I go emotiva all the way ... they also have a buy back program that allows you trade in your old unit for an updated or new model . With Marantz, you are stuck with that processor and it lack of flexibility
You know, a fabulous comparison would be the Emotiva RMC-1 vs Arcam AV40 vs AudioControl Maestro M9 (or M5). Now that's a review that would solve a lot of questions for a *LOT* of folks! *Thanks for considering*
@@ChannelBri FYI if I play on UA-cam a hand held radio and then a 2 channel system I promise you will hear the difference. You can hear the difference even though it won't be what I hear in person
At 16.26 and further you can clearly hear that the Marantz has a better resolution. Compared to the finer Marantz the Emotiva sounds a little bit more like a telefon. But I have to admit that the emotiva has more power, dynamics and sparkle on the film-sequences. So I would go for the Marantz because in the end music-quality is what matters for me.
I agree with you marantz did a better job in music, but emotiva took the upper hand in movie. Actually, I would go to 2ch for music at the end of the day. The marantz sounded too clinical in music, but which av amp doesn't sound clinical and flat?
I have the Marantz av7706 processor and looking at the emotiva xmc2 with the sale they have right now. Is it worth it??? I am not very good with all the tweaks within the calibration software.
That's what I'm hearing too. R J was right. I also think the Emotiva's volume is a bit higher than the Marantz that's why you hear a lot more detail on the Emotivas compared to the Marantz.
Interesting... the sound was noticeably different even coming out of cell phone speaker. On the second demo the glass shatter, gun clicks, and music was clean and crisp. So if we account room correction software (Dirac >> Audessey) capability, then Emotiva win by a significant margin.
What got me thinking was the fact that the 8805 can not be calibrated with the actual Audyssey Pro Kit like the 8802. Instead you can use the 20 dollar app which I think is a step backwards in calibration from the pro kit.To me the app is just a gimmick. It’s no substitution for the Pro kit at all. Yes bring the app out and have the opportunity to use it but don’t deny the end user the pro kit on the 8805. Me for one and plenty of other users had no reason to upgrade from the 8802a. With the Audyssey pro kit you have a decent mic and stand and not some cheap cardboard cut out, plus you can take your calibration to its limits. For the money you spend on the 8805, I find it mind boggling.Anyways enough of my rant. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the video. I have a Marantz but have never heard the Emotiva. I'm sure they are both good but I always wanted a Marantz. Also have an Onkyo for a different application. They both do what I need and fit my budget. But I love this stuff and may upgrade at anytime depends on what I think I need at the time lol. Thanks again for the videos. They have been getting much better since I started watching your channel 👍👍👍.
Regarding the Emotiva UI Yes it's sluggish. This has been an issue sense the XMC-1. For what ever reason Emotiva is not good at the quality of life aspects of their products. HDMI handling is another issue. I hope this has been improved with the newer Panasonic chips. Regarding Dirac Live vs Audyssey Having used Pioneer MCACC, Yamaha YPAO, DENON Audyssey XT32 Pro, and Emotiva Dirac, I can say I do not like using any automatic room correction. Instead I much prefer the Yamaha/Emotiva manual PEQ. If Yamaha had freely adjustable PEQ settings like the XMC-1 then it would be the brand I would recommend for 99% of users out there. Having said that only the Audyssey XT32 actually matched or came very close my manual PEQ settings. The MCACC, YPAO, and Dirac all completely kill any freq below 80 hz and boost everything above 12khz. This creates an uneven response when measuring with Room EQW and my UMIK-1 while independently verifying any adjustments made by these Auto Room Correction programs. So I find I tend to lean towards products with PEQ for manual control, which for some reason is not that many in the sub $4k range. Anyone offering a unit that cost north of $1500 should not have a 9 band EQ as a manual option.
The Emo definitely sounds better. There's more detail, especially in that John Wick scene. You could clearly hear the glass/pottery breaking whereas it sounded muted on the Marantz.
Well technically there is (or will be when they are all released) an upgrade path to the new crop of Emotiva Pre's with different price points based on your existing XMC-1.
Wow what a difference. I have been using Emotiva gear for my 2 channel setups for a few years but never tried their HT stuff. I am just running a Marantz SR 7012 for my 7.2.2 I do find most people have NO experience with Emotiva gear but like to talk smack about them.
Awesome video man, smashed it!! I was really hoping that the second one was marantz as it sounded noticeably better in every aspect. I love marantz for their ease of use and everything just works out of the box, hdmi switching no major bugs etc. I am hoping that they can iron out the issues with the emotiva so it becomes as intuitive and easy to use as the marantz because if they can then I will definitely be getting it. That's not even getting started on audessey vs Dirac with Dirac being a clear winner. One thing I can't live with is a clunky experience, I don't care how good it sounds if it lags, hdmi switching issues and things like that then I am not buying it.
The Hdmi switching issue has been resolved with the updates. Since this is a software based platform alot of the issues are fixed via usb updates in DAT format
Finally I have my Emotiva RMC-1 and the corresponding power amplifier, XPA 5 GEN 3. I am simply thrilled with the sound quality. In contrast to my Denon X8500H, Emotiva plays in a completely different league. Too bad that Emotiva is totally unknown in Germany. But luckily we have at least one distribution here in Germany. Keep up the good work and greetings from 🇩🇪. 👍🇺🇸 SFC Papajewski
Great video! And I really like the sound clips that you included! And at the end of the day, it is all about sound quality - which is why this unit is so tempting. I really, REALLY want to love this product, but my biggest hesitation with Emotiva are the promises that are made for something in the future, that doesn't come to market for years, or ever. The XMC-1 was supposed to be upgradeable to HDMI 2.0, to Atmos, and to DTS:X.... But the HDMI 1.4 to 2.1 upgrade took more than 3 years for them to release after HDMI 2.1 had been standardized. And they had discussed an Atmos option as well, for years, that according to their forums sounds as though it was beta tested, but never released. My hesitation with this product is Dirac will at some point be available. At some point, you can upgrade to more channels. At some point, it might have airplay. And at some point, it will support DTS:X Pro. (This is all very well documented in their forums and discussed by their lead engineer as well as the president.) But until then, you're paying a premium price for a product that 1) doesn't have many of it's promised features available now and 2) until recently, you were essentially beta testing (The RMC-1 has been out for well over a year now) I'm also not an engineer, but have been looking into the differential balanced v. balanced subject a bit. I want to state that I could be wrong here... But I don't understand what the benefit of a fully balanced circuit is, when it's built into the pre/pro, unless the pre/pro is creating internal noise that would have to be canceled out. Especially if it's a digital source. The soundtrack is presented digitally to the processor, which then isolates the soundtrack into discrete channels, which then sends each individual channel signal to the DAC, which then gets output to the speaker via the XLR connection. The only interference in that path would have to come from within the RMC itself. So my question to Emotiva would be does their product create a lot of RF noise or interference where they felt they required a fully balanced circuit, or, is this just more of a marketing ploy? My closing thought is this.... From a sound quality perspective, this product looks like a winner. But it just has too much promised for the future that isn't available yet. I hope that this is considered by many people reviewing the product in hopes that it applies some pressure to Emotiva to get some of these things delivered before they give it a thumbs up to buy now. If it had room correction, if they had expansion modules for it now, I think it could be a winner. But until they deliver at least something they have promised, I just can't justify buying it now. (Others are absolutely welcome to feel different.)
The mids are more noticeable and upfront on the RMC-1, that’s why it sounds the way it does. Whereas the Marantz has the AK DACs who are known to produce a very warm sound, but if you play with the EQ you can bring up the mids higher if need be.
Can you please explain what you’re trying to accomplish by showing video and audio clips of both processors on UA-cam? Video is pass through, bit for bit, what point does showing it attempt to make? Should I expect to hear a difference on my iPad viewing your recordings from some probably low bit rate source?
There is a difference in audio. Video, i dont think there is from what i saw. You may not get the full experience online,but it is perceptible. Maybe grab a good set of headphones
To me the Marantz sounds better, The Emotiva sounded to bright. But were both of these set to direct or was Audyssey used on the Marantz. They should be tested with no room correction since Emotiva doesn't have Dirac yet. And if Audyssey was used what setting was used, Reference, L/R bypass or Flat. I have the AV8805 and the Reference is warm sounding,Flat is more on the brighter side. For a fair comparison both units need to bypass the eq or use direct mode.
I’m confused now 😂 I was going to go from the marantz 7012 to the cinema 50 but if I pivot to The emotiva then I also need an amp for that processor. Running a 7.2.4. Which I’d be looking at closer to 5 or 6 out the door.
Marantz is a status symbol, seriously? They sound so flat with sound images smashed together. This isn't an opinion this is a fact I have tried many of them. You will never know great sound unless you hear it, even Onkyo's are in a different league than Marantz. I do hear good things about Emotiva but I can't speak for the sound since I haven't had one.
Just invite some more people over to your home theater and your subwoofers will take care of giving people back issues and then you can adjust them before they leave. You can call it Bass Adjustments. You look like you lost some weight . Looks good on you. Beard looking tight. Dad life must agree with you.
Interesting - making me wonder about my recent setup with a Denon 4500 9.2 hooked up to an Emotiva XPA5 channel amp to expand it to 11.2. At least I know what to upgrade to one day lol
When you popped out with your blue shirt I thought you were gonna go into a chiropractic skit, haha. I'm seriously gonna have to look into emotiva. Great video !
So the Emotiva isn't like getting attacked by a shark? Emotiva is more like going for a nice jet ski ride in the bay with the sharks waiting nearby in the ocean. Sharks can't catch you on that jet ski. LOL
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude thank you for explaining I did already know that I was trying to make a lame joke. I usually use the analogy that when you buy a new car and then you think there's so many more of those cars being purchased it's just your now noticing them on the road because you bought one
When you go into an A/V shop, they don't usually let you really mess around with the equipment a whole lot. I'd love to see the on-screen menus, if it has options you can assign to each input such as video processing and volume trim, the GUI for speaker calibration, little options like whether you can override the surround codec when your set-top device is playing a 2-channel movie through a 5.1 PCM stream, etc. Nobody seems to touch on these details.
Emotiva processors are very basic looking, although you can rename/assign each input. I have to admit that I like Yamaha's gui interface. Having a visual of the changes is always a nice touch. With Emotiva you get ordinary text. Once you're used to navigating the menus, you'll find that it's pretty intuitive. There have been a few horribly designed menus, from all brands, that are very difficult to figure out. Maybe Emotiva can eventually make a beautiful gui, but it likely won't be available on anything they're going to offer this decade. Btw, I do not own the rmc-1, but do have the xmc-1. I'm very happy with the xmc-1 and will likely move to the xmc-2 when the trade-in option is available. The xmc-2 will offer the same dac that's in the rmc-1, but shared between channels, with the exception of the 3 front channels. These will have mono dacs for increased resolution. "Audiophile quality AKM4490 Verita DACs, operating in fully balanced Mono mode on the left, center, and right channel." From Emotiva's website
emotiva GUI stinks like vaginosis and dont have an app like others , the marantz GUI makes you feel all warm and fuzzy fun to use. Emo is a hassle to use when using and has glitches .hieroglyphics , you can tell a linux computer is running the show cause it does slow down when using the menu it can get sluggish just navigating then you get that annoying click . it does sound good cant take that away from it , best i ever herd but comes at a price and not $$ your aggravation . I dont want to return it but im not totally happy with it . the menu ergonomics are not there . some smart pencil neck programmed it that didn't want to hear anything anyone had rot say and thats how you get the xmc-2. its the year 2022 GUIs are here to stay and they have to be good not sub par..
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude don't forget I do reviews for AVS forums I have access to a lot of stuff through through the years that most people probably never will. I just think they should have waited 2 put it out when everything was 100% with the product in all honesty if that's the case then I would use the Monoprice monolith version of that less money same features ships with Dirac
Yeah. Well we cant fix that they released it before it was perfect, but i think they are definitely heading in the right direction. I completely forgot about the AVS reviews. What kind of stuff you get?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude just had a full Paradigm set up towers subs, center,bookshelves. Working on supertweeters from Aperion. Had their top towers in too wow they were incredible.
I grew up with Marantz and McIntosh products as my dad was into his gear in the 70s and 80s. Although these products are still great, someone can not convince me that Emotiva and the likes of direct to consumer brands are crap. My whole soundstage is powered by Emotiva an XPA5 and two monoblocks. EMOTIVA dollar for dollar is TOUGH to beat. Plus customer service is top notch.
THTD, great video. Thanks for the side by side. Is the audio going into the processors SPDIF, or using the HDMI connection? Since you are a Texas boy ( just moved to Kansas from Texas), I wanted to suggest a few music demo tracks: Greg Brown -- "Dear Wrinkled Face" and "Tender Hearted Child", Dead Can Dance -- "How Fortunate the Man with None", Muddy Waters -- "My Home is in the Delta", Heart -- "Stairway to Heaven (Live at the Kennedy Center Honors)". Thanks again...
HDMI. The tidal app on my laptop is the first layer of "unfolding" the hi-res tracks. The master files are send through the hmdi and i used stereo reference mode to recreate the sound. that is no eq no processing and no bass management. sounds incredible
I use my system mainly for music, then movies. I love the Marantz signature sound, and especially since the Emotiva is 500 bucks more and has a bunch of glitches...no thanks. I currently have the Marantz AV8801 and I want to upgrade to the AV8805 for Atmos. I like Emotiva amps...I have three of them. I guess I will wait and see if Emotiva can get their shit together with this RMC-1. Until then, I will be buying the AV8805. Besides that, it looks soooo much better than the Emotiva.
That Home Theater Dude just pictures. My AV8801 just had the HDMI board crapped out (I think) so I am looking for something with not only video processing, but SUPERB sound. More into music than anything, but want movie processing too. Considering both of these units. Not sure what to do. Does Emotiva have a “trial” period for their processors...as in returns if you don’t like it? Also, I need three HDMI zones Out. Hmmmm. What to do...
i dont have experince with either one but i think they are both good...anyone could be happy with either prossesor....great video....they both sound great
I actually prefer the Marantz sound to the Emotiva when you were playing the music. I didn't notice a difference during the movie parts. The Marantz had a softer sound to me and the Emotiva seemed bright. It's all in what the individual thinks sounds better I guess. To each his own. Also 1 thing I noticed is that you pointed out the Emotiva upgrade path but did not mention that Marantz will upgrade the AV8805 to HDMI 2.2 when it comes out.
wow i dint expected such a difference even on youtube the Rmc1 hit harder much clearer and dynamic very clean.... Maratz sound good with music! i wont be able to got back once i got a rmc1 lol maybe one day!
That Home Theater Dude You don’t know about Greentoe? Greentoe.com is a wonderful site where you make an offer and it will get accepted or not and before hand they have a meter to show you if your offer is likely to be accepted. My 77” C9 was less than $4900 when I got it over a month ago and my 6014 was $1100 shipped to my door and these are with the full US warranties! They have extended warranties you can add on as well. It really is just a smarter way to shop if they carry what you are looking for. I think an offer of $3700 would for sure be accepted for the 8805 for example, but $3650 looks like it would too. These are with shipping and taxes included n the pricing as well :)
Question for you. Which do you think made the most difference with the sound detail on the RMC: mono DACs or fully differential outputs? I'm not an electrical engineer so I'm trying to understand from a technical perspective. Thanks!
@John SmithTo be fair, I am running an Emotiva XPA-7 "GEN 2"...Haven't encountered such a problem with any of your accounts. I made sure I tried them all in different SCENARIOS. Whilst adding other power adders such as a Crown XLS 2002 "which AB's can be known for back feed" for my two Tower KLH Kendalls. I now added a SPA1000 panel Amp cut into place of the 400w that came with my Klipsch R-115SW. Nope no back feed. I must say I am running this all through a Denon AVR-X6500H. Maybe that's the helping hand....? Although I use a Behringer NX4-6000 to power various speakers and arrangements also. You know us guys like me and you. Constantly dialing in and harassing our equipment. I do have a total of 4 subs. Two powered by SPA1000's and two powered by SVS SB2000's 500 watt panels also. Hey maybe ya just have a bad connection.? Because we both know if you email Emotiva they'll be more than happy to either hold your uncallist hands or probably even remind you that their American made state of the art equipment has a 5 year warranty. That's Five. As in 1, 2, 3, 4, oh you get it. But we all thank you for your in depth explanations and remedies tried to exonerate any ignorance on your part. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. Much appreciated.
Make sure you do a video on using REW for measuring and auto creating PEQ filters for the Emotiva. Seems like a very nice feature to use while waiting for Dirac Live.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude I think people would be interested, since there is no Dirac Live available yet? Doesn't have to be super technical.. just point out the possibilities and your impressions of the result.
Why doesnt anyone ever tell the truth with emotiva and their hdmi problem and the popping noise that it has and problem they have sunce 2016. I have an emotiva rmc-1l want to send back and looking for marantz
great video i was picking the second clip each time and in my head, I was thinking it was the Marantz every time, boy was I wrong. I wonder if its a wash to upgrade from a Denon x4400h to Marantz lated 9.2 channel receiver? anyway great video
Very good video. Marantz sound was warmer and Emotiva was more open and clear. I liked Emotiva. I have the Marantz 7706, so cannot complain about these two flagship products 😊
I have a 7.2.4 system with bi-amping my fronts... i read both manuals before hand... and the 8805 had a config in the gui for my exact need... just seemed so much easier(maybe possible with the emotiva also, just didnt see it in the manual.. some preamps have more than enough channel processing but dont allow certain configurations.. they dont allow the channels to be assigned)... plus the 8805A allows me to game at 4k/120 on my xbox series x
the only way to test balanced setups is via monoblocks I never liked all-in-1 dial solution controls due to latency lag via touch sensitive knob.. side corruption can happen through cycling through the options problem if you want to cater upto 32-96 channels you would need a secondary processors with 1 into 2-4 .. with primary and sub effects you have max evolution 28 channels before you add 2-8 channels of subs.. though at present you would likely need to a dedicated mixing board to use 32 channels.. to currently use a 14-21 channel height and wide setup as described by denon and sony of JAPAN you would need to add post processor in to the lay out at this stage when we look at both denon, yamaha and marantz we have been looking at 9.3-11.4 whether you split the terminology like it is 7.2/4.2/3/4 seven mains 2-4 height or wide or height and wide 1, 2-4 subs since the mid 1990's..
My question is for the best way of hooking up a second amplifier for 2 or 4 channels of more speaker audio on a separate amp not cutting into the power of using all the channels on the main amp. what's the best way to hook this up and which sort of amplifier would you recommend is the secondary amplifier I do currently have the Denon 2400. and it works very well thank you audioholics,
They are not sluggish anymore i have the xmc2 boy it was frustrating with the sluggishness but since the 1.10 firmware everything is smooth .comimg from a long time owner of the xmc1
Nobody seemed to catch when he said that everyone seems to crap on "OUR" PRODUCT. HMMM EMOTIVA IS YOUR PRODUCT BUT YOUR AN INDEPENDANT REVIEWER? OK BUD
dude what is your problem? I have seen two of your comments and they both have a negative tone. Do you ever give positive ones. Are you just here to gripe?
All I need is MOTRIN, you know how it works I have M&M's. Good Luck on your journey! ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW, BY THTD . I hear the Emotiva sounded more crisp in sound! Which Fan are you using for the Marantz?
Dude! I appreciate the comparison video because it helps us to make the purchase, But you should have set up the Dirac component to make an accurate review. This review is washed out because you set up one system with Audyssey, and the other without Dirac. It really makes it unfair for Emotiva. To make it fair game, can you please update this video with listening to the Dirac set up? It will really help us understand how much of a difference Dirac will do for a home theater system. Thanks!
i would go with the marantz for the warmer sound. the emotive reminds me of when i had there amps xpa2 and xpa5 ,not a good match for paradigm to shrill and ear fatiguing
its so hard deciding what to get. i have a sunfire tgp5 right now but its dated and every time i have a power outage it loses all memory settings and i have to completely go thru it and re-enter settings. it has to go. does anyone have recommendations on an upgrade in sound quality over the sunfire. i have been very happy with the sunfire but its time to upgrade. i am leaning towards emotiva xmc1 because its reasonable priced. but is it an upgrade on sound?
The notable difference in sound between these two is 99% due to differences in EQ setup. If they both were set up properly and equivalently, the difference would be too subtle to hear on a UA-cam video. In-person, I would expect the RMC-1 to have a very slight edge over the AV8805. A more fair and meaningful comparison would be to the XMC-2 - with both devices EQ'd exactly the same.
I had to check if this was on x2 speed lol
I go emotiva all the way ... they also have a buy back program that allows you trade in your old unit for an updated or new model . With Marantz, you are stuck with that processor and it lack of flexibility
You know, a fabulous comparison would be the Emotiva RMC-1 vs Arcam AV40 vs AudioControl Maestro M9 (or M5). Now that's a review that would solve a lot of questions for a *LOT* of folks!
*Thanks for considering*
The “second” sounds a lot more dynamic and detailed 👍🏾
They both sounded just like my system
@@ChannelBri LOL
@@ChannelBri
FYI if I play on UA-cam a hand held radio and then a 2 channel system I promise you will hear the difference. You can hear the difference even though it won't be what I hear in person
@@scottyo64 There is so much wrong with what you just said its not even worth the argument.
At 16.26 and further you can clearly hear that the Marantz has a better resolution. Compared to the finer Marantz the Emotiva sounds a little bit more like a telefon. But I have to admit that the emotiva has more power, dynamics and sparkle on the film-sequences. So I would go for the Marantz because in the end music-quality is what matters for me.
Good reasoning my man :)
I agree with you marantz did a better job in music, but emotiva took the upper hand in movie. Actually, I would go to 2ch for music at the end of the day. The marantz sounded too clinical in music, but which av amp doesn't sound clinical and flat?
I have the Marantz av7706 processor and looking at the emotiva xmc2 with the sale they have right now. Is it worth it??? I am not very good with all the tweaks within the calibration software.
For the movies, that definitely goes to the Emotiva RMC-1. But for music, that goes to the Marantz AV8805.
interesting :)
Usually the other way around, Dirac for music
That's what I'm hearing too. R J was right. I also think the Emotiva's volume is a bit higher than the Marantz that's why you hear a lot more detail on the Emotivas compared to the Marantz.
@@vicvlz its not it sound louder because you hearing more if the details
Wrong the marantz sounds more compressed the emotiva is wide and open
Interesting... the sound was noticeably different even coming out of cell phone speaker. On the second demo the glass shatter, gun clicks, and music was clean and crisp.
So if we account room correction software (Dirac >> Audessey) capability, then Emotiva win by a significant margin.
What got me thinking was the fact that the 8805 can not be calibrated with the actual Audyssey Pro Kit like the 8802. Instead you can use the 20 dollar app which I think is a step backwards in calibration from the pro kit.To me the app is just a gimmick. It’s no substitution for the Pro kit at all. Yes bring the app out and have the opportunity to use it but don’t deny the end user the pro kit on the 8805. Me for one and plenty of other users had no reason to upgrade from the 8802a. With the Audyssey pro kit you have a decent mic and stand and not some cheap cardboard cut out, plus you can take your calibration to its limits. For the money you spend on the 8805, I find it mind boggling.Anyways enough of my rant. Thanks for posting.
Oh wow congrats on being a chiropractor 👍🏻
Listening on my Headphones
🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thanks Dude 👍🏻
Thanks Brother
Thanks for the video. I have a Marantz but have never heard the Emotiva. I'm sure they are both good but I always wanted a Marantz. Also have an Onkyo for a different application. They both do what I need and fit my budget. But I love this stuff and may upgrade at anytime depends on what I think I need at the time lol. Thanks again for the videos. They have been getting much better since I started watching your channel 👍👍👍.
Regarding the Emotiva UI
Yes it's sluggish. This has been an issue sense the XMC-1. For what ever reason Emotiva is not good at the quality of life aspects of their products. HDMI handling is another issue. I hope this has been improved with the newer Panasonic chips.
Regarding Dirac Live vs Audyssey
Having used Pioneer MCACC, Yamaha YPAO, DENON Audyssey XT32 Pro, and Emotiva Dirac, I can say I do not like using any automatic room correction. Instead I much prefer the Yamaha/Emotiva manual PEQ. If Yamaha had freely adjustable PEQ settings like the XMC-1 then it would be the brand I would recommend for 99% of users out there.
Having said that only the Audyssey XT32 actually matched or came very close my manual PEQ settings. The MCACC, YPAO, and Dirac all completely kill any freq below 80 hz and boost everything above 12khz. This creates an uneven response when measuring with Room EQW and my UMIK-1 while independently verifying any adjustments made by these Auto Room Correction programs.
So I find I tend to lean towards products with PEQ for manual control, which for some reason is not that many in the sub $4k range. Anyone offering a unit that cost north of $1500 should not have a 9 band EQ as a manual option.
again, the HDMI issues have been resolved with updates to the software.
The Emo definitely sounds better. There's more detail, especially in that John Wick scene. You could clearly hear the glass/pottery breaking whereas it sounded muted on the Marantz.
yeah. I noticed that too.
My XMC was supposed to be upgradable. Too.
Well technically there is (or will be when they are all released) an upgrade path to the new crop of Emotiva Pre's with different price points based on your existing XMC-1.
Wow what a difference. I have been using Emotiva gear for my 2 channel setups for a few years but never tried their HT stuff. I am just running a Marantz SR 7012 for my 7.2.2 I do find most people have NO experience with Emotiva gear but like to talk smack about them.
nah ill go see a real doctor who isnt selling snake oil, but i like your home theater videos...
The second sounds better even the dialogue is clearer than the first and it would sound better if I were there
Awesome video man, smashed it!! I was really hoping that the second one was marantz as it sounded noticeably better in every aspect. I love marantz for their ease of use and everything just works out of the box, hdmi switching no major bugs etc. I am hoping that they can iron out the issues with the emotiva so it becomes as intuitive and easy to use as the marantz because if they can then I will definitely be getting it. That's not even getting started on audessey vs Dirac with Dirac being a clear winner. One thing I can't live with is a clunky experience, I don't care how good it sounds if it lags, hdmi switching issues and things like that then I am not buying it.
The Hdmi switching issue has been resolved with the updates. Since this is a software based platform alot of the issues are fixed via usb updates in DAT format
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude which is best processor according your opinion? Sound quality, channels, immersive wise, etc
A couple thousand to get a new reciever my ass marantz was like 5k that got replaced the following year with a better version. I went with emotiva
Finally I have my Emotiva RMC-1 and the corresponding power amplifier, XPA 5 GEN 3. I am simply thrilled with the sound quality. In contrast to my Denon X8500H, Emotiva plays in a completely different league. Too bad that Emotiva is totally unknown in Germany. But luckily we have at least one distribution here in Germany. Keep up the good work and greetings from 🇩🇪. 👍🇺🇸
SFC Papajewski
Yeah. I was really surprised for their to be such a big difference in sound.
Great video! And I really like the sound clips that you included! And at the end of the day, it is all about sound quality - which is why this unit is so tempting. I really, REALLY want to love this product, but my biggest hesitation with Emotiva are the promises that are made for something in the future, that doesn't come to market for years, or ever. The XMC-1 was supposed to be upgradeable to HDMI 2.0, to Atmos, and to DTS:X.... But the HDMI 1.4 to 2.1 upgrade took more than 3 years for them to release after HDMI 2.1 had been standardized. And they had discussed an Atmos option as well, for years, that according to their forums sounds as though it was beta tested, but never released. My hesitation with this product is Dirac will at some point be available. At some point, you can upgrade to more channels. At some point, it might have airplay. And at some point, it will support DTS:X Pro. (This is all very well documented in their forums and discussed by their lead engineer as well as the president.) But until then, you're paying a premium price for a product that 1) doesn't have many of it's promised features available now and 2) until recently, you were essentially beta testing (The RMC-1 has been out for well over a year now)
I'm also not an engineer, but have been looking into the differential balanced v. balanced subject a bit. I want to state that I could be wrong here... But I don't understand what the benefit of a fully balanced circuit is, when it's built into the pre/pro, unless the pre/pro is creating internal noise that would have to be canceled out. Especially if it's a digital source. The soundtrack is presented digitally to the processor, which then isolates the soundtrack into discrete channels, which then sends each individual channel signal to the DAC, which then gets output to the speaker via the XLR connection. The only interference in that path would have to come from within the RMC itself. So my question to Emotiva would be does their product create a lot of RF noise or interference where they felt they required a fully balanced circuit, or, is this just more of a marketing ploy?
My closing thought is this.... From a sound quality perspective, this product looks like a winner. But it just has too much promised for the future that isn't available yet. I hope that this is considered by many people reviewing the product in hopes that it applies some pressure to Emotiva to get some of these things delivered before they give it a thumbs up to buy now. If it had room correction, if they had expansion modules for it now, I think it could be a winner. But until they deliver at least something they have promised, I just can't justify buying it now. (Others are absolutely welcome to feel different.)
2 years later. Still no DTS:X-PRO
So which processor of the two did you keep?
Like your videos, you mention doing a full review on the Emotiva RMC-1, when might this happen?
The mids are more noticeable and upfront on the RMC-1, that’s why it sounds the way it does. Whereas the Marantz has the AK DACs who are known to produce a very warm sound, but if you play with the EQ you can bring up the mids higher if need be.
they are the same ak 4490 dacs. the marantz just arent mono
Congrats on Chiropractic Career... all the best with Internship... with your personality and communication skills, you will do extremely well....
Whaaa? I am terrible at communication. Im trying to get better though :)
Why do people keep raving about Dirac live ? It destroys the bass
i dont like it either.
I love the video and I tell ya it's all about what you want. Gonna be a hard decision when I need to upgrade. Thank you for the great video HTD.
cool beans ralph
Can you please explain what you’re trying to accomplish by showing video and audio clips of both processors on UA-cam? Video is pass through, bit for bit, what point does showing it attempt to make? Should I expect to hear a difference on my iPad viewing your recordings from some probably low bit rate source?
There is a difference in audio. Video, i dont think there is from what i saw. You may not get the full experience online,but it is perceptible. Maybe grab a good set of headphones
To me the Marantz sounds better, The Emotiva sounded to bright. But were both of these set to direct or was Audyssey used on the Marantz. They should be tested with no room correction since Emotiva doesn't have Dirac yet. And if Audyssey was used what setting was used, Reference, L/R bypass or Flat. I have the AV8805 and the Reference is warm sounding,Flat is more on the brighter side. For a fair comparison both units need to bypass the eq or use direct mode.
Chris, have you had any trouble with the hdmi source inputs on you 8805. On my 8802 my DVD source input has never worked.Just wondering.
I’m confused now 😂 I was going to go from the marantz 7012 to the cinema 50 but if I pivot to The emotiva then I also need an amp for that processor. Running a 7.2.4. Which I’d be looking at closer to 5 or 6 out the door.
Marantz is a status symbol, seriously? They sound so flat with sound images smashed together. This isn't an opinion this is a fact I have tried many of them. You will never know great sound unless you hear it, even Onkyo's are in a different league than Marantz. I do hear good things about Emotiva but I can't speak for the sound since I haven't had one.
When I tell my friends that I have a home theater, they are like... "what's that?"
HAHA. yeah you right. My buds could care less until there is a Game on
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude , (couldn't care less)
My wife just prefers to watch shows on her phone. 😢
@@scottnorris9079 , good for you!
googoo gjoob I suppose it is... never thought of it that way. Thanks!
Just found a video of Marantz AV7705 teardown:
ua-cam.com/video/7NLxpJS75BY/v-deo.html
Just invite some more people over to your home theater and your subwoofers will take care of giving people back issues and then you can adjust them before they leave. You can call it Bass Adjustments. You look like you lost some weight . Looks good on you. Beard looking tight. Dad life must agree with you.
PFFT. I lost the weight before the kid. Now Im gaining it back haha. The beard is looking tight :)
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude well you still are looking fantastic I wish you the best of luck with your new career
1st..fan of your videos, im from philippines.
Interesting - making me wonder about my recent setup with a Denon 4500 9.2 hooked up to an Emotiva XPA5 channel amp to expand it to 11.2. At least I know what to upgrade to one day lol
it is true what you said about emotiva, software is buggy, menu is slow but the sound is great
Who sounds better Rotel 1580 MK II or Marantz 8805 / 8077 ?
When you popped out with your blue shirt I thought you were gonna go into a chiropractic skit, haha. I'm seriously gonna have to look into emotiva. Great video !
AC infinity rocks! Love it as well
So the Emotiva isn't like getting attacked by a shark? Emotiva is more like going for a nice jet ski ride in the bay with the sharks waiting nearby in the ocean. Sharks can't catch you on that jet ski. LOL
Shark attack phenomenon is when a shark attack happens out of the blue then you hear about 10 more right after. The media focused attention
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude thank you for explaining I did already know that I was trying to make a lame joke. I usually use the analogy that when you buy a new car and then you think there's so many more of those cars being purchased it's just your now noticing them on the road because you bought one
Thanks great video! I've got my eye on that Marantz! RANGERS Lead The Way!!!!!
Yeah me too
amplifier..... ATI rocks
When you go into an A/V shop, they don't usually let you really mess around with the equipment a whole lot. I'd love to see the on-screen menus, if it has options you can assign to each input such as video processing and volume trim, the GUI for speaker calibration, little options like whether you can override the surround codec when your set-top device is playing a 2-channel movie through a 5.1 PCM stream, etc. Nobody seems to touch on these details.
Emotiva processors are very basic looking, although you can rename/assign each input. I have to admit that I like Yamaha's gui interface. Having a visual of the changes is always a nice touch. With Emotiva you get ordinary text. Once you're used to navigating the menus, you'll find that it's pretty intuitive. There have been a few horribly designed menus, from all brands, that are very difficult to figure out. Maybe Emotiva can eventually make a beautiful gui, but it likely won't be available on anything they're going to offer this decade.
Btw, I do not own the rmc-1, but do have the xmc-1. I'm very happy with the xmc-1 and will likely move to the xmc-2 when the trade-in option is available. The xmc-2 will offer the same dac that's in the rmc-1, but shared between channels, with the exception of the 3 front channels. These will have mono dacs for increased resolution.
"Audiophile quality AKM4490 Verita DACs, operating in fully balanced Mono mode on the left, center, and right channel." From Emotiva's website
emotiva GUI stinks like vaginosis and dont have an app like others , the marantz GUI makes you feel all warm and fuzzy fun to use. Emo is a hassle to use when using and has glitches .hieroglyphics , you can tell a linux computer is running the show cause it does slow down when using the menu it can get sluggish just navigating then you get that annoying click . it does sound good cant take that away from it , best i ever herd but comes at a price and not $$ your aggravation . I dont want to return it but im not totally happy with it . the menu ergonomics are not there . some smart pencil neck programmed it that didn't want to hear anything anyone had rot say and thats how you get the xmc-2. its the year 2022 GUIs are here to stay and they have to be good not sub par..
Glad to see you cleaned up the front of the theater. Looks really good.
Heyyy you noticed. Yeah I got a floating shelf custom made for my house. I think it looks good.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude honestly the front has never looked that good. that floating shelf is awesome
I like that clear and honest video. You are not afraid to tell which sounded best to your opinion. Thanks for sharing.
This is not a house, it's a warehouse😅 too much speaker in a small room.
Fisrt and second?
Which is the first and which is the second??
when i played this through my yamaha cx 5200 they both sounded good. :P LOL
without Dirac and having them ship without all features deal breaker for me.
PITBULL it has arc. Where did you hear it didn’t?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude don't forget I do reviews for AVS forums I have access to a lot of stuff through through the years that most people probably never will. I just think they should have waited 2 put it out when everything was 100% with the product in all honesty if that's the case then I would use the Monoprice monolith version of that less money same features ships with Dirac
Yeah. Well we cant fix that they released it before it was perfect, but i think they are definitely heading in the right direction. I completely forgot about the AVS reviews. What kind of stuff you get?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude just had a full Paradigm set up towers subs, center,bookshelves. Working on supertweeters from Aperion. Had their top towers in too wow they were incredible.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Maybe the confusion comes from about 7:30-7:40 where you mention it does not come with dirac enabled?
Thinking of buying rmc-1 now or go with Marantz?
Hi
If I buy emotiva xmc 2 , I need to buy amplifiler to contact in to the speakers ?
Definitely
I grew up with Marantz and McIntosh products as my dad was into his gear in the 70s and 80s. Although these products are still great, someone can not convince me that Emotiva and the likes of direct to consumer brands are crap. My whole soundstage is powered by Emotiva an XPA5 and two monoblocks. EMOTIVA dollar for dollar is TOUGH to beat. Plus customer service is top notch.
right on man
THTD, great video. Thanks for the side by side. Is the audio going into the processors SPDIF, or using the HDMI connection? Since you are a Texas boy ( just moved to Kansas from Texas), I wanted to suggest a few music demo tracks: Greg Brown -- "Dear Wrinkled Face" and "Tender Hearted Child", Dead Can Dance -- "How Fortunate the Man with None", Muddy Waters -- "My Home is in the Delta", Heart -- "Stairway to Heaven (Live at the Kennedy Center Honors)". Thanks again...
HDMI. The tidal app on my laptop is the first layer of "unfolding" the hi-res tracks. The master files are send through the hmdi and i used stereo reference mode to recreate the sound. that is no eq no processing and no bass management. sounds incredible
Very confusing review !! "1 side and other side " which one is first or second.
whats your question?
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude Seriously?
first is a better
I use my system mainly for music, then movies. I love the Marantz signature sound, and especially since the Emotiva is 500 bucks more and has a bunch of glitches...no thanks. I currently have the Marantz AV8801 and I want to upgrade to the AV8805 for Atmos. I like Emotiva amps...I have three of them. I guess I will wait and see if Emotiva can get their shit together with this RMC-1. Until then, I will be buying the AV8805. Besides that, it looks soooo much better than the Emotiva.
Have you used the emotiva?
That Home Theater Dude just pictures. My AV8801 just had the HDMI board crapped out (I think) so I am looking for something with not only video processing, but SUPERB sound. More into music than anything, but want movie processing too. Considering both of these units. Not sure what to do. Does Emotiva have a “trial” period for their processors...as in returns if you don’t like it? Also, I need three HDMI zones Out. Hmmmm. What to do...
How come nobody talk about anthem mrx 1120? I would like to see comparison anthem and emotiva
The rep just took over in my region and isnt really in a place to send out review units. Hope he changes his tune soon
uprgradeable is underappreciated
really surprised how different they sound ... even over youtube and headphones ...a clear difference
Love more Marantz.
which do you own?
Marantz AV7705 works good for me😂
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude me? neither i am a 2 channel guy , planning for a HT
Everything sounds good at Best Buy then when you get it home it sounds like shit.
i dont have experince with either one but i think they are both good...anyone could be happy with either prossesor....great video....they both sound great
Cool beans John
Music is marantz
Movie is emotiva
I approved this comment with my tin t2 pros.
I actually prefer the Marantz sound to the Emotiva when you were playing the music. I didn't notice a difference during the movie parts. The Marantz had a softer sound to me and the Emotiva seemed bright. It's all in what the individual thinks sounds better I guess. To each his own.
Also 1 thing I noticed is that you pointed out the Emotiva upgrade path but did not mention that Marantz will upgrade the AV8805 to HDMI 2.2 when it comes out.
i mentioned it in the 8805 review. I have no proof that it will happen. I will ask them tomorrow at RMAF
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude www.soundandvision.com/content/marantz-unleashes-hdmi-21-upgradeable-flagship
wow i dint expected such a difference even on youtube the Rmc1 hit harder much clearer and dynamic very clean.... Maratz sound good with music! i wont be able to got back once i got a rmc1 lol maybe one day!
Marantz 8805 should be available for about $3650 from Greentoe, that’s what it shows “green” at. My 6014 was $1100 shipped to my door from Greentoe.
whats a greentoe?
That Home Theater Dude You don’t know about Greentoe? Greentoe.com is a wonderful site where you make an offer and it will get accepted or not and before hand they have a meter to show you if your offer is likely to be accepted. My 77” C9 was less than $4900 when I got it over a month ago and my 6014 was $1100 shipped to my door and these are with the full US warranties! They have extended warranties you can add on as well. It really is just a smarter way to shop if they carry what you are looking for. I think an offer of $3700 would for sure be accepted for the 8805 for example, but $3650 looks like it would too. These are with shipping and taxes included n the pricing as well :)
Question for you. Which do you think made the most difference with the sound detail on the RMC: mono DACs or fully differential outputs? I'm not an electrical engineer so I'm trying to understand from a technical perspective. Thanks!
Roberto Romero if I were to guess, it would be a combo of the fully balanced chassis from input to output and the mono dacs.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude were you running the RMC with a differential amplifier as well?
the conclusion shows how emotiva RMC-1 is more clearer and detailed. Right now there is a sale and I am finally getting the emotiva woot woot
Did you compare these two using a music DVD?
Paid tidal app on the laptop. they use master quality files that are higher res than cd
EMOTIVA XPA-7 = A.O.K. FELLAS. SOLID BUILT SH1T. FORGET THE REST. SAVE YOUR MONEY. GET THE BEST. "EMOTIVA" BOYS!
@John SmithTo be fair, I am running an Emotiva XPA-7 "GEN 2"...Haven't encountered such a problem with any of your accounts. I made sure I tried them all in different SCENARIOS. Whilst adding other power adders such as a Crown XLS 2002 "which AB's can be known for back feed" for my two Tower KLH Kendalls. I now added a SPA1000 panel Amp cut into place of the 400w that came with my Klipsch R-115SW. Nope no back feed. I must say I am running this all through a Denon AVR-X6500H. Maybe that's the helping hand....? Although I use a Behringer NX4-6000 to power various speakers and arrangements also. You know us guys like me and you. Constantly dialing in and harassing our equipment. I do have a total of 4 subs. Two powered by
SPA1000's and two powered by SVS SB2000's 500 watt panels also.
Hey maybe ya just have a bad connection.? Because we both know if you email Emotiva they'll be more than happy to either hold your uncallist hands or probably even remind you that their American made state of the art equipment has a 5 year warranty. That's Five. As in 1, 2, 3, 4, oh you get it. But we all thank you for your in depth explanations and remedies tried to exonerate any ignorance on your part. Thank you for your wisdom and guidance. Much appreciated.
@John Smith Well, Once again. You've stood me corrected, sir.
Make sure you do a video on using REW for measuring and auto creating PEQ filters for the Emotiva. Seems like a very nice feature to use while waiting for Dirac Live.
I can. Historically people do not care for my REW vids so I usually delete them
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude I think people would be interested, since there is no Dirac Live available yet? Doesn't have to be super technical.. just point out the possibilities and your impressions of the result.
Why doesnt anyone ever tell the truth with emotiva and their hdmi problem and the popping noise that it has and problem they have sunce 2016. I have an emotiva rmc-1l want to send back and looking for marantz
if you use an active hdmi it fixes the problem. most pople use the wrong HDMI for this unit.
@@ThatHomeTheaterDude which one would you reccomend i use audioquest chocolate 3ft
great video i was picking the second clip each time and in my head, I was thinking it was the Marantz every time, boy was I wrong. I wonder if its a wash to upgrade from a Denon x4400h to Marantz lated 9.2 channel receiver? anyway great video
Maybe. I had the denon 4400 for over a year and the marantz sounded really nice on the 6014
Very good video. Marantz sound was warmer and Emotiva was more open and clear. I liked Emotiva. I have the Marantz 7706, so cannot complain about these two flagship products 😊
Obviously the Emotiva is the winner! Never owned a Marantz but a friend has one that will move to Emotiva after listening with my system!
I have a 7.2.4 system with bi-amping my fronts... i read both manuals before hand... and the 8805 had a config in the gui for my exact need... just seemed so much easier(maybe possible with the emotiva also, just didnt see it in the manual.. some preamps have more than enough channel processing but dont allow certain configurations.. they dont allow the channels to be assigned)... plus the 8805A allows me to game at 4k/120 on my xbox series x
Well, a year and a half later and the Emotiva is still 16 channels as none of the advertised expansion/upgrade cards ever materialized.
the only way to test balanced setups is via monoblocks
I never liked all-in-1 dial solution controls due to latency lag via touch sensitive knob.. side corruption can happen through cycling through the options
problem if you want to cater upto 32-96 channels you would need a secondary processors with 1 into 2-4 ..
with primary and sub effects you have max evolution 28 channels before you add 2-8 channels of subs..
though at present you would likely need to a dedicated mixing board to use 32 channels..
to currently use a 14-21 channel height and wide setup as described by denon and sony of JAPAN you would need to add post processor in to the lay out
at this stage when we look at both denon, yamaha and marantz we have been looking at 9.3-11.4 whether you split the terminology like it is 7.2/4.2/3/4
seven mains
2-4 height or wide or height and wide
1, 2-4 subs
since the mid 1990's..
Slow down !
....
no
Nope, Marantz has the best sound. Open, clear, light but powerful... the emotive sound congested, like sound from big tube. Narrow.
word? You are the only person i have heard say that so far
My question is for the best way of hooking up a second amplifier for 2 or 4 channels of more speaker audio on a separate amp not cutting into the power of using all the channels on the main amp. what's the best way to hook this up and which sort of amplifier would you recommend is the secondary amplifier I do currently have the Denon 2400. and it works very well thank you audioholics,
Emotiva seems you dialled in louder and more bass. The Marantz sounded lower bass added. Thanks for the clarity.
Which was 1 and which was 2 while you placed the demo clips..u did not mentioned the brand name..
Marantz for Music hands down and Emotiva hands down for movies!
He looks like John Petrucci from Dream Theater :)
They are not sluggish anymore i have the xmc2 boy it was frustrating with the sluggishness but since the 1.10 firmware everything is smooth .comimg from a long time owner of the xmc1
Nobody seemed to catch when he said that everyone seems to crap on "OUR" PRODUCT. HMMM EMOTIVA IS YOUR PRODUCT BUT YOUR AN INDEPENDANT REVIEWER? OK BUD
dude what is your problem? I have seen two of your comments and they both have a negative tone. Do you ever give positive ones. Are you just here to gripe?
I definitely hear that the Emotiva has better sound. Clearer and crisp sound.
You got that right
All I need is MOTRIN, you know how it works I have M&M's. Good Luck on your journey!
ANOTHER GREAT REVIEW, BY THTD . I hear the Emotiva sounded more crisp in sound!
Which Fan are you using for the Marantz?
First is which device and second is which device?
i would like to know your cinema spec?
Do you think old amplifire like 12 years and more buying from eBay is it safe.i dont be regrate .thank you.
amps usually last a long time without maintenance
That Center channel should sound quite a bit better now. It's under foam and not surrounded with stuff to reflect sound from.
its been on foam for the last year and a half It does sound more distinct now that its open air
Dude! I appreciate the comparison video because it helps us to make the purchase, But you should have set up the Dirac component to make an accurate review.
This review is washed out because you set up one system with Audyssey, and the other without Dirac. It really makes it unfair for Emotiva.
To make it fair game, can you please update this video with listening to the Dirac set up? It will really help us understand how much of a difference Dirac will do for a home theater system.
Thanks!
Hello i use Marantz with MK plan to move to Emotiva because they got more channel. Could you please tell me emotiva is good at music too ?
two channel yes, mutlichannel no, the bass is lacking
i would go with the marantz for the warmer sound. the emotive reminds me of when i had there amps xpa2 and xpa5 ,not a good match for paradigm to shrill and ear fatiguing
I have to agree, but I love Emotiva amps with Emotiva speakers ! Killer
Hey the home theatre dude. I have a fairly specific question. What's the best way to ask and get a quick response?
travis beich you can ask it here. I’m traveling today so it probably won’t be the fastest response.
Does a surge protector /line conditioner suppress powered subs? I have heard so much I'm not sure. I have both of mine hooked to a Panamax m5300
you should be fine
its so hard deciding what to get. i have a sunfire tgp5 right now but its dated and every time i have a power outage it loses all memory settings and i have to completely go thru it and re-enter settings. it has to go. does anyone have recommendations on an upgrade in sound quality over the sunfire. i have been very happy with the sunfire but its time to upgrade. i am leaning towards emotiva xmc1 because its reasonable priced. but is it an upgrade on sound?
i run the xmc-2 for my daily driver right now. Functionality issues are minimal and sound is great.
The notable difference in sound between these two is 99% due to differences in EQ setup. If they both were set up properly and equivalently, the difference would be too subtle to hear on a UA-cam video. In-person, I would expect the RMC-1 to have a very slight edge over the AV8805. A more fair and meaningful comparison would be to the XMC-2 - with both devices EQ'd exactly the same.
Bingo!
Sure especially that there was no EQ available at that time for Emo...
Probably wait for the the RMC-2 or RMC-3. Sounds like Emotiva needs to work out a lot of bugs first.
I think you should try one yourself and see what you think. Dont buy into the hype that everyone else spits.