Emotiva UMC-1 vs Outlaw 998

Anyone have an experience with Emotiva UMC-1 ?
http://www.emotiva.com/umc1.shtm

I've been involved in some online discussion. Comparing the UMC-1 to the Model 998 is apples-to-oranges in several regards. The XMC-1 would be closer when it is released eventually, but still not necessarily a direct equal.

Availability: The Model 998 isn't here yet. The UMC-1 is - at least I think they're selling them right now (they halted shipments a couple times as they are still working out a number of bugs).

Features: The Model 998 will offer what looks likely to be better video processing than the UMC-1. It will offer Trinnov room correction, while many seem to feel that the UMC-1's Emo-Q is not worth using and the auto setup itself is still buggy. The UMC-1's bass management implementation is decidedly odd.

If you are looking closely at the UMC-1, I would suggest looking at the AVS thread for details on the unit's current status. Here's a link.

thanks a lot....

I certainly wouldnt take what you read on their forum as the bible, there are some ridiculous fanboys over there.

That applies to both AVS and Emotiva's forums...

I own a UMC-1 - have had it since January, so I'm rather familiar with it. With that said, tomorrow a Denon 3311ci is arriving, and if it works acceptably, it will be replacing the UMC-1. Don't get me wrong, the UMC is certainly capable of making some nice sounds in my system, but as more and more information comes out about design choices that were made and will not be changed going forward (e..g bass management), and given the fact that I still encounter issues pretty much every time I use it (minor and easily worked around, but still...), I began seeking alternatives.

To gonk's point, the XMC-1 would be a more fair comparison, based on what the suspected specifications are for both units. Additionally, given the fact that both units are still in development, we can compare paper specs until the cows come home!

After lurking for a while in various forums, I'd have to agree about the UMC-1 not being ready for prime time. Emotiva seems to have a lot going for it in other arenas such as their amps/speakers, but it's a big turn off to me that all their gear is manufactured in China. Bu hao.

I actually own a UMC, and have for months, been very happy with it with minimal issues.It is one of the few units I've owned with audio quality equal to the 990.I don't use EmoQ and have large speakers with the sub beside them.

As to AVS, I don't consider that a site for solid info, fanboys on all sides of every issue.There are also some that know little and type a lot.

You can pick up a UMC-1 + XPA-5 for $1500. Outlaw doesn't have anything that touches this combination in terms of bang for the buck. HOWEVER, I wouldn't buy either of those products since they're manufactured in China....the same reason I wasn't going to buy a 997 and likely the same reason I won't buy a 998.

Best,

Emotiva reportedly started the 30-day evaluation period for existing owners about a week ago. Earlier this morning, a former UMC-1 owner who originally identified the problems with the UMC-1's bass management logic posted some new charts at AVS. He re-posted a series of UMC-1 charts after providing an Onkyo chart for comparison. It helps explain why so many people (including some experts in the industry) have questioned the logic behind the UMC-1's bass management and EQ configuration. Basically, because they have chosen to re-structure the sequence used for audio post-processing, both subwoofer EQ and speaker distance settings are compromised.

Gonk,

(need to fix the link in your post) I think those charts had been originally posted some time ago, when the problem first popped up. Doesn't hurt that they've been posted again in that thread.

For those who don't know about the problem: the Emotiva is doing time alignment before bass management, so they're combining low frequencies from different channels that have different delays, resulting in the severe cancellations/dips you see in the charts. Imagine setting one channel delay for 16ft and another for 8ft; you'll have certain frequencies 180 degrees out of phase when combined. Not to mention that delays should be set for speaker/sub outputs, not input channels.

Also, their 1/3rd octave graphic equalizer may make for a nice tone control (if you're into that retro '70s technology), but is of little use for its supposed intent: room correction. If you want to knock down excessive bass at a certain frequency, you need the ability to centre the EQ filter on that peak and set the width of the filter (wide or narrow shaped peak), in order to cut it down effectively. The only way to set those parameters is with a parametric equalizer, not the type of graphic EQ in the Emotiva.

Oops - clumsy fingers this morning. The difference is that now Markus has posted an example of someone else's product showing the difference, something that a number of people requested.