XMC-2 vs MC-1 - differences in sound

[Sayer]

A few months ago I questioned whether there is any noticeable difference in sound quality between the XMC-2 and RMC-1. The consensus was that any differences will not be discernible to the listener.

I'd like to ask the same question regarding the XMC-2 vs the MC-1. Are there components in the audio signal path in the MC-1 that would make it sound inferior to the XMC-2?

I'm happy with the XMC-2 and when people hear my system they become very interested in Emotiva. Several have already jumped on the Emotiva bandwagon and started improving their systems. The question I get most is if the MC-1 sounds as good as the XMC-2. I'd like to be able to offer a constructive answer to the question next time it comes up.

[garbulky]

I haven't heard the MC-1 but I have heard some of other budget Emotiva processors and I didn't think they sounded too good.

[davidl81]

The MC-1 is a totally different unit with lower quality components throughout it. The RMC/XMC units are basically identical inside except for some very minor differences, thus the reason the lack of SQ difference between the RMC and the XMC.
I have not heard the MC-1 but you would have to assume with the lower quality DACs, lack of DIRAC, and other lower quality components it would not sound as good as the XMC lineup.

[cawgijoe]

Jan 22, 2023 10:38:16 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I haven't heard the MC-1 but I have heard some of other budget Emotiva processors and I didn't think they sounded too good.

I’m sure they sound good. Not as good as the XMCs, but reviews show they are not dogs.

[Sayer]

I'm guessing the new MR-1 will use the MC-1 components.

[Sayer]

Jan 22, 2023 15:57:37 GMT -5 cawgijoe said:

Jan 22, 2023 10:38:16 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I haven't heard the MC-1 but I have heard some of other budget Emotiva processors and I didn't think they sounded too good.

I’m sure they sound good. Not as good as the XMCs, but reviews show they are not dogs.

That's the challenge... how much sonic improvement do you get for more than double the price.
Wish there was a way to quantify the differences.

[thxultra]

Jan 24, 2023 15:25:50 GMT -5 Sayer said:

Jan 22, 2023 15:57:37 GMT -5 cawgijoe said:

I’m sure they sound good. Not as good as the XMCs, but reviews show they are not dogs.

That's the challenge... how much sonic improvement do you get for more than double the price.
Wish there was a way to quantify the differences.

Only true way to quantify the differences would be to hear each in your room with your other components and speakers. What is worth $1k extra to me may not be to you as well. In my opinion the XMC-2 is worth the extra money. You get a differential balanced processor vs one that isn't balanced, DIRAC, Better DACs and you can upgrade it to the new Gen4 processor that is coming later this year. The MC1 is great for the money but to me at least the extra money for the XMC-2 is worth it. Harder sell to me to jump to the RMC-1l or RMC-1 although I would like to jump to the RMC-1lg4 for the new T1 DAC board when the gen 4 stuff comes out...

[Sayer]

Jan 25, 2023 11:26:19 GMT -5 thxultra said:

Only true way to quantify the differences would be to hear each in your room with your other components and speakers. What is worth $1k extra to me may not be to you as well. In my opinion the XMC-2 is worth the extra money. You get a differential balanced processor vs one that isn't balanced, DIRAC, Better DACs and you can upgrade it to the new Gen4 processor that is coming later this year. The MC1 is great for the money but to me at least the extra money for the XMC-2 is worth it. Harder sell to me to jump to the RMC-1l or RMC-1 although I would like to jump to the RMC-1lg4 for the new T1 DAC board when the gen 4 stuff comes out...

Those are some good points. I wonder if the difference in DACs is audible. Thanks for the input.

[AudioHTIT]

Jan 30, 2023 11:42:36 GMT -5 Sayer said:

Jan 25, 2023 11:26:19 GMT -5 thxultra said:

Only true way to quantify the differences would be to hear each in your room with your other components and speakers. What is worth $1k extra to me may not be to you as well. In my opinion the XMC-2 is worth the extra money. You get a differential balanced processor vs one that isn't balanced, DIRAC, Better DACs and you can upgrade it to the new Gen4 processor that is coming later this year. The MC1 is great for the money but to me at least the extra money for the XMC-2 is worth it. Harder sell to me to jump to the RMC-1l or RMC-1 although I would like to jump to the RMC-1lg4 for the new T1 DAC board when the gen 4 stuff comes out...

Those are some good points. I wonder if the difference in DACs is audible. Thanks for the input.

While asking others what you (or a friend) will hear, might garner some opinions about the differences, it likely won’t give you a reliable answer. Some may have good hearing, but may not be observant about what they’re listening to; others may not have good hearing (or it has deteriorated), but they have experience with live music, or listening to a variety of systems over time. Also the associated equipment can influence what differences you might hear (or not), as well as the listening room, the music quality and source, and even your mood or biases. For these reasons I rarely try to tell people what they will hear in a given situation.

Many hear subtle differences between DACs, and other components, this is likely to be one of those situations; maybe you would hear these, and maybe you would appreciate the difference from a higher quality DAC, and it’s implementation within the device. Maybe you would also be perfectly happy with the less expensive option. It’s likely there is an audible difference between the XMC-2 and MC-1 that many would hear, but no one can tell you what you will hear.

[One Hand Clapping]

This is an interesting discussion. I am new to Emotiva having replaced a Denon with an MR-1 in March of this year. The MR-1 spanks the Denon in every measure. The theater room will be undergoing a down to the studs remodeling next year and I was planning to step up to an RMC-1 which I read will be in the fourth generation by then. Will the step up be as notable as the move from the Denon to the MR-1? An impossible question of course. The RMC-1 will allow 16 channels, three more than the MR-1. Balanced preamp will be a thing. Burr-Brown DACs are popular but I've not seriously auditioned them. I have no opinion about Dirac.

[msimanyi]

As someone who hadn't planned to return to the audio fold until the pandemic hit, and even then only when my brother moved in to WFH from my place (lots of extra room, and the dog and cat loved the companionship), I returned to the hobby when my brother complained about hearing the television.

From there I pretty rapidly escalated from a basic Marantz (I think it was around $1600) and my ooooold electrostatic speakers, up to the RMC1, 7 channel surround (now with new Martin Logan front and center electrostatic speakers and Magnepan sides and rears), 3 subwoofers, and forked into higher-end streaming and an external DAC. Along the way I found that *to me*, speaker cables, interconnects, power cables and even network cables matter. I certainly wouldn't have done all this if it was just for me, but with my brother here to enjoy it as well, it tipped the value calculations.

The good news is that the RMC1 has responded favorably to all these changes. I'm sure a dedicated 2-channel preamp can beat it for 2-channel playback - and I have plans to add one eventually, likely something from Pass Labs or perhaps Coda - but frankly the RMC1 responded tremendously to the rest of the system changes. (Yes, power cords *in my system, in my room, to my ears* materially improved the sound quality.)

I'm in agreement with AudioHTIT. I also can't tell you what to expect, but I will encourage you to experiment. My Emotiva processor certainly has delivered far more than I expected. If I were you, going to the effort building that theater, I'd certainly audition one of the 4th generation models once they're released.