 20W per channel stereo integrated amps and acquiring the RMB was a major life event for me. It would be cool to pair it up with a Rotel processor. A 1570 is available in silver now for $300. I have spent some time reading the forums when the UMC-1 was coming out and some went with Integra/Onkyo/Marantz. If you have experience with any of these your comment would be greatly appreciated. The Integra looks like a good option for now as it's available locally. Though this is not urgent as I can limp along without my left channel for a while until a good option comes up locally. I would prefer local to avoid shipping costs and possible damage. There’s a big difference between non serviceable for a price and non repairable. I’m not up to speed on what EMOTIVA will or will not do on an XMC1, but I would consult with technical support on that and if they will still fix one....BUY ONE....in your situation and forget the other options If you get a yes. Bill |
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 10:27:10 GMT -5
There’s a big difference between non serviceable for a price and non repairable.
I’m not up to speed on what EMOTIVA will or will not do on an XMC1, but I would consult with technical support on that and if they will still fix one....BUY ONE....in your situation and forget the other options If you get a yes.
Bill
Sorry, I messed up the quotes...
Having read the old threads Emotiva's line is that they don't want people to ship their units in only for them to have to say that they can't fix it due to no longer available parts. This is the reason they don't service them shortly after warranty therefore they may become non repairable. They have supplied schematics to people to help a local technician trouble shoot and fix units if it was a matter of replacing caps/resistors. I emailed Emotiva if they would provide the schematics for my LMC-1 to have a local person look at it but haven't heard back yet.
As far as I can tell the XMC-1 is 5 years old and Emotiva is providing a 1 year warranty which means a year after they stop the upgrade program there will be no service, or shortly after.
Another consideration for me is that I really don't need balanced outputs and Dirac. That Integra 9.9 looks like a pretty good price/value proposition given that people were considering it over the UMC-1. I think my best option for staying with Emotiva would be the UMC-1 if I could find a gently used one from a late production or one that was fixed under warranty (I understand the power board cap issues were fixed at some point) for a low enough price to take a chance on it. A member here thought that one could be had for $250 or less. If that's true I would go for it.
Thanks,
George
|
|
|
|
Post by repeetavx on Jun 26, 2020 10:42:54 GMT -5
Having owned both I would choose an XMC-1 over a UMC-1 in a heartbeat. The sound is that much superior. I also own a Sherbourn PT-7030, which is a repackaged Rotel 1572. The sound of the 7030 is excellent, but different from the XMC-1. It presents the soundstage well behind the speakers, where the XMC-1 soundstage starts where the speakers are.
Both are very detailed with a wide soundstage. The 7030 has a deeper soundstage, but it start out deeper. The XMC-1 is more immediate and intimate.
For movies the the XMC-1 brings the action into the room with you. The 7030 allows you to sit back away from the action.
I have no experience with the Integra or Marantz brands so I'll leave that open for someone else.
|
|
|
|
Post by 405x5 on Jun 26, 2020 10:54:01 GMT -5
There’s a big difference between non serviceable for a price and non repairable. I’m not up to speed on what EMOTIVA will or will not do on an XMC1, but I would consult with technical support on that and if they will still fix one....BUY ONE....in your situation and forget the other options If you get a yes. Bill Sorry, I messed up the quotes... Having read the old threads Emotiva's line is that they don't want people to ship their units in only for them to have to say that they can't fix it due to no longer available parts. This is the reason they don't service them shortly after warranty therefore they may become non repairable. They have supplied schematics to people to help a local technician trouble shoot and fix units if it was a matter of replacing caps/resistors. I emailed Emotiva if they would provide the schematics for my LMC-1 to have a local person look at it but haven't heard back yet. As far as I can tell the XMC-1 is 5 years old and Emotiva is providing a 1 year warranty which means a year after they stop the upgrade program there will be no service, or shortly after. Another consideration for me is that I really don't need balanced outputs and Dirac. That Integra 9.9 looks like a pretty good price/value proposition given that people were considering it over the UMC-1. I think my best option for staying with Emotiva would be the UMC-1 if I could find a gently used one from a late production or one that was fixed under warranty (I understand the power board cap issues were fixed at some point) for a low enough price to take a chance on it. A member here thought that one could be had for $250 or less. If that's true I would go for it. Thanks, George George, With all due respect your response makes no sense to me whatsoever. I did say consult with the folks at EMOTIVA technical support DIRECTLY for advice on the XMC service life, not turning to a forum for tangible advice. Bill |
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 11:44:52 GMT -5
George, With all due respect your response makes no sense to me whatsoever. I did say consult with the folks at EMOTIVA technical support DIRECTLY for advice on the XMC service life, not turning to a forum for tangible advice. Bill No problems, I got you loud and clear. I had already read through the threads that's why I was stating what Emotiva's position was and since a leopard doesn't change its spots I have a good idea what Emotiva will tell me. Having said that, the XMC-1's trade in program I'm sure is going to extend the time Emotiva will service it but I will reach out to them and ask. If it wasn't obvious from my first post money is an issue at this time and I'd like to solve my problem at the lowest cost possible. Having the LMC-1 repaired for under $200 would be a good option as it does meet my needs. I have to turn myself into pretzel to make the inputs work but it works. This is why the Integra is very appealing to me. I would love to hear from someone who has had both and can speak to the SQ difference. Thanks for responding. |
|
cawgijoe
Emo VIPs 
"We made too many of the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra
Posts: 4,897
|
Post by cawgijoe on Jun 26, 2020 11:54:27 GMT -5
As to continued repair by Emotiva of their products especially after warranty, I think it all depends on whether they are able to source parts. Amplifiers should have a long repair life. Processors not so much.
I know the ERC-1 cd player had a repair issue when they could no longer buy the cd drive since no one makes it anymore. They had to go to a drawer mechanism in future players.
The problem is you don't know how long certain parts will be manufactured and you can't keep every part on a shelf somewhere....at least those are my thoughts.
I had the XMC-1 for over five years before I traded it in and the SQ was superb especially with Dirac. I can't speak to Integra, but you may also want to Google reviews on that unit.
|
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 11:55:47 GMT -5
Having owned both I would choose an XMC-1 over a UMC-1 in a heartbeat. The sound is that much superior. I also own a Sherbourn PT-7030, which is a repackaged Rotel 1572. The sound of the 7030 is excellent, but different from the XMC-1. It presents the soundstage well behind the speakers, where the XMC-1 soundstage starts where the speakers are. Both are very detailed with a wide soundstage. The 7030 has a deeper soundstage, but it start out deeper. The XMC-1 is more immediate and intimate. For movies the the XMC-1 brings the action into the room with you. The 7030 allows you to sit back away from the action. I have no experience with the Integra or Marantz brands so I'll leave that open for someone else. This is great info, thanks. You know until I owned the LMC-1 and the Rotel, I thought all the talk in reviews about the sound stage being wide/forward/rear etc. was a bunch of snobbery. I mean I could hear sound moving left to right with my stereo Rotel amp and with a test CD I could hear actors moving on the stage. But when I got the LMC-1 I recall a concert where I could clearly place each section of the band according to where they were on screen. Now that you mention it, the sound is right at the speaker level. When I listen to my Brothers in Arms SACD it sounds as if Mark K. was standing in my living room. Now I'm really curious to hear comments on the Integra's sound stage. |
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 12:05:13 GMT -5
As to continued repair by Emotiva of their products especially after warranty, I think it all depends on whether they are able to source parts. Amplifiers should have a long repair life. Processors not so much. I know the ERC-1 cd player had a repair issue when they could no longer buy the cd drive since no one makes it anymore. They had to go to a drawer mechanism in future players. The problem is you don't know how long certain parts will be manufactured and you can't keep every part on a shelf somewhere....at least those are my thoughts. I had the XMC-1 for over five years before I traded it in and the SQ was superb especially with Dirac. I can't speak to Integra, but you may also want to Google reviews on that unit. I agree that companies can only keep stock of parts for so long and it's understandable to a certain extent. I just think that if there are items with a high failure rate perhaps they could be kept in stock longer at least for higher priced items (I mean processors, not the components). It's not as if Emotiva has thousands of products and keeping parts would be unmanageable. It's a business decision to leave customers hanging. |
|
cawgijoe
Emo VIPs
"We made too many of the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra
Posts: 4,897
|
Post by cawgijoe on Jun 26, 2020 12:21:02 GMT -5
As to continued repair by Emotiva of their products especially after warranty, I think it all depends on whether they are able to source parts. Amplifiers should have a long repair life. Processors not so much. I know the ERC-1 cd player had a repair issue when they could no longer buy the cd drive since no one makes it anymore. They had to go to a drawer mechanism in future players. The problem is you don't know how long certain parts will be manufactured and you can't keep every part on a shelf somewhere....at least those are my thoughts. I had the XMC-1 for over five years before I traded it in and the SQ was superb especially with Dirac. I can't speak to Integra, but you may also want to Google reviews on that unit. I agree that companies can only keep stock of parts for so long and it's understandable to a certain extent. I just think that if there are items with a high failure rate perhaps they could be kept in stock longer at least for higher priced items (I mean processors, not the components). It's not as if Emotiva has thousands of products and keeping parts would be unmanageable. It's a business decision to leave customers hanging. With that in mind, we don't really know what the failure rate is with their processors or if there is a certain component that is failure prone. My experience with Emotiva so far has been an XPA-5 amp that failed after eight years. It would go into protection mode randomly. They offered to repair it at I believe a fixed rate, maybe $270, but I decided to buy a new XPA-5 instead. Emotiva did take my amp in trade which was very nice. |
|
|
|
Post by creimes on Jun 26, 2020 13:17:09 GMT -5
I've owned Marantz, Yamaha, Anthem, Sherbourn and Emotiva prepro's and/or Receivers and for me the best 2ch performer to my ears is the XMC-1, the Sherbourn would be second, I did see there was a sealed box XMC-1 refurb unit on the lounge here for sale for $1050 shipped. Here is the ad: emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/56720/xmc-1-certified-refurbished-bnibChad Help me decide what to replace my broken LMC-1 with on a budget. My requirements: First off the LMC-1 is still sufficient for me the only issue I have is the lack of inputs. Even HDMI is not a necessity sine I bought my 4k TV with 3 HDMI inputs one with ARC to send audio to the receiver via toslink. A bonus would be BT or streaming/usb audio in for high res. Stereo sound is top priority, with movies second (I only use 5.1). I do need 5.1 analog inputs for SACD or an Oppo down the line. I still have a tape deck with lot's of mixed tapes from my youth which would be nice to have. The only reason for HDMI would be to use the high definition dolby/DTS decoder for movies though this could be managed through the analog input via an Oppo. My consideration: UMC-1 Would work if I can find a good one though reliability would be an issue XMC-1 refurbished This would bring me up to date with current HDMI etc. It's a bit out of my budget, but if it were to go on sale again at $999 I might be able to justify it if there are no other options. My concern would be reliability again with Emotiva's policy of not servicing units shortly out of warranty. Does anyone know if they replace the common capacitors to fail on the power supply board of previous units like the UMC-1 as part of the factory refurbish process? If I'm going to invest $1000+ I expect it to last at least 5 years but realistically more like 10 as I would not need to upgrade for a long time. Non-Emotiva options: Integra DHC-9.9 There is one for sale locally for $250 which looks very attractive. Ticks all my boxes the only concern here would be the stereo SQ vs the LMC-1. BTW I'm totally happy with the LMC-1 hooked up to my Rotel RMB-1075. Bonus here is the Integra is THX certified and I'm curious what it brings to the table. Negative, only 1.3 HDMI but would still work. Marantz AV7005 It's available for $350 but would need to be shipped. This is similar to the Integra except it has HDMI 1.4. Negative is it's fugly IMHO and I do place value in a good looking unit as I will be looking at it every day in my living room. Rotel RSP-1570/1572 I always loved the Rotel sound. I started out with one of their 20W per channel stereo integrated amps and acquiring the RMB was a major life event for me. It would be cool to pair it up with a Rotel processor. A 1570 is available in silver now for $300. I have spent some time reading the forums when the UMC-1 was coming out and some went with Integra/Onkyo/Marantz. If you have experience with any of these your comment would be greatly appreciated. The Integra looks like a good option for now as it's available locally. Though this is not urgent as I can limp along without my left channel for a while until a good option comes up locally. I would prefer local to avoid shipping costs and possible damage. |
|
|
|
Post by millst on Jun 26, 2020 20:56:00 GMT -5
The Integra DHC-9.9 is a quality unit. I still have mine running a secondary zone. Upgraded to the XMC-1, but haven't had anything else on your list.
If you go the Integra route, make sure to do a thorough checkout. I believe that was around the time Onkyo had problems with heat-related HDMI failures. The Ethernet port isn't functional on mine anymore so had to switch to serial control.
|
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 23:09:55 GMT -5
If the Sherbourn is indeed a Rotel inside as mentioned above that may be worth taking a look at. The refurbed unit in the link does not come with a transferable warranty so it would have to come down in price for me to consider it. Thanks for the link though. |
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 26, 2020 23:16:23 GMT -5
The Integra DHC-9.9 is a quality unit. I still have mine running a secondary zone. Upgraded to the XMC-1, but haven't had anything else on your list. If you go the Integra route, make sure to do a thorough checkout. I believe that was around the time Onkyo had problems with heat-related HDMI failures. The Ethernet port isn't functional on mine anymore so had to switch to serial control. How would you describe the sound stage compared to the Emotiva? The more I think about it the more I'm thinking of picking it up to try and if I don't like the sound stage placement I can always look for something else and resell it. It was a top pick in 2009 by one a/v website and they recommended it if one couldn't afford a much more expensive Anthem ($7,500 I think) I did read about the HDMI issue I am just not sure if it took out all the ports or just one by one. |
|
sward
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 2
|
Post by sward on Jun 27, 2020 6:38:56 GMT -5
Help me decide what to replace my broken LMC-1 with on a budget. My requirements: First off the LMC-1 is still sufficient for me the only issue I have is the lack of inputs. Even HDMI is not a necessity sine I bought my 4k TV with 3 HDMI inputs one with ARC to send audio to the receiver via toslink. A bonus would be BT or streaming/usb audio in for high res. Stereo sound is top priority, with movies second (I only use 5.1). I do need 5.1 analog inputs for SACD or an Oppo down the line. I still have a tape deck with lot's of mixed tapes from my youth which would be nice to have. The only reason for HDMI would be to use the high definition dolby/DTS decoder for movies though this could be managed through the analog input via an Oppo. My consideration: UMC-1 Would work if I can find a good one though reliability would be an issue XMC-1 refurbished This would bring me up to date with current HDMI etc. It's a bit out of my budget, but if it were to go on sale again at $999 I might be able to justify it if there are no other options. My concern would be reliability again with Emotiva's policy of not servicing units shortly out of warranty. Does anyone know if they replace the common capacitors to fail on the power supply board of previous units like the UMC-1 as part of the factory refurbish process? If I'm going to invest $1000+ I expect it to last at least 5 years but realistically more like 10 as I would not need to upgrade for a long time. Non-Emotiva options: Integra DHC-9.9 There is one for sale locally for $250 which looks very attractive. Ticks all my boxes the only concern here would be the stereo SQ vs the LMC-1. BTW I'm totally happy with the LMC-1 hooked up to my Rotel RMB-1075. Bonus here is the Integra is THX certified and I'm curious what it brings to the table. Negative, only 1.3 HDMI but would still work. Marantz AV7005 It's available for $350 but would need to be shipped. This is similar to the Integra except it has HDMI 1.4. Negative is it's fugly IMHO and I do place value in a good looking unit as I will be looking at it every day in my living room. Rotel RSP-1570/1572 I always loved the Rotel sound. I started out with one of their 20W per channel stereo integrated amps and acquiring the RMB was a major life event for me. It would be cool to pair it up with a Rotel processor. A 1570 is available in silver now for $300. I have spent some time reading the forums when the UMC-1 was coming out and some went with Integra/Onkyo/Marantz. If you have experience with any of these your comment would be greatly appreciated. The Integra looks like a good option for now as it's available locally. Though this is not urgent as I can limp along without my left channel for a while until a good option comes up locally. I would prefer local to avoid shipping costs and possible damage. There’s a big difference between non serviceable for a price and non repairable. I’m not up to speed on what EMOTIVA will or will not do on an XMC1, but I would consult with technical support on that and if they will still fix one....BUY ONE....in your situation and forget the other options If you get a yes. Bill |
|
sward
Seeker Of Truth
Posts: 2
|
Post by sward on Jun 27, 2020 6:41:02 GMT -5
I believe the largest difference between the XMC-1 and the Integra is the Integra has room correction. I am not really sure what the hold up is on this feature with Emotiva. When inquiring about the status of this feature, they usually provide a response just to get you off the phone. It is usually next week, or soon where I have been waiting 4 months. Just relieved my automobile or motorcycle manufacture does not have the same attitude about there vehicle features for this response is hard to swallow. The Integra's are good processors however I believe the XMC-1 sound a lot better than the Integra as well as many other processors that cost 10 times the amount of that XMC-1.
|
|
cawgijoe
Emo VIPs
"We made too many of the wrong mistakes." - Yogi Berra
Posts: 4,897
|
Post by cawgijoe on Jun 27, 2020 7:13:07 GMT -5
I believe the largest difference between the XMC-1 and the Integra is the Integra has room correction. I am not really sure what the hold up is on this feature with Emotiva. When inquiring about the status of this feature, they usually provide a response just to get you off the phone. It is usually next week, or soon where I have been waiting 4 months. Just relieved my automobile or motorcycle manufacture does not have the same attitude about there vehicle features for this response is hard to swallow. The Integra's are good processors however I believe the XMC-1 sound a lot better than the Integra as well as many other processors that cost 10 times the amount of that XMC-1. I’m confused. Was Dirac removed from the XMC-1? I traded for an XMC-2, so have not been following.... |
|
|
|
Post by cwt on Jun 27, 2020 7:44:59 GMT -5
The more I think about it the more I'm thinking of picking it up to try and if I don't like the sound stage placement I can always look for something else and resell it. Or [ as you are primarily lacking inputs on the LMC1] maybe buy a hdmi2.0 matrix switcher with sp/dif downmix for the LMC1 like this www.lindy.com.au/6x2-hdmi-10-2g-matrix-switch-with-pipOr an equivalent US version . And save up for a XMC1 in the interim so you can avoid the Integra's old audyssey multeq xt and get the superior dirac  |
|
|
|
Post by millst on Jun 27, 2020 12:56:43 GMT -5
I didn't notice much difference, if any, between the base sound from the Integra/XMC-1. Sure, the XMC-1 has better internals, but that is getting down in the weeds. Your speakers, room, and source material are going to dominate.
As others noted, the big difference with the XMC-1 is the step up in room correction. The Integra Audyssey tier is only XT. The XT32 is supposed to be a big step up. Dirac another step. That coupled with some of the other XMC-1 features, e.g. zone 2 digital mix down output, drove my purchases decision.
|
|
|
|
Post by synmag on Jun 27, 2020 16:18:16 GMT -5
I didn't notice much difference, if any, between the base sound from the Integra/XMC-1. Sure, the XMC-1 has better internals, but that is getting down in the weeds. Your speakers, room, and source material are going to dominate. As others noted, the big difference with the XMC-1 is the step up in room correction. The Integra Audyssey tier is only XT. The XT32 is supposed to be a big step up. Dirac another step. That coupled with some of the other XMC-1 features, e.g. zone 2 digital mix down output, drove my purchases decision. Thanks for that. Ok, so after all this talk about sound stage I started thinking about it and one key question came to mind. What component(s) determine the "staging" in a hi-fi system? I have always thought that the speakers were the most important part of a system and their placement and their interaction with the room largely determined the final result. Next I always thought that the amplifier was the next most important part of the chain which determines the sound quality. When I moved to separates the question for me was what determines the sound quality? The power amp or the preamp? I was surprised when a friend of mine hooked up expensive Bryston amps to a fairly low end Onkyo preamp. It sounded very impressive and figured that it is mostly the power amp. When I moved to separates I experimented with my old H/K receiver and hooked up my Rotel amp I still heard the "Rotel sound" vs H/K. I then listened to Rotel receiver and noted the SQ was the same. When I hooked up the LMC-1 to the Rotel I could still hear the distinct sound of the Rotel and what I thought the LMC brought to the table was a perceived clarity/transparency. So when I googled it I found that a lot of the image/sound stage has to do with the original recording/mixing and it's the speakers that contribute to the reproduction of the 3d image. I have found a few repair places locally and I will call them to see what they say. Because if they can repair my LMC for a reasonable amount I will probably go that route. I am still very tempted however to just try the integra and resell it. I will probably let the seller decide for me by offering a bit less and if he accepts great, if not then no problem. Thanks for everyone's input. George |
|
