I've wondered lately how Emotiva has come out of the blue with a new processor design in the XMC-1 that seems quite a step up and departure in design from the UMC-1. Most A/V processors and receivers from manufacturers usually follow a fairly modest path of incremental changes by adding new features over their previous generations without totally revamping the previous generation's design.

While I was on Audioholics yesterday, I came upon this recent preview: Sherbourn PT-7030 7.1 Channel Preamp/Processor Preview. On that page, if you click on the "Buy It Now" link, you'll be taken to the product's webpage on Sherbourn's site although it's not shipping yet.

As many of you know, Jade Design Inc., the parent company of Emotiva acquired Sherbourn Technologies in late 2010.

This new processor that will sell for $2499, shares a lot of similarities with the Emotiva XMC-1, minus video processing on the latter. It will also feature some flavor of Tact Audio's digital room correction as reported in the article: "Additionally, the PT-7030 includes a proprietary room correction system that was designed specifically for Sherbourn and is built under license from Tact Audio. This is actually a Sherbourn specific, professional caliber room correction package, and isn't the Tact Theater Dynamic Room Correction System.". OK, so they've probably made a few minor tweaks so that Tact can continue to sell their overpriced high-end processor.

Hmmm... Now I'm beginning to see a clearer picture here and it's starting to look like some of the design for the XMC-1 has been recycled from the Sherbourn design or perhaps been designed by the Sherbourn team. What do you guys think ?

Sherbourn has been a great company. I never even knew they were acquired by Jade Design until someone else here mentioned it recently. I think it bodes well for Emo's product line-up.