Your videos are always spot on!! It amazes me how Emotiva puts out all these new products when their current products are still to this day not working properly. I feel like that's a slap in the face for all those existing customers that are still having issues that paid thousands. You would think they would take care of existing units before putting out more. smh 🤔
I truly hope that they are investing in R&D to fix the concerns that so many owners have. If they could keep their sound quality, but upgrade their UI, HDMI boards and get a good Web UI, they would kill the game. Unfortunately, at this point I fear it's just wishful thinking.
@@shaolin95have you seen the test of emotiva poweramp? Bloody awful 65db snr 🤣 I have tonewinner at300 it's fine for the price I paid. No major issues. A little basic but can't complaint £1000 for 16ch AV pre
"as long as it's working properly" that's the key. I hate bashing on companies. I currently own multiple Emo amps and have for years and love them. Unfortunately after going through 3 RMC-1L that had many issues from DOA to locking up, I bought a Anthem and have no issues (knocking on wood).
I bought the rmc IL 2 years ago at full price and haven’t had one issue with it absolutely love it sounds great with movies and music l would highly recommend it.
@@SpecOfTech ya buddy so far so good since I took out of the box I did use the setup menu Manuel for my adjustments haven’t used Dirac yet but sounds pretty fantastic with the adjustments I made.
I always enjoy your videos, particularly your candid thoughts. It is a rare thing in the world of TH-cam presenters to be so upfront. Excellent work, very ,very well done 👏.
Pretty happy with our Emotiva RMC-1L overall. Especially with the latest firmware release, which has been a very solid effort. No major bugs, and just really does sound sooooooo good. Appears many of the early issues people ran into have (admit slowly) been fixed. No show stopper bugs, or other issues, so very thankful of that. Hopefully Emotiva can fix any remaining issues experienced by others.This is still serious money for most people, so should hopefully eventually live up to it's promising potential for all owners. Sound quality definitely competes with much higher cost units I have used and heard. Seriously amazing sound quality, both for 2 channel music, and the various surround formats. Definitely shocks with just how very good it is. Really is honestly a giant slayer in this regard. Cannot praise Emotiva enough for offering this, especially in this market place, where processors can run to $15,000 plus. If they can speed up its operation (mainly boot time low power mode, hdmi lock on, general UI), fix the last of the other minor issues hurting some, it will definitely be a genuine giant killer! Looking forward to the upcoming RMC-1-L+ upgrade to see what it can offer. Web based setup is a very good start, hopefully they keep status and volume OSD though. Too many other processors have lost even basic volume onscreen display! The new more powerful chips, and care with the UI should hopefully get it working at a level that pleases most. These unit can really be amazing with just a little more care and polish, I am hopeful they can do it. Would love to see more use made off those dual oleds front of unit, maybe channel use indicator, VU aka Storm audio and other high-end units. A move to quality colour display oleds would be even more exciting, and help it stay modern. On another note always found Emotiva staff great to deal with when needed, go above and beyond. Not a guarantee in today's world. Hopefully they can come through, they deserve to be successful, and in the end it will only benefit all of us, the consumer. We need these small manufacturers being competitive with the big guys. Brings amazing things. Thanks heaps for the thorough and honest review. Always look forward to your excellent videos, some of my favourites on TH-cam.
I have the xmc-2 and they just released the newest update 3.2 last week I think. Emotiva does have bugs but they sound so good. The latest update made a better improvement but they still have a little more work to do. I also had issues with Dirac!
They do sound really good, you definitely can't take that from them. I truly hope they make some leaps and bounds in the near future regarding their functionality and UI.
Great review - fair and honest to point out the bugs while leaving the possibility for Emotiva to share a solution to the bugs. Hopefully there is a simple fix for it and it is not too common an issue, but at that price customers have a right to expect it to work properly and consistently.
Absolutely, they should be selling a product that is reliable out of the box, unless there is a defect. They shouldn't be selling something that has known issues that haven't been fixed for years.
Alright Barrett!!! I'm glad that you decided to go the Emotiva route!!! I'm waiting on their new RMC-1+, RMC-1L+, and XMC-2+ processors to come out sometime between next month and september!!! Then I'll make a move to my end-game processor.🙂
Thanks man. I hope they can get their bugs sorted out for their new releases. I want them to succeed with their next iteration, with UI and functionality being their biggest downfall ATM.
Well done as usual, appreciate the honesty, I've been an XMC-1 and XMC-2 processor owner for quite some time and agree with your assessment as far as referring it to the masses for simplicity and ease of use. Set it and forget it customers are not the target buyer at this point, and yes if you have some know how or experience with setup and calibration it's not that difficult. Sound and separation are amazing, however I have not experienced the center channel issues you have with music or movies. Also there has been an update earlier this month which you may already been made aware of and implemented. Definitely interested in your full assessment of the product if you choose to further review it after speaking with Emotive and maybe the update possibly helping at all with your particular issue if at all possible .
Thank you for mentioning that, I was not aware of a more recent update. I will have to apply the latest update when I get home from out of town. Did they say what the new update was supposed to improve/fix?
@@SpecOfTech UPDATES & IMPROVEMENTS in FW v3.2 : - All new rewritten and improved HDMI firmware. - Enhanced stability and reliability for HDMI switching. - Enhanced stability and reliability when switching audio decoding formats. - Improved consistency and reliability with HDMI-CEC and ARC support. - Significant improvements in overall system stability. - A large number of small bug fixes that will collectively lead to a much improved user experience. - (Fixes the “Loading Fonts issue” experienced by some users with FW v3.1).
I had a rmc1L. i bought it when they had just released the new firmware late last year. definitely sounds great with movies. It was too buggy for me to keep. it would hang up switching between hdmi inputs. i would have to reset it. if it just sat in a dedicated home theater maybe i could overlook those things. i returned it for the avm90
Yeah, someone else I know did something similar. I shared I was looking at emotiva and he said, friends don’t let friends buy emotiva processors. I am intrigued by the anthem avm90, but no Dirac is a deal breaker for me
I'm a suffering RMC-1L owner. Great sound when it works. But that is not as often as I'd like. I don't want to spend north of $10k for a processor since they go out of date so quickly. But that seems to be the only option to get great sound and good usability
I appreciate your fairness and objectivity here. I have been closely watching Emotiva's evolution with their processors as I'd really like to give them a try. If I had to choose between user friendliness/reliability and sound quality however, I think I'd sacrifice a small drop off in the latter in exchange for a better user experience. Maybe one day Emotiva will get there but at the moment I simply don't trust their QC for a unit I'd expect to keep at least 5 years.
Full disclosure, I was the one helping Barrett compare the two amplifiers. I appreciate your honest review and hope emotiva can reftify this issue with a firmware update. As far as centre image, its importatnt to know that this listening was done in two channel and we are reffering to a phantom centre image. Not the centre channel itself as this was turned off. Im also wondering if what you heared in the Dolby Demo on the left side was perhaps due to the imaging issue favoring the left side!
Full disclosure, that was really awesome of you to drive that beast all the way down to my place to do the comparison. I really do appreciate you doing that, and I am looking forward to conducting that comparison again. The box/crate alone is a massive, you can't say they don't take extra care in packaging their products. Yes good point, we were listening in stereo mode with a phantom center image. I am hoping the viewers understood that is what I meant by center image. The sound pronounced sound I was referring to on the left side was coming from the left surround channel, and it was before the center image issue we experienced. Before you came down the Emotiva did have a locked in center image in stereo mode, I did about an hour of music listening and it was definitely locked in the days prior to your arrival.
I loved Emotiva, their Power amps are great ( not the BasX line thou ) but tried their pre-amp/receiver line and they were very, very bad. Stick with their power amps and even then I would now go to the Tonewinner.
Been running this unit for 6 months. Did not experience your issues with left side imaging etc.; however when streaming music (Apple TV) or use of CD - sometimes the initial second or two of sound is skipped so not a clean start to a song. Also, no issues with switching inputs (using digital and analog sources) - switching it is very long/clunky but accurate. For music the “stereo mode” with sub has produced incredible stereo sound - whether streaming, cd or turntable. And 5.1 cinema sound is outstanding. All this sound quality without DIRAC implemented.
Jesus, could they make updating firmware (3.1 to 3.2) any more difficult?!?! After numerous attempts still failing to load despite following Emotiva’s very specific and involved instructions…
I appreciate the review, thank you. My lcr, rear and 2 height speakers are Emotiva (2 SVS subs) and have their BasX 3 and 4 amps with an Anthem AVM 60 processor. Very happy with this setup. I do like the look of the RMC-1L 16, but when I was first itching to move away from receivers and reading reviews, Emotiva wasn't getting the feedback you'd expect for putting out processor money. Purchased the Anthem used, and in my small space has been stellar. Currently don't have a music streamer but am considering, so the Anthem AVM 90 would be a great review if you haven't done one already. Cheers!
I have reviewed the AVM90 and AVM70, both are stellar units. I did experience a few bugs when the AVM70 first released, but they were quick to fix them. Both units operate very smooth now. The AVM90 is fantastic for movies and down right amazing for music.
Very good review! I like your format (how you organize the sections) and style. I will cite this video in my next video where I review the MR1. Hopefully I can get the few viewers I have to check out your channel too.
That is what I always read and hear is Emotiva sounds incredible WHEN, keyword WHEN, it decides to work right. I will gladly sacrifice some sound quality I won't notice unless I A/B or never experienced and/or money to have a consistent reliable unit. When I come home from work and want to listen to music or watch a movie, I want to do just that instead of fiddling with the the processor or worrying that it is not going to work.
With the center image is based on the first Mike placement on running direc set the Mike away from the back wall and the chair and it should be locked in
When I took my first measurement I placed it at my main listening position. I'm not sure why you would have to place the mic away from your main listening position for it to produce a good center image? I used the Dirac recommended locations for all the measurements.
@@SpecOfTech I have found th being away from the back to furniture in the back wall more towards the front of the couch or even a little more in front of it center
@@stevenfritz21 Thank you for sharing, this may help others with the issue. Personally, I would consider that a flaw. You shouldn't have to stray from recommended mic placements to get a center image. I also want to point out, I mention in the video that I did have a center image, but for some reason it drifted on its own. I can't explain why it drifted, but something happened in the processing that caused the drift. I did send my log files to Emotiva in hopes they can figure it out, because others have reported this as well.
My rmc1L goes into fault mode @ -15db. Running Tyler T2, S, and Dr2. Asked Chandler to exchange it for me as opposed to trying to Chase bugs and being with out my Prosser.
I have one and love it ..there a few bugs with all AVR out there they nake great stuff so I knew I had backup for any problems in the future but so far so good thanks for the video😊
I believe the center sub XLR connector can be use for something else then a sub as per manual? I may be wrong. they did release the 3.1, but I had issues spoke to Brent and he sent me the 3.1.2 which fix all issues, not they release the 3.2 which updated many things in the unit. Now I am very happy with it. Even compare to my McIntosh MX180 in my audio/media room. As for Dirac, I had the same issue also a very metallic sound in the treble, and affected the volume as well , (was a big difference) so I finally realize after reading all instructions that my Laptop was not set up properly to work with the microphone and created all this weird issues, after I set up proper;y all that was gone in my case
In the past year I've been thru no less than 7 processors, (2 different companies) due to malfunction. What a pain!!! Currently waiting for #8. Pray for me.
Great review as allways!👍🏻 I have an AVM70 and regarding build quallity the Emotivas look soooo much more premium on the back. This is one area where Anthem really need to improve. E.g. the connectors on the Anthems look kinda cheap without the gold plating and my RCAs squeek and feel like the will break off when I use more expensive cables...
Great review. I appreciate the passion you have for this hobby. I’m in the process of considering an upgraded processor to support a 9.2.4 configuration. I looked at emotiva but just don’t want to be frustrated by bugs, glitches, etc. if you want a direc live processor that supports 9 bed layer, 4 Atmos channels and have 2-4 subs, the options are limited
I hear you my friend! There are some excellent options but the price can quickly get out of hand for the top tier processors. I am considering trying the Arcam AV41 next. The thing that concerns me, is there are no real reviews on it...why aren't people buying it and reviewing it...? It is one of the few that can utilize the Dirac Live Bass Control software, which has peaked my interest.
Agreed, have had mine for 5 months and its like an old car with personality. I should name it betsy or something. Dont care, sounds incredible! Ill upgrade to new one eventually and hopefully the bjgs will be fixed. Always appreciate your friendly videos.
Nice video as always. A honest reviewer will hopefully give Emotiva the additional feedback necessary to make it better. I have had a love/hate relationship with the Emotiva processor and its early predecessors and the sound has always been its best attribute followed by the understated looks. Many bugs have been slightly resolved over the life cycle however its just taken too long to correct many of them and the larger software update process seemed to be a bit much for the uninitiated user . I initially had multiple source devices connected through it and that was one of the worst experiences however once I configured it for 1 hdmi source and split my audio and video it really started to shine operationally and add a hard reset occasionally to address the sound stage drifting or bass anomalies. The Gen4 processor is in the works and hopefully they take the experience from G3 and build on it and don't debut until its ready for the masses. The mid to high processor market offers so much opportunity for growth before anyone considers going full tilt for Trinnov ,Storm etc.
The fix for your problem is there impending board upgrade. Myself I am holding off for a solid year after that comes out to see if it holds up. It's definitely time to wait on Emotiva and probably buying a new processor at all. Because if the new hardware is successful and brings the units to what they were originally imagined to be than these could become a kickass product right around the corner.
If they can update their processors with HDMI 2.1, new UI, web UI, AND it will work properly...they will have a true giant killer on their hands. They have pretty much nailed the excellent sound quality category.
@SpecOfTech Myself, I really hope they do because I bought an xpa 7 already, got a good second hand deal on it and have decided I would like to run the xpa series for all of my speakers and once I save up a bit I'd like to buy one of their processors. I'd really like it to be the rmc1 but I'm not going to go for that one if it can't expand the number of channels.
I have long been considering going separates with Emotiva, but I've just heard over and over about how buggy their stuff is. In the end, if I'm paying multiple thousands of dollars for a component, that's just not acceptable. I'd actually rather pay a bit more and have a flawless user experience with another brand. This will be equipment I plan to have for many years, and I don't want to constantly have to fight with it just to make it work how it's supposed to work.
Turning off Dirac will change everything especially if the Direct correction session was before speaker toe-in. They are working on a Plus / G4P. All the Anthem features.
I wasn't turning off DIRAC though, I was switching between Preset 1 which was levels, distances and center image locked in and set, to Preset 2 which had Dirac filter enabled. Both presets had a center image before the listening session, as I had set them up in the days prior. Something changed within the unit 100%, I am not sure if it's hardware or software though. I hope their new units with Web UI and HDMI 2.1 will be more of a completed product that function smoothly and mostly without issues. If they can pull that off, they would have a happy customer out of me.
Combability, HDMI, dated ergonomics. Slow response to request of action. Has to be reset more than say others out there. This is for somebody who has been around. The DACs are a small part, big part is the Fully Differential Balanced topology. It sounds great. So if wonky is okay, Emotiva will do fine. If you are looking for an automatic consistent performance and functionality, you want to look elsewhere. I have an XMC-1, and for me it has been great. Sound, and HDMI switching works great. My Oppo, and Sony BluRay worked great. My computers work great too. I have the 4K UHD upgrade board too. It just works great. I have friends that had like the basic pre pro with issues. Tonewinner and Emotiva have much in common. Not a coincidence either.
Great video! as always. I have never owned an Emotiva product. Have owned many other AVR's and Processors. My Gem was the NAD M17v2. The Emotiva looks really nice, a high quality piece, feature rich, and a highly regarded brand. Really too bad that it does not function properly. The big brands, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, ect are pretty much bullet proof. As I understand there were some issues with the first new 2.1 HDMI's that came out, but the Emotiva has the older 2.0 which should be perfected. I recently purchased a Onkyo RZ50 for my family room. Flawless operation, a breeze to set up, Dirac, and sounds really good, especially with the Paradigm X15 (thanks Barrett!)👍. Seems Tech these days is hit and miss. One would expect a product (any) simply work as advertised. Too many problems for me. My fuse is short regarding functionality. Great job relaying both the good, and the not so good! I cant wait "till the Mcintosh vs TW AD1PA heavy weight fight airs! as a AD1Pa owner, it will be very interesting for sure. Cheers!
Yeah, sometimes it makes me want to get something that just plain works and stick with it...BUT curiosity killed the cat and my pocket book 😜. I can't wait to do a more formal comparison between the McIntosh and Tonewinner. What a beautiful piece that MC452 is though...just wow!
I hope they land on a reliable unit someday. I have no idea where they get their processors made or parts but their avr looks alot like a Tonewinner. Maybe that is more reliable?
At 11:02, what he is trying to say is "If you want a stable product that works well, without bugs and with a clean, usable user interface, buy something else" (full disclosure).
My experience with Dirac was great, but there is one little bug with the Dirac software and Windows software. You have to make sure to turn off all mic enhancements for the USB mic within the Windows software. If not, then you will not get a continuous sound signal on the input side. I am making a video about this, and will be releasing it hopefully this week. DLBC is not available for the Emotiva processors as far as I know.
The led light ring around the power button, and the big selector are a no-no straight away. Nothing more irrating is large lights in your face catching the eye. Rotel does the same. What makes manufacturers think that is what people want. If you can turn them off, that is OK. The tiny dim led that shows the unit on or in standby is more than enough.
Thanks Spec! You're taking one on the chin for us bums looking at this equipment. This IS a premium product regardless of Emotiva's heritage of being a value brand. I believe it's their flagship product and it's reliability should reflect as such. I remember you having similar buggy issues with Anthem's AVM series processors back when they came out and I ranted against that in the comments. I am just extremely disappointed that brands promote these high cost products and yet send them out half-baked with channel drift and crooked displays. I'd just get a ToneWinner because all the components come from China anyways, why pay an American premium??? Again thankful you're so upfront and it makes me question a lot of the other Audio YTber's gushing about this company. Plus you're Canadian, so gotta support the local bros.
haha it's funny you should say that, that is how I feel sometimes. Sometimes I feel like just sticking with the Tonewinner AT-300 processor and call it a day. Then curiosity kicks in and I wonder if there is a unicorn processor out there that ticks all the boxes for a reasonable price lol.
I've missed something here. I've watched this twice. Other than the left-leaning soundstage, what was the other major "issue(s)" you had with this? I don't own one. I have no dog in this fight. I still own and use a first-generation (2012) XPA-5 power amplifier, which has never given me a problem. I used to own an XMC-200 preamp/processor, which stopped working properly in early 2019. Emotiva told me that parts were no longer available and that it could not be repaired. Did the promised follow-up review of the RMC-1L ever appear? I was unable to find it.
The second issue I discussed was the change in volume when switching from Preset 1 to Preset 2, then back to Preset 1. I highlight it in detail in the video. Other than those issues it's just more minor annoyances like buggy HDMI switching etc. The first unit they sent to me had a crooked screen. That sums up the issues I think. I have not released a review yet, I do plan on doing one, but my work schedule and other reviews have taken precedence.
You are correct my friend. As an XMC-2 owner since last November, I’ve dealt with many bugs. The firmware update I installed yesterday did not fix them all. However I would not have recommend this processor to anybody who doesn’t have patients or a beginner to home theater hobbyist before this update. There are still some things that don’t seem normal in OPERATION. However sound quality bugs are all gone and it sounds unbelievable. It sounded great before, however that update changed the game. At least in my experience. I’m not sure what they did to make it sound better. With that said it’s literally only been 24 hrs since I installed this firmware. I was considering moving on but I think that’s on hold now. If things stay stable I would say that for the money you couldn’t get a better processor than an Emotiva.
Just a quick comment on the two bugs you have experienced as both are known. There is no fix for volume and profile changes ATM and it is still present in 3.2 FW. AFAIK the volume drops only for C channel when it happens. They only recently learned how to isolate it for testing so probably it will take some time to be solved but as long as you don't change profiles you should be grand ;) The drifting center image I remember reading about for quite some time. I am not sure what is the fix or if it was sorted in 3.2. But yeah bugs are real, so is the SQ :), but you know all that first hand by now :) It is very interesting to read that you find AVM90 a bit better on SQ department. That is impressive of AVM. So that would mean that Trinnov is even better? Thanks and i hope you will keep :)
Thank you for the info, maybe that's why Emotiva have yet to get back to me. They are aware of my issues, and are already trying to fix them. The AVM90 is a fantastic piece of gear, but you pay a premium for it as well. But yes, Trinnov is better, as it should be at about $30,000 lol.
@@SpecOfTech ahh I don't think it works that way with Emotiva. The trim change (as they know now with profile change) is present for at least over a year so I don't think they will be trying to fix it for you now but I would love if they had reaction like that to your messages and channel :). That would mean we have some kind of leverage. Same goes for drifting center image. The bug is known for at least over a year. Probably for years. I believe there is a workaround for it but I am not entirely sure. If there is one, you will find the answer either by searching or asking at Emo forums. Do you experience any pops and cracks? If you don't and you are still on 3.1.x FW upgrading to 3.2 might introduce them or increase both intensity and how frequent those are. Good news is you can downgrade from 3.2 to 3.1.x. Emotiva is extremely slow to resolve bugs in their FW but for most, there are either workarounds or are so specific that can be avoided by re-thinking ;) configuration. Probably not what you wanted to hear but usually once user settles on a config after initial setup phase and ironing out of most pressing issues Emo tends to work predictably unstable ;) so in other words most learn it's quirks and workarounds for them. Might not be best workhorse for comparisons though ;) Still they are making progress with FW and recently the release are more frequent again after almost a year without one. I am very new to Emotiva myself and as my system is evolving I am not even sure how usable it will be for me when I start to use it daily. But I know it sounds really good so I am willing to give it a shot despite the bugs.
I had the center image shift issue once on my RMC-1L, and I suspect it was the result of loading multiple Dirac filter sets (from the app) in a short period and without shutting down the external Dirac box in between. A "Low Power" restart resolved the issue for me and it has not resurfaced in the last 6 months. Emotiva is aware that this issue has occurred for a few folks, although it might be tough to fix due to the sporadic nature of the bug. WRT volume "changing" when you flip from one preset to another, I have not had this issue. Like Sebna mentioned, there is a known issue with (primarily) the center channel levels and delays being zero'd out/defaulted under certain circumstances, mainly when the unit comes out of a "low power" restart. The current "fix" for this is to flip between speaker presets to force the filters to reload, and this works for me 100% of the time. Of course is what causes the issue you are talking about, so that's a strange one... All in all I love my RMC-1L and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Although a bit annoying, I do have workarounds for those issues so I'm fine with it.
The title is just a quote from Emotiva. Barrett knows what endgame processor to buy, but on a review channel trying to help with low high to mid low end stuff, Trinov or Strom isn't something anyone can just buy off the shelf. 30K for a processor is for the 1% of the 1% 😆
I purchased a Processor From Emotiva and the processor keeps Looping will not turn on. I call Emotiva and there response was the unit is discontinue and we no longer support or repair that unit. I left a review on the website and they did not post it. IF you go to there website all you see is 5 star reviews (Bull Crap) My best advise is DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON EMOTIVA EQUIPMENT. Better company with better support.
I did sell the AVM90 already. I haven't made any official plans for the next processor, but I am considering the Arcam AV41. I have thought about the Marantz AV10, but I feel it is overpriced. I know that most products in the audio arena are somewhat overpriced when considering the cost of making them, but I feel the Marantz is a little more so. It does offer a lot of bells and whistles, but from past experience with Marantz, there sound quality doesn't fit the price range IMO. I truly hope that is not the case with the AV10, but it's a hefty price to pay if I wanted to find out.
My EMOTIVA RMC-1L have problem from the beginning, but it is a big problem, Noise like shooting from one or more speakers when start songs on TV, not always but most of the time, I updated to 3.2 firmware a long time ago and it didn't help, it's a serious glitch.
Im so glad i didnt buy this. 6 months ago i had this in my cart. I did more research realized Went for buy once cry once & spent $4000 for Anthem 70 8K. Its been a beauty. I use Emotiva & now Tonewinner Amps thanks to you 😂
The XMC-2 does sound fantastic, I can't take that away from them. But you will experience bugs, it's not a question of if, it's when. If you are willing to put up with some bugs and glitches, you will undoubtedly enjoy the sound of the XMC-2. If you don't want to deal with bugs, I would recommend the Anthem AVM70. If you can increase your budget, I would recommend the Anthem AVM90.
Hello Barrett I am thinking about buying the Emotive RMC 1L which is on sale now for $2710, but I would like to get your input as how good the AVM90 is compared to Emotiva RMC 1L for music. Is AVM90 really worth the extra 4-5K?
That is a really great price for the RMC-1L. The AVM90 is really refined for music, it goes head to head with some pretty good 2 channel equipment. The RMC-1L was a little more analytical, or sharp, for music. The AVM90 is just more refined, and is my favorite processor for music. For me personally, the AVM90 is well worth the extra cost because it just plain works. I had so many bugs and headaches with the RMC 1L, it was frustrating. That being said, the RMC does sound amazing, especially when considering the price.
@@SpecOfTech thank you for your response 🙏. Since you really like the AVM90 and think it’s worth the extra I will most likely go with AVM90 as well (it’s on sale for $6375).
I have a lot of Emotiva product and I love their amps and even their stereo preamp, but each time I try any of their Dolby products there are issue. This is the mean reason I send them Back each time and I still don’t have any of their Dolby PreAmps. The issues seem to be in the software not the Hardware and they have already solved a lot of bugs throughout the years. But still it doesn’t feel complete without good working software.
Sorry, I can't answer that. I have never heard the AV10. My guess would be that the RMC-1L has better clarity and dynamics. That is just an assumption based on how good it is in those regards.
@@SpecOfTech I was just trying to determine if I should swap my RMC-1L but not sure if I should. Thought about the AVM90 or AV10 but not sure how significant the difference is and if that’s worth $7k.
@@alvaromarquez1751 The AVM90, I would say is slightly better in sound quality over the RMC. The AVM90 is leagues above the RMC for being user friendly and lack of bugs.
Yes yur right and yur evaluation for the emotiva processor is correct ,their soft ware has lot of issues . As i had mentioned bto you earlier that although bthe sound is nice and crisp on basx mc1 but it never had Bluetooth EQ software in it ,when I called up emotiva they sent me an apk file and i had to upload it on the processor later ,even now when I switch inputs there are times I don't get sound immediately infact I don't get sound so i have to rtn back to the original input signal and switch back to the new input signal to get sound out of the processor...or sometimes i have switch off the processor as well and then restart it . Now I and having issues with tearing sound when I pause skip or even change the the movie title frm atmos to any other multi-channel sound .....this is very irritating and emotiva dose not have any solution to it .u have a non biased opinion and i love that .
I don't care for this trend of companies releasing new products and the customer having to wait for an update so it can operate ideally. It's not just Emotiva, and it's not just in audio.
I’ve been looking all over to see if any emotivas do 4k 120hz. Can anyone answer that for me ? Can’t seem to find the answer. Debating between one of these and a marantz cinema 50.
Question for you. Did you set your levels back to zero before you ran Dirac? If not I would recommend you do that then rerun Dirac. I only ask you that because you said you set your levels and distances. Also are you on there new firmware 3.2 fixed a lot of my issues. Lastly changing distances within the processor doesn’t do anything after Dirac is run. It sets the impulse response automatically within Dirac.
I appreciate the suggestions my friend, but I think you missed an important point in the video. Preset 1 is without Dirac, and Preset 2 is with Dirac. I was switching between the 2 presets. In Preset 1 I have the levels and distances set, in Preset 2 I left it at zero and allowed Dirac to do its thing. I have not updated to firmware 3.2 just yet, it came out after I recorded this video. I will update it when I get back home from out of town and see what happens. I have asked Emotiva if the new firmware was designed to fix my specific problems, among others, they haven't replied yet.
@@SpecOfTech I caught that in the video. However swapping between different presets is where a lot of problems start to happen. Or even different Dirac calibration files within the same preset had been known to do this. I’ve owned my unit since November and most of those issues have gone away since installing that firmware a little over 24 hrs ago. Like you turning off the unit and back on corrects the issue only temporarily. Once you’ve changed presets it completely messes everything up. It basically behaves for me like it refuses to look at the Dirac calibration anymore after swapping back. It also completely disregards my crossover settings. It’s a weird bug. Install the update and see if it corrects those main issues like it did mine. Best of luck.
I would consider the AV10 yes, but I do feel that the AVM90 would have the edge in sound quality. Although, I am not sure how good the AV10 will sound with Dirac. Typically, Marantz processors do fall behind in sound quality versus other similarly priced competition because Marantz is one of those everything and the kitchen sink brands (all the bells and whistles). Their main focus doesn't seem to be the best sound quality in their price segment. At least that is my opinion on them. Still a great product, don't get me wrong, just doesn't seem like their main focus is sound quality.
I am not sure about a center channel issue, but I was experiencing some stereo center image drift. I sent them the log files and the sequence of events on how/when it happens. I have not received an update on whether they fixed it or not, but hopefully with that information they can fix it.
@@SpecOfTech Wow thanks for the reply. One more question how would you rank the three emotiva, Marantz n tonewinner on their pre amp processor's. Not every one has big money to toss around. Tonewinner pre amp price reminds me of outlaw s back in the day which I still have in my spare room.
I had the update that was released in Nov 2022. Which I am not hearing there has been a very recent update. I will need to install the newest update when I get back from out of town. I hope it fixes the issue I had.
I have the RMC-1. It sounds good. But it’s a buggy peace of shit. Also where is there channel count upgrade module? Spoke to them and told them they have falsely sold a processor that has the possibility to upgrade channel count. I realise there was going to be a wait for the add on card but the wait has been perpetual. Oh and to add to that there bringing out a plus version. Shall we take that as admittance there 1st version is just hardware flawed. Thought I bought the bones of a receiver that was going to be built upon not replaced and made obsolete.
This couldn't all be more correct. I have an xmc2 and I will never purchase an emotiva processor/receiver again. Their credibility is shot and who has time for all this buggy nonsense.
My biggest problem is too many companies today, releasing incomplete products that do not work properly wanting people to spend thousands of their hard earned dollars in hopes of a fix someday down the road that either takes way too long to come or in some cases never comes at all This trend has got to stop with companies abusing customers like this and this is not just an IMO Teva problem there are tons of companies doing this crap today vote with your dollar people stop buying these products until they complete it and make it work properly out of the box That is what they have a team of engineers that are supposed to do before they release a product and on something you are spending multiple thousands of dollars on there is no excuse at that point
I loathe Emotiva. Releasing products that aren't yet ready for primetime. Using paying customers as unpaid beta testers. No way that first unit should have ever been shipped in that condition.
I definitely would not have recommended this receiver at all. It’s too expensive to be this incomplete not $3000 even at $1000 it would be horrible. Hell I would be scared to sell this crap to anyone else. It’s outdated appearance doesn’t help this is a definite NO GO 👎. Elevated price does not make this a good bye.
It does come with its issues, no doubt. With that said, it does have sound quality that punches above its price. For that reason I can see the appeal for some, because they won't mind some bugs if they are getting top tier sound quality for less.
I love there amps . I have xpa amps running my whole home theater 7.4.4 but you cant pay me to own one of there processors! Unfortunately.... i d love to have all my equipment match. They look great , i hear sound pretty good when they work. But to spend thousands of dollars on something that has that many probs is out of the question, for me . I plan to go from my marantz to the anthem , because well they just work !
Same, I have a XPA 11 gen 3 running my 7.2.4 system and it works great. I have a Denon 3700H as my processor but I hate it with every fiber, it’s having hand shake issues with my Apple 4k TV and my Epson Ls12000. I have the Denon set to as basic as possible and the video switch is so laggy it isn’t even funny, we’re talking 30 secs to a minute and half the time the sound will come but not the video, then it goes to static, cannot wait to replace it.
@@LuciferXI that's strange , that's nit like denon at all. Maybe you have to turn something on or off on the settings . But I would absolutely contact denon customer support. I have a marantz , & denon are made by the same people I have zero problems . Or it may be a setting on your projector idk . But I d def reach out to customer support to get to the bottom of it .
@@bric7244 it’s the Denon for sure. This issue has migrated to my Amazon fire stick 4k. I had to turn the display down to 1080p @ 60 just to stream Upload. I’ll reach out to Denon customer support tomorrow.
Your videos are always spot on!! It amazes me how Emotiva puts out all these new products when their current products are still to this day not working properly. I feel like that's a slap in the face for all those existing customers that are still having issues that paid thousands. You would think they would take care of existing units before putting out more. smh 🤔
I truly hope that they are investing in R&D to fix the concerns that so many owners have. If they could keep their sound quality, but upgrade their UI, HDMI boards and get a good Web UI, they would kill the game. Unfortunately, at this point I fear it's just wishful thinking.
@@SpecOfTech I agree 100%
Yep that is why emotiva pre are a huge no no for me. Plus no dirac or even xt32
@shaolin95 I like their amps, but that's about it!
@@shaolin95have you seen the test of emotiva poweramp? Bloody awful 65db snr 🤣 I have tonewinner at300 it's fine for the price I paid. No major issues. A little basic but can't complaint £1000 for 16ch AV pre
"as long as it's working properly" that's the key. I hate bashing on companies. I currently own multiple Emo amps and have for years and love them. Unfortunately after going through 3 RMC-1L that had many issues from DOA to locking up, I bought a Anthem and have no issues (knocking on wood).
Good choice my friend. I tried the Emotiva and Arcam, but ended up going back to the Anthem AVM90.
I bought the rmc IL 2 years ago at full price and haven’t had one issue with it absolutely love it sounds great with movies and music l would highly recommend it.
I am glad you have had a better experience with it, thanks for watching.
@@SpecOfTech ya buddy so far so good since I took out of the box I did use the setup menu Manuel for my adjustments haven’t used Dirac yet but sounds pretty fantastic with the adjustments I made.
I always enjoy your videos, particularly your candid thoughts. It is a rare thing in the world of TH-cam presenters to be so upfront. Excellent work, very ,very well done 👏.
Much appreciated my friend, I really appreciate the comment...cheers!
Pretty happy with our Emotiva RMC-1L overall. Especially with the latest firmware release, which has been a very solid effort. No major bugs, and just really does sound sooooooo good. Appears many of the early issues people ran into have (admit slowly) been fixed. No show stopper bugs, or other issues, so very thankful of that. Hopefully Emotiva can fix any remaining issues experienced by others.This is still serious money for most people, so should hopefully eventually live up to it's promising potential for all owners.
Sound quality definitely competes with much higher cost units I have used and heard. Seriously amazing sound quality, both for 2 channel music, and the various surround formats. Definitely shocks with just how very good it is. Really is honestly a giant slayer in this regard. Cannot praise Emotiva enough for offering this, especially in this market place, where processors can run to $15,000 plus.
If they can speed up its operation (mainly boot time low power mode, hdmi lock on, general UI), fix the last of the other minor issues hurting some, it will definitely be a genuine giant killer!
Looking forward to the upcoming RMC-1-L+ upgrade to see what it can offer. Web based setup is a very good start, hopefully they keep status and volume OSD though. Too many other processors have lost even basic volume onscreen display!
The new more powerful chips, and care with the UI should hopefully get it working at a level that pleases most. These unit can really be amazing with just a little more care and polish, I am hopeful they can do it. Would love to see more use made off those dual oleds front of unit, maybe channel use indicator, VU aka Storm audio and other high-end units. A move to quality colour display oleds would be even more exciting, and help it stay modern.
On another note always found Emotiva staff great to deal with when needed, go above and beyond. Not a guarantee in today's world. Hopefully they can come through, they deserve to be successful, and in the end it will only benefit all of us, the consumer. We need these small manufacturers being competitive with the big guys. Brings amazing things.
Thanks heaps for the thorough and honest review. Always look forward to your excellent videos, some of my favourites on TH-cam.
I agree, if they can get their UI operating more smoothly, and get HDMI 2.1 working out of the box, they will be a force to be reckoned with.
I have the xmc-2 and they just released the newest update 3.2 last week I think. Emotiva does have bugs but they sound so good. The latest update made a better improvement but they still have a little more work to do. I also had issues with Dirac!
They do sound really good, you definitely can't take that from them. I truly hope they make some leaps and bounds in the near future regarding their functionality and UI.
Great review - fair and honest to point out the bugs while leaving the possibility for Emotiva to share a solution to the bugs. Hopefully there is a simple fix for it and it is not too common an issue, but at that price customers have a right to expect it to work properly and consistently.
Absolutely, they should be selling a product that is reliable out of the box, unless there is a defect. They shouldn't be selling something that has known issues that haven't been fixed for years.
Alright Barrett!!! I'm glad that you decided to go the Emotiva route!!! I'm waiting on their new RMC-1+, RMC-1L+, and XMC-2+ processors to come out sometime between next month and september!!! Then I'll make a move to my end-game processor.🙂
Thanks man. I hope they can get their bugs sorted out for their new releases. I want them to succeed with their next iteration, with UI and functionality being their biggest downfall ATM.
Well done as usual, appreciate the honesty, I've been an XMC-1 and XMC-2 processor owner for quite some time and agree with your assessment as far as referring it to the masses for simplicity and ease of use. Set it and forget it customers are not the target buyer at this point, and yes if you have some know how or experience with setup and calibration it's not that difficult. Sound and separation are amazing, however I have not experienced the center channel issues you have with music or movies. Also there has been an update earlier this month which you may already been made aware of and implemented. Definitely interested in your full assessment of the product if you choose to further review it after speaking with Emotive and maybe the update possibly helping at all with your particular issue if at all possible .
Thank you for mentioning that, I was not aware of a more recent update. I will have to apply the latest update when I get home from out of town. Did they say what the new update was supposed to improve/fix?
@@SpecOfTech UPDATES & IMPROVEMENTS in FW v3.2 :
- All new rewritten and improved HDMI firmware.
- Enhanced stability and reliability for HDMI switching.
- Enhanced stability and reliability when switching audio decoding formats.
- Improved consistency and reliability with HDMI-CEC and ARC support.
- Significant improvements in overall system stability.
- A large number of small bug fixes that will collectively lead to a much improved user experience.
- (Fixes the “Loading Fonts issue” experienced by some users with FW v3.1).
@@EM-ke8is That is a big update!, hopefully it resolves Barrett's issues!
I don’t want to deep dive when I spend $3000.
21:25 i appreciate Barrett's transparency and objectivity. Another superb review❤❤
Thanks brother, I always appreciate your amazing support!
I had a rmc1L. i bought it when they had just released the new firmware late last year. definitely sounds great with movies. It was too buggy for me to keep. it would hang up switching between hdmi inputs. i would have to reset it. if it just sat in a dedicated home theater maybe i could overlook those things. i returned it for the avm90
Yeah, someone else I know did something similar. I shared I was looking at emotiva and he said, friends don’t let friends buy emotiva processors. I am intrigued by the anthem avm90, but no Dirac is a deal breaker for me
I'm a suffering RMC-1L owner. Great sound when it works. But that is not as often as I'd like. I don't want to spend north of $10k for a processor since they go out of date so quickly. But that seems to be the only option to get great sound and good usability
That is pretty bad hanging on switching inputs. My at300 has crashed a couple of times but pretty rare maybe once every couple of months
I appreciate your fairness and objectivity here. I have been closely watching Emotiva's evolution with their processors as I'd really like to give them a try. If I had to choose between user friendliness/reliability and sound quality however, I think I'd sacrifice a small drop off in the latter in exchange for a better user experience. Maybe one day Emotiva will get there but at the moment I simply don't trust their QC for a unit I'd expect to keep at least 5 years.
Full disclosure, I was the one helping Barrett compare the two amplifiers. I appreciate your honest review and hope emotiva can reftify this issue with a firmware update.
As far as centre image, its importatnt to know that this listening was done in two channel and we are reffering to a phantom centre image. Not the centre channel itself as this was turned off.
Im also wondering if what you heared in the Dolby Demo on the left side was perhaps due to the imaging issue favoring the left side!
What's with "Full disclosure" ? You guys (joraspa and Barrett) seem to be abusing it.
Full disclosure, that was really awesome of you to drive that beast all the way down to my place to do the comparison. I really do appreciate you doing that, and I am looking forward to conducting that comparison again. The box/crate alone is a massive, you can't say they don't take extra care in packaging their products.
Yes good point, we were listening in stereo mode with a phantom center image. I am hoping the viewers understood that is what I meant by center image.
The sound pronounced sound I was referring to on the left side was coming from the left surround channel, and it was before the center image issue we experienced. Before you came down the Emotiva did have a locked in center image in stereo mode, I did about an hour of music listening and it was definitely locked in the days prior to your arrival.
I loved Emotiva, their Power amps are great ( not the BasX line thou ) but tried their pre-amp/receiver line and they were very, very bad. Stick with their power amps and even then I would now go to the Tonewinner.
Could be the smartest assessment of these products I have heard.
Been running this unit for 6 months. Did not experience your issues with left side imaging etc.; however when streaming music (Apple TV) or use of CD - sometimes the initial second or two of sound is skipped so not a clean start to a song. Also, no issues with switching inputs (using digital and analog sources) - switching it is very long/clunky but accurate. For music the “stereo mode” with sub has produced incredible stereo sound - whether streaming, cd or turntable. And 5.1 cinema sound is outstanding. All this sound quality without DIRAC implemented.
Jesus, could they make updating firmware (3.1 to 3.2) any more difficult?!?! After numerous attempts still failing to load despite following Emotiva’s very specific and involved instructions…
Sorry to hear you are having issues. I would contact Emotiva about it.
I appreciate the review, thank you. My lcr, rear and 2 height speakers are Emotiva (2 SVS subs) and have their BasX 3 and 4 amps with an Anthem AVM 60 processor. Very happy with this setup. I do like the look of the RMC-1L 16, but when I was first itching to move away from receivers and reading reviews, Emotiva wasn't getting the feedback you'd expect for putting out processor money. Purchased the Anthem used, and in my small space has been stellar. Currently don't have a music streamer but am considering, so the Anthem AVM 90 would be a great review if you haven't done one already. Cheers!
I have reviewed the AVM90 and AVM70, both are stellar units. I did experience a few bugs when the AVM70 first released, but they were quick to fix them. Both units operate very smooth now. The AVM90 is fantastic for movies and down right amazing for music.
I really wish I can give u a demo with the IL I have it hooked up with the emotiva dr3 and xpa 5 they really do make great products.
Tool many issues and lacking HDMI 2.1 kills this for me as a choice. Thanks for being honest and forthright - not many like you out there !
Thanks brother, I appreciate the comment!
Very good review! I like your format (how you organize the sections) and style. I will cite this video in my next video where I review the MR1. Hopefully I can get the few viewers I have to check out your channel too.
Awesome, thank you!
Good review I was considering the rmc 1L a year ago but I think I'm going with the AVM90
Good plan IMO, the RMC-1L needs some refinement on the functionality side of things.
That is what I always read and hear is Emotiva sounds incredible WHEN, keyword WHEN, it decides to work right. I will gladly sacrifice some sound quality I won't notice unless I A/B or never experienced and/or money to have a consistent reliable unit. When I come home from work and want to listen to music or watch a movie, I want to do just that instead of fiddling with the the processor or worrying that it is not going to work.
There is definitely A LOT of value in having a reliable product, that just plain works.
With the center image is based on the first Mike placement on running direc set the Mike away from the back wall and the chair and it should be locked in
When I took my first measurement I placed it at my main listening position. I'm not sure why you would have to place the mic away from your main listening position for it to produce a good center image? I used the Dirac recommended locations for all the measurements.
@@SpecOfTech I have found th being away from the back to furniture in the back wall more towards the front of the couch or even a little more in front of it center
@@stevenfritz21 Thank you for sharing, this may help others with the issue. Personally, I would consider that a flaw. You shouldn't have to stray from recommended mic placements to get a center image. I also want to point out, I mention in the video that I did have a center image, but for some reason it drifted on its own. I can't explain why it drifted, but something happened in the processing that caused the drift. I did send my log files to Emotiva in hopes they can figure it out, because others have reported this as well.
@@SpecOfTech you’re welcome
My rmc1L goes into fault mode @ -15db. Running Tyler T2, S, and Dr2.
Asked Chandler to exchange it for me as opposed to trying to Chase bugs and being with out my Prosser.
I have one and love it ..there a few bugs with all AVR out there they nake great stuff so I knew I had backup for any problems in the future but so far so good thanks for the video😊
I believe the center sub XLR connector can be use for something else then a sub as per manual? I may be wrong. they did release the 3.1, but I had issues spoke to Brent and he sent me the 3.1.2 which fix all issues, not they release the 3.2 which updated many things in the unit. Now I am very happy with it. Even compare to my McIntosh MX180 in my audio/media room.
As for Dirac, I had the same issue also a very metallic sound in the treble, and affected the volume as well , (was a big difference) so I finally realize after reading all instructions that my Laptop was not set up properly to work with the microphone and created all this weird issues, after I set up proper;y all that was gone in my case
In the past year I've been thru no less than 7 processors, (2 different companies) due to malfunction. What a pain!!! Currently waiting for #8. Pray for me.
Man that sucks. I guess I’ve been lucky over the last 20 years+. Hopefully number 8 will be issue free.
Great review as allways!👍🏻
I have an AVM70 and regarding build quallity the Emotivas look soooo much more premium on the back. This is one area where Anthem really need to improve. E.g. the connectors on the Anthems look kinda cheap without the gold plating and my RCAs squeek and feel like the will break off when I use more expensive cables...
Great review. I appreciate the passion you have for this hobby. I’m in the process of considering an upgraded processor to support a 9.2.4 configuration. I looked at emotiva but just don’t want to be frustrated by bugs, glitches, etc. if you want a direc live processor that supports 9 bed layer, 4 Atmos channels and have 2-4 subs, the options are limited
I hear you my friend! There are some excellent options but the price can quickly get out of hand for the top tier processors. I am considering trying the Arcam AV41 next. The thing that concerns me, is there are no real reviews on it...why aren't people buying it and reviewing it...? It is one of the few that can utilize the Dirac Live Bass Control software, which has peaked my interest.
Agreed, have had mine for 5 months and its like an old car with personality. I should name it betsy or something. Dont care, sounds incredible! Ill upgrade to new one eventually and hopefully the bjgs will be fixed. Always appreciate your friendly videos.
lol Betsy sure does have an attitude sometimes, but when she is in a good mood she's right as rain!
Nice video as always. A honest reviewer will hopefully give Emotiva the additional feedback necessary to make it better. I have had a love/hate relationship with the Emotiva processor and its early predecessors and the sound has always been its best attribute followed by the understated looks. Many bugs have been slightly resolved over the life cycle however its just taken too long to correct many of them and the larger software update process seemed to be a bit much for the uninitiated user . I initially had multiple source devices connected through it and that was one of the worst experiences however once I configured it for 1 hdmi source and split my audio and video it really started to shine operationally and add a hard reset occasionally to address the sound stage drifting or bass anomalies. The Gen4 processor is in the works and hopefully they take the experience from G3 and build on it and don't debut until its ready for the masses. The mid to high processor market offers so much opportunity for growth before anyone considers going full tilt for Trinnov ,Storm etc.
The fix for your problem is there impending board upgrade. Myself I am holding off for a solid year after that comes out to see if it holds up. It's definitely time to wait on Emotiva and probably buying a new processor at all. Because if the new hardware is successful and brings the units to what they were originally imagined to be than these could become a kickass product right around the corner.
If they can update their processors with HDMI 2.1, new UI, web UI, AND it will work properly...they will have a true giant killer on their hands. They have pretty much nailed the excellent sound quality category.
@SpecOfTech Myself, I really hope they do because I bought an xpa 7 already, got a good second hand deal on it and have decided I would like to run the xpa series for all of my speakers and once I save up a bit I'd like to buy one of their processors. I'd really like it to be the rmc1 but I'm not going to go for that one if it can't expand the number of channels.
I have long been considering going separates with Emotiva, but I've just heard over and over about how buggy their stuff is.
In the end, if I'm paying multiple thousands of dollars for a component, that's just not acceptable. I'd actually rather pay a bit more and have a flawless user experience with another brand.
This will be equipment I plan to have for many years, and I don't want to constantly have to fight with it just to make it work how it's supposed to work.
Turning off Dirac will change everything especially if the Direct correction session was before speaker toe-in.
They are working on a Plus / G4P. All the Anthem features.
I wasn't turning off DIRAC though, I was switching between Preset 1 which was levels, distances and center image locked in and set, to Preset 2 which had Dirac filter enabled. Both presets had a center image before the listening session, as I had set them up in the days prior. Something changed within the unit 100%, I am not sure if it's hardware or software though.
I hope their new units with Web UI and HDMI 2.1 will be more of a completed product that function smoothly and mostly without issues. If they can pull that off, they would have a happy customer out of me.
Combability, HDMI, dated ergonomics. Slow response to request of action. Has to be reset more than say others out there. This is for somebody who has been around. The DACs are a small part, big part is the Fully Differential Balanced topology. It sounds great. So if wonky is okay, Emotiva will do fine. If you are looking for an automatic consistent performance and functionality, you want to look elsewhere. I have an XMC-1, and for me it has been great. Sound, and HDMI switching works great. My Oppo, and Sony BluRay worked great. My computers work great too. I have the 4K UHD upgrade board too. It just works great. I have friends that had like the basic pre pro with issues. Tonewinner and Emotiva have much in common. Not a coincidence either.
Great video! as always. I have never owned an Emotiva product. Have owned many other AVR's and Processors. My Gem was the NAD M17v2. The Emotiva looks really nice, a high quality piece, feature rich, and a highly regarded brand. Really too bad that it does not function properly. The big brands, Denon, Marantz, Yamaha, ect are pretty much bullet proof. As I understand there were some issues with the first new 2.1 HDMI's that came out, but the Emotiva has the older 2.0 which should be perfected. I recently purchased a Onkyo RZ50 for my family room. Flawless operation, a breeze to set up, Dirac, and sounds really good, especially with the Paradigm X15 (thanks Barrett!)👍. Seems Tech these days is hit and miss. One would expect a product (any) simply work as advertised. Too many problems for me. My fuse is short regarding functionality. Great job relaying both the good, and the not so good! I cant wait "till the Mcintosh vs TW AD1PA heavy weight fight airs! as a AD1Pa owner, it will be very interesting for sure. Cheers!
Yeah, sometimes it makes me want to get something that just plain works and stick with it...BUT curiosity killed the cat and my pocket book 😜. I can't wait to do a more formal comparison between the McIntosh and Tonewinner. What a beautiful piece that MC452 is though...just wow!
@Spec Of Tech For sure the Mac is stunning! Love it! But, one can buy 4 or 5 AD1PA for about the same price lol
I hope they land on a reliable unit someday. I have no idea where they get their processors made or parts but their avr looks alot like a Tonewinner. Maybe that is more reliable?
At 11:02, what he is trying to say is "If you want a stable product that works well, without bugs and with a clean, usable user interface, buy something else" (full disclosure).
haha yeah pretty much!
Good honest review. How was your experience with Dirac? Was it stable and bug free with the add-on kit? Do they have Dirac Bass Control available yet?
My experience with Dirac was great, but there is one little bug with the Dirac software and Windows software. You have to make sure to turn off all mic enhancements for the USB mic within the Windows software. If not, then you will not get a continuous sound signal on the input side. I am making a video about this, and will be releasing it hopefully this week. DLBC is not available for the Emotiva processors as far as I know.
The led light ring around the power button, and the big selector are a no-no straight away. Nothing more irrating is large lights in your face catching the eye. Rotel does the same. What makes manufacturers think that is what people want. If you can turn them off, that is OK. The tiny dim led that shows the unit on or in standby is more than enough.
Thanks Spec! You're taking one on the chin for us bums looking at this equipment. This IS a premium product regardless of Emotiva's heritage of being a value brand. I believe it's their flagship product and it's reliability should reflect as such. I remember you having similar buggy issues with Anthem's AVM series processors back when they came out and I ranted against that in the comments. I am just extremely disappointed that brands promote these high cost products and yet send them out half-baked with channel drift and crooked displays. I'd just get a ToneWinner because all the components come from China anyways, why pay an American premium??? Again thankful you're so upfront and it makes me question a lot of the other Audio YTber's gushing about this company. Plus you're Canadian, so gotta support the local bros.
haha it's funny you should say that, that is how I feel sometimes. Sometimes I feel like just sticking with the Tonewinner AT-300 processor and call it a day. Then curiosity kicks in and I wonder if there is a unicorn processor out there that ticks all the boxes for a reasonable price lol.
I've missed something here. I've watched this twice. Other than the left-leaning soundstage, what was the other major "issue(s)" you had with this? I don't own one. I have no dog in this fight. I still own and use a first-generation (2012) XPA-5 power amplifier, which has never given me a problem. I used to own an XMC-200 preamp/processor, which stopped working properly in early 2019. Emotiva told me that parts were no longer available and that it could not be repaired. Did the promised follow-up review of the RMC-1L ever appear? I was unable to find it.
The second issue I discussed was the change in volume when switching from Preset 1 to Preset 2, then back to Preset 1. I highlight it in detail in the video. Other than those issues it's just more minor annoyances like buggy HDMI switching etc. The first unit they sent to me had a crooked screen. That sums up the issues I think. I have not released a review yet, I do plan on doing one, but my work schedule and other reviews have taken precedence.
As always, great video❤
Thank you! :)
Sounds like tooo many bugs for me!
You are correct my friend. As an XMC-2 owner since last November, I’ve dealt with many bugs. The firmware update I installed yesterday did not fix them all. However I would not have recommend this processor to anybody who doesn’t have patients or a beginner to home theater hobbyist before this update. There are still some things that don’t seem normal in OPERATION. However sound quality bugs are all gone and it sounds unbelievable. It sounded great before, however that update changed the game. At least in my experience. I’m not sure what they did to make it sound better. With that said it’s literally only been 24 hrs since I installed this firmware. I was considering moving on but I think that’s on hold now. If things stay stable I would say that for the money you couldn’t get a better processor than an Emotiva.
Just a quick comment on the two bugs you have experienced as both are known.
There is no fix for volume and profile changes ATM and it is still present in 3.2 FW.
AFAIK the volume drops only for C channel when it happens.
They only recently learned how to isolate it for testing so probably it will take some time to be solved but as long as you don't change profiles you should be grand ;)
The drifting center image I remember reading about for quite some time. I am not sure what is the fix or if it was sorted in 3.2.
But yeah bugs are real, so is the SQ :), but you know all that first hand by now :)
It is very interesting to read that you find AVM90 a bit better on SQ department. That is impressive of AVM.
So that would mean that Trinnov is even better?
Thanks and i hope you will keep :)
Thank you for the info, maybe that's why Emotiva have yet to get back to me. They are aware of my issues, and are already trying to fix them.
The AVM90 is a fantastic piece of gear, but you pay a premium for it as well. But yes, Trinnov is better, as it should be at about $30,000 lol.
@@SpecOfTech ahh I don't think it works that way with Emotiva. The trim change (as they know now with profile change) is present for at least over a year so I don't think they will be trying to fix it for you now but I would love if they had reaction like that to your messages and channel :). That would mean we have some kind of leverage.
Same goes for drifting center image. The bug is known for at least over a year. Probably for years. I believe there is a workaround for it but I am not entirely sure.
If there is one, you will find the answer either by searching or asking at Emo forums.
Do you experience any pops and cracks? If you don't and you are still on 3.1.x FW upgrading to 3.2 might introduce them or increase both intensity and how frequent those are. Good news is you can downgrade from 3.2 to 3.1.x.
Emotiva is extremely slow to resolve bugs in their FW but for most, there are either workarounds or are so specific that can be avoided by re-thinking ;) configuration.
Probably not what you wanted to hear but usually once user settles on a config after initial setup phase and ironing out of most pressing issues Emo tends to work predictably unstable ;) so in other words most learn it's quirks and workarounds for them.
Might not be best workhorse for comparisons though ;)
Still they are making progress with FW and recently the release are more frequent again after almost a year without one.
I am very new to Emotiva myself and as my system is evolving I am not even sure how usable it will be for me when I start to use it daily. But I know it sounds really good so I am willing to give it a shot despite the bugs.
I had the center image shift issue once on my RMC-1L, and I suspect it was the result of loading multiple Dirac filter sets (from the app) in a short period and without shutting down the external Dirac box in between. A "Low Power" restart resolved the issue for me and it has not resurfaced in the last 6 months. Emotiva is aware that this issue has occurred for a few folks, although it might be tough to fix due to the sporadic nature of the bug.
WRT volume "changing" when you flip from one preset to another, I have not had this issue. Like Sebna mentioned, there is a known issue with (primarily) the center channel levels and delays being zero'd out/defaulted under certain circumstances, mainly when the unit comes out of a "low power" restart. The current "fix" for this is to flip between speaker presets to force the filters to reload, and this works for me 100% of the time. Of course is what causes the issue you are talking about, so that's a strange one...
All in all I love my RMC-1L and I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Although a bit annoying, I do have workarounds for those issues so I'm fine with it.
Does it support CEC control. Like if I used my ATV remote to change the volume or turn it off or onz would that work?
You should rethink high end. As in, maybee I should just save up and get a storm or trinnov and be done.
Storm is by far the best sounding pre-amp i have heard.
The title is just a quote from Emotiva. Barrett knows what endgame processor to buy, but on a review channel trying to help with low high to mid low end stuff, Trinov or Strom isn't something anyone can just buy off the shelf. 30K for a processor is for the 1% of the 1% 😆
Maybe 1 day, in my end game home theater Trinnov will find its way in.
@@taxi615 Tough choice for me...Trinov or a 2023 Mazda MX5 ?
@John H ahahahahhaha says a lot about how ridiculous the price is. Most people can't even tell from a 4000$ processor even less set them up properly.
Sir try to review the Arcam ✌🏼
I am working on getting an Arcam AV41 😉.
I purchased a Processor From Emotiva and the processor keeps Looping will not turn on. I call Emotiva and there response was the unit is discontinue and we no longer support or repair that unit. I left a review on the website and they did not post it. IF you go to there website all you see is 5 star reviews (Bull Crap) My best advise is DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON EMOTIVA EQUIPMENT. Better company with better support.
For me DIRAC was a lot quieter than manual, don’t know what could be the reason.
Did you flip the AVM90 or you keeping that one? What would be the next stop? Any consideration for the AV10? Thanks for the great content!
I did sell the AVM90 already. I haven't made any official plans for the next processor, but I am considering the Arcam AV41. I have thought about the Marantz AV10, but I feel it is overpriced. I know that most products in the audio arena are somewhat overpriced when considering the cost of making them, but I feel the Marantz is a little more so. It does offer a lot of bells and whistles, but from past experience with Marantz, there sound quality doesn't fit the price range IMO. I truly hope that is not the case with the AV10, but it's a hefty price to pay if I wanted to find out.
My EMOTIVA RMC-1L have problem from the beginning, but it is a big problem, Noise like shooting from one or more speakers when start songs on TV, not always but most of the time,
I updated to 3.2 firmware a long time ago and it didn't help, it's a serious glitch.
Sorry to hear you are having issues as well. I wish they would get them sorted, because their units sound really good.
Im so glad i didnt buy this. 6 months ago i had this in my cart. I did more research realized Went for buy once cry once & spent $4000 for Anthem 70 8K. Its been a beauty. I use Emotiva & now Tonewinner Amps thanks to you 😂
Good review. Always seem like this bands has more issues than others…
I am looking at the XMC-2. Would you suggest buying something else? If so what?
The XMC-2 does sound fantastic, I can't take that away from them. But you will experience bugs, it's not a question of if, it's when. If you are willing to put up with some bugs and glitches, you will undoubtedly enjoy the sound of the XMC-2. If you don't want to deal with bugs, I would recommend the Anthem AVM70. If you can increase your budget, I would recommend the Anthem AVM90.
Hello Barrett I am thinking about buying the Emotive RMC 1L which is on sale now for $2710, but I would like to get your input as how good the AVM90 is compared to Emotiva RMC 1L for music. Is AVM90 really worth the extra 4-5K?
That is a really great price for the RMC-1L. The AVM90 is really refined for music, it goes head to head with some pretty good 2 channel equipment. The RMC-1L was a little more analytical, or sharp, for music. The AVM90 is just more refined, and is my favorite processor for music.
For me personally, the AVM90 is well worth the extra cost because it just plain works. I had so many bugs and headaches with the RMC 1L, it was frustrating. That being said, the RMC does sound amazing, especially when considering the price.
@@SpecOfTech thank you for your response 🙏. Since you really like the AVM90 and think it’s worth the extra I will most likely go with AVM90 as well (it’s on sale for $6375).
I have a lot of Emotiva product and I love their amps and even their stereo preamp, but each time I try any of their Dolby products there are issue. This is the mean reason I send them Back each time and I still don’t have any of their Dolby PreAmps. The issues seem to be in the software not the Hardware and they have already solved a lot of bugs throughout the years. But still it doesn’t feel complete without good working software.
I agree, their software seems to be the culprit. I hope they can get that reigned in, and provide a bug free product eventually.
How would you compare the RMC-1L to the AV10? Is it worth the upgrade?
Sorry, I can't answer that. I have never heard the AV10. My guess would be that the RMC-1L has better clarity and dynamics. That is just an assumption based on how good it is in those regards.
@@SpecOfTech I was just trying to determine if I should swap my RMC-1L but not sure if I should. Thought about the AVM90 or AV10 but not sure how significant the difference is and if that’s worth $7k.
@@alvaromarquez1751 The AVM90, I would say is slightly better in sound quality over the RMC. The AVM90 is leagues above the RMC for being user friendly and lack of bugs.
Yes yur right and yur evaluation for the emotiva processor is correct ,their soft ware has lot of issues .
As i had mentioned bto you earlier that although bthe sound is nice and crisp on basx mc1 but it never had Bluetooth EQ software in it ,when I called up emotiva they sent me an apk file and i had to upload it on the processor later ,even now when I switch inputs there are times I don't get sound immediately infact I don't get sound so i have to rtn back to the original input signal and switch back to the new input signal to get sound out of the processor...or sometimes i have switch off the processor as well and then restart it .
Now I and having issues with tearing sound when I pause skip or even change the the movie title frm atmos to any other multi-channel sound .....this is very irritating and emotiva dose not have any solution to it .u have a non biased opinion and i love that .
I hope that Emotiva can get their processors sorted out, because they do have great sound, they are just lacking in everything else.
I don't care for this trend of companies releasing new products and the customer having to wait for an update so it can operate ideally. It's not just Emotiva, and it's not just in audio.
I’ve been looking all over to see if any emotivas do 4k 120hz. Can anyone answer that for me ? Can’t seem to find the answer. Debating between one of these and a marantz cinema 50.
The Emotiva processors do not do 4K 120hz, they are using HDMI 2.0, HDMI 2.1 is required for 4K 120hz.
Question for you. Did you set your levels back to zero before you ran Dirac? If not I would recommend you do that then rerun Dirac. I only ask you that because you said you set your levels and distances. Also are you on there new firmware 3.2 fixed a lot of my issues. Lastly changing distances within the processor doesn’t do anything after Dirac is run. It sets the impulse response automatically within Dirac.
I appreciate the suggestions my friend, but I think you missed an important point in the video. Preset 1 is without Dirac, and Preset 2 is with Dirac. I was switching between the 2 presets. In Preset 1 I have the levels and distances set, in Preset 2 I left it at zero and allowed Dirac to do its thing. I have not updated to firmware 3.2 just yet, it came out after I recorded this video. I will update it when I get back home from out of town and see what happens. I have asked Emotiva if the new firmware was designed to fix my specific problems, among others, they haven't replied yet.
@@SpecOfTech I caught that in the video. However swapping between different presets is where a lot of problems start to happen. Or even different Dirac calibration files within the same preset had been known to do this. I’ve owned my unit since November and most of those issues have gone away since installing that firmware a little over 24 hrs ago. Like you turning off the unit and back on corrects the issue only temporarily. Once you’ve changed presets it completely messes everything up. It basically behaves for me like it refuses to look at the Dirac calibration anymore after swapping back. It also completely disregards my crossover settings. It’s a weird bug. Install the update and see if it corrects those main issues like it did mine. Best of luck.
@@JavonDGreen Ahh, I see what you're saying, thanks. I will definitely be doing the update and see what happens...cheers.
Would you ever consider the Marantz AV10?
I would consider the AV10 yes, but I do feel that the AVM90 would have the edge in sound quality. Although, I am not sure how good the AV10 will sound with Dirac. Typically, Marantz processors do fall behind in sound quality versus other similarly priced competition because Marantz is one of those everything and the kitchen sink brands (all the bells and whistles). Their main focus doesn't seem to be the best sound quality in their price segment. At least that is my opinion on them. Still a great product, don't get me wrong, just doesn't seem like their main focus is sound quality.
No more Emotiva for me. Have been trying them for the past decade and there are always bugs.
It's really unfortunate too, because they do sound really good.
Any update from Emotiva on the center channel issue?
I am not sure about a center channel issue, but I was experiencing some stereo center image drift. I sent them the log files and the sequence of events on how/when it happens. I have not received an update on whether they fixed it or not, but hopefully with that information they can fix it.
Does it sound better than Marantz 7705 or 76?
Yes it does.
@@SpecOfTech
Wow thanks for the reply. One more question how would you rank the three emotiva, Marantz n tonewinner on their pre amp processor's. Not every one has big money to toss around. Tonewinner pre amp price reminds me of outlaw s back in the day which I still have in my spare room.
What firmware version did your RMC-1L come loaded with ? v3.1 ? v3.1.2 ? or v3.2 ?
I had the update that was released in Nov 2022. Which I am not hearing there has been a very recent update. I will need to install the newest update when I get back from out of town. I hope it fixes the issue I had.
@@SpecOfTech v3.2 was released 10 days ago, so your RMC-1L most likely has v3.1. You'll definitely want to update when you get back from out of town.
I have the RMC-1. It sounds good. But it’s a buggy peace of shit. Also where is there channel count upgrade module? Spoke to them and told them they have falsely sold a processor that has the possibility to upgrade channel count. I realise there was going to be a wait for the add on card but the wait has been perpetual. Oh and to add to that there bringing out a plus version. Shall we take that as admittance there 1st version is just hardware flawed. Thought I bought the bones of a receiver that was going to be built upon not replaced and made obsolete.
This couldn't all be more correct. I have an xmc2 and I will never purchase an emotiva processor/receiver again. Their credibility is shot and who has time for all this buggy nonsense.
Let me know if ya sell this processor
I had to return it. It just wasn't for me.
Everyone says the same thing too many issues 😢
How does a $4000 preamp only have HDMI 2.0 and only arc?? How do you do Atmos without eARC?
My biggest problem is too many companies today, releasing incomplete products that do not work properly wanting people to spend thousands of their hard earned dollars in hopes of a fix someday down the road that either takes way too long to come or in some cases never comes at all This trend has got to stop with companies abusing customers like this and this is not just an IMO Teva problem there are tons of companies doing this crap today vote with your dollar people stop buying these products until they complete it and make it work properly out of the box That is what they have a team of engineers that are supposed to do before they release a product and on something you are spending multiple thousands of dollars on there is no excuse at that point
lol with Taxes it's about four thousand dollars why would I buy one if it has issues.
Nobody is saying you should.
Please pin an update in the comments when you get feedback from Emotiva regarding these issues!
I will do my best to remember to do that. Hopefully they get back to me soon so it is fresh in my memory.
I loathe Emotiva. Releasing products that aren't yet ready for primetime. Using paying customers as unpaid beta testers. No way that first unit should have ever been shipped in that condition.
I am hoping Emotiva can redeem themselves with the next iteration...but...given their track record I wouldn't rush out to buy it.
Emotiva is just more chinese junk. 🔈🔉🔊
Assembling made in China crap in the US pretty much guarantees a "crooked screen".
I definitely would not have recommended this receiver at all. It’s too expensive to be this incomplete not $3000 even at $1000 it would be horrible. Hell I would be scared to sell this crap to anyone else. It’s outdated appearance doesn’t help this is a definite NO GO 👎. Elevated price does not make this a good bye.
It does come with its issues, no doubt. With that said, it does have sound quality that punches above its price. For that reason I can see the appeal for some, because they won't mind some bugs if they are getting top tier sound quality for less.
Emotiva is the worst buggiest garbage. Buyer beware!
I love there amps . I have xpa amps running my whole home theater 7.4.4 but you cant pay me to own one of there processors! Unfortunately.... i d love to have all my equipment match. They look great , i hear sound pretty good when they work. But to spend thousands of dollars on something that has that many probs is out of the question, for me . I plan to go from my marantz to the anthem , because well they just work !
Same, I have a XPA 11 gen 3 running my 7.2.4 system and it works great. I have a Denon 3700H as my processor but I hate it with every fiber, it’s having hand shake issues with my Apple 4k TV and my Epson Ls12000. I have the Denon set to as basic as possible and the video switch is so laggy it isn’t even funny, we’re talking 30 secs to a minute and half the time the sound will come but not the video, then it goes to static, cannot wait to replace it.
@@LuciferXI that's strange , that's nit like denon at all. Maybe you have to turn something on or off on the settings . But I would absolutely contact denon customer support. I have a marantz , & denon are made by the same people I have zero problems . Or it may be a setting on your projector idk . But I d def reach out to customer support to get to the bottom of it .
@@bric7244 it’s the Denon for sure. This issue has migrated to my Amazon fire stick 4k. I had to turn the display down to 1080p @ 60 just to stream Upload. I’ll reach out to Denon customer support tomorrow.