Emotiva XMC-2 Setup & Review | Dolby Atmos, DTS-X, Dirac Live Processor
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- Опубликовано: 7 сен 2024
- We review the Emotiva XMC-2 processor with Dolby Atmos, DTS-X and DIRAC Live.
BUY HERE:
XMC2: emotiva.com/pr...
RMC1: emotiva.com/co...
RMC1 Review:
• Emotiva RMC-1 Review &...
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Review Room: • HOME THEATER TOUR! 4K,...
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Sony 65A9G: bit.ly/2oxpJpD
Sony 75X900F:
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B&H - bit.ly/2MXyr8V
XPAND X105-RF-X1 3D glasses: amzn.to/2wGmmMz
Trinnov Altitude 16: bit.ly/2wec1My
McIntosh MC255
McIntosh MC257
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Panasonic UB9000:
Value Electronics - bit.ly/2n41miZ
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Amazon - amzn.to/3399vTl
Oppo 203: amzn.to/2MgN7PM
AppleTV 4K: bit.ly/2qbWoSK
Bowers & Wilkins CT 7.4: bit.ly/2n41miZ
SVS PB-16: bit.ly/2QjiH47
Salamandar Talia Seating: bit.ly/2n41miZ
Middle Atlantic Rack: bit.ly/2J4wuX5
Niagara 3000: amzn.to/2ZHPOkM
Niagara 5000: amzn.to/31U7ufI
Shot on:
Sony a7III:
Amazon: amzn.to/2Bx0K90
B&H: bit.ly/33R19iP
Sony 24mm
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You have a nice high quality production value to your vids, there are other channels looking at budget gear which is cool but I love the higher end stuff you review. Keep the great content coming!
Yes I have one and it’s excellent after Dirac
Me too. Just ran dirac abs I’m amazed
Excellent video Shane. Really liked the efficient but interesting way you worked thru the menu and Dirac features.
Lol loved the Patrick Bateman American Psycho reference!! Great job Shane
Not to many movies fans in the comment section I see. Your the first to catch it 👍
I can confirm as of Jan 2021 the issues mentioned are still there and then some...like losing audio altogether and having to do a hard reboot... Returned!
Any improvement to the issues ???
@@jayjustgames1725 I've had mine for about a month. Aside from the HDMI ARC weirdness sometimes it's been pretty solid. Sounds amazing. Dirac if used properly is a game changer
Yeah... Yeah... I'm sure you had one right? Where is your video? What is you go to now?
What settings have to be on or off ? I have no sound with hdmi ark to tv. The osd and the am/FM tuner work fine. 😔
I received mine and no issues with it. Sounds amazing!
As always....Great video Shane👍
Just got the XMC-2 in along with the XPA-5, and a BYO XPA-7 all high powered channels. Will be setting up a 4 post rack and upgrading the system over the weekend. This will help. Thanks!
Let us know how you like it.
That sounds awesome yes let us know I'm interested hearing your thoughts
This Processors price was down to $2300 from $3199. Currently have a 7.2.4 but want a 7.2.6 and when I change my livingroom to long way a 9.2.6. I just ordered it
You got a great deal
I got mine for $3200
16 channels and Dirac for $3k... Don't think there is anything cheaper out there in that category, no? Pretty sweet looking setup
There's nothing out there with Dirac this low as far as I know. It's one of the most affordable processors out there. Only $3k 😁
@@therealshanelee let me check my couch for that spare change 😉
Hopefully this will push the competition's prices down too.
This is an incredible piece of machinery. I love my Xmc2. I had the Denon 4700 as a pre pro and then the Marantz 7706 abs now the xmc-2
@@raymondayala5355 did you notice a difference between each ? If so how much? I ask as I’m currently in the market to upgrade from AVR this unit
Don’t know if you still have the xmc2 but the 3.1 firmware came out and I think they fixed all the bugs and gremlins , it’s actually pleasurable, was a big heaping pos before the update can someone do a review on it
I have the xmc2 I absolutely love the sound and the channel separation but Shane has been upgraded he has the pinnacle of home theater processors Trinov I think it cost almost 20 grand
@@moveezy5591I love mine as well. Still have mine and it sounds better than ever. That Dirac made it sound like a real cinema
Have had mine for almost a year now and love it! Can't wait to get my Dirac kit and get it setup!
You'll love it.
My 4th emo prepro
@@therealshanelee can I use 15 studio monitors with this + 1 professional audio subwoofer?
The thing folks need to understand...
Just because you paid $$$$ for some high end component 10 + years ago, doesn't mean it automatically sounds better. Two things: Boutique brands have huge markups to command prestige. Not 5-6x cost, sometimes 20-30x cost. 2nd? There are better ways to make things now. Faster, more powerful and higher quality opamps and capacitors, along with DAC and other chips.
Fact: I had the $5,000. Sony SCD- SACD player. A good $499 cd player sounds better now. Emotiva would get praise from the high enders if they just price gouged and charged $5 grand and gave the XMC-2 some exotic name.
Would like to see more about target curves
Thanks for actually showing us around the system. Dirac seems to be a bit too advanced for me right now. Audyessy is turn key.
It's actually just as easy to use as audyssey. Just better sounding.
@@therealshanelee Do you have to mess with the speaker groups and response curves in order to get a good result?
@@pierrecastanets1974 only if you want too.
Been waiting for this review for a long time! Finally glad it has arrived! I’m curious to know how good was the HDMI switching? Do the two HDMI outs work independently? (As in are they able to operate two separate sources at the same time, huge benefit on game days when they come back that is)
I’d also be interested in the hdmi switching/performance.
@@shaner3d its working awesome now only issue I have is with arc its working but if I turn my TV on it won't pass sound to my TV I will have to switch the xmc on to get sound then switch it off if I just want the TV sound only but if I disable arc it works perfect
Used my XMC-2 for less than 10 hours and it had to be returned for warranty work. This is the second Emotiva product that I've owned that had to be returned for warranty service. Re-Think High End? Maybe better off if you actually buy high end. In my opinion, onscreen menus are always incredibly annoying with Emotiva. Have fun with raspberry pie. I constantly experienced handshake problems between between my Emotiva products and Apple products.
You can see the happiness on Shane's face 😂
His reaction are the best lol
Yea shane thats what I was asking you about the other day my kit wasn't working just got a new SD card for the pie and am in business am running dirac live tonight .nice honest review by the way and that pop u be hearing my unit doesn't do it its dead silent
Perfect timing! I've been trying to decide between this and the Monoprice Monolith.
After this review witch one are u leaning towards
@@JairusJ If you have the cash to spare emotiva is very hard to beat.
I would go with the monolithic it just does it all.
I’ve had the XMC2 now for 5 months. It’s buggy. However if you are experienced in this hobby then they are easy to correct and spot. They all require a hard reset of the unit. The 2 bugs that are really annoying are the mid channel heights completely disabling Atmos at times. The mids just shut off and have no volume even when going into speaker level settings you get nothing out of them unless you restart the unit. Once restarted it comes back. Only happens in 7.2.6 or 9.2.6 does not happen in 7.2.4 or 9.2.4. The second is when this starts to bug out Dirac drops out as well and it completely ignores your speaker size settings and turns all of my speakers to large instead. Again restarting the unit fixes this issue. I’ve noticed if I turn the unit off when I’m done instead of putting the unit in standby the issue happens way less. Just hold the button on the remote or the unit to do so.
However with all of that I still wouldn’t trade this unit for any other than the RMC-1 this unit makes my speakers disappear and puts objects in my room. It’s so distinct that it made the Dirac bug noticeable to me. The unit can do the same without Dirac however the sense of your speakers disappearing and leaving objects goes away without Dirac. It’s gotten to the point that I reset my unit between each movie just to make sure that the bug is cleared. It’s amazing. I hope they work these bugs out. Best unit for the money. PERIOD!!! Not recommended to inexperienced users. Go Marantz instead.
@@JavonDGreen that's the route I took. Bought myself the Marantz cinema 50, together with the emotiva BasX A3. I felt that the RMC 2 was just beyond my understanding, what with all the bugs. I'm happy with my set up and my marantz cinema 50. Sonically to me it's sound is rich and warm. I'm predominantly movies/TV with about 30% music.
@@sawolaja65I’ve heard a Marantz only one time at my local HT retailer and I was very impressed. If I didn’t like the Emotiva so much that’s what id’ve picked. I have learned how to do a complete REW room calibration and import it into my Emotiva and I must say that I like it even more now. I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. However you made a good decision.
In the past, I’ve owned a full suite of Emotiva gear. If you, like me, had an XMC-1and recall what happened with the rollout of the HDMI 2.0 board, you’ll realize that while it is a good bang for your buck, the issues will never actually be fully worked out and you will probably give up waiting for HDMI 2.1 inputs/outputs. I wish it weren’t so, but it is. On the software side, Emotiva is a disaster. Just look at how long it took to implant Dirac, it’s been YEARS. Even now, it’s still just a work-around.
Oh it's good. Just upgraded still waiting on my interface kit.
Btw, I found a pair of Energy Veritas towers online. Have you had the pleasure of listening to those?
Those are decent speaker
I have heard them before but it was a long time ago. Energy made great speakers. I haven't heard any of the newer stuff.
@@therealshanelee Don't bother with the new stuff. Post-2005 they're owned by Klipsch and no bueno.
Did you end up buying energy Beritas speakers?
How does it work if I want to use 15 channels but two subs? Do I have to use a y splitter? really wish they didn’t make you choose between 13 speakers and 3 subs vs 15 speakers and one sub.
I hope to god Emotiva has an upgrade plan & plenty of HDMI 2.1 upgrade boards on the way! And the oh it "might" be available at a later date but we wont say how much extra that will be is fubar! Also if I want the Dirac bass control for my Klipsch THX ultraII subwoofers I would have to pay an extra $500! F that! I'll revisit the model that succeeds this one... maybe
Well done my man
Love IT nice job emotiva
Should you really increase mic gain when doing the level of the speakers? Master output should be used, right?
Also needs Imax Enhanced. Good luck finding a 11 channel amp
Here you go ruclips.net/video/2xckkmrbVbQ/видео.html
Good review Shane. Love that Joker poster btw.
Can you do a review for the outlaw audio 976
Shane personally for your own use do you do full frequency room correction or limit it down to a certain lower frequency say like 500hz? Thanx 👍I own the RMC-1. PS blame you for that expenditure 🤣 But ur dead right it’s night a day compared to using a denon AVR for prepro duties 😁 Loving the jump.
I go full normally. But it depends on what speakers I'm using at the time.
SpareChange I really liked how detailed it sounded before room correction from just manually setting distances and levels. Found room correction to dull down some of the higher pitched detail. I put a bump in the mid high frequency and stole some of that back which possibly ain’t the best way to go about it 🤔 My living room ain’t likely the best acoustically sounding and I realise I probably could make it sound so much better but there’s no way she’s going to allow me hang acoustic panels 🥺 Really appreciate the time you take to reply 👍 Enjoy watching your channel and value your views.
@@robintodd3901 I would take a look at the before and after graphs then limit the correction to where the after graph starts rolling off.
What does it mean to have fully differential channels?
Good question but I did like the fact that he said he couldn't tell a difference between the XMC and the RMC so that's good news.
I am buying my speakers now, but because I don't know much yet about processors or av receivers, I don't know which to buy(I'll have 11 speakers). I want it for ONLY streaming movies and Prime Music. Any help on which to buy? ANYONE!?!
Since you had a few sound processing units in your home cinema, could you tell us if you were able to tell the diffrence in sound quality between one or another with the same speakers/amplifiers setup?
I can. Don't know about everyone else.
@@therealshanelee Which one do you like the best ? Currently i have the NAD and interested in picking this Emotiva. Your thoughts ?
@@TechinaSec101 I think you'll be satisfied with either one really.
@@therealshanelee the only thing that Emotiva lacks is Auro 3D
@@georgepopescu1327 where is the content. JK.
Hey Shane I was having an issue running dirac i couldn't get pass one take it keep saying to many noise clips then after days I notice it running a sweep for a second sub even though I have it configured for mono sub so I had to go in n tell it dual mono just to get dirac to run but I have a feeling it didn't worked out the way it should have
Nice review, hey pal how do you compare this to avr for example the new marantz 8015? Is the difference that big in quality and home theater experience?
It's mentioned in the video 😉
I think this might sound better 👍
At least I'm hoping so because I would like to get one also this is one of the only processors that has Dirac that has a 30-day return policy if you're not happy 😁
@@hddanman7263 I had the 7706 and the XMC-2 blew it out of the water
I've been looking at the emotiva xmc-2 I'm wanting to go separate I was looking at anthem but some of the issues and being expensive in Australia how do you compare this to The Anthem 60
I just received mine and it’s incredible!!
When you took out the raspberry pi I knew this isn't for me.
It comes with the Dirac live kit from emotiva. It’s pretty easy to figure out after watching a few videos and running dirac a few times
Does anyone know if there’s a plan to release an HDMI 2.1 chipset as an upgrade to these processors, or do we need to wait for an all new line of products?
that pop happens when the decoder enables atmos emotiva gotta fix that
Shane are you still rocking out the xmc 2 in 2022. In your personal home theater setup ?
I still own it.
i have a denon 8500, slowly working on going fully prepro with it. would i notice a significant upgrade going to something like this (currently a 9.1.4 setup)
I noticed a good difference. I had the 6500 using as a prepro.
I had the x4700h as a pre pro and then a Marantz AV7706 and now the emotiva. The XMC-2 is the best processor I’ve heard so far.
So what’s the difference between the XMC-2 and the RMC-1 besides $1K?
Rmc can be upgraded to 28 channel I believe as well has upgrade slots for future proofing the system.
Hi there! which one would you suggest between yamaha mx-a5200 and monolith 11x.
Also, you think it is a good timing to buy Marantz 7706 at this time knowing they have issue with new xbox? Should I wait or get the 7705 instead. I am also thinking emotiva xmc 2. Thank you.
I had both the 7706 and XMC-2 for testing and the xmc blows it out if the water.
Now only if HDMI-ARC would work...
Lol thats a tricky one
Birth certificate? Where’s the marriage certificate?😂👍🏼
Just so we have perspective in performance. Can you give a comparison of this and your trinnov.
It's awesome for $3k but it's no Trinnov.
@@therealshanelee 🤣🤣🤣
@@therealshanelee sure its not the price point making the difference in your head shane lol
Shane - you said it’s in line with the NAD M17. I am about to mate the matching NAD M27 amp. You have me thinking maybe I save $3K on the M17 and go with the emotiva if it’s that close. Thoughts?
Not a bad idea.
@@therealshanelee I tried the Emotiva and had Dirac setup and licensing issues. Frankly, the whole router/raspberry pie, run 3 wire mess was silly. Their Support was incredible. I bought the M17v2 to match my M27.. After trying the Arcam av40(horrible), Anthem AVM 60(great detail, easy setup, not as rich sounding as M17)
Well done! Can you please get your hands on the Lyngdorf MP-50 or MP-60. I have read that room perfect is easier to setup than the Trinnov room correction and sounds as good or better. Would love to see a review
I've had an MP-50, I've now got a Trinnov. I can tell you that the trinnov absolutely blows the Lyngdorf out of the water.
@@markburton358 I'd be curious about the new mp-60. Not sure I can get to the Trinnovs price tag without a few thousand comments from my wife.
Question. did you leave your channel levels set before you ran Dirac? Or did you set them all to 0 first?
I set mine to factory reset mode and then let dirac do its thing. You just have to shut off the channels you aren’t using
You think better sound for 13.2 channal which one is the best.1.emotivs RMC-1or xmc-2
2.marantz av 8805
3 Anthem AVM 70 Thank you.
He answered that xmc-2
XMC-2 all the way
What does the Dolby Enable sub setting do?
You can set up those two subwoofer outputs as subs or as height speakers.
Is this better then the NAD M17 V2 you reviewed earlier?
I'd say so but they have their bugs you'll have to deal with.
sorry for silly question. i currently own Pioneer AVR. If i purchase this device (xmc2) , do i give up Pioneer and connect speakers directly to xmc or what's the arrangement here? thanks !
ruclips.net/video/1eOxqbQY__g/видео.html
You’ll need separate amplification.
Would you choose this over the marantz 8805a?
Yes
@@therealshanelee thx for the response. That's encouraging.
Shane, where are the Kef Subwoofers?
Back with Kef.
Where did you get the t-shirt?
Got it years ago on Amazon.
What's the difference between a processor and a receiver?
ruclips.net/video/1eOxqbQY__g/видео.html
I have an Anthem Statement d2v 3d with ARC, which sounds phenomenal. However, doesn’t support latest formats and 4K. The xmc-2 looks interesting but can it really compares sonically, to my 10K+ processor?
Your not getting the best audio from your movies. It's time for an upgrade.
@@therealshanelee I have no plan for going beyond 7.1 , the reason why I never got the urge to get Atmos decoding. Does it worth upgrading still ?
@@JesterHammer I also have the D2v3D and no way would i replace it with an Emotiva. Whether for music or movies, it's outstanding!
@@JesterHammer Yes, the XMC-2 will run any system 5.1 and up to 16.1.
@@barneyjones5174 Emotiva is too quickly dismissed, Anthem has always padded out their pricing anyway. Don't be fooled. The Anthem is a good piece, but it's not the be-all and end-all. It can be equalled or beaten. It's all about the design, not just high price
What firmware version was this review based on please?
Don't remember but I believe it's in the video.
Hey Shane, great video, I'm looking at this, the marantz 7705 and the anthem avm 60. Both this and the anthem are $3k and I can get a 7705 for $2200. I really don't see myself ever needing 16 channels all things considered what would your suggestion be between those 3
Emotiva sounds better and is upgradeable.
@@therealshanelee Thanks 👍 I appreciate that. The only thing for me is the dirac seems pretty hard to set up correctly but I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out
@@brianhorrorfan if you can use audyssey you can use dirac.
Yeah I have a denon 7200wa now so I'm familiar with that.
How you enjoying the Mac amps?
Can't complain.
2 grand right now. They must be trying to get rid of them. Might be too hard to pass up at that price….
do you have to buy a pi or is one bundled with it?
Comes with it and for those that had it before dirac was available a kit was mailed out to them
It'll come with.
How would you connect this to blueray
HDMI
@@therealshanelee sorry....i meant bluetooth....meaning can you stream our phone to it?
Can't decided between this and the Marantz 8805A. I do have Emo amps all around so it would make sense to go with it. The lack of Dirac Bass control is a worry. I have a Marantz 7704 now and it has done a great job with bass control But XT32 is in need of an upgrade I think.
He said in another video the XMC-2 blows the 8805 out of the water. I had the 7706 and it just couldn’t compare to the emotiva Xmc2
@@raymondayala5355 Do you have a link to the video? I have an 8805 and its the best I've ever owned.
@@MrElchavI can’t find the video but I remember him saying it somewhere
This or the Arcam AV40
This
Just $ 3000 ...lol
haha right lol
If you're a long time Emotiva fan you get a lot of loyalty discounts.
Coming from a guy who has a Trinnov Altitude it is cheap-ish
@@BrianGarside apparently he has a lot more SpareChange than most people do in the cushions of their couch
@@JumpRopeLift Yeah the Emotiva Pre-pros have a long way to go IMO to build a brand reputation against others like Trinnov, Anthem, AudioMaster, Yamaha, Marantz .
I'm sorry did I just hear that correctly? "Only $300.?"
🤣🤣🤣 I wish
right out of the box this thing is horrible , Ive done my homework but the user interface is horrid and I cant get my subs to work although its prob something dumb , i miss my marantz already , prob return the xmc-2 if cant figure out and like it somewhat . seriously graphical user interface is subpar , i feel stupid trying to go thru it and the remote I thought it screamed quality at first but it has me screaming why is this thing so big and heavy , dont let it fall off the couch onto your foot . it should be called the POS-2 I hope I can reply to this take it all back but so far it sucks. my TV tries to find the devise but since its not a major brand I cant get my remote to do anything . Not my first rodeo with receivers , Pre pro yes but they have all been user friendly , Im not a stuckup audiophile that has time for this crap. and yes I experienced the clicking chirp when navigating
All the non main stream pre pros have some sort of bugs. If you want the best reliability go with the marantz/ denon. If you want better sound stick with emotiva, nad, anthem etc.
@@therealshanelee im finding that out now , all the reviews I haven't herd anyone say how bad the interface is , its truly disgusting . I have a couple of there amps and thought I would match the stack but I want to be able to enjoy my time . Im calling emotiva on tuesday to figure out maybe they can walk me thru everything on my day off . Shane the first one I got was DOA out of the box I had to return it . I really like the app for the marantz I can make changes on the fly with each input with the app , will i be able to do that ? I cant even figure out how to set the crossovers or why my subs dont receive any signal via XLR I have 2 pb16s going into the xlr inputs and I have another xlr going into two QSC amps for Transducers sub left , right and center are all dead , do I have to turn them on somehow , and to get any kind of real sound I had to turn on the loudness feature or it sounds sick without it on. maybe once its setup correctly Ill be amazed but till then if I have to bail on this xmc-2 what do you recommend being the best PRE in the 3200-3500 range im having thoughts about the 7706 and call it a day coming from a sr6013 , I want a serious upgrade. buyers remorse for sure , Im trying to be positive and am willing to see this to the end .
ok, so I spoke with emotiva at length to configure some of the issues I have and they are very helpful . still haven't went thru calibration yet but from what I can hear so far I do hear detail I never heard before. Let me be the first the say this is not your average receiver menu its just a little more complex but once you get past that its allot better , I dont love it yet , but i do like it , hopefully I will learn to love this guy , I was fighting it at first but its getting better. would be nice to have an app for changes on the fly like marantz but it does not. remote is not family friendly its a brick with sharp edges. once im done with calibration Ill update hopefully Ill have a smile from ear to ear like some reviews Ive read after calibration with dirac.
Russian comment please
$3k and still has issues LOL smh
Yeah like the crackles he mentioned between transitions. I wonder if its any good for music.
@@BrianGarside my unit doesn't do anything like that
The new firmware just iron out alot of things
@@chriswelljack4910 neither does mine. Just pure crystal clear dialogue and incredible channel separation. I had the Denon 4700 in pre amp mode, then the Marantz 7706 which sounded like an incredible “home” theater… but the XMC-2… it just sound like my cinema down the street. Legit sounds like a REAL THEATER. Granted I have Shane’s 1723s Arendal monitors for front stage,1723s surrounds, XPA DR3 for front stage, XLA-200 for surrounds, Fosi mini amps for heights, 4 SVS ceiling speakers, dual PB 3000s and a VAVA 4k UST(projector) 150’ screen and 6 acoustic panels from GIK acoustics. Had my fiancée give up her office so I could build this little beast of a theater 😆. It’s a 12x14 space with 10ft ceilings. I have 3 acoustic panels in the back of the room and 3 up on the ceiling and blackout curtains to help with the reverb.
The XMC-2 is on another level
@@raymondayala5355 nice nice nice my shit scares the hell out of me if I take the volume to the -40s lol then the upstairs neighbor starts banging the floor
Yikes. $3000 and no HDMI 2.1 inputs.
3K for this crap. Give me break.. That hook up of Dirac r u kidding me.. The menus from the 70's. The Monolith HTP-1 blows this crap away.
It better blow it away. It’s $2 grand more. Such an odd comment.
@@therealshanelee The price is 3999 on Amazon. I'll pay that for something this is really worth it.
Paul Stone well even at $1k more it sure better be a lot better. Plus the extra $500 for bass management.
@@therealshanelee Which one would you spend your own money on? Not a review sent by the company?
@@paulstone9755 $1k is a big gap between the two. I also wouldn't spend my cash on a 1st gen processor no matter how attractive the price is. Add the fact they have zero history of making prepros. We'll see what happens on their second gen.
wow, "only $3000"
If your shopping for separates you'll know that $3000 is on the cheap side. If you've only ever used receivers that can start at $200 then I can see where you might think $3k is a lot.