# Marantz 7002 Vs Emotiva UMC-200 ?



## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

Hi - i am currently unable to decide if i want to uprade my setup - i been trying to get info. on the Emotiva UMC 200 - asking on the Emo forum but for some reason - either i am not doing it right when i posted - but i got no answers - 

at the moment - i have the marantz 7002 - with klipsch 5.1 setup - i also have a 2 channel amp which i use for the Fronts - i also use another pair of Klipsch on Speaker B from the marantz - 

i have an older oppo BD 80 use it HDMI - a marantz 5 disk changer and i just got a yamaha S300 Cd player for the usb port - i am able to change folders with it - which is want i wanted easily from the remote and not having to turn on the TV to see a Screen to do it - like with the Oppo - i wish the oppo had that feature - 

so i got the itch - i guess my question is - would having the UMC 200 with the XPA 5 amp combo do a better job for music over what i am using now ? 

i am not looking for a yes or no answer - just real thoughs and why would it not be as good or why would it be as good if not better ?

i would like to achieve a better overall sound - lower noise floor if i can also - i know the Klipsch bring it out more so i may not get that - at best i hope its not more floor noise - at present with the Amp going for the front - i do get the hiss from the horns with nothing playing - just turned on - 

i wont say its excessive - and not heard by many unless i point it out and put your ear close to the horn - 

but i hear everything - which can be bad also - i dont sit far - my room is not closed off - open to the kitchen and hall etc, apt. not a home - 

i say i am about 6 to 8 feet away at most - ear level that is - 7 would be more accurate - 

does anyone here own the Emo UMC 200 - and what are your thoughts on it - 

i been trying to figure it out - how i would use my speakers which i have now on Speaker B - since all these pre pros dont have a speaker A - speaker B option - i want to move on to pre pro and amp combo if i am going to change anything - i had the marantz for 6 years and its very good also - but i dont need or use all those connections at all - i rather go separates at this point if i do anything - 

any input ? 

thanks


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## ldgibson76 (Sep 17, 2009)

expresso said:


> Hi - i am currently unable to decide if i want to uprade my setup - i been trying to get info. on the Emotiva UMC 200 - asking on the Emo forum but for some reason - either i am not doing it right when i posted - but i got no answers -
> 
> at the moment - i have the marantz 7002 - with klipsch 5.1 setup - i also have a 2 channel amp which i use for the Fronts - i also use another pair of Klipsch on Speaker B from the marantz -
> 
> ...


Hello Expresso.

I do understand your quandary because I've been where you are. My set was once anchored by a Marantz SR9300 AVR and a Klipsch Reference speaker package. I eventually went the separates route and I will never go back to a single AVR solution. 

Don't get me wrong, my Marantz AV9300 was a beast of an AVR. It did not have a problem pushing my very efficient Klipsch RF-35's at conventional listening levels. But one thing the bigger Klipsch Reference towers are notorious for, is that they have a tendency to dip down to as low as 3 ohms. That requires amplification that is suited for such severe transitions. The Marantz 9300 rated at 140(105) x 7 (all channels driven) has a powerful amp section but, I could hear it strain at times during challenging passages when watching high impact action movies or when listening to music at reference levels. That has never been the case since I went with separate amplification.

Now, that's just me. I have a several questions for you......

1) What is the size of your room?
2) Which Klipsch speakers are you using?
3) Are you satisfied with the capabilities/feature set of the SR7002? It is 6 years old! :huh:
4) What 2 channel amp are you using that's causing the hissing sound and at what volume level are you hearing the hiss?


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

I remember the UMC 200 having all kinds of problems, perhaps they have been fixed but I wouldn't take the chance personally.


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

my understanding is that the UMC has be resolved - its been out over a year i think - i am sure things arise all the time - this is what i am afraid of - a friend of mines does have the XPA 2 - with the Emo - digital pre amp Dac - its only 2 channel - and has Emo speakers also - but he did add the Aphex exciter in that loop to help adjust better to his tastes since the Emo didnt have any kind of ajustments -- 

he does not have a HT setup - just 2 channel - but does have a three 2 channel systems  two of them running Klipsch - one with forts II - one with RF 82 - and last the Emo - he will be the one putting the amp in my rack if i do get it


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

i am running a Klipsch 5.1 setup RF 82s - the sub is martin logan sealed sub - the amp i am using for the fronts is a QSC GX5 - i love that little amp - i can lower the amp gains to lower the hiss - but i like the sound with the gains up - i have them on the 3'o clock postion - it can work at the Noon position fine - i end up raising the volume on the marantz till about -15db and -10db - after that its too loud - so power wise its fine - i like the sound of the higher gain setting and lower volume on the marantz - i cant get down to -15 db now with the gains up - 

the room is an apt. - living room is open to the kitchen and hall on one side and windows on other side - but i do have room treatment - which helps - i enjoy it better - i needed to help the 82's bottom end - since i dont have the 82's too far from the wall - in a larger room they would be better to give more room to breath - but i managed a decent sound in the end - i also have the Aphex exciter which i love for two channel - it really makes it easy to make adjustments over a EQ - i had a DBXPRO EQ and i find the Exciter easier and worked out better for me - i only need to make some small adjustments on the midrange section and tighten up the bottom - i can target only certain Feq. with the exciter with out touching the rest of the signal - its a nice item to have -

my belief the hiss is really the Klipsch - i mean it can be a bit lower when connected to the marantz alone - i think if i remember correctly - i havnt used them with out the Amp in years - the hiss is there from the start - if i just turn everything on and not play anything - and my ear is close to the horn - i will hear it - at the distance i am sitting at - i dont hear it many times - being that its usually quiet in my place and i hear everything - many others dont hear it as much as i say i do - 

i can live with it and i have - but of course if i can have a lower floor noise or more like a dead silence at no volume or low volume etc, - i wont mind that at all - 

i just hope i dont get the XPA 5 and UMC 200 - and end up with no improvement what so ever - that would suck - haha - i understand i may not and i dont think the horn hiss will go away because its most likely the Klipsch being so Sensitive - 

i do have another pair of Old Klipsch and a little less sensitive than the 82's i run that off the marantz power and they are a bit more quieter in that area - could be a combination of both lower Sen. and marantz or just lower Sen. who knows - 

i played with the Exciter - i can use its bypass buttons to either use its adjustments or just pass the signal and it really didnt do anything that would make me say its the exciter - its a pretty good unit with S/N also - 

you know its a itch you get to do something so i ended up with the room on the bottom of my rack to add something - since my old sony cd changed died - and so i figured the best thing to fill that space is the XPA 5 - i would use the GX 5 with the smaller Klipsch and leave the XPA for the 5.1 - 

it all sounds good in my head if it works out with no glitches of course - since i got used to using the speaker A and B - i have to work the new setup a different way - i been asking Emo alot and they have been helpful so far - in clearing it up - in the end it can work out - i just have to understand how to Config. it - 

this is my first Real AVR - past system was a old amp - pre amp from Soundcraftsman - i had that for 20 years - before moving on to my current setup - now i feel i want to go back to Amp - and pre - 

i had that soundcraftmans running the same klipsch i have now running off the marantz - i did upgrade the Xover and tweeter - didnt need it but figure why not - cant make it worse : )


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## andy_c (Aug 8, 2006)

Andre said:


> I remember the UMC 200 having all kinds of problems, perhaps they have been fixed but I wouldn't take the chance personally.


I have a UMC-200, with input signal applied to its S/PDIF coaxial input (<-this is a bogus link inserted by the forum software). Unfortunately, it takes some time to "lock on" to the incoming S/PDIF signal and cuts out the beginning of songs in the process. At first, I thought it only happened on the first song played, but found some albums for which it cut off the beginning of every song. Very annoying and IMO completely unacceptable.

After finding the problem album, I loaded it onto my laptop and connected to the UMC-200 via HDMI. There was no problem with the beginning of songs being cut off using HDMI. I've reported the S/PDIF problem on the bug reporting spreadsheet and *posted to their forum* (<-this is a link intended to be read), but I don't know if they plan on fixing it.

So if you're only using HDMI input, you should be fine, but beware the S/PDIF problem.


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## expresso (Oct 12, 2008)

hi - oh sorry to hear that - did you contact them about it - what did they suggest ? i am assuming you are over your 30 day return period ?

i do plan on using my oppo HDMI for sure - and would be connected my Two Cd players on the RCA stereo inputs - i was thinking of connecting both the RCA stereo analog and digital - just to have both options if i wanted to - 

so your saying either digital input gives you a issue ? if you use a optical digital cable - does it do the same thing ?

have you tried swapping out different cables at all ? i am sure you must have done all this - i am just curious - one thing i hate is to have issues arise - and if its after the 30 day period - even worse - 

i hate new items for the fact that i have to try to try all the options and Config. to make sure its working - but in most cases and its usually this way for me - by the time i am satisfied thats its all good - it would be over the 30 days - and if sometimes is wacky - i wont know till its too late also 

is it covered under warranty ? i hate to send things back and dont have the room to keep the boxes - 

i will see if the price drops some for holidays this year - and use amazon since i have some credit there - it would bring the cost down a few hundred - 

hope you figure out what it could be and get it resolved - other than that issue with your unit - are you happy with the rest of the features - operations etc, sound - etc, ??

what source are you using to send the UMC the digital signal ?


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