Synyrgy Cynyma II ( Pronounced: Lynyrd Skynyrd Too)

thrillcat said:

I have been very, very happy with my XMC-1. @1_sufferin_mind, I think you have mistyped, it's the Atmos/DTSX upgrade that they couldn't pull off on the XMC-1.
<SNIP>
However, that being said, I am very happy with had in my room, but when the time comes to update, it will no longer be an automatic decision to go to the XMC-2 or RMC-1L.

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Aha! Next time I’ll check my references first. ...And thanks for the correction.

I’ve only recently become interested in my AVR’s 4K/UHD HDR ATMOS DTS-x E—I—E—I—O upgrade path, specifically because of Emotiva’s trade-in offer. I almost pulled the trigger after a few weeks of agonizing about my budget. But you already know Emotiva pulled the plug for now, so that may or may not have saved me from a mistake until they open round two. Please don’t get me wrong! I deeply appreciate your help. Everything will become clear as mud if you’ll just continue!!

Now that I think about it, I really never had the urge to upgrade because I was basically satisfied with a 5.1 system and regular HD media. Replacing three major components at once (TV, AVR, and player) didn’t appeal to me because of budgetary constraints. Once I have my mind made up to go a certain direction, I want it all at once BWaaaaahhh—hahah! I was planning to use the XMC-2 in an mere HD system until my plasma and/or processor died. Now I’m not so sure. The upgrade bug has hit!

You see? I learned that from you nice people here on this forum! ...Buy the best you can afford now, and get the rest a little at a time. I’d have to research current models before making a final decision. Is there an AVR or processor available with all the latest alphabet soup of audio/video tech that also has Dirac for $1k?

JStewart said:

Because the discount is so steep you may want to just for the resale value of the processor at some point down the road and if you ever did want to upgrade to 4k and missed this opportunity.... well let's just say you wouldn't be very happy. If you need still more of an excuse, the XMC-2 has a good chance of getting Dirac bass management for 2 subs. What better way to treat those new Seatons?

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My thinking exactly! Reselling could fund a few car payments if needed.

You’re right about being unhappy if I miss the boat. I’m convinced this entire theater upgrade is my last hurrah, so it’s shelves get stocked according to my own prioritized tastes. Most of my video collection is 2K/HD. It includes less than ten 4K/UHD titles. It’s my understanding current projector’s only synthesize a 4K image—true 4K/HDR signal inputs are not yet available, at least on “affordable” models. So I feel like my used, JVC 2K projector purchase was a good idea. Waiting for projector tech to catch up and then drop to prices I can afford is probably years away.

I have no idea how many or few ATMOS/DTS-X titles there are in my collection but their numbers are growing along with 4K/HDR ones. Combining the cheap AVR upgrade path, the XMC-2’s plentiful number of output channels, and the versatility of SVS Prime Elevation speakers, I could easily attack a full 7.2.4 system. It’s very tempting to cut my $2k screen budget in half and postpone the phono cartridge replacement to help fund the change in direction this project may be taking. I would absolutely love to get my space-heater plasma out of the room! I cannot tell you how uncomfortable a 65” plasma can make a small 9x13 room in less than a hour. My new 11x17 room won’t fare much better.

...livin’ the dream!

JStewart said:

I found having the projector professionally calibrated made a real difference. Enough so that it's been a couple of years and I'm on @Chad B 's schedule again for Nov 15th.

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There seems to be a consensus among HT aficionados about what constitutes a quality viewing experience. I’ll tuck this one away until it comes closer to bringing the new room online.

JStewart said:

Bummer to read @thrillcat 's (hopefully temporary) concern on the XMC-2. I don't know what the issue is, but it seems anything coming from other than Denon/Marantz & Yamaha tends to have more bugs and a longer wait to get through. Definitely not restricted to Emotiva,

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My thoughts are divided. On one hand, waiting as long as possible before purchasing an XMC-2 may be decided for me. Emotiva seems to be limiting availability, at least for these early production runs. Whether or not every willing XMC-1 owner will be accommodated remains to be seen.

On the other hand, I recently became aware of possible Dirac-capable alternates like NAD that wouldn’t break the bank. But I wasn’t planning on moving to 4K right now, so waiting could only help.

Drywall is being installed in the new home. To my dismay, no wiring modifications and/or additions were allowed during or after framing. To my deeper dismay, I was told the attic is not designed for storage or navigation. It may be near impossible to run wire neatly between the room and the equipment closet without traditional attic access.

That’s the way ya do it...
Money for nothing
And your wires for free!!

I’d describe that as clever and resourceful, to say the least. Almost makes me want to blurt out “Why didn’t I think of that!” But since I have the social skills of a piece of milquetoast your method wouldn’t have worked for me.

Plus with my luck, they would have kept my money and disavowed any knowledge of my actions!

And I absolutely agree with your assessment of the builder’s price for wiring and a few panels. Can you imagine the stratospheric sum they’d place on including HVAC and acoustic mods? I’m not sure how much of a percenter—as in THE 1% ers—you have to be, but I know I’m not even close to being one who could ever afford to pay cash (or finance) a turn-key theater.

All of your persuading got me to thinking about how much harder it’s would be to wire the system without conduit. I’m feeling extra social now for a good cause! I’ll try to summon the courage to talk to one or more of the crew.

The room’s equipment layout isn’t finalized, but is close enough to predict where I’ll need cable raceways. I’ve never done this before so I’m unsure where to put conduit or what size to use. Imagining bigger is better—to pull multiple cables with oversized connectors—I’m guessing 3”-6” PVC. I would route a run between the equipment closet and:

• L/C/R of the front wall
• Midway between the sidewalls
• L/R of the back wall
• Ceiling at the screen location
• Ceiling at the projector location.

I’ve read that it’s better to make gradual bends rather than right angle ones. Any other tips I missed?

I failed once again. The entire house now has walls and ceilings. But I am not defeated!

Negatron said:

I am not made of money now, and I was not then either.., I was making around $100k a year in California with overtime, and the house was $865k...$4k mortgage. I sold the house during the low market due to a divorce,a and lost $65k. The house is now $2mil.

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Ouch. No, really. Thank you for your candor!

My builder got a lot more right than they did wrong, but that didn’t ease the stress and complexity of the transaction. All “defects” have supposedly been fixed, but we need to tie loose ends on the financial side now. I knew the house was a stretch when we started. The mortgage bankers just confirmed that and seem to be enjoying making us jump through hoops for final qualification.

In the meantime, my Seaton SubMersive subwoofer pair have arrived. They’re unboxed, installed in my old room, and breaking in with my normal daily routine. Integration and fine tuning was a hasty rough draft, but still sounds a notch or two above the previous incarnation. I can hardly wait until this weekend for proper setup!

Also on the electronics front, my Oppo BDP95 bit the dust. Well actually, the loader did. Disassembly and a few gentle blasts of compressed air accompanied by occasional swabs with an alcohol-soaked Q-Tip did little to help. So off to Oppo it went. Oppo is offering wonderful service to their customers even after discontinuing their players, and I’m very happy I’m not forced to replace the unit with another brand right now—not because I’m stuck on Oppo, but because my budget can’t take an unexpected hit.

Todd Anderson said:

Can't believe OPO is still serving customers. Crazy! Hope they can fix it for you and get it back into your system!

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It’s great! Oppo has their discontinued models set up online. You can Google something like “Oppo player support” and get there as well, but expect to navigate a while.

After reviewing your repair request, Oppo contacts you via email with instructions either to return the unit, or to set up a tech-support call for preliminary debug. My out-of-warranty service to repair the loader, update with latest firmware, test to spec & ship ran a flat $119.00. Their message said typical turnaround time would be 1-2 days and they lived up to it. It’s being delivered tomorrow for a total downtime of only a week and a half—and most of that due to ground shipping. YMMV for more expensive, albeit more hasty, shipping options.

I have to applaud Oppo for their decision to support their customers with such friendly, yet professional style. Very classy! This same player of mine needed repair a few years ago, but there’s essentially no difference in customer service now that they’re out of the disc player business. Oppo isn’t quick to advertise they try to repair a part before they’ll replace it. Spares are limited. I can’t help but wish they’d replaced rather than just cleaned my BDP-95’s drive/loader. I would think a NOS unit would outlast a refurb, don’t you? Anyway, the tech I spoke with told me they are reserving spare drives for those who will really need them. A worthy cause if I ever heard one! I’m happy Oppo was able to extend my player’s life, and appreciate their fairness.