My UMC-1 finally arrived today. Kudos to Fedex for getting it here in 5 days (although I could have gone to the airport and fetched it yesterday). To the unwrapping process ...

Replaces

Yamaha RX-V750

Packaging

Double boxed in double hull boxes as per all their products, but only polystyrene foam for the inner box instead of the really heavy duty stuff for the amps.

Inside the box

The UMC-1, one small box for the antennae and microphone for Emo-Q, one small box with US power cable, fuses, batteries for remote and a pair of basic RCA cables, a remote, the manual on top and a note confirming the firmware has been upgraded. The manual is still a draft and is a stapled duplex printout - no big deal as the manual is available as a PDF.

Remote

Simple, plastic, functional but as noted in the Emotiva forums there are no direct inputs. I was able to setup the unit without having to use a TV/projector.

UMC-1

The unit is reasonably heavy for its size and well built as per their amps. I took the trim plates off as I prefer the all back look. One thing I did notice - the UMC-1's faceplate is "blacker" than my XPA-5 which is a little over a year old now. Connectors are all solid and are all on the rear - some folks may not like this, preferring some connectors on the front.

The lights are a plenty per each button and dial but can be dimmed. I'll get round to that tonite. This is not an issue for me as I have a grilled door that blocks a lot of the lights.

Installation and setup

My stand is open at the rear so plugging in the various cables is a breeze. You will need your own Australian IEC cable for power. The FM aerial is two pieces - a plug on and screw down the actual cable - I am using a simple cable screw type aerial about 4-5 inches high and its good enough for FM stereo reception for now. I am still waiting for another HDMI cable from EzyHD and that should complete the cabling.

Setup is easiest with the OSD to a TV but since I am short an HDMI cable I just used the units' display. The manual doesn't cover steps in detail to do a setup and one would rely on the OSD for the more complex setups. I managed to setup the Tuner to preset 2 stations and find my way around selecting an input or channel. As there is no discrete buttons on the remote, this is certainly low WAF but not insurmountable. A better remote is in the pipeline and the hex codes are available for programmable remotes.

I have not run Emo-Q or done any other setups - just plain direct 2-channel for now. I will rejig my components to hopefully fit my center speaker back into the mix to try out DVD and BD in 3.1.

Listening

It will take a few days of playing some of my familiar/favourite discs, but my initial impression is that this is what I've been waiting for. A quick spin of the CD in the Oppo BDP-83 via analog out in direct mode presents a wider sound stage and more detail. Going louder just gets louder and bigger and the sound is clean. Definitely better than my Yammy.

Will try to post a pic later on tonight.

I'm guessing your probably the only person capable of posting in the 'Owners thread' in Aust just yet......
So the more info the better.

Really keen to hear how the Emo-Q goes as this seems to be the only stocking point for me.
Although when it works right for some owners it offers a good level of manual adjustment following.

Mixed bag per owners in the US. I'll try out the Emo-Q on the weekend when I can get my centre speaker back in.

Sounds promising and looking forward to more of your thoughts, just wondering how much landed as the aussie $ has dropped abit lately?

UMC-1 = US$699
Fedex Intl Econ = US$98.58
Total = US$797.58

Approx AU$940

Thanks mate,im on the wait list but still unsure,im waiting to see/read how it compares to my rotel.

Can't seem to edit my first post but I can edit my subsequent posts in this thread (weird). If someone can, please advise as I'd prefer to move this detail up to the OP.

Here's an update from a bit of playing around last night.

Setup

Pinched the HDMI cable from the Oppo to hook up the UMC-1 to the TV. The OSD is mostly intuitive but the color scheme to highlight the current selection and new selection is as little confusing. Orange for the actual selection and yellow for the new selection.

The input setup is really nice:
- there are 18 assignable inputs
- you can disable inputs listed on the OSD or the units display
- you can assign a specific physical input, sound mode, EQ and labels to an input

Usage

Dimming of the lights is done on the remote and cycles in one direction from 0 - 10, with 0 having all lights off except for the power button which glows blue.

Using the remote causes the power button to flicker to indicate that the unit is responding to the remote. Personally I'd like a setup feature to disable this.

Hopefully I can pop my center speaker on my sub tonight and run the Emo-Q and see how accurate it is and if the EQ makes it sound better.

I think as a non- senior member you only get 24hrs to edit a post, you didn't miss by much!

Good luck with the UMC, interested to see how it goes in both HT and 2 channel audio. i'm still tossing up to go for a 2 channel Pre/ intergrated with HT bypass or stick with an all in one AVR/ pre.

TB

If anyone wants one quickly I got the email that mine was ready a couple of days ago but no longer want it.

It may be possible to take my spot.

I don't believe you can take someones spot on the pre-order list (best to check though).
You would probably need to order/ ship as is then arrange something locally once here.... (perhaps you could ship it to an alternate address once you have come to a local agreement re payment)

Also another is the 40% discount on the next gen Processor upgrade is only for the purchaser. Not transferable.

Im interested in this sort of setup.
Im after clean audio - no bull and no clutter!
This looks good.

Very interested.
Maybe we should get a couple Wheelz?

Mattrix theres a waiting list,you just cant order them as you like at the moment.Im also waiting on some more reviews.

Ahhh ic - although the web says now in stock and shipping? - Only so many allocated for export?

Ah, No. They would currently be completing orders that are on the waiting list, also a few problems have popped up so that is creating an even longer delay

Nothing to do with export ,there just isnt enough for demand at the moment,some people have been waiting 2 yrs for this to be released.Wont be to long tho till the wait list has been filled and you can order of the street.
Note on the site it states "in stock currenly fulfilling preorders"

Latest news on finishing the preorder list is late March at very best.
First preorder list are getting dates like 10th March for dispatch.
Info is in the threads on the Emo forum but there is a hell of a lot to wade thru on the UMC at the moment.

Owners that seem to have the Emo-Q functioning without strange crossovers etc reporting excellent results for AQ

Am tempted to swap out my LX-71 for it when i get my offer of a unit....
Anyone looking to buy a slightly used Pioneer AVR?

P.S. I do love the ICE though....

I am on the 2nd wait list. I am not sure I will go ahead yet. I may wait for the XMC-1.

One thing I like about my Yamaha reciever is the iPod dock. Is there anyway to connect an iPod to the UMC-1?

Cheers,
Dave.

Same way you can connect an ipod/mp3 to any amp,just get a stereo(2rca) to 3.5mm plug and connect to a stereo input on your amp.

I use this adaptor and an rca lead to amp.
http://www.dse.com.au/cgi-bin/dse.storefro...duct/View/P6572

Here are 3 pics of the UMC-1:

- display at level 5 using a flash
- display at level 5 with no flash
- display at level 0 using a flash

You can also see the difference in the "blackness" of the faceplates between the XPA-5 and UMC-1 in the flash pics.

What's the go with some of the letters that seem to be missing in the "Level 5" photo?
Is that how it actually is, or just how the pic turned out?

Post #21 updated (you just had to ask !!!)

post 21 didnt explain if the letters were missing or thats how the display is,it looks odd.

It does wheelz but I wonder if some protective film is sticking over the 'r ' in bluray and the 'i' in HDMI and thats thrown the shot ? Bit of a coincidence that one letter is right below the other . Do vfd/dot matrix displays work like that at all ;ide guess the whole line would go ;I dunno ?

Just wondering if this processor allows for passthrough of video/audio?

The protective film is still covering the VFD - which probably reflected the flash.



Video - yes
Audio - yes

In both cases, the unit must be switched on.

From the other pics it appears to be working, I was wondering if he had jagged the shot while the display was doing a refresh or something like that. The third letters seem to be half faded rather than missing.

So jklow888, is it just the photo, or were they actually missing?

Ive read on the Emo forum a few people complaining about flickering displays, but believe that was only on one brightness setting (possibly 1?) and think it was the whole dsplay and not segments.

Their pre-order list seems to have a few quirks too. I was on the second one and received an email that my unit would be ready for shipment on the 22nd.

Just the pic with flash reflection issues - the display works perfectly. The 2nd pic was no flash/long exposure but then the faceplate doesn't show up as well.

Another update from the weekend's playing around/listening:

Emo-Q

I've never used EQ before (even with my Yammy) as I tend to do it the old fashioned way with a tape measure and my ears (although I suppose I should get an SPL). I only have L/C/R and a sub. The room is a square with the right speakers closer to the right wall, left speaker further away due to windows and furniture placement. Centre is inline with the centre of the TV/viewing position with height within 6 inches of the LR tweeter position. The sub is between the left speaker and A/V rack. To the left rear is the passage way with no door, room is carpeted with 3 leather couches but heavily padded internally and a CD shelf in the right rear corner. 3 windows - one to the left front and two along the right wall, all with blinds. So no significant room treatments - probably not a friendly room for audio.

My observations:
- it got the distance right to within 0.1 ft for L/C/R and sub.
- it got my sub as out of phase (which it is not) and 8+ Db
- the right speaker cut of was way too high for my liking 220 Hz if I recall, left speaker came out a bit more "logical"
- it detected rear speakers (if I was that lucky!)

Playing some multi-channel SACD was not pleasant - tinny and compressed. Going back to the manual setups with full range and then setting my sub to my speakers roll off and 0 Db gain sounded very nice.

HT

Tried the Star Trek BD - very good sound on DD HD. Video was pass through to the TV as I preferred the Oppo doing the job. Reports in the US indicate that UMC-1 might over sharpen a bit. Time pending I'd like to compare DVD upscaling between the Oppo and UMC-1 with the Oppo output @ 576i.

Music

SACD 2 channel - very good on analog in, LPCM for SACD 2 and multi-channel also very good. Hard to discern a difference between the Oppo 83 and the Cirrus decoding in the UMC-1, but I think the Oppo on analog provides a slightly more detailed and wider soundstage (louder at the same volume level). Redbook - very good again via HDMI and co-ax, same on the analog. With no audio signal, I can turn up the volume to some crazy number which I would even try with an audio signal and my speakers are dead silent. In short, listening to music is much better than my Yammy as a pre - there's more detail and a better sound stage that is much more inviting. This is what I've wanted for a long time - a good pre with the added ability for HT in one box at an amazing price.

HDMI observations
When switching between an HDMI input and an analog/direct input, it can take a few seconds before the audio signal is acquired. I assume the same would happen between HDMI inputs. If the input is HDMI for music into the UMC-1 and I switch HDMI inputs on my TV (eg. Oppo to Tivo), if I recall it will cause the UMC-1 to re-acquire on the output HDMI link which results in no music for a few seconds. Perhaps I'll try to run the Tivo into the UMC-1 as that will mean no HDMI switching on the TV but that is not my preference. I don't find this a big issue as once I've toggled devices, we tend to listen or watch for a significant period.

I'm on the second POL and received an email with a April 1st dispatch date.

One question.

Can you go in to the Emo-Q or setup menu system somewhere and set your speaker distances and crossovers without having to run Emo-Q?
Or do you need to run it first prior to adjusting manually.

I'm a little concerned at the EQ levels it sets for a said speaker may be way out if it's setting a crossover of 250.

As far as I know, all of the settings can be done manually (distance, x-over and Eq etc). Emo-Q just automates it for you.

The thing that concerns me is when it picks up speakers that arent even there. That's just a simple yes or no result. If it cant handle that, how can you trust anything else it tells you?

Also, a lot of people report wildly varying results on consecutive runs. At least you would hope for some consistency regardless of their accuracy. Seems to take a bit of a dart board approach!

jklow888: are you able to check if your sub eq is working on the umc-1? A lot of people on the emo forums are saying the sub eq is completely broken and the gain / crossover settings have no effect.

Hmmm, considering all the bad reports about the Emo-Q, i may cancel my pre order and wait till this is resolved...

Yes - you can set it up manually (that's how I started out). As for the strange x-over, I think its due to the room being very harsh and also the fact that the mic is placed at ear level on the couch which is only a few inches from an uncovered wall. I'd be curious to see the results in a well treated/rectangular room as a comparison.



I was bemused by the phase detection of the sub, so I re-ran Emo-Q last night 2-3 times, flipping the phase switch of the sub. Observations:

- it did not detect rear speakers this time (I must have made some noise/there was some other noise on the first run)
- distance wise it was similar to the previous run
- x-overs are better but still too high, right speaker was high again
- sub showed up in reverse phase. Flipping the switch and run running Emo-Q shows it as correct - so back to what it was the other night. This one is interesting - when running Emo-Q, the sub is next to my rack which has a side panel. This side panel vibrates/rattles quite a bit during the test (in either phase) so I am wondering if this is was confusing the mic/software for Emo-Q.

My final setup is manual as follows:

- front L/R @ full
- center @ 55 Hz
- sub @ 55 Hz

and I get a very nice soundstage with seamless bass changeover (verified with AIX subwoofer phase test between sub and L speaker).



I did play around with the gain (but not the EQ). It does work in terms of - dB and + dB as there is an audible difference. From what I can see on this topic is that the settings once saved are not reloaded on startup. I have not changed my gain by significant amounts and switched on/off but will try this tonite. My gain is at most +1 dB on my sub and -0.5 dB on my R so any defaulting back to 0 dB on restart might be hard to detect very quickly.

I also did a bit more playing of HDMI input selections:

- changing HDMI input of TV while playing music takes around 12-15 seconds to reacquire the audio signal
- fast skipping ( > 3x) in forward or reverse occasionally causes loss of audio but not the image (reselecting the input on the UMC-1 forces a full handshake resync to get the audio back)
- using the AIX calibration disk to run test tones/phase tests

- when using LPCM, sometimes the first part of the test has no audio but the subsequent speaker tests do (toggle input resolves issue)
- when using DD, audio is heard all sub-steps

- listening to music

- when using LPCM over HDMI, sometimes I would not get anything from my sub (toggle input resolves issue)
- when using co-ax, sub is always active

The audio drop outs are consistent with what is reported by the US forum members and this should fixed via a firmware update.

For those sitting on the fence, it would appear these are the issues to take into account:

- HDMI handshake issues/audio drop out
- loss of speaker level/EQ settings
- Emo-Q results

For me, when the first two issues are addressed I'd consider this stable. The first one could be subjective as there could always be a delay in re-acquiring the handshake but the audio drop out must be fixed since the handshake between the sender and receiver should be in place (someone correct me if I am wrong). The last one - YMMV depending on your room setup.

Tonight, I'll try plug the Tivo into the UMC-1 and change channels. When doing this on my TV, it does take a few secs to switch channels on the Tivo and for the TV to renegotiate 576i/720p/1081i depending on the channel. I wonder if I will get audio dropouts ???

I'd just put it on hold and tell them you'd like to order once the current issues are resolved, citing international shipping charges. If you cancel and then want one after the issues are resolved and all the pre-orders are fulfilled, the current price may go up - how much is any one's guess.

Didn't have time to play with some LFE material to test if the EQ/gain settings are reinstated on re-power - this will have to wait for the weekend.

I did get round to plugging the Tivo into the UMC-1:

1. Changing channels was fine with one exception - the UMC-1 only supports 576p or 480p, so when the Tivo sends out a native feed of 576i the UMC-1 defaults to 480p even on pass through. I would expect the UMC-1 to pass through 576i "as is" to the TV - will send Emo a note on this. I can bypass this by using the format output on the Tivo to be at least 576p/720p/1080i fixed and pass through on the UMC-1. This means I'm not able to use the UMC-1 for upscaling and double image processing probably won't come out great.

I still prefer pass through to the 508XDA plasma, so it looks like the Tivo is going to remain straight to the TV via HDMI and if needed, digital via optical into the UMC-1. This is probably easier/the preferred choice if we just want to enjoy something we've recorded on free to air in a theatre ambience. TV with Dolby Digital was really cool - watched Criminal Minds tonight and it just became a lot more involved.

Before anyone asks, the video settings are global. It would be nice to set it based on each input but according to a post on the Emo forum, this requires a lot of memory so it was not implemented.

2. When fast forwarding for long periods/skipping ads, I get the audio drop out. Doing short bursts you still have audio. Exactly how long is the threshold I have no idea.

3. I noticed a lipsync issue from the Tivo. Not sure if that was just free to air but don't recall having that issue with free to air before but I was able to adjust the lip sync by 120 ms to sort that out.

Mate - there is a thread on the EMO boards that has the answer to this audio drop out problem.
A guy discovered something and everyone whos tried it no longer gets the audio drop outs.

Something to do with setting the input signal and format to Dolby Digital or something. I'll see if I can find it again.

Here tis - Emo UMC-1 Post

And just incase the link doesn't work....

UPDATE re: the periodic audio "drop outs" I experienced while watching the DirecTV HR20 DVR previously reported.

I noticed last night that when the "drop outs" occur, the UMC-1 displays that the audio mode has changed from Dolby Digital to Digital 2.0. Partly spurred by the discussion of bass management and how the settings in the Advanced Playback menu might affect this (thank you SolidState) I decided to try an experiment.

I entered the Advanced Playback menu and checked the default setting for "Digital 2.0" which is "Direct." Remembering the discussion of how "direct" modes bypass bass management I selected a new mode "Dolby Digital." Instantly, the switching between modes stopped. The audio drop outs stopped. I was able to watch 3 hours of the normally unstable NBC Olympics coverage without suffering through a single "drop out" issue.

My theory is there is an unstable audio stream coming from the DirecTV DVR that is causing the UMC-1 to switch back and forth between Dolby Digital and Digital 2.0 modes, creating what seems to be an audio drop-out that is really due to the second or two it takes to lock onto the new audio stream. With both modes set to the same decoding default, the UMC-1 no longer tries to switch between them as is sees them as the same, even if the DVR signal is unstable. I will do some more testing to verify that this work-around solves the issue, but for now it seems the power of the UMC-1 is able to compensate for the unstable HR20.

Also, I noticed the default setting for "PCM" was also "Direct," so I switched this to "PLIIX-Movies" just in case.

I encourage others who may be having similar audio issues to give this a try. Please report back if it has any effect on your systems.

David

The guy also followed it up with this stating that it seemed to fix the FF/RW dropouts when watching programs from the HDD on a PVR

"FYI, my wife reports she had the system on all day watching a variety of channels from the DTV DRV (including pausing, fast forwarding and rewinding) and did not notice a single audio hiccup. "

So might be worth a try.

I think once the bugs are fixed this will be a gem of a unit.

I did see that thread but I was testing @ 11 pm last night so I think I may have overlooked the Direct versus Dolby Digital setting. I know my sub kicked in and the info display had DD 3/2/LFE so I'm sure its setup as intended - will recheck tonight.

I got know idea but hope it helps you out.
My unit should I take it up is due to ship April 1st. So I'm hoping all bugs are fixed prior to then. Or at least the Emo-Q ones. Don't use a PVR. No time to tape shows and watch later.

DD helps - but I still get audio drop outs over HDMI if I do very lengthy skips (15 mins at a time) forwards or backwards enough times. Others have noted this behaviour and think the UMC-1 is not holding the handshake long enough like some switches do.

Also got the right speaker repetitive noise - should have been on 44.1 material which is also what others are noting (possibly clock timing issue affecting the R speaker only). Changing inputs and it goes away - haven't managed to replicate it since.

I'll need to check my firmware version and then review the issues log that was started to see if I need to log my use cases for diagnosis.

Overall are you happy with the performance / features of the UMC-1?

Yes - once the HDMI/clock timing issues are resolved, this unit will be exceptional value for money. If they can implement the enhancement request of video settings per input then its got to have the most flexibility at this price point.

Read this on another forum talking generally about imported receivers (sounds like bunk to me):
'Radio will not work here. Although frequency range is the same, channels lock to odd numbers.'

How is the UMC-1 radio?

This is a valid point, but the UMC is setup for international use which I confirmed. I currently listen to FM radio without any issues - but I haven't tried AM yet.

Thats one shortfall I am sure most of us would sacrifice! In the age of DAB+ just buy an external digital tuner, that is ofcourse if the AM doesnt work here.

FM tuners will work as the use .05/.1 incerements
AM in Australia unlikely to work

it doesn't as it does increments in 10 Khz and not 1 Khz. I've logged a request to see if they can address it via a firmware fix.