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I just recently started my hi-fi journey -and am on a budget. Using a firetv stick to stream spotify to my tv, then toslink to a cheap dac, then to amp. Should I be worried about the firetv/ TV audio sample rate? Not sure if a DAC with Bluetooth would enhance my experience. Further down the line I‘ll get a decent CD Player, too.
@P T being a student, money is an issue and justifying two music streaming services is hard. Giving up on spotify is also not an option. I simply love the algorithm for finding new music and the app-interface. I tried amazon music and apple music in the past and the recommendations and community playlists just can‘t compare to spotify. Lossless audio might be a stretch for my setup anyways - toslink samples down to 48khz or sth. and the 20 buck dac should be upgraded first. Basically saying: I‘ll save up for a better DAC before I change anything else
lol no 2.1 hdmi with 4k 120hz... if you want an audiophile or receiver for music then make one for music. This is a Home threater receiver where it's a multi use device. to stay in the game now it needs 2.1 no questions ask. even the simple receiver has 2.1 hdmi 4k at 120.. This at 2,000 doesn't.. tisk tisk
MC1 is a $2000 product. No HDMI 2.1 is not a big deal for MOST people. Few other AVRs will equal the power & sound quality, none at the price, that is a big deal. The Emo-Q is improved and adjustable- a big deal. Certainly better than YPAO, maybe Audyssey (I'm not a fan of). Unless a product has Dirac or ARC, I'll pass. Build quality, features, specs, plus support & customer service that the others don't offer. The MC1 is a winner.
@@WardoUSA I agree 100%! I only bought their RMC1 in their bring out your dead sale, based the fact this summer about 10 boards are being changed and a full upgrade to HDMI 2.1 to 2.1A. But we will see...
@@ryanjofre not sure how you think it’s not common. Seems like prices are being artificially inflated with brands like Marantz, but the typical brands all seem pretty normal at this point.
@@ryanjofre the Specs for HDMI 2.1 were pretty much done in 2017. I have a Yamaha receiver in my den with HDMI 2.1 cost me around $350 around 1 year or 2 ago. I was at Costco a little over a year ago and bought a Denon with HDMI 2.1 for around $400. I realize there is less expense but those makers make AVRs for well over 1K so at this point it COULD be chip issue, but its not premium any more to me thinking. I own a bit of Emotiva gear too, such as an XPA 3 amp and a pre-pro.
Wow I can't believe there is no 2.1 hdmi. At some point people will upgrade a new projector or TV that will most likely have 2.1 hdmi or even worse they already have something that has 2.1 like me and is looking to upgrade to hdmi 2.1 What a huge mistake on their part. Whoever made the decision to not incorporate hdmi 2.1 on a 2000.00 AVR is an idiot. Just my opinion
@@DW_drums Dirac is the name of specific EQ/room correction, not just any room correction. Most consider Dirac to be the best one available. The MR1 has "EmoQ Second Generation Automatic Room Correction". (Taken directly from the product webpage.)
@@dominicfeira8037 because it can process and additional 2 channels. Dealers choice on which those should be, hence the full pre-outs. If you want to use all external amps, why even look at AVR's? Buy a processor 🧐
There are two features missing from this that if they were there, this would be my ultimate receiver. Those features being HDMI 2.1 for 4K at 120Hz and Networking allowing you to control the receiver from an app or smart home system such as Home Assistant.
I don't think you'll want to run your games through the receiver anyways imo because of the input lag. You can still get Dolby MAT through earc for dolby home theater on windows.
Ill pass. Been burned before on 1st edition releases. Too many issue come to light. It is beautiful but will wait for version 2 or 3 with the updates. I do hope it is a knockout from the start but they have very heavy competition from Marantz, Denon, Yamaha etc....... Really? No HDMI 2.1
Going to hard pass on the basis it doesn't have an orchestra hall DSP setting, nothing makes me happier than totally ruining the sound with heavy amounts of reverb.
No HDMI 2.1!! Seems like the audio specs are top notch but a company launching a new AVR product line in 2023 without current HDMI technology is a huge miss. They're setting themselves up for bad reviews. Pretty sure this is why they knew not to send one to Andrew Robinson.
It's upgradeable, and also HDMI 2.1 doesn't have much use yet. If you want a high refresh rate on your tv you just use the Earc. I'm just not sure what you need HDMI 2.1 for.
Unfortunately, this isn't a 'first review.' AV Solutions put out review last week. That being said, this product is old technology. I can't believe it only has 4k compatibility, is HDMI 2.0, etc. It's like Emotiva went to a scrap yard of hifi products and put them together in a shiny box. And that remote?! What was Emotiva thinking!
I wish they would offer a smaller version with only 7 channels. while I understand the current industry trends, I have no interest in anything beyond 5.1 or 5.2.1. I think most houses would be satisfied with that configuration to fit into the average American home.
As an Emotiva XMC 2 and multiple amp owner I can confirm the dialogue online is correct. Amps and customer service are great - processors are trash and will never be fixed. I hope the same is not true for the AVR. I've owned Denon/Yamaha/Pioneer and the level of defectiveness in Emotiva has reached the realm of absurdity.
So Randy I really like your content brother, but for you not to address the elephant in the room kills me. No HDMI 2.1, a technology that's been out for almost 3 years and the fact that Emotiva is putting it in the Gen4 processors. Feels to me like Emotiva said don't mention HDMI 2.1. You kept saying music and movies but nothing about gaming. The 4K/120 and VRR is what is needed for the price.
How is it 100 if not 1000$ saved? When I can buy a yamaha AVR for 1K and a Outlaw or Monolith or Basx amp and still come within if not under the price of the MR1? And have better calibration software along with the latest video technology. Why would I want to mess with the glitchy Earc? When I can buy a unit that will bypass that. Just more excuses for Emotiva to not give their customers what they want and what has been promised. Especially the promise of HDMI 2.1 upgrade board for all of us with the current Gen processors. Now we all have to upgrade to the Gen 4 and shell out more money.
I haven't trashed it at all, all I did was point out the obvious. I love My Emotiva XMC-2. I never said the MR1 sounds like crap or anything. I am just pointing out why in the world would you push a product out when you already know your current processor customers want 2.1 and you heard them and are addressing it with the Gen 4 units. Then you are going to release a brand new old tech product. Not even talk about a possible upgrade path for 2.1. I mean it is a Home entertainment piece. Home entertainment = more the music and movies. I just can't stand that people make excuses for this. HDMI 2.0B came out in 2016. This brand new unit has 7 year old video tech in it. That is irresponsible to your customers in my opinion. And this is all my opinion, not saying anyone has to agree.
Aside from future-proofing to higher resolutions, that may or may not ever be of consequence to home theater, does HDMI 2.1 have any genuinely useful functionality? I know it adds higher frame rates that allow increased bragging rights in the online pissing contests between 15 and 40 year old virgin gamer geeks living in their parents’ basements, but does it add anything practical and appreciable? BTW, Per Wikipedia, HDMI 2.1 came out in November of 2017.
I saw a different video from emotiva in which they made a great point about the hdmi2.1; and that is if you are a gamer and need that full bandwidth then you should be and would be connecting your console/pc directly to the tv's hdmi2.1 removing any input/processing lag that would be present running it through the av unit. And given the number of issues all the major manufacturers ran into with implementing 2.1, i can see why they didnt bother. Also, emotiva claims that they build to last and offer upgrade paths, so there is a possibility when 8k becomes more viable that they would produce and upgrade board that could be swapped in. My only complaint is why go through the trouble of adding bluetooth and not include a wifi module? This would make it much easier to upgrade firmware without having to move a 50lb object just to get access to the back.
I was wondering the same thing. Just a hunch, but possibly related to signal interference. Being a separatist company (primarily), pure clarity can only be achieved without interference.
Disappointed, Only HDMI 2.0b, No AM/FM tuner, No phono input. (would need a phono pre-amp). No Ethernet for easy firmware updates or online music services. I'll look elsewhere.
Wow. I just recently bought a Marantz SR5015, with the intention of adding an Emotiva Amp in the near future. The total would end up being just over $3k. This would give me acceptable power and many more channels available at a much lower total investment. My timing stinks, lol.
You only need HDMI 2.1 if you game at 4K/60. For movie, TV, and music use this is a knockout. $500 less than the Marantz Cinema 50 and absolutely crushes it in the amp department. Dirac is neat but if you have a treated room and you know how to use parametric EQ, I'm not sure it's necessary.
Hate to be that guy, but you mean 120hz not 60 lol. I’m the kind of person who does play games at 4K 120hz like Dance Dance Revolution, but because I care about latency, I just do earc, and all issues with HDMI not being 2.1, disappears
or 1440p 240hz, though I'm not sure if an AV Receiver can even process that high of a refresh rate. Not to mention the ability to run 8K 60hz, though that's rather high end for most prosumers let alone consumers.
@@GavAttackO that’s also a very true statement, past outside games that you need good latency, I doubt most would notice the process delay. I know when I play ddr on my oled, my pioneer elite adds 25 ms of latency. Which is extremely high for rhythm games, but nothing for story driven or racing games. It’s all about context though in my opinion
@@JamesCook76131 is ALLM (Auto Low Latency Mode) or a Game Mode an option on your Pioneer? If so, try messing with that and see if it decreases your latency. I agree with it not being an issue for story driven titles, however racing games are affected by the latency for those who focus hard enough or drive fast paced yet precise vehicles like a Formula car. One slightly wrong input could end an entire race. Just look at iRacing videos for some examples on how small mistakes can end in disaster.
So... - Homebrew room correction (vs Dirac or some such) - No HDMI 2.1 - No streaming, no bluetooth, nada - EDIT: it does have bluetooth - obvs no app control either I get that not everyone wants or needs all the modern features but the comments (and to an lesser extent this review) just reeks of making a virtue out of necessity.
Yes, I too would like to know if it is separate sub signals, and if so, how are they different? Just sub and LFE? Left and right? Front and back? Maybe you can select it in setup? Also another use for all those pre-outs would be to connect a mixer and crossover to get all the sub outputs you could want...
Per the User Manual, all four subwoofer outputs deliver the same audio information. However there are independent Level Trim and Distance settings for SW1 and SW2.
Have always wondered why Emotiva did not have a line of avr’s and would be interested in one if it was more like 140w 7 channel or maybe even 9 channel but not this one. Way overkill without good software, features and more codecs. Not sure who this is aimed for. Glad I just ordered a new Yamaha. 😊 Update: fyi I just checked the specs. For audio only probably just fine but for video and gamers take note it is HDMI 2.0 with no support for 8k or other modern gaming platforms. But for $2k you are getting a lot of power and basic level of Dolby and DTS sound levels only.
I think this is marketed more towards the home theater cinefile, who probably cares way less about gaming/4k120 which is the primary benefit of 2.1. Oh but what about 8k?! There is no real 8k content on the horizon.
So if you care about gaming then your tv should have hdmi 2.1 ports and an eARC which will send the sound down to your receiver and you still get the benefits of 2.1 except you connect your PS5 and Xbox series X to the tv not the receiver. Seems rather simple to overcome.
dam. dam. dam. thx for talking me into the pioneer AVR in time to hear it is just ok sounding, compared to this thing ;) at least it is adequate with dirac. dam dam dam.
Nice review. I would like to hear a little more balance in terms of pointing out negatives or areas where emotiva could improve, etc. You mentioned its size but didn't mention how warm it gets. I'm not sure cramming something that big and powerful into a too small space is such a good idea. What is the warranty and return policy? It's size all by itself would make it a no-go in my setup. I also didn't hear many comments about the sound and imaging. Or specific comparisons to other amps in its price range based on your own experience. Or pairings you made with various speakers. I would like more detail along with the general praise
@@kingtrance307 I don't call up audio companies because a reviewer failed to give me necessary info. I watch reviews to get a balanced point of view about a product. If it's not balanced, a critique is fair. And Emotiva would not provide detailed comparisons to other products. And they definitely couldn't give Randy's sound impressions.
Nope. HDMI 2.0B 18GBS ports is a HARD pass on any Receiver in modern era. XBOX PS is a part of the solution and 4K 120Hz VRR etc is a must! Sorry Emotiva.
You gamer guys and your 2.1 comments are completely missing the point of this one of a kind monster reciever. 2ch power and sound out of an 11ch AVR has never been done and if it were it would cost a lot more then $2000.
Much as this product looks to be excellent, I must say I’m disappointed that it lacks HDMI 2.1 frankly for a new product to be released without the latest HDMI moves it several steps behind its competitors right out of the gate.
The jackpack on that thing is identical to my Basx Mc1. Same channels, layout, they just added amps. Not a bad thing, really. But I prefer separates. My MC1 is amazing for what it's worth
I saw a different video from emotiva in which they made a great point about the hdmi2.1; and that is if you are a gamer and need that full bandwidth then you should be and would be connecting your console/pc directly to the tv's hdmi2.1 removing any input/processing lag that would be present running it through the av unit. And given the number of issues all the major manufacturers ran into with implementing 2.1, i can see why they didnt bother. Also, emotiva claims that they build to last and offer upgrade paths, so there is a possibility when 8k becomes more viable that they would produce and upgrade board that could be swapped in. My only complaint is why go through the trouble of adding bluetooth and not include a wifi module? This would make it much easier to upgrade firmware without having to move a 50lb object just to get access to the back.
My experience with dirac has not been worth what it costs. It's way too expensive and not portable. A deal-breaker for me. I trust my own ears more and I really like the feature on the remote for real-time speaker adjustments. Awesome. We have crappy internet where we live so the thumb drive update is a real Plus. I use DCM time windows and center channel with Klipsch surround and height speakers and the power and clarity of the soundstage are stunning. I've tried a bunch nothing touches this for the money and turntable kicks butt too. ✌️
I have a sub with speaker wire and I was wondering if there was anyway I could cut a iPhone charger and hook the two wires up and play it out my phone but my phone probably can’t even put out that power but it’s only a 3.5 inch sub
They just released a firmware update that is supposed to fix the pops. Mine doesn't do the obnoxious pops, but more of a slight crackle (even on this new firmware). Mostly when fast forwarding on the connected Apple TV. The video drops out on mine when going from the home screen on the Apple TV to a movie for about 8 seconds. Really annoying and didn't improve with this new firmware. Here is what the changelog says for v4.03.0906: IMPROVED: - helps with ticks and pops in various situations that are the result of mute timing variations (this will especially help with ticks and pops for users who are using ARC/eARC). - fixes the bug with manually entered distance settings for the subwoofer not taking effect. - fixes the issue where EmoQ will repeatedly fail to "pass" for no reason in certain speaker configurations. - better overall subwoofer performance after EmoQ calibration.
Cool review. Might be a solid option for me to replace my 15-year old Integra Processor and pair it with my 2 Adcom monster amps (5503 & 555MKII) for the bed layer speakers and then use the internal power for height speakers down the line.
I’m considering doing the same thing. I have a great but old Harman Kardon AVR 335 paired with an Adcom GFA 555II to drive my front speakers of an all NHT Classic series 7 channel speakers. Both units are in like new conditions but the Adcom’s internal caps are supposed to be getting old. It sounds fantastic but if this Emotiva would give all of my speakers plenty of power and if it really sounds that good, I might not miss the Adcom.
Remember this is BAS-X, so it is not going to have DIRAC. If HDMI is as stable as you say, this is the one. Imagine if they make a real XPA based receiver with DIRAC. This however has laid down the gauntlet. Every metric, a real linear power supply running class H. Discrete outputs. This at $2000.00 is better than any Denon, Marantz, or anything else. Could care less about Pioneer, and Onkyo. I was a dealer of all those, and more. They are not what they used to be. Especially Pioneer and Onkyo. I sold tons of them, and being owned by VOX is a lifeline keeping them alive. But real Pioneer Elite, and Onkyo Integra of old was good stuff. Emotiva is doing now, what those used to do! Plus there is still some XPA DNA inside. I know Emotiva since 2006! I have still an ERC-1and XPA-2, my Brother uses it since my Home Theater is evolving. This receiver has my attention. I have 2 BAS-X A2 amplifiers currently with an Anthem AVM-30 front end. Parasound also graces my amplifier power too. This is a crazy good receiver whose time has come. If you are looking for toys, or gimmicks, this isn't your receiver.
I have doubts how long Dirac will actually work on those too (I have an NR7100 which I do like). If the server goes down no more Dirac (Onkyo's website has outage schedules for server maintenance). You'd need to spend some time with REW to fine tune this, but it's clearly much nicer than an RZ50 which is now $1600 MSRP.
That's pretty awesome but I opted for the MC-1 processor and separate basx amplifiers so if I wanted to upgrade the processor at some point I don't have to change my amplifiers.
Neat! Now that that is out the door, maybe we can hope Emotiva can wrap up development of the XSP-2 2-channel preamp that is supposed to be coming out 1H 2023…
I just bought one today, emovtiea bassx M1l 9.2 channel to replace my denon 8k 2700h because I was having problems with it when I saw that 9.2 channel bassX m1l I bought it because it will do with it need and I loved the features on it and plus I can add two height channel and finally do dolby atmos and I got 25% off on it
2k is a Bargain for what you get. I’m not into surround, I’d be drooling if I was. Smart to ignore DSP effects that 90% never fool with after the shine wears off. Somebodies had their thinking caps on designing that thing. 👍👍👍
There are definitely some compromises that will be made when you buy this product. But I will say this. The sound that comes out of this thing is amazing! All AV receivers seem to be having their issues lately. Before I purchased the Emotiva I was on my second RZ-50. I am hoping that when an update/upgrade comes that I will be able to send my unit to Emotiva and get it. I have been happy with everything that I have purchased so far. The Basx line has been able to allow me to have the big theater but not the big out of reach price. Keep on making things better.
No HDMI 2.1 is a deal breaker. Their product is welcome by me regardless as it brings more competition. Emotiva is bringing us something unique here with all the power. Now just give us a higher end unit with the bells and whistles, and Dirac too.
And every other sub $2k receiver has 2.1 issues anyways. And all of those being revised this year to fix 2.1 issues? Nowhere near this power. Is it perfect? No. Does it blow the competition out of the water in terms of sound and power? Fuck yes
Why in the World would they release this beast without HDMI 2.1? Technology is changing at speed of light, and by the time they released MR1, it was already obsolete. All that power just to listen to the music? For 300 bucks more, I’ll take Marantz SR7015 or 400 bucks less, Onkyo RZ50. At least I’ll be future-proofed. Back to the future is not my bag.
Wow. There are a lot of trolls commenting on your "evil insidious brand influencing." They must work at competitor's companies. You review all sorts of brands both local and abroad.
Is there a phono input? I plan to get my PL-41 turntable out of storage, serviced and play my records from another century. I was thinking about the Cinema 60 but this unit ( actually the MR1 L ) looks very appealing. I have 5.1 system now in my small house. I’ll go to 7.1, and 9.1 possibly in future.
No HDMI 2.1 for 2K? And God, I hope they finally worked out the bugs from the last XMC line, which they never did, from what I hear. And WHY would they put the Mic on the back? Also sorry to see that the interface is not important to them still. I am sure it sounds ok, but I will stick with Marantz (especially if music is important as well like you said...Go for the Marantz!) I do like the trims being on the remote tho. You do not have to go into that God awful UI. They really need to just stick with Amps and Speakers.
I don’t know if this has been asked before, but I’ve read on other forums that this model doesn’t have hdmi 4K pass-through. Has this been confirmed or not? Excuse my ignorance, but the way they talked about it, it was a dealbreaker for them so I ask…. What is the importance of 4K pass-through??
Something completely different.. have you seen the latest Steve Gutenberg audiopheliac video? I see an opportunity for a collaboration... Sith Audio mittens.... Get Bernie Sanders to make another meme and sell them like hotcakes.
Hi I'm in the market for an amp i listen to a lot of music and was thinking about getting separates but I still want something for movies even though I have an good avr but I'm wondering if I would be happy with this for 2 channel music because it does have a lot of bang for the buck
Wow, that USB audio input may be a game changer for some people! I could run my USB cable to the MR1 instead of to my separate pre-amp/DAC, and sell both my pre-amp and power amp.
Love Emotiva. The MR1 looks like a great receiver, but don't understand the decision to not include the latest HDMI standard (2.1) ... as always, great review Randy.
I love Emotiva products. I had an Emotiva LPA-1 for many years, and my son spilled water on it and died 😢. I’m still looking for a replacement for a 7 channel amp.
My son dropped a coke on the tile next to him him whilst he was gaming on my pc. He fried a $400.00 GpU and f’d up a $300 motherboard. I wasn’t even mad, I laughed it off. My fault for not imposing a strict no drinks whilst using dads electronics rule.
Just read over the specs on this thing, and HOLY CRAP! If it's as good as they claim, that price is a STEAL. Still a bit overkill for my needs (and I certainly don't have space for 13 speakers in my living room at the moment), but if I had the money to splurge, even if I only used two channels out of it, I'd grab one just for how clean and flat the numbers say it sounds. Not that my current amp is dirty or has a wild response curve or anything like that, but it sure doesn't boast what Emotiva's claiming to have pulled off here. Quite impressive!
I'm looking for a very decent pair of phones excellent for live blu-ray concerts in the range of $300 to $500 US? any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I noticed the capacitors are shrink wrapped in custom wrap. This concerns me because we don't know the manufacturer or rating on the caps. I don't think they are known for using high quality caps.
Nice! If my older AV receiver stops working - I know where I will look for a replacement! I am assuming/hoping that they come out with a simpler 5 channel version? I only use 3 channels actually, but adding surround speakers is possible.
One of the many nice features of this BasX MR1 is that if you hook up less speakers, it automatically gives more power per ch.! Example: With 5 ch. Driven this puts out 135 watts @ 8 ohms, and 200 watts @ 4 ohms, from 20Hz to 20,000Hz= Awesome! So if you only run 3 speakers, it puts out even more power!
Great Review...I just discovered the MR1 was a thing today..I run multiple XPA emotiva amps already..The XPA's are built like Sherman Tanks, and have been used daily since 2014..Im in the market for a new receiver, and have been sad at the options from Denon and Marantz..$4,500.00 to $6500.00 range..To much crap on them that i dont want or need to be paying for..This thing is absolutley just what the Doctor ordered..Ill still be running my amps though, as i like 300 w per channel on my towers, and theres many of them..Im sold on this, especially since its from Emotiva..
While this looks like a nicely put together product, lack of HDMI 2.1 support is a bit discouraging. I wish they would just forgo HDMI switching and stick to eARC if they knew they couldn't get the latest chip.
I purchased this receiver and i do agree that it sounds great but what no one talks about is all the bugs and sound cracking you get when you cycle through the modes and apps.
@@RayTorredoes that mean you chose to return the MR1? I decided to try the MR1L and purchased it. I’m hooking it up to my system now to see if I experience any of the undesirable things you did and see it I keep it. Thanks for sharing ✌🏼
