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Thread: AV Component Front-ends

  1. #61
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    Word of mouth and their claims so far. Not happy w/current Sony str-da9000es all in one unit from 2003-4 design, AV features outdated too much, find it too confining in what is adjustable and what isn't.

    It says the correct things to me in the advertisements??? company reputation, I can afford this if I want
    Changing to Legacy Audio and started with a Silver Screen HD for my center between the 250TIs

  2. #62
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by opimax View Post
    ...company reputation...
    I guess it is a popular brand over in AVS land?

    I have never heard of Emotiva. I guess they used the same branding company as Honda did when they came up with that stellar name, Accura Integra.

    Not trying to turn this into another off beat car thread, I just find some brands work better than others. Sony, Luxman, all of the old dead Americans, Hafler, McIntosh, Fisher, etc. etc... but Emotiva, damn! Some people just try too hard.


    So get one and let us know what you think.

    Personally for a budget upgrade, I'd probably go for an $800 Denon or Onkyo receiver and use the internal amps for the surrounds.


    Widget

  3. #63
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    I toyed with the idea of the Emotiva UMC-1, but did not want to wait. It's an attractive feature set. For the $$$, it's a lot, and Emotiva has a strong, supportive following and a reputation for excellent service. It seems like a really sound choice.

    I'm eager to hear some first hand reports. Heather will no doubt give us the full review. I'm pretty sure she'll be writing good things.

    Luckily, I found a Synthesis® dealer who could rock my world with a killer deal on the JBL Performance Series AV2 which met all my immediate needs and gave me a little bit of future adaptability, too. It's been a pleasant and gratifying upgrade from my SDP-5 (Lexicon MC-8) unit.

    I spent some quality time with the AV2 over the weekend, re-racking several components after removing the SDP-5. I racked the AV2 in a custom rack shelf from MiddleAtlantic ($23.00 off ebay) and moved it closer to the Oppo BDP-83SE and Mitsu LD player. I ordered some 18" interconnects from Monoprice (excellent quality, killer price) and really cleaned up the tangle in the back of the equipment closet.

    Anyway, with all that I also reconfigured the inputs to allow TrueHD and DTS-HD streams through the 7.1 output of the Oppo into the 7.1 inputs of the AV2. Wow, what a difference in movie audio!

    So again, a great combination like the Oppo BDP-83SE and a flexible pre/pro with great 7.1 analog input with analog bypass is a very compelling choice.

    In my case, the AV2 is a terrific choice. I imagine the Emotiva will be very rewarding to those who buy it as well.
    Out.

  4. #64
    Senior Member Valentin's Avatar
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    sysnthesis av2 is the same as the lexicon MV5
    do you use it also for two chanel listening

    any coments

  5. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valentin View Post
    sysnthesis av2 is the same as the lexicon MV5
    As noted in this thread:

    http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...nce+Series+Av2
    Out.

  6. #66
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    TI DOme said "It seems like a really sound choice"

    if it is a "sound choice" I will be puchasing it

    Mark
    Changing to Legacy Audio and started with a Silver Screen HD for my center between the 250TIs

  7. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by opimax View Post
    TI DOme said "It seems like a really sound choice"

    if it is a "sound choice" I will be puchasing it

    Mark
    I'm going to change "seems like" to "doesn't seem like" after reading the experiences of current owners on other forums. Wow! It seems to be quite the debacle for some folks. There are a few positive experiences as well.

    I'd urge everyone thinking about the UMC-1 to do some careful reading before purchase. Perhaps software will take care of the more common complaints, but I'd wait until the results are in.

    There is a 30 day return window, so you'd only lose shipping if you got it and it wasn't what you hoped.
    Out.

  8. #68
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    Quote Originally Posted by Titanium Dome View Post
    I'm going to change "seems like" to "doesn't seem like" after reading the experiences of current owners on other forums. Wow! It seems to be quite the debacle for some folks. There are a few positive experiences as well.

    I'd urge everyone thinking about the UMC-1 to do some careful reading before purchase. Perhaps software will take care of the more common complaints, but I'd wait until the results are in.

    There is a 30 day return window, so you'd only lose shipping if you got it and it wasn't what you hoped.
    Yep, plus in the one forum the owner pushed the return date up to be 30 days from the date of the Software update, instead of the original date of delivery ...

    But plenty of time to read more, and decide if I'm going to buy one ...
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  9. #69
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    Quote Originally Posted by Valentin View Post
    sysnthesis av2 is the same as the lexicon MV5
    do you use it also for two chanel listening

    any coments
    To keep Heather's thread on track, I've responded to your question in the AV2 thread, beginning in post 34.

    http://audioheritage.org/vbulletin/s...262#post280262
    Out.

  10. #70
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    AVR7300 DIED last night.

    Not sure what happened - the Harman Kardon AVR 7300 has generally been a nice unit. 'Course I pull the front MAINS at preamp level to feed the Biamp rack for the 4341 monitors, (and the sub has its own amp) but I use the internal amps for the LC-2 Center and for the side and rear surrounds (L20T3 and L20T).

    Well, yesterday I came downstairs with the latest Doctor Who on CD, loaded it in the Oppo to watch, and turned on the HK - a moment later every light on the display came on and stayed on ... it had locked up tight. I power cycled it a few times, no change. I turned it off and left it off all night. Powered it up this morning - again, every icon and image on the faceplate came on and stayed on... it's frelled!

    So - I checked Craigslist today to find a temporary standby unit so I can at least watch TV and movies while I figure out what to do next. I suspect that's the last HK receiver I'll buy ... it was top of the line - but its out of warrantee and its basically junk now. what a shame.

    Anyway, I just picked up a used Yamaha RX-V2095 - - when it was new it was top of the line, suggest list of $1599 (January '99, I think) ... Its a few years older that the AVR 7300, doesn't have HDMI or component video, but does have optical feeds, preamp outs and 7 channels - 100w/ch - tho it has those front "effect" channels to give a height effect for surrounds... I can turn off all those goofy DSP effects ... and it has a turntable input (!) so I've hooked my Denon directly, bypassing the Carver preamp for now.
    I'll probably just run it in 5.1 mode. Again, its just meant to be a cheap replacement until i figure out what to do next ...

    The feedback on the UMC-1 Emotiva seemed kind of iffy - so I'll probably avoid that one.


    More info later - once I've had a chance to check it out some more -
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  11. #71
    clmrt
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    I predict you will hate the complexty of the Yamaha's setup routine. The HK gear of the 7300's era was a snap.

  12. #72
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    Quote Originally Posted by clmrt View Post
    I predict you will hate the complexity of the Yamaha's setup routine. The HK gear of the 7300's era was a snap.
    Of course, with the mixed speakers and mains bypassed for biamp, the auto - balance never really worked here anyway, so I had to do that by hand. And one early problem with our AVR-7300 is whenever we took a power outage, I had to0 go in and reprogram everything all over again (which optical on which source, reset channel levels, force TT to stereo instead of that synthesized 7 ch default, etc. etc).

    Then again, the Yamaha cost me $130, instead of the $400 I paid for the AVR7300 2 years ago ... so I expect it to be just a temporary placeholder.

    Darned shame - the HK receiver I bought before (AVR 335 or some such) was just fine, but - it was like they exceeded their comfortable complexity point with the AVR 7300. So - no more newer HK receivers for me!
    2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
    7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460

  13. #73
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    ...instead of the $400 I paid for the AVR7300 2 years ago...
    Only two years old and now landfill? That is not good. This is one example of how our accounting system lets us down... manufacturers should have to take back their old junk and fix it or properly recycle it. I suppose the bean counter/market mentality types would say that the market does correct itself by the fact that people like yourself won't buy another HK AVR... and to some extent that does work, but in the mean time you are out an AVR and Harman squandered the natural resources used to create and ship that item... we can't continue building and selling disposable products with our precious resources.

    I know that many on this forum use HK AVRs, I am not sure if they do so out of loyalty to Harman or if it is due to the fact that HK products are typically being offered at very, very low prices.

    We sell Integra, do they sound better? I doubt it... do they cost a bit more, usually. The main reason we sell them is because they come with a three year warranty... everybody's stuff breaks, but being able to get them fixed under warranty for a year longer than most other brands at the same relative cost is a big deal. Especially since most products that have a weak link will fail within that three year window. Ever wonder why most cheap electronics have a one year warranty?


    Widget

  14. #74
    Moderator hjames's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Widget View Post
    Only two years old and now landfill? That is not good. This is one example of how our accounting system lets us down... manufacturers should have to take back their old junk and fix it or properly recycle it. I suppose the bean counter/market mentality types would say that the market does correct itself by the fact that people like yourself won't buy another HK AVR... and to some extent that does work, but in the mean time you are out an AVR and Harman squandered the natural resources used to create and ship that item... we can't continue building and selling disposable products with our precious resources.

    I know that many on this forum use HK AVRs, I am not sure if they do so out of loyalty to Harman or if it is due to the fact that HK products are typically being offered at very, very low prices.

    Widget
    I will say that it was a few years used when I bought it at $400 - really glad I didn't pay the $2000 or so retail price I saw quoted in the reviews ... who-wee! I'd previously had a lesser model HK before (AVR 335 or similar) and I thought that stepping up to their top of the line was a good move. But my HK fondness ends here. At least for the new stuff

    I agree - I sure hate putting anything this recent on the curb for trash - its inefficient and not very green - that really sours me on this side of the brand ...

  15. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by hjames View Post
    But my HK fondness ends here. At least for the new stuff

    I agree - I sure hate putting anything this recent on the curb for trash - its inefficient and not very green - that really sours me on this side of the brand ...
    I see a large amount of modern Chinese HK stuff in the thrifts , the small number of pieces that I've purchased there have been defective. Doubt that I'd buy one new, even if I was in the market .
    Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles

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