Where's the talk/reviews on the Emotiva UMC-200?

I've owned 3 Emotiva components, and used to be a big fanboy of theirs. Nobody could tell me different, I'd get into debates about how good their gear sounded. At the time I lived in a condo and couldn't turn it up due to neighbours. Then I moved into a house and started to find weaknesses in sound. They can have a harsh high end, and the imaging is better than a receiver, but that isn't saying much. Good for the money, a decent first system, but if you are after the best sound quality you will eventually look elsewhere.

I also found they don't treat their customers well in some cases. Yes the warranty is great unless you ship internationally, then you are out of luck because they make you pay to ship it back to the U.S. Also, anything they've released in the last 4 years that wasn't amps or speakers had glitches, some very bad. I had to pay to send back my DAC to get the volume fixed.

Then there are the promises of upcoming releases that don't materialize. I waited a year for the XSP-1 then gave up. Some waited 3 years for the UMC-1 only to receive a bug-ridden machine. Parasound was to release a processor based on the same chassis/processor, but decided they couldn't do that to their customers. Now it's the XMC-1 that's over 2 years late, plus the ERC-3 that was supposed to be here in mid-June.

Some like the current UMC-200. It has half the features of a mid level receiver, slow HDMI switching and rudimentary room correction.

Thank you Runnin for your insight into the product line! That sounds about right. You get what you pay for, typically.
I'll likely look at a bit more upscale used products in the near future.
I know that, like the Emotiva UMC-1 -which took YEARS to realease, ultimately - Mondial Audio is supposed to release a current 7.1, HDMI 3D ready Acurus Act 4 processor. That might be interesting. I know the old Act 3 and upgraded same unit, where simply DYNAMITE for budget products! Super dynamic, pretty musical, nice and clear, with very good overall detail for what they were, in their time.
Also used to own the Krell HTS 5.1, Aragon Soundstage, Macintosh MX132, and others like the Act 3. I do need some sort of an upgraded, hi-end sound for my needs.
Sounds like maybe Emotiva isn't the kind of level Im likely looking for.
Hummmmmmmmm....

Audio oracle,

It's illegal in (almost?) all states for Porsche (or any other auto company) to sell factory direct. Tesla ($100k model S, hardly "cheap") is challenging that law and trying to sell factory direct.

It's hard to believe that anyone has missed the impact of the Internet in decimating retail distribution, regardless of product, or product quality. People are increasingly making purchase decisions prior to input from retailers and - over time - factory direct distribution will almost certainly take increasing market share in virtually every corner of retail.

In high end audio, the situation is extreme, since the # of bricks and mortar dealers continues to shrink. Despite the difficulty of competing with its own legacy retail network, Magnepan continues to increase its factory direct options. Newer companies, like Oppo (often cited as among the best choices for digital source components) are naturally gravitating in that direction. Older firms that lack a legacy retail chain (ie. Benchmark, which historically served the pro audio market) are doing the same thing.

Many companies (Ohm, NHT, Rythmik, Von Schweikert, LSA, and SVS come to mind quickly) already offer factory direct options. If you choose to dismiss all of those products out of hand, you might want to consider whether you're just tossing the baby with the bath water.

AFAIK, Emotive may be great, or it may suck - I've never heard a piece - but to assume it sucks due to a factory direct model is presumptuous in the extreme.

Marty

Some of the Internet-Direct (ID) companies have some serious talent behind their
products. When Klipsch dismantled Mirage, Andrew Welker who co-designed the
Omnipolar series with Ian Paisley and invented the Omniguide for the next
generation of speakers, went to Axiom and has come out with a target=_blank href=http://www.axiomaudio.com/omnidirectional-
speaker#>flagship omnidirectional design. It uses DSP to adjust the timing
of the rearward signal so you (reportedly) get pinpoint imaging and room-filling
sound. Although they're ID, they make the speakers in Canada and offer several
custom options including custom paint jobs.

SVS hired Mike Mason as designer and head of production. He comes from 12
years working in those capacities at PSB. SVS recently came out with their Ultra
series, whose series/ultra-tower#.UkyawBY9Xdk>Tower looks to be a serious contender
at $2K. Tekton's founder used to work at Axiom.

As for the notion that these companies go ID because they can't compete side-
by-side, what about Bose? They do retail marketing, but do it in such a way that
it's hard to compare with mainstream speakers. They set up exclusive demo
areas and install in places like Costco and Sam's Club where there is no speaker
competition at all. They also used their advertising budget to shake down
magazines for favorable reviews and to spike negative ones according to target=_blank href=http://www.analogplanet.com/content/dr-amar-bose-
dead-83>Michael Fremer.

Most of the ID speaker companies ship free and some even pay for return
shipping. So you can compare in your own setup. Also, it seems that most of the
professional reviewers are pretty frank as to whether they like or don't like
various ID products. Mostly, however, they're value leaders because the ID model
cuts the retail price by around 40%. I think they value the advantage of offering a
$5K speaker for $3K more than whether people can compare them at a store.
The ID companies always have links to the professional reviews.

And some ID mfrs are boutique, such as Salk, Tyler, and Ascend. You get
meticulously crafted products handmade in the USA at affordable prices. Do you
honestly think that Ascend, Tekton, Tyler, and Salk can't compete with the mass
market products in the stores?

Oh, and to answer the OP's question, I bought a UMC-200 about 6 wks ago to
replace a 2006 Pre/Pro that doorstopper. Here was a $599 unit replacing a $2K
unit. For the money I'm very pleased. Out of the box it sounded a bit sterile, but
after a week of burn-in and then running the speaker setup software, it turned
into a nice unit with a lot of clarity and a low noise floor. One way they save
money is that the HDMI video is simply a pass-through. It doesn't offer video
correction or enhancement. However, I rewired my HT with Redmere technology
HDMI cables, which are active, and that made a noticeable improvement in the
picture. The sound is clearer than the old unit was, and it has excellent
dynamics. The only downside is that switching HDMI inputs results in a few
seconds of screen flashes until it settles in on the new source. Other than that,
it's very solid, reliable unit with good sound and decoding.

BTW, it's not so simple to move up from the $599 Emotiva to the $1095 Nuforce
unless you are all digital. The Nuforce saves a bunch of cost by strictly limiting
the inputs to digital--HDMI, S/PDIF, Toslink, and USB. The Emotiva also accepts
analog 7.1 direct (like if you want to take advantage of Oppo's internal decoder)
and four analog stereo pairs. So you can't move up to Nuforce unless you have
no legacy analog to deal with.

I guess I find it pretty hard to take the Emo seriously for $600. Assume for a minute the company has to make a $300 profit on that. Give or take a little. With cost of parts, labor, and shipping, how good can the components really be? I could be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, but that's my thought process.