AcuDefTechGuy

[SearchofSub]

Hello AcuDefTechGuy, I am currently very interested in the ATI ATP6700 pre with the AT 602 amp combo for my Tekton speakers/sub in a 2.1 set-up.


I understand that the processor dosent have any HDMI inputs, but cant I just hook up all my gear to my hdtv and just switch around whatever i play (from xbox to bluray player lets just say) just using digital optical cable to get sound? and leave the video to HDMI to do its job?

So for instance, from my bluray player to my tv. I would use the HDMI cable from bluray player to my tv to get video, and use digital optical from the ATI pro/amp combo to the bluray player or TV to get audio...


Will this work? Thanks!

 

[slipperybidness]

Hello AcuDefTechGuy, I am currently very interested in the ATI ATP6700 pre with the AT 602 amp combo for my Tekton speakers/sub in a 2.1 set-up.


I understand that the processor dosent have any HDMI inputs, but cant I just hook up all my gear to my hdtv and just switch around whatever i play (from xbox to bluray player lets just say) just using digital optical cable to get sound? and leave the video to HDMI to do its job?

So for instance, from my bluray player to my tv. I would use the HDMI cable from bluray player to my tv to get video, and use digital optical from the ATI pro/amp combo to the bluray player or TV to get audio...


Will this work? Thanks!

Some TVs can do this as you described. You should check your exact model TV to be sure.

Be aware that the ones that do this will not pass the full 5.1 or 7.1 signal. Typically it will only pass 2.0. I'm not sure if the TV will downmix it, but you may have to feed the TV a stereo signal from the source.

Bottom line, this is not usually the ideal setup. I would prefer the emo unit that you mentioned or a decent receiver.

 

[RichB]

If you want others to chime in, I recommend a more descriptive thread title.

You should get an answer soon AcuDefTechGuy should be done with his breakfast any time now

- Rich

 

[ski2xblack]

The ATI rig would definitely make sweet music, but the pre-pro is outdated (pure analog, no hdmi). You could make it work, and get excellent results assuming you can set up the bass management and eq properly (it's all manual, no auto-magic room correction trickery), which is no small task if you don't know what you're doing. The Emos or a modern AVR would be a better choice.

I fully endorse the AT602: dead quiet; gain controls, which come in handy when your speakers are sensitive; and enough power, again, provided your speakers are sensitive. If your room is on the large side, the AT1202 would be more appropriate, even with sensitive speakers.

 

[fuzz092888]

A thread with his name as the title and he hasn't responded yet? Maybe the sky really is falling.......

 

[SearchofSub]

crap.. maybe I offended him on the other thread thats why... thanks everyone else for chiming in!



Here is what I found about Emotiva UMC -200 vs Outlaw 975. (was thinking outlaw combo 975/7075 for awhile too) Ultimately, I think for my needs I will go with the Emotiva 99%. Going to place order soon.



So, I was able to do a back-to-back comparison of the Emotiva UMC200 and Outlaw 975 - Page 2

Ok,

So i've had all sorts of fun this afternoon and evening.

I'm going to focus 100% on sound quality here, primarily music.

I also have a bit of a curveball to throw in here (more on that in a few..)

I've gone back and forth between the Emotiva and Outlaw for several hours now.

One thing I will mention - both units that I have seem to have HDMI capture issues. Both units were B stock. The Emotiva won't capture my cable box on HDMI input 1, with broken video and audio. It works GREAT on inputs 2-4.

On the outlaw, it's slow to capture audio from my oppo on older pre-recorded CD's (spending a lot of time with Rush Chronicals today) and occassionally truncates the first .5 seconds of a song, OR when switching inputs it drops in and out for 3-5 seconds until it gets the input.

Talked to Outlaw and they acknowledged the problem and are going to try to get around it with firmware, but acknowledged it does happen. I can handle the switching input delays, but the half second truncation from song to song on some CD's would drive me nuts longterm. Happend on some CD's and didn't on others. My hope is that firmware addresses it.

On to the sound quality. Again, Golden Ear Triton 2's are what I currently have. A 15 year old Harman Kardon Signature Amp. Some room treatments (though I need a few more on the walls), and ZERO EQ.

Emotiva is definitely snappier, more detailed, and crisper. Don't take this as harsh, though I do believe if you had brighter speakers (my old NHT's come to mind) at high levels it could be fatiguing at high levels after a long time. Flip side, wow does it snap and pop and acoustic gutair in particular is so realistic. IF you have bright speakers and a bright amp... well it's going to sound bright with the Emotiva. I do think it colors the sound more with it's own sonic signature (more on this later). In my opinion it's more far east sounding (not as bright as Sony ES stuff, but that genre, detailed, crisp. years ago I had some sony EW stuff and would have called it bright, the Emotiva stops short of that)

The Outlaw - It's sound is much more "British" in nature. Think NAD, Arcam, and the like. One thing I really liked from it is what it did with male voices from the center channel. The Golden Ear SS60 is known to sound a bit thin from a male voices perspective. It really brought more robustness to male vocals throught the center channel. I also think it colors the sound a bit less than the Emotiva (not that that coloration is bad from the Emotiva, but it's sonic signature is passed through a bit more). The reason I think that is this... my curveball...

I hooked my Oppo BDP103 up directly to my Harmon Kardon amp and ran it. It had much more of that warm, analog sound that H/K stuff was known for. Closer in sound to the Outlaw than the Emotiva by a great deal. Now granted, it could also be that the D/A converter in the Oppo is more similar to the Outlaw. But my feeling is that the true sonic nature of the H/K amp is coming through with one less piece in the equation. That said, the Oppo direct was a bit crisper than the Outlaw, but not like the emotiva.

Downsides to running the Oppo direct - you get one fixed crossover point for all speakers marked as small which if your mains/center/rears work best with different crossover points you are hosed. I'm running the mains as large so that's not an issue, but my center works best at 120 and my rears at 70-80. You also hear a little pop between each song (but no truncation). So I had to compromise with mains as large, and 100 as my rear/center crossover. I've also yet to get it to pass a 5.1 signal from my cable box and process it properly (haven't spent much time on that). But for stereo music and DVD playback it works no problemo (other than those caveats). The other interesting thing is that both pre-pro's created a mechanical buzz with my TV ON and plugged into the pre-pro HDMI output (the mechanical buzz was the amp, and it was not a ground loop hum). That hum is gone from the set up with the oppo.

So...

Have bright speakers and a bright amp? Want to smooth them out a bit and make them more analog - I'd go outlaw.

Need more detail out of your british speakers (etc) and some more dynamic snap - get the emotiva.

Are you 70% more or movies and 30% music - I'd tell most people to get the emotiva. Like to tweak things - Emotiva.

Music purist, want that analog sound - get the outlaw.

Caveat on both - The HDMI switching bullshice needs to get corrected. On the outlaw the song truncation is a deal breaker for me. On the Emotiva, I'm going to chalk it up to a refurb'd unit that has one bad HDMI input as the others were GREAT. With the outlaw, they told me it's an issue that's been seen and being worked on.

Oh - as for which sound I like best - I REALLY dig the OPPO direct into my amp. However it's just not a long term solution unless I were to end up with speakers for my center and rears that could crossover at the same point, and then there are compromises to still accept and make. I'd have to get this cable TV audio pass through figured out (it's not passing the .1 through to the sub, or downmixing to the tritons if I turn the sub off)

Right now I'm likely going to send both pre-pro's back (because of the HDMI thing) and possibly use the Oppo as a temp solution for a few months. I agree with every review thus far though that for what both the Outlaw and Emotiva cost they are unreal peformers (just get the HDMI figured out).

i'll say this right now however. Oppo is really, really close to eliminating even these lower prices pre-pro's (unless you needed gob's of inputs). If I had the ability to adjust crossover by channel, maybe another HDMI input, and a few other tweaks... I'd run the Oppo.

Assuming HDMI issues get sorted out both are really nice for the money, and which one you go with I think depends on priorities (music vs theater) and your current speakers/electronics and what you want out of the system. I'm looking at some speakers locally used that I've wanted forever and that would influence what I went with.



k,

hooked up the oppo to the outlaw by Toslink and Coax this am just to see about the speed.

95% better. Though, skipping songs is hit or miss. Letting the oppo go from song to song it's fine. If you skip songs, sometimes you miss the first .3-.4 seconds of a song. (toslink and coax both have the exact same speed)

I have decided that if I go with one of these two as the pre-pro I would give a new Emotiva Unit the nod. Just using the Oppo as a pre-pro does 95% of what the outlaw can do, though there are a few drawbacks. (fixed crossover for all speakers, a bit of popping between songs and inputs, though no truncation). You also get more of a hiss through center and rears when listening in stereo.

I also watched a couple movies with the outlaw, and I prefer the "snap, crackle, and pop" that the Emotiva gives you over the Outlaw. The outlaw really is a bare bones pre-pro, with a very nice audio sound, but it's more of that classic audiophile sound for sure. Or, if I had bright, bright speakers I wanted to tame down a bit. Otherwise, I feel that overall the Emotiva is the better value, particularly as a home theater pre-pro.

Short term, I'll use the oppo. I could see ending up with the Emotiva again however (I'd try a new unit).

 

[ImcLoud]

Not another thread to no where...
How about the heavily discounted Sherbourne series..

Theater Series

 

[SearchofSub]

Made up my mind about the Emotiva UMC-200 pre-amp.. however am still contemplating a bit to either going with the XPA 200 or the ATI 602 for the amp. What do you guys recommend? the AT 602 is a class A/B Amp...

 

[SearchofSub]

Have you heard anything about this ImcLoud? How does it sound compare to the sperates?

PT-7030 Home Theater Preamp/Processor | Sherbourn Technologies

I really dont want to go the AVR route, BUT, it does have .2 for two subs...


-Edit.


Nevemind, read a pro review where UMC-200 beats it.

 

[ImcLoud]

That is not an avr that is a preamp/processor like the umc200, they have an avr cheaper than you can get a umc200 SR-120 Home Theater Receiver

 

[SearchofSub]

The ATI rig would definitely make sweet music, but the pre-pro is outdated (pure analog, no hdmi). You could make it work, and get excellent results assuming you can set up the bass management and eq properly (it's all manual, no auto-magic room correction trickery), which is no small task if you don't know what you're doing. The Emos or a modern AVR would be a better choice.

I fully endorse the AT602: dead quiet; gain controls, which come in handy when your speakers are sensitive; and enough power, again, provided your speakers are sensitive. If your room is on the large side, the AT1202 would be more appropriate, even with sensitive speakers.

the gain control is very nice and help with my speakers...

 

[slipperybidness]

the gain control is very nice and help with my speakers...

The idea is that you leave the gain control turned to max, effectively removing it from the signal chain.

On some sensitive speakers, you may end up with some buzz or tweeter hiss, that is when you would dial the gain down to remove the hiss. Most consumer amps don't have the gain knobs, it is certainly nice when they do as it gives a little more flexibility.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Next time send me a PM to remind me, will you?

Chris just reminded me via PM.

It's no secret I like ATI a lot. I have tried to justify buying those ATI pre-pros so many times myself.

Sure it will work by connecting the player's video to the TV and sound to the Pre-pro.

But, honestly, I just can't recommend those out-dated pre-pros in this HDMI-day and Audyssey-age.

As much as I like ATI.

Maybe one day ATI will release the Audyssey-XT32-HDMI pre-pro, and maybe I can buy one....or two.

Now as far as ATI amps go, yes, I also endorse them.

... But only if you get the very cool front metal handles.

 

[SearchofSub]

How do you think the ATI AT1202 will compare to the Emotiva XPA 200?

 

[ImcLoud]

you better hurry up and pick an amp you only have 9 months until your tektons are shipped..

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

How do you think the ATI AT1202 will compare to the Emotiva XPA 200?

It's like comparing a nice Lexus to a nice Kia.

They will both get you from point A to point B, but the Kia saves you a few bucks.

 

[RichB]

It's like comparing a nice Lexus to a nice Kia.

They will both get you from point A to point B, but the Kia saves you a few bucks.

Wait a minute there, If all amplifiers sound the same when driven within their limits, then why buy any other brand.
(Of course, you know I agree with you )

- Rich

 

[SearchofSub]

There is no way all amplifiers sound the same. There are different set gain settings, output power and distortioin levels. Pre-amplifiers are even more reaveling, and DAC being the most important component of all.

Anyway, all amps are same and sound the same is a false. The other day I watched a youtube video of two different speakers with different separtes playing music. Through my own speakers, one sounded dull and distorted, while the other, my own little computer speakers were putting out "life" like hifi sound.

I guess this means the signal is very important, therefore I think the DAC is the most important, and the preamp which stregntghens the signals, and amps last. But noethless, amps are important because they can add color to the sound. I guess the best gear for me are the seperates and speakers that play the source and stay original to the content.

But the more neutral and transperent one wants, the more expensive the combo is.

 

[SearchofSub]

you better hurry up and pick an amp you only have 9 months until your tektons are shipped..

LOL maximum wait time for the Tektons are reported to be 12 weeks for all models since June...

 

[fuzz092888]

Oh boy......

There is no way all amplifiers sound the same. There are different set gain settings, output power and distortioin levels. Pre-amplifiers are even more reaveling, and DAC being the most important component of all.

Anyway, all amps are same and sound the same is a false. The other day I watched a youtube video of two different speakers with different separtes playing music. Through my own speakers, one sounded dull and distorted, while the other, my own little computer speakers were putting out "life" like hifi sound.

I guess this means the signal is very important, therefore I think the DAC is the most important, and the preamp which stregntghens the signals, and amps last. But noethless, amps are important because they can add color to the sound. I guess the best gear for me are the seperates and speakers that play the source and stay original to the content.

But the more neutral and transperent one wants, the more expensive the combo is.