carbon summit

Price aside, what puts the Anthem or Arcam ahead of the Marantz.....? I love music, the Anthem sang and the 7005 was not as good as my UMC.I have not heard the Arcam but I once had an Arcam avr and it did music nicely.The XMC may have only one HDMI out, it's a non issue as that is easily solved for a few bucks, as to bugs who knows? But I'm way in.There is no unit with no complaints, if there is it will have.The 7005 was the Giant killer, then someone discovered it used Denons cheap avr analog section,so I read.I know I was not impressed with sound, it operated great. If I'm not mistaken splitters don't work as well as you might think. Its been a while back I read up on them but it seems to me that if both pieces receiving the signal from the splitter don't have the same capabilities then you'll only get the lowest of the two's. For example if you want to split the signal from a blu ray player to your tv and to your receiver or pre/pro since your tv isn't capable of decoding the surround sound codecs they are not passed to either. I think tech support at mono price told me that, but don't quote me because it was months to a year ago. The reason I was trying to do this was I used to hook my TV via component and my pre/pro with HDMI. But after a firmware update my old blu ray which used to send 1080i to the TV with component and 1080p to my pre/pro with HDMI started sending the TV 480 (can't remember i or p, doesn't matter it sucked). I've read its part of the analog sunset http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/10/analog-sunset-begins-all-the-new-blu-ray-players-will-only-outp/ . The reason I did it this way was I didn't feel I needed to have my surround sound system on for some of the stuff I was watching on Netflix, etc. I just wanted to watch it with just my TV speakers. If you notice in my signature I've got two blu ray players this is the reason why. I've got my Sony BDP-S480 hooked to my Onkyo with HDMI. I found it at Best Buy as an open box item missing the remote for $60. Since I use a Harmony I figured the missing remote wasn't an issue. I was looking for a Sony because it lets me set the output to be the original resolution where as the Samsung I have you can set the resolution to one output and it does it for everything, or set it to auto and it upscales DVD. I didn't want the blu ray player to upscale DVDs if I watch them because I think my Onkyo has a better video chip than what is in my TV or my blu ray player. I figured for $60 it was worth doing it this way and not dealing with a splitter. The Sony blu ray player is only used when I'm watching a movie on either DVD or blue ray and the Samsung is used when I'm watching Netflix or other streaming stuff and even movies that I don't want to bother firing up the surround sound to watch. I bought that Samsung on sale at Best Buy around Christmas really cheap so in the end I've got two blu ray players for less than what the Samsung was selling for a few months before and no worries about handshake issues. Since the Harmony remote turns everything on and to the right inputs for what I want to do there isn't anymore hassle doing it this way either. I know it seems odd but it works for me! [] I guess I'd check with mono price tech support or read the reviews and research it a little but it seems to me that the splitter might not do everything you want it to do. Like if you have a 1080p TV and a 720p projector I don't think it would pass 1080p. I don't remember the details but there was a reason I avoided the splitter idea in the end. It was a year ago so maybe they've improved the splitter's ability to handle handshake issues.

RF-7s and Chorus and Chorus IIs are the speakers I'd love to try. People that own them are so passionate about them that I think I have to hear it for myself. So far I've loved the Cornwalls the most but they just don't work size wise/aesthetics with my vision of a living room speaker. But the sound is so far my favorite Klipsch. So maybe there is something to that Heritage sound thing!!! You've got RF-7ii and I'd love to try them to but I think I'm just too tight to pay the price of admission on those, maybe in a few years if the prices drop some.

I passed on a pair of Lascalas because they didn't seem to have the bass I'd expect from that big of a speaker. I'd be curious to hear from owners of them what they think too.

I missed the beginning of this thread, you had changed your signature before I saw what Yamaha receiver you had. I had a RX-V663, which was not too high up on the food chain with Yamaha receivers. After owning a couple of different pre/pros after it I can see it did have an empty, not full sound if that makes sense. What you said about the lack of bass reminds me of what I didn't like about YPAO. I owned a UMC-1 and found it very musical, I am not a UMC-1 fan because I felt the HT side of the fence was lacking from what I found when I compared it to my Onkyo 886 with Audyssey. I owned them both at the same time and ended up selling my UMC-1. I know others like the UMC-1 for HT, but for me I thought it was lacking but that is probably because I didn't tweak it enough and EmoQ was a joke. But I totally would recommend it for music. I'm not familiar with Denon having never owned one but on paper that thing looks like a beast! You've got Audyssey MultiEQ XT32 which I'd love to try but I'm not willing to spend the money to upgrade to an Onkyo that has it since I'm so happy with the sound I'm getting now (ignorance is probably bliss, and thats good for my wallet!) Have you always been unhappy with your current set up? Did you own different Klipsch speakers before? I guess I'm wondering (dare I say it) if you like the sound of Klipsch? I know some people don't really like the sound of horns and maybe thats part of the problem? I only ask because you have an awesome system. I'd love to have it in my home and I've owned a few pairs of Cornwalls and Heresy from the original Heritage family and have owned a few pair of Forte IIs from what some call the extended Heritage family and wouldn't think any of them would sound that much better than a pair of RF-7ii, if better at all. I've been waiting for a pair of original RF-7s to surface near me and I'd snap them up just to try them. I noticed now that you've been a member since Dec 2004 so I'm guessing that this isn't your first rodeo with Klipsch, what did you have before. I had to use the rodeo line because of your user name! []

I don't see me jumping on the XMC-1 either. It would be $900 with the 40% discount, probably would get $400, maybe $450 for the UMC-1. Just don't believe I will hear or experience $500 worth of difference between the UMC-1 and XMC-1. That selling price of a used UMC-1 sounds a little optimistic from what I've seen them selling for, but I could be wrong. If they are selling for $499 with the 40% discount card now but then again compared to what $400 would buy elsewhere for used stuff it doesn't sound crazy. I can see it both ways I guess. It also depends on how much Emotiva starts selling the UMC-1 with HDMI 1.4 for, if that rumor ever comes true. I'll be curious to see down the road what the UMC-1s sell for after the XMC-1 comes out. I've still got a 40% discount card from my first UMC-1, I wonder what the market value of it will be if the card saves the buyer $600? Another thing I'll be curious to see when the XMC-1 releases.

I see they have something new for room correction: Exclusive TACT TCS 3e Dynamic Room Correction

With my experence between EmoQ and Audyssey I tend to agree

Do you watch any TV on your set? That should fill the screen, HD broadcasts anyway. I watch football on OTA because the picture quality is much better than I get on Dish Network, but other than that I really don't watch much TV. Its funny, I just had a conversation at work that I'd give up dish (or cable if thats what we had) long before I'd give up my internet service. When I watch something its usually movies on blu ray. Again this thread was started more in jest to get other's opinions about the black bars. The ultra-wide TVs in the link above would be cool for blu ray watching then you'd have black bars on the sides when watching TV. I don't know that there will ever be a standardized format so I guess its something I just need to accept and move on. Sounds like the projector idea might leave me with a similar complaint, except this time it will be that I bought a screen and I'm only using some of it!

You're right, it is a pointless rant. TV is currently broadcast in 4:3 and 16:9, but it's likely to drop 4:3 within a few years. Movies, however, will be made in the format that suits the director's vision. Some movies call for a wide format, while others, perhaps for a more intimate atmosphere, work better with a narrower format. That's the nature of the art of making movies. Making them all the same cookie-cutter shape to fit a certain TV screen shape would be a compromise most producers, and even viewers, would not want. I recently got a 65" HD TV, and when I first watched a 2.35 movie on it, I was glad I had not bought anything smaller. In any case, it was a vast improvement over the 35" 4:3 screen I'd been using up to then. I don't mind the bars on the top and bottom with wide-screen movies, nor the bars on the sides with 4:3 programming. Movies at the cinema are come in various widths, but nobody complains about part of the screen being unlit, whether it's on the top and bottom, or on the sides. If letter-boxing bothers you that much, you can: A) Get a much larger TV and try to ignore the black bars. Get a projector setup with enough screen room for all formats. I think both of your suggestions have been made already, the point of the pointless rant was to stimulate conversation on the forum. Just to see what others think and see if others feel the same frustration I do with the multi sized formats out there. Nothing too serious really was expected to come from it. The problem with A is that 20% of my screen goes unused regardless of how big I buy and still leaves me with that same feeling of wasted space, and B is a good idea but my current living room doesn't allow for a projector but I can see someday getting one if we buy a different house in a few years. Thats the plan for a few years down the road.

You try to dance with their dates? If thats an Animal House reference I think they danced with his date!

I've owned both the KLF C7 and a few Academies. The Academy is the correct speaker made by Klipsch to match the Chorus II, Forte II and the Quartets. The KLF C7 was made to match the Legend series of speakers: the KLF 10, KLF 20 and KLF 30. For a center speaker between my Forte IIs I've use a few different speaekers before I found an Academy. I've used the KLF C7, a Heresy, a KG 2.2, a KV-2 and in the end I think the Academy was the best match trimbre match and the correct matching center for that family.

There should be a screen size button on your tv remote use it to fill the screen . That distorts the picture, stretching it or it cuts part of the picture off. I'd like to see the picture the way it was intended to be seen by the director without wasted screen.

Until the price of the 21:9 TVs drop a guy would be better off buying a huge 16:9 and having the black bars since it would be cheaper and you'd end up with about the same size of picture either way. The other thing is I think you'd just end up with black bars on the sides instead of the top and bottom when watching TV or DVDs that were made in 16:9. I guess as long as there isn't a standard everyone uses for everything black bars are just a reality we'll have to live with.

I watch movies in the orignal ratio too which is why I get the black bars. All the options my TV gives me to fit the content to the screen are not acceptible so I live with the black bars rather than stretch the pic or cut off some of the pic. That Panasonic TV would be the way to go, maybe in a few years we'll see more TVs like that.

A movie place near me has a $14.99 a month all you can watch deal. I joined since its a locally owned place so I figure give my money to them instead of Red Box. Anyway I've watched a ton of movies over Christmas break and have become really annoyed about the black bars on the top and bottom of the screen as I watch movies. I have a 52" but only watch 42" of it when I watch movies. That sucks!!! I propose they make TVs wider so that there is no black bars. I realize that 1.85 or 2.35 aspect would change the size of TVs needed so I say they need to standardize which they use to make movies so all movies from now on fit on the screen. I'm tired of 20% of my TV going unused!!!! OK pointless rant, but it does bug me! []

My email response from the ebay seller: Jeff, I appreciate your help! I've been working getting my web site set up for a while (I'm getting close ). Meanwhile, here's a link to my Ebay store, which lists my systems: http://stores.ebay.com/AV-Cabinet-Cooling Contact me if you need another cooling system, and remind me that I said I'd give you 10% off the system price. Thanks, Don AV Cabinet Cooling - drmckenzie

Excuse the dust! You can see the fan on my Onkyo. Below my pre/pro you can see my XPA-5 under the glass shelf that holds my Onkyo pre/pro. Very little space and it runs cool.

I'll repeat what other Emo amp owners are saying. I've got maybe 1" from the top of my XPA-5 amp and the glass shelf above it. It runs very cool. Much cooler than the Rotel amp I had before it. If you have problems with heat from a Sony PS3 I'd recommend checking out a guy on ebay drmckenzie. I bought the fan for my Onkyo pre/pro from him. The website listed on the sticker on the top of the fan doesn't seem to work but he/she seems to still have auctions on ebay so maybe he/she gave up the website for ebay selling. Not sure but I had great communication on ebay, quick shipping and a great product. I cut and pasted the name from ebay and can't shake the purple text now!

So 9 pages later, Jason, did you get the answer you were looking for? Thanks nezff, as soon as you plant the seed of upgrading to a 5508 or maybe the 5509 when its released you bail.

Precisely why I have not upgraded to the latest firmware release. I have the next to the last FW release. Waiting awhile to get a feel for how it has worked for others. If it were a more simple process (like updating via internet over Cat5 with my PS3), I would probably have already tried it. The tech support guy even told me that as well. He suggested not to update unless you are really having problems. I will say two things: 1) I never had a bit of problems loading the firmwares. I never used my computer in safe mode, used a short UBS cord, anything. I just did it and it worked. The upgrading wasn't an issue at all. It was the question of what results the upgrade would bring that scared me. 2) I am happier with my Onkyo than my UMC-1 but I'm certainly not a Emo troll. Along with owning a few different Emo products I still have a 40% discount card from my first UMC-1 and if the XMC-1 or whatever comes after it sounds like a winner I'll jump back on the Emo band wagon. I LOVE the fact when I have trouble I can call an 800 number and get a human being to help me. One time I called I spoke with Lonnie himself. I know I'll never get that level of customer support with Onkyo. But then again my 886 has never given me no reason to call anyone. I love small personal companies. If Emo comes up with a pre/pro that works I'd love to spend my money with them because I respect that level of "small town feeling" customer service. Until they do I'll own a pre/pro from the big boys because like I stated before I have very little free time so when I'm sitting down to watch a movie I expect my system to work everytime and I love the set it and forget it level of results that Audyssey provides (Even if I don't have the latest greatest Audyssey, my wallet hates you nezff []).

FWIW, I've never had one issue while watching a movie....none. Never had center channel drop out issue at all. My only quirks are occassional "pop" when the HDMI first locks on when you turn it on, EmoQ isn't accurate....offhand, that's the only two things that I can see are an "issue". The funny thing about the UMC-1 for me was sometimes it was great over all, then you'd do an upgrade to get rid of a smaller annoyance only to take one step forward on that little quirk and take too steps back and get a new bug that you didn't have before. Thats how I ended up getting center channel drop outs. So then I'd try to revert back to an older firmware get issues I didn't have when I was using that firmware in the past. For me .04 was pretty good but then I tried the next one to see if I could speed up the HDMI lock times and started having problems so I went back to .04 and had problems I never had before with .04 the first time. Then if you reload the same firmware again it might work fine. I guess my advice is if yours works leave it alone because you never know the results you'll get when you upgrade.

Thanks a lot nezff....[] Now the upgrade bug will bite when I will start wondering what I'm missing by not having XT32. I agree with this 100%: I myself never liked it because it is plagued with bugs and has a terrible room correction. When I watch a movie I don't want to have to deal with center channel drop outs or whatever issue. I want to sit down and enjoy. I don't want to waste what little free time I have trying to fix and tweak. As far as only having XT is it leaps and bounds ahead of anything I've ever used before so I'm happy with it. Before I used YPAO in a RX-V663 receiver and EmoQ in the UMC-1 so the results of Audyssey XT were very impressive.

Just curious what pre/pro's are out there that have the same features for $499? The downside to the Onkyo is it isn't very musical. Guess there is a tradeoff. What I found in the same price range was my used Onkyo 886 for $620. The UMC-1 is $500 so for $120 more I got (in my opinion) a better room calibration system with Audyssey MultEQ™ XT vs EmoQ. That alone is worth the $120 for me. The video chip set in the Onkyo is better IMHO, etc. I could go on and on but for me it was worth it. I understand what you mean about being tight, I could afford a new 5508 but don't see the point, for my set up the 886 works just fine. For a little bit more money than the UMC-1 I got a pre/pro that gives me a better sounding HT and has been problem free. Set it and forget it. As far as the Onkyo not being musical a fellow 886 owner who also owned a UMC-1 and when back to his 886 gave me this tip that I have not had a chance to try yet: If you ever get into 2CH or MCH music try using the 5/7.1 analog input of the 886 if your Bluray player has a 5/7.1 analog output. Since trying the 5/7.1 analog input for music I feel it rivals the SQ of the UMC-1 for music. I use HDMI with Audyssey for movies but use 5/7.1 analog for listening to MCH SACD/DVD-As. I'll report back when I get a chance to try it if I hear an improvement. This tip might be helpful for a number of AV receivers and pre/pros if you feel the sound of music isn't as good as it could be.

The UMC-1 and other Emo products are made in China. Emo is very open about this fact as they update over at the Lounge when Lonnie or Dan are flying over to China to try to fix the problems they are having. So really the owners of Emotiva live in the US but I'm not sure the Emo products are any more American than any other A/V products you might identify as not being American.