Just today, in the XMC2 thread on Emotiva Lounge, KeithL from emotiva responded with more detail from an XMC2 owner that is experiencing the issue when using a sonos connect via optical. So the behavior is still in the XMC2. Whether it occurs or not seems to be depend on specific criteria occuring. Here is what KeithL had to say:
"Just to put this in perspective...
Most commercially recorded songs include a "lead-in" or "fade-up".... where the song takes a few seconds to actually start.
And virtually all commercially produced digital audio, including CDs, is dithered... (and most recording apps do so automatically).
The digital muting on the XMC-1 only engages after a string of several samples of undithered silence...
And, when it engages, it takes a maximum of 120 mSec for it to disengage (1/8 of a second)...
Therefore, it is only noticeable.....
- if a song contains unusual stretches of pure undithered digital silence
- if a song starts directly on the first note with no lead-in whatsoever
These are situations that very rarely occur in real life."
Hi all, this is my first post after lurking for quite a while. I had to sign up to chime in on this!!
I'm thrilled to see this muting get documented because I have had this muting problem since I first got the XMC-1 and support/Keith was zero help. The muting problem is HORRIBLE. I was distraught when I read that the XMC-2 and RMC platforms have the SAME issue and that Emotiva is ok with it. This particular issue is the only thing I hate about the XMC-1 and couldn't wait for the XMC-2, but it WILL force me to use another brand if that is the case.
The XMC-1's aggressive muting of silent passages DOES NOT only happen in obscure circumstances, but in real world, common situations as well.
Many people do not experience the issue (or do not notice it), based on their content/sources but for certain content/sources it makes things unlistenable. It will not happen during a song or movie but happens to me all the time when listening to podcasts, lectures or watching youtube videos with a person talking in a quiet area or studio.
The problem with the muting is the time it takes to "unmute". If the person speaking pauses, then resumes, it chops off the first syllable of what they said. This can happen easily 10 times in every sentence on the worst offending content. There are several youtube channels and podcasts I can no longer watch through my XMC-1 because of this awful muting.
People speaking directly into microphones in a quiet studio or even on stage (Ted Talks) is a common thread to the problem, particularly headset microphones make the XMC-1 muting circuit go crazy.
I did a LOT of troubleshooting and, from memory, the problem existed when playing a problematic youtube video on 3 different model Rokus, a PS3, and my PC. It happened using HDMI, Coax and USB inputs of the XMC-1.
HOWEVER, what was very interesting was that when I set my PC's audio output to 16 bit, the muting went away.
24 bit = muting, 16bit = no muting. Very strange. This is the only way I can watch certain content if I want it to go through my AV system, PC only, no roku, and change to 16 bit output in windows.
I wish you still had the XMC-1 to confirm this and I would love some more insight if what I shared contributed to solving the mystery at all!
I think, maybe, it is a way to cheat specs and appear to have a lower noise floor. You can crank the volume on silence and hear no hiss, not because the unit is SO good, but because it turned off its internals.
I did make a video of the muting happening, maybe I can upload it here?