Emotiva UMC-200 Preamp / Processor Review

[Muzykant]

Hello,

A quick question: is it normal for the high pass filter to remain on for the mains when switching from stereo to direct mode?

 

[Steve81]

Hello,

A quick question: is it normal for the high pass filter to remain on for the mains when switching from stereo to direct mode?

I actually ran into that same issue myself and asked Emotiva. With digital sources, that is "normal" behavior for the UMC-200. With analog, the high pass should be disabled.

 

[Muzykant]

Thanks for the quick answer. Even though it is apparently normal, I find it a bit odd...

 

[Steve81]

Ditto on the odd part. I was actually trying to see how my new speakers would do without subwoofer support so I switched over to direct mode and was thrown for a loop, particularly since I run with a higher than average XO point.

 

[swspiers]

Ditto on the odd part. I was actually trying to see how my new speakers would do without subwoofer support so I switched over to direct mode and was thrown for a loop, particularly since I run with a higher than average XO point.

That is really weird! If the darn thing didn't sound so good, I would be all freaked out by the weird, strange things it does, and doesn't do.

 

[brad1138]

So, I missed it if we got a definitive answer, does enhanced bass send LFE channel to any speaker set as large or does it include bass from any speaker set as large large to the sub?

 

[brad1138]

From the OP

"I found this to still be the case with the UMC-200. During manual calibration, the subwoofer level appeared to be set about 6-8 dB too hot when using the internal tone generator and my trusty analog SPL meter."

I believe I have figured this out.

I recently switched from a pair of Velodyne ULD15s to a pair of SVS CS-Ultras. The Velodyne's had a built in crossover, originally set to 85Hz, but I had them modified to about 300Hz. The SVS' are just an Amp and 12" driver, no Xover what so ever. The Velodyne's fit the OP's 6-8 dB offset finding, I found them to be about 6 dB hot. The SVS' however were spot on. Using an external test disc, I confirmed the readings.

The problem is, the UMC-200 send a full range tone out to the subs, the test disc, only <~80Hz (what should be in the LFE channel). The test disc, with the <80Hz output, leveled the playing field. Both subs measured the same, but when then switching to the UMC-200 tone generator, with the full range output, the SVS' being "full range" (so to speak) had about 6dB more output than the Velo's, which were capped under about 300 Hz with internal xover. So, not knowing this issue, you would increase the Velo's output to reach the "appropriate" dB, but they would be way to hot.

So it all seems to be related to the design of the sub.

 

[j_garcia]

From the OP

"I found this to still be the case with the UMC-200. During manual calibration, the subwoofer level appeared to be set about 6-8 dB too hot when using the internal tone generator and my trusty analog SPL meter."

I believe I have figured this out.

I recently switched from a pair of Velodyne ULD15s to a pair of SVS CS-Ultras. The Velodyne's had a built in crossover, originally set to 85Hz, but I had them modified to about 300Hz. The SVS' are just an Amp and 12" driver, no Xover what so ever. The Velodyne's fit your 6-8 dB offset finding, I found them to be about 6 dB hot. The SVS' however were spot on. Using an external test disc, I confirmed the readings.

The problem is, the UMC-200 send a full range tone out to the subs, the test disc, only <~80Hz (what should be in the LFE channel). The test disc, with the <80Hz output, leveled the playing field. Both subs measured the same, but when then switching to the UMC-200 tone generator, with the full range output, the SVS' being "full range" (so to speak) had about 6dB more output than the Velo's, which were capped under about 300 Hz with internal xover. So, not knowing this issue, you would increase the Velo's output to reach the "appropriate" dB, but they would be way to hot.

So it all seems to be related to the design of the sub.

Interesting. IMO, it does the full range tone because it is seeing where to blend the mains to the sub and EQ'ing the sub as well. I noticed the MC700 does something similar, but handles it better than the UMC did. It still comes in fairly hotter than I'd expect.