It has been some time since I've purchased Emotiva gear. With the introduction of the new UPA-500 amp and word that most bugs with the UMC-1 were ironed out with the latest firmware (11/2011), I thought I would have a go.* Because both the LMC-1 and DMR-1 qualified for upgrade certificates, I was able to apply one to the UMC-1 for a total price of $419 and still have a certificate left for one of the upcoming processors (XMC-1, UMC-200, or UMC-500).* I was also able to receive 10% off the UPA-500 as I was within two weeks of a coupon Emotiva sent out offering 10% any non-clearance item. Emotiva sales painlessly refunded the difference of $39.90.* Other equipment in the mix include Monitor Audio Silver In-wall Speakers, Epik Legend Subwoofer, Oppo BDP-103, Roku Box, FIOS HD DVR Box, Harmony Remote, and Monoprice cables all around.
Customer Service
As I recall from past experiences, service was excellent from sales to tech support.* The first UMC-1 I received was introducing distortion (clicks and beeps) into the right surround when Dolby Volume was engaged.* Working with tech support, they made entirely reasonable suggestions to try and correct the distortion.* In the end, they determined the unit was likely defective and sent a replacement along with a prepaid FedEx label to ship the defective unit back.* This is great as the unit works fine without DV engaged and I was able to keep it until the new unit arrived.* The new unit does exhibit the issue to a lesser degree, but tweaking some settings seemed to eliminate it.* I suspect it has more to do with something in my chain as the same exact problem on two different units seems unlikely.
Packaging
Both the UMC-1 and UPA-500 were double-boxed and with plenty of foam to survive shipping.
Hookup
Plugging in all the cables was a snap as everything is clearly labeled.* Unlike most receivers I've encountered, the back plates were solid and didn't bend when pushing plugs into place.
Setup
I found Emotiva's menu structure quite easy to navigate and was able to get up and running pretty quickly.* It also offers a lot of options for tweaking which I found useful.* The first order of business was to run EmoQ.* EmoQ nailed the levels and speaker distances, but crossovers were a bit off.* Not a big deal as I adjusted them manually afterwards and few Room Correction systems get it right.* The EQ frequency settings looked reasonable to me for the room and it was nice to see EQ for the Subwoofer with several bands dedicated to it.* So many manufacturers leave this important detail out of their EQ systems which disappoints me as you find loads of problems in the low frequencies.
Video
I always run units in pass through to my projector as I find it looks best.* I did try engaging the video processor, but felt it didn't offer any real gain in picture quality.* However, I use an older 720p Epson projector which may not display some of the finer details like on an newer LED, 1080p set.
Audio
Sound quality was fabulous!* Both movies and music sounded wonderful through the UMC-1.* I was a bit worried about EmoQ, but it did just as well as Audyssey in my room which is open to the kitchen and dining area.* The UPA-500 had plenty of power to drive my speakers and never once sounded strained unlike some receivers in the $600-$800 range.* I also forgot how much I like Dolby Volume as it does an excellent job at low listening levels.
Remote
The remote is built like a tank and could be a weapon in the game of Clue.* Full steel with some serious weight to it.* I use a Harmony remote so have no use for the stock remote, but nice to see something substantial.* The only odd thing was Emotiva chose size N batteries for the remote instead of AA or AAA.* My Harmony remote had no trouble talking to the UMC-1.
Bugs
I know the UMC-1 had a history of serious bugs and a lot of unhappy folks as a result which represents the main reason for me avoiding it myself or recommending it.* However, I didn't encounter any glitches with the UMC-1 hooked up to my FIOS HD DVR box, Oppo BDP-103, and Roku box besides the DV glitch.* The UMC-1 does take a little longer than typical to lock into HDMI signals when changing inputs, but we're only talking about seconds.
Limitations
As fabulous as the UMC-1 performed, it does have some limitations:
It will not decode DSD, but does accept MultiPCM.* However, it will not apply EmoQ to MultiPCM signals unless you set it to All Channel Stereo.* It also does not accept PCM at 176Khz which many players will output instead of DSD.
The DV implementation on the UMC-1 is a universal setting across inputs.* I know that's part of the point, but I like how some HK receivers allow you to set it at different levels for different inputs.* For example, enable the modeler only on music sources and enable both modeler and leveler on TV.* Fortunately, Harmony's database includes the DV button so you can cycle through different modes on the UMC-1 while listening.
The video setting is also a universal setting across inputs so you can't choose to have the UMC-1 do the video processing on one input and your BluRay player on another.* Some receivers allow different output settings
The UMC-1 has no networking so you do need an external source if you plan to stream music from online sources like Pandora.* I use the Oppo and my Roku box also does it so not a big deal for me.
The FM tuner is pretty weak.* I don't listen to over-the-air radio anymore, but some folks still do.
Running Auto EmoQ seems to set an offset somewhere which can't be tweaked which was resulting in distortion when using DV.* I found that you should run Auto EmoQ, write down the settings, reset the unit, and apply the settings manually.* A bit of a pain, but not terribly difficult.
Conclusion
For $778 total price shipped to my door, I think the UMC-1, UPA-500 combo offers a lot.* It does not have all the features of a typical receiver in this price range, but its build quality is excellent, the customer service is excellent, and most importantly, it delivers the goods sonically.* I certainly have no reservation in recommending it for folks who can live with its limitations.
