roaddog359 Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 Vic are you having any issues when you switch hdmi imputs, like going from the tv to xbox to blueray? I believe someone said there can be a 8-9 second delay before the umc-1 recognizes the hdmi imput. If there is that kind of delay, it may be a deal breaker to me. I am too impatient to wait that long to game or watch tv. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmassey Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I just got the UMC-1 hooked up. At first, I could hear a small but noticeable difference while watching The Dark Knight. I am not sure how EmoQ stacks up against MCACC, but I have a feeling it played a small part. Then I realized for some reason, it was playing in DD, so I swapped the blu-ray player to play in TrueHD and the difference became pretty huge. As far as the 1080p scalar goes, I don't have a good eye for that stuff, nor do I have it hooked up to a cable or satellite box, to even try and see a difference. When I first turned it on, my speakers and subwoofers popped, and almost gave me a heart attack because I wasn't expecting it, but after I upgraded to their beta 2 firmware, it stopped doing it. Also, it seems to be pretty friendly with my blu-ray player and xbox as the handshake takes very little time. Maybe a second or two at the most. Going from my AVR, which I am pretty sure was one of the first generation of AVRs on the market with decoding for the lossless audio formats, I think it was money extremely well spent, and I am more convinced than ever that Emotiva products really do offer the best bang possible for your buck. The handshake for the xbox takes probably about 4-5 seconds less than the time for the xbox to fully boot and get you into the dashboard, so even that 2-4 seconds is a non-issue. It finally cured my upgrade fever, and now back to paying more than the minimum payments on student loans for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 9, 2012 Moderators Share Posted May 9, 2012 It's great to hear your success with the UMC-1. I used to get that same pop too but for some reason, I never get it anymore and I haven't changed the firmware. So you updated your FW yourself? How was the process? I'm hesitant to try it due to so many people saying it's a pain. My handshake isn't that bad either. Maybe 5-6 seconds. Doesn't bother me at all to wait. It finally cured my upgrade fever, For some reason....I'm not buying it. Acoustic panels were a great upgrade for me. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 9, 2012 Author Share Posted May 9, 2012 I just got the UMC-1 hooked up. At first, I could hear a small but noticeable difference while watching The Dark Knight. I am not sure how EmoQ stacks up against MCACC, but I have a feeling it played a small part. Then I realized for some reason, it was playing in DD, so I swapped the blu-ray player to play in TrueHD and the difference became pretty huge. As far as the 1080p scalar goes, I don't have a good eye for that stuff, nor do I have it hooked up to a cable or satellite box, to even try and see a difference. When I first turned it on, my speakers and subwoofers popped, and almost gave me a heart attack because I wasn't expecting it, but after I upgraded to their beta 2 firmware, it stopped doing it. Also, it seems to be pretty friendly with my blu-ray player and xbox as the handshake takes very little time. Maybe a second or two at the most. Going from my AVR, which I am pretty sure was one of the first generation of AVRs on the market with decoding for the lossless audio formats, I think it was money extremely well spent, and I am more convinced than ever that Emotiva products really do offer the best bang possible for your buck. The handshake for the xbox takes probably about 4-5 seconds less than the time for the xbox to fully boot and get you into the dashboard, so even that 2-4 seconds is a non-issue. It finally cured my upgrade fever, and now back to paying more than the minimum payments on student loans for me. Now go do some xboxing and report back what you think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmassey Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 I don't think the upgrade was worth it. There is no noticeable difference, it may even have gotten worse with the newest 7.04 update. I may not have done it right though, because the display says DSP Mismatch when I turn it on. For some reason, now when I set my xbox to output DD 5.1, I get no sound, but I do hear a clicking sound every 5 seconds or so. I have a feeling I know what it is and ill keep working on it tomorrow. One of the upgrades was a little goofy when trying to push it through. Usually you check off the upgrade you want to install and push start, but for this particular one, when you push start, the update gets unselected and it doesn't do anything. It still isn't a deal breaker because the upgrade of quality everywhere else was so good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ajoker2c Posted May 9, 2012 Share Posted May 9, 2012 So you updated your FW yourself? How was the process? I'm hesitant to try it due to so many people saying it's a pain. http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=preamps&thread=21370 That method worked for me and was fairly painless YM. It took about 20 minutes to fully install and it seems to be working good. The only thing thats concerning me is that the old plastic remote is still working when it stated on their web site the upgrade would disable it? I'm going to call Emotiva and ask about getting the new remote. I got my UMC cheap (300$) and it has been a great upgrade from my Pioneer vsx9130thx.(EMOQ vs MCACC on Pioneer are about equal,but the EMOQ has alot more options to tweak to my liking!). Bass Mgmt on EMOQ is big bonus vs MCACC as well. Low cost and curiosity as well here was the decider for me. So far so good here!! HDMI handshake has been consistent and between 4-6 seconds to switch and I am using a 4x2 Monoprice matrix switch and it has been working well with the UMC-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmassey Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Just got off the phone with tech support at Emotiva, apparently the DSP upgrade didn't take but the firmware one did, so the firmware is having trouble speaking with the DSP upgrade, which is where the mismatch is coming from. So yeah, the process does seem fairly buggy. The guy did tell me that the UMC-1 SHOULD have been fully upgrade out of the box, so if you are looking to get one, you shouldn't have to worry upgrading it. Once I get mine upgraded, I'll chime in again and see if anything has improved. I did notice a problem with my xbox though. The xbox needs the handshake to boot, but the UMC-1 is apparently too slow at getting it, so it puts the xbox in a constant reboot loop. The only way I found out how to get past this was to switch to another input on the UMC-1 and then go back to the xbox input. I gotta say though, I talked to a Matt, and he was extremely helpful in explaining to me what was happening. So far, their tech support has been absolutely top notch. I was using the upgrade patch on Emonatics, but it is apparently out of date, so Matt pointed me towards the bottom of the UMC-1 page in the Pre/Pro section on the Emotiva website, and the newest complete updates are there, so make sure you use those as well. And another thing, if you do decide to upgrade, make sure you are always opening the updater and any other file necessary by right clicking and clicking on "Run as Admin". It seems to the trick. As far as the EmoQ goes, I really like how you can save up two 3 different EmoQ settings and then apply different ones to different inputs. I like a little more bass when listening to music than I do when watching movies, so it's nice being able to apply the different settings depending on what I am doing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 I have updated mine every time except the last one, mine was #8 to be delivered..I have never had an issue with updates.I'm not sure why some do and some don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Ok, these are some that I have narrowed down to: Emotiva umc-1 $499.00, Marantz sr6006 $799.00, Marantz av7005 $1199.00 pre/pro, Denon 3312ci $777.77, Denon 4311ci, $???? all prices are delivered. I am still stuck deciding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2012 Only you can decide what is best for you. My only question would be will you hear $300 -$700 worth of difference? If not, are the "quirks" of the UMC-1 worth $300 - $700 worth of savings? Just some things to think about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Its not just hear the difference, but its about the video processing quality as well for me. Trying to figure which gives me the best of both. The umc-1 does have issues and I am a little concerned that emotiva has not been able to correct all these issues by now. Its also about features, The emotiva is clearly lacking some of the newer features that I would like to have. Emotive does not offer a 30 day return on the sale item from what I can tell. I would like to have Audyssey, hdmi v1.4a and apple airplay also. I am not ruling out the umc-1, but I cant hear any of these systems or see how they function except Denon at a best buy store. Thanks Youthman , Believe me I am listening to what you are saying thats why I have not pulled the trigger yet. Just dont know if I will regret going cheap price with the umc-1 and be missing out on some features and have "quirks" that I have to deal with or find work arounds and then try to teach the family how to use it with the work arounds. What is your experience with the umc-1 for video? Is it better, worse or about the same as your last receiver? I have been looking for some reviews of the umc-1 and I have not found may positive in the little that I did find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmassey Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Too bad no one really knows what the XMC-1 will be all about. That was the one factor that made me decided to get the UMC-1 over everything else, because of the 40% discount. And I did finally upgrade it with the correct firmware (the problem was I was using an older version of their updater) and the quirks have all disappeared. If I can manage to sell the UMC-1, I am probably looking at around 500$ for a 1500$ processor out of pocket expense. I just have to hope the XMC-1 will be fairly state of the art and bug free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Too bad no one really knows what the XMC-1 will be all about. That was the one factor that made me decided to get the UMC-1 over everything else, because of the 40% discount. And I did finally upgrade it with the correct firmware (the problem was I was using an older version of their updater) and the quirks have all disappeared. If I can manage to sell the UMC-1, I am probably looking at around 500$ for a 1500$ processor out of pocket expense. I just have to hope the XMC-1 will be fairly state of the art and bug free I agree with you, that 40% discount it a big plus if the xmc-1 can deliver and not have issues. What quirks did you have that disappeared? Any regrets getting the umc-1? What is your impression on video gaming or movies? When is the xmc-1 coming out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2012 If I can manage to sell the UMC-1, I am probably looking at around 500$ for a 1500$ processor out of pocket expense. I just have to hope the XMC-1 will be fairly state of the art and bug free It's difficult to guess how much the UMC-1's will sell for once the XMC-1 hits the market. There might be such a flood of UMC-1's that they sell for $200 - $250. Won't know for sure until it happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2012 Thanks Youthman , Believe me I am listening to what you are saying thats why I have not pulled the trigger yet. Just dont know if I will regret going cheap price with the umc-1 and be missing out on some features and have "quirks" that I have to deal with or find work arounds and then try to teach the family how to use it with the work arounds. Then I will give you the same advice as the sales guy at Emotiva gave me...you should go with something besides the UMC-1. If you already have doubts, and are second guessing it, it might not be the best option for you. The last thing you want is to be disappointed. Maybe he was trying reverse psychology on my (it worked). [] I went against his recommendation and am glad I did. I honestly have no regrets buying it. Is it perfect, no. Are there any quirks that make it a deal breaker for me, absolutely not. The lack of the features you are looking for might just as well be the deal breaker for you. I didn't need any of those. I just wanted great sound and to me, the UMC-1 delivers just that. What is your experience with the umc-1 for video? Is it better, worse or about the same as your last receiver? I'm not an audiophile nor a videophile. I'm not sure I would even know what to look for in the differences between video. It might have 1 - 3 seconds more on the HDMI handshake but for me, that's no biggie. I have been looking for some reviews of the umc-1 and I have not found may positive in the little that I did find. I found the same thing when I was looking. LOTS of negative out there....but also LOTS of positive too. Some have had great experiences, while others have had nightmares. Some were due to early releases, others were do to problems with their particular equipment not playing nice with the UMC-1. I only have PS3 and it works great with the UMC-1. I sold my RX-V1800 for $500 so I was able to get the UMC-1 with no additional out of pocket expense (other than what I previously paid for the Yamaha). Best wishes on your decision....I know it isn't an easy one....at least it wasn't for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmassey Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 Mainly the handshake issues with the xbox were pretty annoying. The handshake wasn't happening fast enough and the xbox needed it to boot so it kept rebooting and never loading up. And also, there were audio drops out when playing some stuff in Dolby Digital. As far as gaming, it was excellent. Playing Modern Warfare 3, I could more clearly tell how far away people were that I could not see and the sounds coming from behind me just felt more accurate. Overall, it just feels more enveloping if that makes any sense for movies and games. According to the forums at Emotiva, people are getting confirmation emails on the xmc-1 so it should be close. Rumor has it is going to be around fall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 I am leaning towards trying it out, so stop the reverse psychology! LOL. I am not going to do anything until Monday though, this way I have some time to look around and decide. Does anyone know if the umc-1 will sound better than my onkyo sr 706 and provide better video? I guess anything would be better now since my onkyo is fried and I have nothing!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vital Posted May 10, 2012 Share Posted May 10, 2012 With the latest firmware my UMCs are rock solid. It may take some tweaking to get all of your channels set up the way you like them because EmoQ isnt very good but that's fine IMO. I kind of like tweaking all of the EQ settings in every channel anyway. I feel like it gives you almost total control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roaddog359 Posted May 10, 2012 Author Share Posted May 10, 2012 Mainly the handshake issues with the xbox were pretty annoying. The handshake wasn't happening fast enough and the xbox needed it to boot so it kept rebooting and never loading up. And also, there were audio drops out when playing some stuff in Dolby Digital. As far as gaming, it was excellent. Playing Modern Warfare 3, I could more clearly tell how far away people were that I could not see and the sounds coming from behind me just felt more accurate. Overall, it just feels more enveloping if that makes any sense for movies and games. According to the forums at Emotiva, people are getting confirmation emails on the xmc-1 so it should be close. Rumor has it is going to be around fall. So has the handshake improved with the xbox since the firmware update? Are the audio drops all gone now also? Do you know if I order one does it come with the latest software or do they all need to be updated when you get it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Youthman Posted May 10, 2012 Moderators Share Posted May 10, 2012 I am not going to do anything until Monday though, this way I have some time to look around and decide. Taking your time, doing your homework is the best thing you can do. If you don't rush into it and make a hasty decision, you will be much more secure in whatever decision you make in the long run. Does anyone know if the umc-1 will sound better than my onkyo sr 706 and provide better video? Not familiar with that particular model but my UMC-1 beat my Onkyo 703 hands down, especially in the 2ch dept. I guess anything would be better now since my onkyo is fried and I have nothing!!!!!!!!!!! Valid point there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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