• WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!

Emotiva XMC-2 Review (AV Processor)

muslhead

Major Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 28, 2020
Messages
1,560
Likes
1,718
So $3K for a piece of junk then? I love headless panther reviews like these, makes my day.

Then again maybe it was a defective unit? Who knows with that glitchy output.

For AVRs or pre/pros Denon sounds like the only the way to go these days. Or if you are like me just find a high quality dinosaur from the early 2000's, feed it optical in from a Monoprice Blackbird and be done with it.
Defective unit? Uhhhmmm, No. Unless the countless hundreds of others acting the same way are defective too. In which case its not a defective unit but rather product or design
 

peng

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
5,615
Likes
5,167
Yes. Corrected. Thanks.

Amir, while you are at it, please kindly add the Marantz SR8015 on the ranking chart, and perhaps remove one of the AV7705 entry, the one that shows 92 dB that was based on lower voltage (XLR), and just keep the 75 dB one you just tested.

I think is is important to show the SR8015 on that chart so Marantz fans know there is hope, that when the different HDAM version used in the 8015 gets implemented on the lower models (2021), SINAD would be more in line with Denon's.

Thank you.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
That's a shame. By their claims and spec sheets I used to think Emotiva is real high end but budget company.
I looked at their website. Their specs page is just a features list. I may have missed it but there are no quantifiers, no SINAD values, not even the nominal/maximum output level data. With complete lack of objective data it’s not possible to call this a high end product. Unless one is subscribed to the old Aston Martin concept of advertising the engine power simply as “adequate” :)
 

poopy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
365
Likes
293
@amirm What version of firmware was used for the review?

As seen with the RMC-1, performance increased significantly after updating the firmware to version 1.9.
For a fair review of the XMC-2, you should use firmware version 2.2
 
D

Deleted member 28042

Guest
Emotiva seems to be struggling; as an independent small company you'd like to see them succeed but I'm not certain they will. As I've mentioned here previously, they introduce and cancel production of products with alacrity. That's not something a potential buyer wants to see from a small independent company. Trying to build a modern AV processor may be too much of an undertaking for a company this size. Outlaw Audio, a similar independent recently cancelled production of their AV processor and has not announced any intention of building another one.
 

Repdetect

Member
Forum Donor
Joined
Nov 7, 2019
Messages
88
Likes
53
I bought a gen 1 Emotiva XPA-3 amplifier in 2009 for $599. I thought that was a good value for a 200watt into 8Ohm x3 amplifier at the time.

It still works as advertised in my HT for surround channels. I guess things may have changed since at Emotiva.

Same here,. I also have an xpa-5 and a umc-200 processor. Amps have run flawlessly, a few minor issues with umc-200 e.g. pops up to +8db in left channel when initially powering up. Easy to hear and correct. Running umc-200 into a tube am, happy with the sound. Looks like times have changed.... or not, they still stick their heads in the sand on unit issues. Egos. That's why I'll never go back to them.
 

respice finem

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 1, 2021
Messages
1,867
Likes
3,774
I looked at their website. Their specs page is just a features list. I may have missed it but there are no quantifiers, no SINAD values, not even the nominal/maximum output level data. With complete lack of objective data it’s not possible to call this a high end product. Unless one is subscribed to the old Aston Martin concept of advertising the engine power simply as “adequate” :)
Or RR "if there is no fresh oil drop under the car, check oil level ASAP" :D
 

enricoclaudio

Major Contributor
Audio Company
Joined
Jan 7, 2021
Messages
1,105
Likes
2,145
Location
Houston, TX - USA
@amirm What version of firmware was used for the review?

As seen with the RMC-1, performance increased significantly after updating the firmware to version 1.9.
For a fair review of the XMC-2, you should use firmware version 2.2

Pretty sure the owner sent it to @amirm with the latest firmware.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
@amirm As seen with the RMC-1, performance increased significantly after updating the firmware to version 1.9.
For a fair review of the XMC-2, you should use firmware version 2.2
Is it unfair to measure a unit as sold by the manufacturer in exchange of full price and no caveat that performance will suffer until a firmware update?
 

poopy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
365
Likes
293
Is it unfair to measure a unit as sold by the manufacturer in exchange of full price and no caveat that performance will suffer until a firmware update?

Everybody knows that new AV devices are just beta version when released with poor and/or unstable performance.
 

DonH56

Master Contributor
Technical Expert
Forum Donor
Joined
Mar 15, 2016
Messages
7,835
Likes
16,497
Location
Monument, CO
Everybody knows that new AV devices are just beta version when released with poor and/or unstable performance.

My experience with Emotiva vs. Denon, Pioneer, Sony, and Yamaha is that Emotiva is far more "beta" than those. Mostly they just work out of the box. Chances are most folk would not notice the relatively poor measured performance, as distortion is still at a pretty low level, but the buggy user interface is an instant annoyance.

That said, IMO it is not unreasonable to ask Amir or the owner to check the FW rev and list it. Emotiva has some history of shipping out processors without the latest FW. The usual expectation is to do a FW update out of the box first for most any of these beasts.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
Everybody knows that new AV devices are just beta version when released with poor and/or unstable performance.
You are wrong at least in my and my likeminded friends’ cases. You may be confusing missing features which are delivered with future firmware updates and communicated clearly on purchase. Selling a beta product without explaining that clearly is as false advertising as it gets. Your argument doesn’t hold.
 

poopy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
365
Likes
293
You are wrong at least in my and my friends’ cases. You may be confusing missing features which are delivered with future firmware updates and communicated clearly on purchase. Selling a beta product without explaining that clearly is as false advertising as it gets. Your argument doesn’t hold.

Glad to know that all those people on Arcam, Anthem, Emotiva, Monoprice, etc forums are only discussing missing features and do not encounter any problems with their AV receiver or pre/pro...
 

respice finem

Major Contributor
Joined
Feb 1, 2021
Messages
1,867
Likes
3,774
Just that some manufacturers are "bold" enough to release half-baked products, doesn't mean we must accept it as the "new normal".
My NBL is full of such smart @sses... The only exception is software, which is never really "done", but even there, due diligence is called for.
 

sarumbear

Master Contributor
Forum Donor
Joined
Aug 15, 2020
Messages
7,604
Likes
7,314
Location
UK
Glad to know that all those people on Arcam, Anthem, Emotiva, Monoprice, etc forums are only discussing missing features and do not encounter any problems with their AV receiver or pre/pro...
As far as I can see your premise is; because there are many AVR customers unhappy with their products we must accept all AVR products to be shipped with issues.

Am I correct?
 

poopy

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
365
Likes
293
As far as I can see your premise is; because there are many AVR customers unhappy with their products we must accept all AVR products to be shipped with issues.

Am I correct?

That's not a question of accepting or not, we just don't have the choice. That's how the AV receiver/pre-pro market currently works. Main issues will get fixed based on customer feedback, in the form of firmware when it is possible. Hence my point of getting the latest firmware prior to measurements.
 
Top Bottom