Emotiva RMC-1 AV Processor Review

[StevenEleven]

To quote Emotiva themselves (on the Emotiva forums), they claim they're not a "software company" so it's hard for them to release stable code for their processors. They probably should have just stuck to manufacturing their speakers and amps (although even the XLRs on their amps are wired backwards, which I'm just now finding out).

They wire their XLRs backwards? Backwards? I mean is that something that just happens or is that as absurd as it sounds? I picture a bunch of semi-competent technicians from multiple disciplines in a small space cluelessly implementing multiple levels of failure points.

 

[SirMaster]

snip

​

​

Hey amirm,

Thanks for reviewing all these AVRs.

I have a friend with an RMC-1 and he has found that sometimes the unit will screw up or changing settings or even inputs and other simple things actually require a full power cycle to fix. Like you need to pull the power out, wait long enough, and then plug it back in. A simple unit reboot is not sufficient to fix some oddities that it seems the RMC-1 has.

It’s probably too late now but that might help with some of the odd behavior that you found.

I might even suggest running multiple tests between full power cycles for sanities sake to even see if the measurement results are consistent.

 

[Worth Davis]

I think I’m going to start donating 1% of my savings from ASR avoided purchases, edit * done* thx ASR

 

[garbulky]

Ah yeesh. This is worse than the previous generation XMC-1. What happened? Is it a test issue? It's so confusing because they already know how to make a better measuring processor - the XMC-1. They also have an AP to test.

Just a note, you emailed them on friday and only gave them till Monday?! That's like two business days. Less if they hadn't even gotten to reading your email! I know that time is of the essence, but that's kinda quick.

 

[Doodski]

They wire their XLRs backwards? Backwards? I mean is that something that just happens or is that as absurd as it sounds? I picture a bunch of semi-competent technicians from multiple disciplines in a small space cluelessly implementing multiple levels of failure points.

I've seen several operations where they have untrained women doing the assembly. Because they said women stay and don't get tired of the repetition and being untrained they receive less pay.

 

[Maconi]

They wire their XLRs backwards? Backwards? I mean is that something that just happens or is that as absurd as it sounds? I picture a bunch of semi-competent technicians from multiple disciplines in a small space cluelessly implementing multiple levels of failure points.

From Emotiva themselves:

https://emotivalounge.proboards.com...ces-speakers-important?page=2&scrollTo=999764

OK ..... absolute phase ..... once and for all .....

On the balanced outputs .....
On the XSP-1, the XMC-1, the XMC-2, the RMC-1, and the RMC-1L .....
Pin 2 is (+)

On ALL of our amps that have XLR inputs ....
Pin 3 is (+)

(There were good engineering reasons for this choice originally; and we have continued it so all of our amps are consistent.)

And, if you're really concerned about absolute phase, and convinced you can hear a difference ...
Then you can reverse the absolute phase by ...
- EITHER finding or building interconnects that swap Pin 2 and Pin 3 ...
- OR swapping the red and black on your speaker connections ...

He's conveniently glossing over the fact that most people have different amps in use at the same time (for instance, the amps in your subwoofers) which will cause phase issues when trying to do room correction and what not.

 

[Blumlein 88]

If someone one make a different product it wouldn't matter. What product? Let me buy however many stereo DACs I need. Maybe 4 for a 7.1 system. You provide a unit that is all digital. Digital inputs and you do the DSP for the various surround formats and the video. No need to sneak in crowded low performing analog. Just do me the Digital only processor. Let me send out the digital result of decoding it all and feed it to whatever DACs I wish to use. That should clear it up. The digital box can extract all the needed licensing fees from the various companies like Dolby Et Al.

 

[amirm]

I have a friend with an RMC-1 and he has found that sometimes the unit will screw up or changing settings or even inputs and other simple things actually require a full power cycle to fix. Like you need to pull the power out, wait long enough, and then plug it back in. A simple unit reboot is not sufficient to fix some oddities that it seems the RMC-1 has.

It’s probably too late now but that might help with some of the odd behavior that you found.

I went through a lot of that with 1.7 version of the firmware. I must have rebooted the thing half a dozen time. Version 1.8 seemed to make the unit more robust.

As I explained though, the measurements point to electronic design issues, not software.

 

[StevenEleven]

I've seen several operations where they have untrained women doing the assembly. Because they said women stay and don't get tired of the repetition and being untrained they receive less pay.

You‘re serious?

 

[amirm]

If someone one make a different product it wouldn't matter. What product? Let me buy however many stereo DACs I need. Maybe 4 for a 7.1 system. You provide a unit that is all digital. Digital inputs and you do the DSP for the various surround formats and the video. No need to sneak in crowded low performing analog. Just do me the Digital only processor. Let me send out the digital result of decoding it all and feed it to whatever DACs I wish to use. That should clear it up. The digital box can extract all the needed licensing fees from the various companies like Dolby Et Al.

Copy protection makes this complicated. Any protected video over HDMI must comply with HDCP rules with stipulates no unprotected digital audio link can carry audio over 16 bits or 48 kHz sampling (section 3.3.1.1). Since there is a lot of content with higher resolution than this, from marketing point of view at least, this would be a tough sell.

 

[Doodski]

You‘re serious?

Yes, very serious. I could train people to do what I've done in many instances and by their success or lack of it during training I will know if they can be left alone and work. Lots of stuff isn't rocket science and can be managed by a willing intelligent person with attention to detail and common sense.

 

[Thomas savage]

If someone one make a different product it wouldn't matter. What product? Let me buy however many stereo DACs I need. Maybe 4 for a 7.1 system. You provide a unit that is all digital. Digital inputs and you do the DSP for the various surround formats and the video. No need to sneak in crowded low performing analog. Just do me the Digital only processor. Let me send out the digital result of decoding it all and feed it to whatever DACs I wish to use. That should clear it up. The digital box can extract all the needed licensing fees from the various companies like Dolby Et Al.

Yes, and a software centric company might do a better job of this than a audio centric one.

B&W springs to mind as there recent merger places them in the right skills zone to produce something like this imo.

Copy protection makes this complicated. Any protected video over HDMI must comply with HDCP rules with stipulates no unprotected digital audio link can carry audio over 16 bits or 48 kHz sampling (section 3.3.1.1). Since there is a lot of content with higher resolution than this, from marketing point of view at least, this would be a tough sell.

Booo!

Could that not be navigated by Wireless audio

 

[amirm]

Could that not be navigated by Wireless audio

Only if it has a studio-approved copy protection system. Otherwise it has to have forced downsampling.

 

[Gedeon]

Since Emotiva XPA power amps are rated to work at 1.5v (unbalanced) ... Shouldn't be fair to also take measurements at 2.8-3v through XLR ?

 

[amirm]

Since Emotiva XPA power amps are rated to work at 1.5v (unbalanced) ... Shouldn't be fair to also take measurements at 2.8-3v through XLR ?

I have answered this three times already in this thread. See: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...a-rmc-1-av-processor-review.11673/post-336317

 

[Gedeon]

I have answered this three times already in this thread. See: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...a-rmc-1-av-processor-review.11673/post-336317

You have lots of patience with us... however I guess if this machine flaws to give around 100dbs SINAD even matching it with its own line of power amp products (I insist in 2.8v) no way to save it from the pile...no way...

Thanks a lot anyway for the review.

Let's see if sooner or later builders try to be more honest/transparent when publishing their specs.

 

[Thomas savage]

Only if it has a studio-approved copy protection system. Otherwise it has to have forced downsampling.

So yes , the video would have to pass through our digital box though to sync up the incurred delay of all that processing and wireless transmission of the audio .

Still I doubt this will happen as the market is focussed on soundbar's. No company is going to put the required r&d in for such a tiny market share.

I think multi channel devices like this will just die off , it's a lot less hassle to have a great soundbar and just goto the cinema now and then for the full experience.

Modern domestic fashion is incompatible with multi speaker setups. Maybe a system that relays on the end users wearing open back headphones and delivering the surround experience that way would be better .

Would need a button on there that allows quick and easy conversation between parties watching/listening at home and a setting that allows some ambient sounds (don't want to not hear the baby crying up stairs or miss the oven timer ). But that technology exists as the new Bose noise cancelling headphones do that.

 

[pavuol]

 

[astr0b0y]

The blue LED (OLED?) is a good choice for a dark theater.

I disagree with this. In face I feel blue is the worst choice for a dark theatre. Blue light doesn’t hit clearly at the back of the retina and so I always slightly out of focus. This makes it both hard to read and distracting.

 

[Blumlein 88]

So yes , the video would have to pass through our digital box though to sync up the incurred delay of all that processing and wireless transmission of the audio .

Still I doubt this will happen as the market is focussed on soundbar's. No company is going to put the required r&d in for such a tiny market share.

I think multi channel devices like this will just die off , it's a lot less hassle to have a great soundbar and just goto the cinema now and then for the full experience.

Modern domestic fashion is incompatible with multi speaker setups. Maybe a system that relays on the end users wearing open back headphones and delivering the surround experience that way would be better .

Would need a button on there that allows quick and easy conversation between parties watching/listening at home and a setting that allows some ambient sounds (don't want to not hear the baby crying up stairs or miss the oven timer ). But that technology exists as the new Bose noise cancelling headphones do that.

I think you are on something interesting. The lockdown by format owners means it's doomed to second rate audio. They've killed the golden goose. Av audio is like cassette tape.

So soundbars will (actually are) dominate. Multi channel with quality is hamstrung and super niche. Mostly will die as a non-violable market.