UMC-1 Arrived, with a hum.

[SuBXeRo]

i hope this brings you one step closer to fixing your issue. This stuff can be a real pain, it costs money to troubleshoot sometimes, it sux, but it is what it is

[Xki]

I don't think I saw in any of the preceding posts what the approximate frequency of the hum is. 60Hz?

I have part of my gear plugged into a Monster power conditioner. (Blu-Ray, UMC, Piece of crap AVR, DirecTv DVR) The rest is in raw 2 wire outlets on the same circuit. (Panny 50 plasma, 2 KSW-12s, the WII, the WII charger) All are on the same circuit. That's right, no ground and no hum. I guess I'm just a lucky SOB.

The point that needs to be made is that a cheap HDMI cable cannot introduce hum. Everything going over HDMI is digital. Ones and zeros. If all the ones and zeros get through the wire, there is nothing that can add any constant stream of bits to the data from adjacent power cords to make a hum.

However, any interference on an anaolog interconnect can cause a hum. Bad RCA cables can pull a hum out of thin air! If the hum is 60Hz, all the advise offered so far is right on. If after all the troubleshooting you determine that the UMC-1 is the root cause, Emo can and will help you out.

Is there is anyone in your vicinity who alos has a UMC? Swaping their's for yours would be the best test. I've read on the Emo forum that some UMCs have been identified as the problem with this process. Emo has replaced units when direct comparisons have proved that the original unit has issues.

[Rivernuggets]

Thanks a lot for weighing in.

60Hz?

I have a bass test MP3, and 60 hz on that seems much lower than my hum. I don't know how to accurately measure.

OK, say you have an 8mm to RCA stereo cord. Plug the RCAs into an analog input on a receiver. Touch the tip of the 8mm plug with your finger, and you'll get a hum in one channel. That's the frequency I'm hearing, at a volume that is very annoying during quiet passages.

The TV is involved in some way. Doesn't seem to affect the power amp, but when the TV and the UMC are on, it's bad. When the TV is off the hum is close to negligible (where it should be I think). Once a ground isolator and a couple other cables arrive to change out, we'll see where it's at.

Swapping my UMC with another is a great idea. Anyone have one who lives close to me?

We moved to this house in late June this year. We've had many brief power outages, some long ones. It has a frail feeling to it (if instinct can play any role in electricity). Throughout I've had a "figures" attitude about this house creating a hum.

[Xki]

Yup, that's 60Hz alright.

One thing that might be causing this is that your power outlet(s) might be wired incorrectly. There is a great little gadget for about 5 bucks that tests the wiring at the outlet. It will show if hot and ground are reversed, among other things.

Actually, if you can hear any hum when the TV is off, that's not correct. The UMC should be silent. Hmmm..... (No pun intended.)

[e2g]

Hey guys, not to change subject/thread crap, but I am curious, why did you purchase the umc-1 over something like, say a pioneer 1120, or a denon 3311?

[SuBXeRo]

i bought it because i thought it was a good value processor and i had purchased an XPA-5 as well. I was hoping to keep the components the same style as well. I had heard about some of the bugs with the processor but knew that at some point they would be ironed out. Turns out there are still alot of bugs for them to fix. the XMC-1 will be much better, or atleast many hope.

[Rivernuggets]

One thing that might be causing this is that your power outlet(s) might be wired incorrectly. There is a great little gadget for about 5 bucks that tests the wiring at the outlet. It will show if hot and ground are reversed, among other things.

Thanks for the tip. You reminded me that our house inspector said three outlets in the living room were wired incorrectly. Went to Ace hardware, bought that gadget, assessed and wired the outlets correctly. That seemed to help the hum and a little.

Changing to Monoprice HDMI cables made no change.

The biggest improvement came by adding that Jensen Ground Isolator to the cable box's line from outside (thanks cfelliot!). It was $50 and worth it.

Hum is still barely there if my ear is inches away from the grille, and that's how I always listen to music and movies. []

Xki, you're saying it should be dead quiet. Maybe this is a noisier UMC-1. Emotiva has to take my word for it if I want to try a different unit. One thing left to try is my XPA-3 in place of the Sunfire.

Hey guys, not to change subject/thread crap, but I am curious, why did you purchase the umc-1 over something like, say a pioneer 1120, or a denon 3311?

I was interested because of all the buzz here on the Forum, and their 40% deal off your next processor. Emotiva allows you to return the unit, for whatever reason, if you're not satisfied. Shipping was free (holiday season sale) so I figured I'm only out $20-30 if I decide to return it. I have a couple more weeks to decide if it's a keeper.

[e2g]

Thanks for the replies. I am trying to decide between this and the Denon 3311. and unsure about the EmoQ. I am willing to tweak it, but unsure if I want the ease of use/automatic setup or not. Have any of you guys compared it to an Audyssey implementation. I know this is a very "to each their own" topic but I would like to hear your opinions. The 40% deal off your next processor makes it more affordable to upgrade the processor since its the one that you are most likely changing often. Also the emobucks they are offering right now makes it really nice and have the possibility to get the UMC for $599 compared to the denon 3311 (cheapest offer for me was $750)

[Xki]

Rivernuggets - Glad to hear that the wiring change and the ground isolator solved most of the hum issue. I knew the new HDMI cable wouldn't help but at least now you have a spare.

I said earlier that the UMC-1 should be silent because mine is. MAybe the Monster HTS-2600 has something to do with it. I can have the UMC-1 up to insane levels, pause the source material, and there is no noise whatsoever. No his, hum, buzz, or any other pops.Honestly, it's THAT quiet.

I have yet to try the EMO-Q. That's coming and I have not been exposed to Audessy [sP]. I like to adjust manually. I am really intrigued by the EMO-Q and want to see i I was close or not. What I can say is that if I use the THX standard settings (80Hz crossover points, etc.) it sounds terrible. If EMO-Q uses these standards as a base, I'll be disappointed. Emo has said that theissues found in the EMO-Q are a result of the supplied microphone and they will replace it if we see strange settings after running it. Time will tell.

I chose the UMC-1 because:

1) Price vs. Features - The total control of EQ was a big selling point for the price. To get the functionality I wanted, it would have cost me 2-3 times what I paid.

2) The Company - Tell me what other company will let you talk the the president or his vices?

3) Resale Value - Even older Emo gear is getting top dollar.

4) Honesty - Even when Emo makes mistakes, they rectify the situation and tell you that they made a mistake and why.

5) The top dogs post replies to the forum users. - Actually they explain and help routinely. Agin, what other company will do that?

6) They act on user ideas. - A lot of what is discussed in the forums or at their annual Emo-Fest is taken to heart and acted on.

7) The 40% discount on Upgrades - That in itself is truley amazing.

8) Cutting Edge Thinking - Emo is pushing the technology to the limits with each equipment release. The products in the pipe are not just the "new and improved" variety. Each moves the needle.

9) It looks cool! []

10) If I have a probelm...... - Emo treats my issues as if they are my pals not just trying to get me to stop calling.

11) I wish it were my company. - I'll bet that 90% of the time these guys are having a blast. What a perfect job! Audio/Video inside info and you get to make the decisions.

12) Warantee/Perks/etc. - Just compare to other manufacturers. Emo is kind of like a warm blanket on a cold night. (Ya, I know that's pushing it. Can you tell I like my UMC-1?)

[TheFactor]

No, I'm not running a center speaker. With my setup of having a DLP TV and the TV stand I have it isn't conducive to having one. I'd either have to have the speaker under the TV in its stand which would be way too close to the floor, or on top of the TV which would be way too high. Plus I'd have to make some kind of shelf to stick way out of the wall and over the TV. Some day if I ever get a wall-mountable TV or a different TV stand I'd like to have an Academy center.

Have you considered using a center speaker stand ? They work great and very reasonably priced I got mine at http://www.wood-tech.com/catalog/7/speaker_stands_mounts

[SuBXeRo]

their customer service is great, i will give them that. I like how involved everyone is over there but i think that their business model is what allows it. If they were the size of denon, i doubt we'd get a personal response from the owner. Boutique companies such as EMO are great because they can cater to the individual needs of its customers and typically care more than a large company. Most corporate models work well to run the company but can lack elsewhere. Its uscks that this is true but a lot of it is because its too difficult to run the company any other way. Emo has great incentives and with dan at the head, they are/will do well. I read an article about dan being interviewed and it appears he certainly has the experience to further emotiva and its technology and keep things going. This is very impressive IMO.

[TheFactor]

their customer service is great, i will give them that. I like how involved everyone is over there but i think that their business model is what allows it. If they were the size of denon, i doubt we'd get a personal response from the owner. Boutique companies such as EMO are great because they can cater to the individual needs of its customers and typically care more than a large company. Most corporate models work well to run the company but can lack elsewhere. Its uscks that this is true but a lot of it is because its too difficult to run the company any other way. Emo has great incentives and with dan at the head, they are/will do well. I read an article about dan being interviewed and it appears he certainly has the experience to further emotiva and its technology and keep things going. This is very impressive IMO.

I honestly beleive Emotiva has great CS not only because there a smaller company but because they want to and to help there customers and im sure other reasons . If they were a bigger company they would still have excellent CS like Klipsch . I see what your saying but there are many huge companys out there that have excellent CS so just because some companys are bigger then some doesnt necessarily mean there cs will suffer or should . Just my 2 cents

[Xki]

I agree with both/all of you. The cool part is that being a boutique comapny opens up a lot of possibilities that bigger corps. can't offer. This business model is the way the future is heading. The big guys suffer from corporate culture paralysis. I know first hand about that topic. Their model is the PEFECT way to do everything. Just ask them.

Emo is the first to offer comparable gear at <= 1/2 the other guys pricing structure. Sure there are bugs. The big guys have a (relatively) long time frame and lots of bucks to work out all the kinks before release. Sometimes they fail, too. I would rather deal with a small companyn that listens than a big one who just enters your complaint into data base, tracks it against worldwide sales figures and market share analytics, and makes a change only when the sales fall off.

BTW: I just received the billet aluminum UMC-1 remote today free of charge just for buying a UMC-1. They did not have to do that! But they did.

I guess I'm trying to say that I will gravitate to these smaller companies rather than the old corporate giants when I get the chance. Don't get me wrong. I am not an anti-corporate mind numbed robot. Value drives my decisions and coming in a close second is customer service. And as you have pointed out, Emo has wonderful customer service not because they have to but, because they want to.

Next in line is a UPA-7 and that should hold me over for about 10 years.

[wuzzzer]

Have you considered using a center speaker stand ? They work great and very reasonably priced I got mine at http://www.wood-tech.com/catalog/7/speaker_stands_mounts

Yes, in fact a co-worker's husband custom made me an oak center speaker stand when I had a Quartet as a center sitting on its side. Due to space limitations in my basement it just didn't work out and now the speaker stand is being used as a stand for my Samson pro amp. Some day down the road when I get a flat panel TV I can't wait to get another Forte II or Academy in there.