moving on from Emotiva UMC-200 pre/processor

"That statement is pure speculation on your part. You don't have the experience to make a statement like that. You can only come up with that from what you are reading. And before you say no, remember that you are the one asking the questions and giving your list of experiences. So don't try and back track and come up with a whole list of components that you have heard but just didn't mention."

"24 years ago I spent hundreds if not thousands of hours listening to high-end audio equipment throughout Los Angeles and the Bay Area. I met and had many discussions with "audiophiles", dealers and manufacturers, went to audio shows, read what I could, and took a lot of time mixing and matching several pieces of equipment in my own system."
"I've been away from high-end audio for 24 years and only since May this year have I even looked to see what was new and what has remained the same. I've never heard of some of these new companies and I'm only now learning about multi-channel systems, hence my questions about multi-channel pre-amps."

So I was right. How on earth can you claim to have experience from May until now? Well I guess 24 years ago, you would be the man to talk to. lol. I'll give you some credit. Why don't we change any experience to any relevant experience.

"During my schooling/training as a physicist and electrical engineer I studied semiconductors and circuitry, built simple amplifiers, mastered priciples of sound propagation and materials science."

And this is where we get to the heart of the matter. I knew it was coming but I just couldn't decide if you were and EE or a psychologist. You knew everything all along and were just waiting for the right time to drop it on us, and therefore win the argument by default. All due to your superior intellect and education. You are, after all an EE.

Let's try something different. I've done my best to answer your questions, now see if you can answer one of mine.

You state that you "mastered priciples of sound propagation and materials science". Can you back that up? Since we're on the topic of preamps, tell us how you would design the best preamp, be it active or passive? If you really are a master it should be light work for you. (I know. You're probably waiting for the pattens on your state of the art designs to come through, so you can't divulge any proprietary information until that happens.)

You miss the point that I am not asking YOU any question at all directly but was opening up a topic for discussion in a forum. I think my questions are good topics for discussion with people who really want to contribute rather than argue or just promote themselves (remember I NEEDED to list my experience for you - i did not want to do that but you seemed to need the info). Clearly I'm opening up the topic in the wrong forum though. I know mine are not home theater questions. That's fine - I'm still curious about how people might respond so I'll probably try to open the topic elsewhere.

I make no claims to being an expert about audiophilia which makes all this more fun for me. I do have the experience as mentioned albeit almost all of it was 20+ years ago. I'm learning about changes since then and remember a lot of things that don't seem to have changed at all.

For what it's worth I most certainly did master the subjects I mentioned and many more I studied. Does that surprise you? I'd guess that at least half the members on audiogon have studied engineering and science and am absolutely certain that many also have graduate degrees in these disciplines. I make no claims to being the smartest or most experienced or most accomplished here. I don't care if I'm not even of average intelligence here, but I am proud of what I've learned and accomplished. I've put in a lot of work and have often done well like many others here I'm sure. I have no idea how to design the best pre-amp - why in the world would i know such a thing and why would you ask that question? Can I figure out how to design the best pre-amp? I don't know, but I certainly know how to start to find out how if I wanted to. I've learned quite a bit about pre-amp design over the past 2 weeks. Is that unexpected? Does it matter?

I need to move on from this - you seem to just want to argue so I don't see any resolution and doubt you really want to discuss the topic I was trying to open up. No hard feelings. Thanks for the discussion, but let's just go our separate ways please.

"08-11-14: Hazyj
You miss the point that I am not asking YOU any question at all directly but was opening up a topic for discussion in a forum. I think my questions are good topics for discussion with people who really want to contribute rather than argue or just promote themselves (remember I NEEDED to list my experience for you - i did not want to do that but you seemed to need the info). Clearly I'm opening up the topic in the wrong forum though. I know mine are not home theater questions. That's fine - I'm still curious about how people might respond so I'll probably try to open the topic elsewhere."

You started this thread under false pretenses. You clearly stated that you were seeking opinions in the context of upgrading your system. Have another look at it.

"I like this Emotiva unit, but got it just before deciding to upgrade almost everything in my system. I can still return it tho and am now hoping to setup the two front channels as follows:

Thiel CS2.7 (or something just as transparent if I find it)
Amp to match the Thiels (Pass Labs x-150, Peachtree 220, suggestions?)

I realize it's a pretty open ended question, but can someone suggest other 7+ multi channel pre/processors to match the above hypothetical system?

Thanks,
hazyj"

What kind of replies did you think you were going to get? Then, in the middle of all this, you bring up all this BS about you being an EE, and all the rest of it. People do this almost on a daily basis here. They start these endless arguments that go on forever, that can neither be won or lost. I know the difference between a very small difference in SQ that may be difficult or impossible to hear, and real differences. We were talking about passives like the Placette, Adcom and other ones around that level, and then comparing them to some actives. And then I have to listen to you tell me about how overconfident I am because I can list the sonic differences between them. I've heard all those preamps and can easily tell the differences between them. They were answers given in the context of you needing a new preamp. You changed the rules, not me. Here, maybe this will make you happy: Would I notice a difference in SQ if you were to cryo the rca connectors on the Placette? Probably not. Happy now?

"I'd guess that at least half the members on audiogon have studied engineering and science and am absolutely certain that many also have graduate degrees in these disciplines."

That's the problem. They all say that but are they really? I don't think so. You can believe whatever you wish. Also, you did clearly state that you are a master in the disciplines you list in your post.

"I have no idea how to design the best pre-amp - why in the world would i know such a thing and why would you ask that question?"

If it didn't apply to audio, why bring it up at all?

"08-12-14: Avgoround
ZD542, I NEVER said I liked the ANY mode, neither active nor passive, regarding the adcom 750 pre! I merely stated that the active section was more dynamic and weighty over the passive.. didn't care for any part of that preamp, actually!"

Sorry. But the way you worded your post, it looks like you preferred the active setting over the passive.