Decision Time

[snmhanson]

I just received my e-mail stating that my UMC is about ready to ship. I am having trouble deciding if I should go for it or not. Here are my circumstances:

The UMC would go in our media room. I am currently using a Marantz 5003 as a pre/pro there which has been working well for me. I am sure the UMC would be a nice improvement but how nice of an improvement? Once I upgrade I will be moving the Marantz to our family room where it will replace an older Pioneer that has two first generation HDMI inputs on it.

My current display for the media room is a 720p rear projection television. I am going to be replacing it eventually with a projector or a big flat panel but should I do that before upgrading to the UMC? Would it make sense to upgrade to the UMC and then feed the picture into a sub-par television? Our useage is probably 95% home theatre.

Most significantly, I may have up to three displays I want to feed from the processor. If I do get a projector for my media room I may eventually end up getting a flat panel for day to day use. Furthermore, I have aspirations to put another projector outside in close proximity to the media room, which will be fed from the same processor. I will likely only end up with two of the three displays I am thinking of, but I want to be covered just in case. All of the displays could show the same source at any given time so I don't really need seperate zone capabilities, but I do want to be able to show two of the three zones at any given time. And I don't want to have to do any manual A-B switching. I want all of the switching between zones controlled either by the processor or each zone continuously fed via a HDMI splitter.

So, what do you all think? Could I make the UMC work for me? Should I wait for the XMC? Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Matt

[BillBauman]

Matt, everyone has opinions, and that's really all you're asking for here. I don't think the UMC-1 is going to blow you away compared to your existing Marantz, I do think a new display will blow you away compared to your existing display. Therefore, I would recommend display first. Especially considering it is probably better for you to wait for a higher-end Pre/Pro that can handle more of the zone options that you ultimately may encounter. As far as video is concerned, the UMC-1 is really optimally designed to do a single video zone really well.

Alternate logic: Pre/Pros hold their price pretty well. The UMC-1 is likely a once-in-a-long-time deal, in that Emotiva is holding a price point on it only out of commitment to customers. I believe the UMC-1 will (justifiably) increase to 799 or 849 shortly after both preorder lists and maybe a few other early customers have had an opportunity to buy theirs. Displays are rapidly improving in quality and coming down in overall price. You might want a 3D display soon - though they will be at a hefty premium likely for some time. So, you may consider the UMC-1 to be an excellent purchase that will hold its value well while you wait for display technologies to continue to increase in performance and decrease in price for performance.

If you want immediate impact, get a new display. If you want a solid investment and want time to wait and see how the market shapes up, the UMC-1 is certainly a great choice that you can probably always resell for a solid % of what you'll pay for it at this point in time.

[snodog]

I agree with billbauman and Id wait for the Xmc. It will likely be a better mix with your multi-zone configuration. I think the tv will give you some major wow and instant satisfaction the whole family can appreciate. I was debating the same thing a while back but really came to the opposite conclusion in that I have only had my tv for two years so cant really justify a new one just yet. I will upgrade that in another year or so. My whole system really gelled with a new display at the time I did it.

[BillBauman]

The only caveat to what snodog (and I, I guess) are saying is that I also expect the XMC-1 to come in at the low-end $1299, and up to $1399 or even $1499. I'm not saying that to cause trouble or start a debate, I am purely offering my speculation. Again, if the UMC-1 reaches $799-$899, then the XMC-1 either has to cut corners (e.g. use the same DACs, not Analog Devices) or has to go up in price more than just $200. I would not expect a $999 or $1099 XMC-1, I just don't see it happening.

[pynchon]

get a new monitor - the change from my hitachi 1080i/720p rp to my plasma was night and day

[snmhanson]

Thanks for the advice all! I was kind of leaning in that direction as well but it's always good to get a second (and third, fourth, fifth...) opinion. I also want to get new speakers sooner or later so I may upgrade my display and speakers and then wait for the XMC to come out. Then again, the UMC isn't that expensive and if I could sell it for at least $500 once the XMC is available...

Thanks again!

Matt

[mlkmgr]

i vote go for a projector. i have the same sr5003 and couldn't be happier with it for processing sound. if you use "95% home theater" then a projector is definitely needed for that true theater experience. it is your money and easy for us to tell you how to spend it, but i think adding something significant such as a projector will really enhance your experience.

perhaps consult with your significant other/family to see what they would want. my family was floored the first time i fired up my panny 900u (720p) projector into the 110" screen. i don't think they would be quite as impressed because i switched to a dedicated pre-pro over a current avr--it is just "sound" to them.

once the xmc comes out, who knows when and how much that will be, you can then make the decision as to what your plans include. good luck with your decision!

[wonderment]

I have been running a PJ as my sole video source for about 10 years now, and I can also agree that you just can't get a wow factor like moving to one of those. I even like watching the news on it. If you can fit one into your room appropriately, there's no better addition to maximize your enjoyment and mezmerize friends. (Except bulb charges.)

[gmeyer]

I agree with the projector advice. I love my Panasonic!

[gocolts]

Since Emotiva hasn't answered the 20 pages of questions that have come up concerning the XMC-1, it's hard to tell what you should do, as there are too many questions remaining on the XMC-1.

Hopefully Emotiva will live up to their original promise and provide adequate information on the XMC-1 so every other customer doesn't have to ask this same question of the next couple months as UMC-1 become more available.