Suggestions on a home theater processor?

For a home theater, you should really consider the Onkyo/Integra processors which are excellent home theater units....or wait for the outlaw 997 (like many of us are doing). The advantage of the Onkyo/Integra units is that they have built in Audyssey capability and that really does make a significant difference in the sound in YOUR room...because it tunes the sound to YOUR room. The Rotel unit doesn't have this capability...

Hmmm....I forgot about the UMC-1. I've been waiting for the Outlaw 997 because I admit, I am tantalized by Trinov sound processing capabilities.

Now you have me thinking. I already own an Audyssey MultiEQ Pro unit ($2500) and I need a more current processor (I currently use a Lexicon DC-2). My needs are modest; I need to get as good sound as possible from FIOS and I need to be able to decode the latest codecs on blurays (and some older DVD's).

I wonder if the UMC-1 would be a good (and inexpensive) replacement...perhaps even an upgrade in many ways from the Lexicon. The only thing I'd lose is logic 7...I wonder if that's a problem.

The rest of the system is almost overkill....An NHT Power5 amp driving NHT 2.9's and an AC-2 in front, M5's at the side & back, a James EMB-1200 sub and the Audyssey unit to help tune my system to my (too live) room.

Anyone have any thoughts?

they are both vaporware at this point....both missing their announce dates by months. The Outlaw has built in Trinnov processing which is quite different than Audyssey...so it's of interest with a price of around $1400. The Emotiva unit has no special audio processing at a price of around $700. Both have the latest HDMI 1.3 codecs although the Emotivea lacks some of the less used ones....and they are both at lower price points than the pre-pro's that are currently available.

The Rotel doesn't have Audyssey (or Trinov) processing....and Audyssey really makes a big difference in rooms that don't have perfect acoustics (which is almost all of our video rooms). All of the other processors that we've been recommending do...onkyo/integra, Outlaw or Emotiva. That doesn't mean that the Rotel isn't a good unit, but few are going to invest in an Audyssey MultiEQ box to improve it's sound in a real environment and fewer will really make the changes necessary to create a good/tuned audio environment, so in the real world, for HDTV, the other processors should all provide a better listening experience.

I believe all the processors mentioned have the same technical capabilities you listed.

My equipment is listed in an earlier post in this topic. There is a tremendous improvement in sound with my Audyssey multiEQ turned on. FYI, my family room has tile floors, 8' ceiling and lots' of glass/plaster with little "soft" furniture and no drapes....in other words, it's a terrible audio environment.

Don't get too hung up on internal component specs and perceptions of quality....as a matter of fact, don't get too hung up on specs at all. The rotel and high end Onkyo/Integras use good components as do the phantomware boxes (997 and Emotiva). There will be ongoing techie fights between trinnov and audyssey, or Reon vs ??? and the fact is that the only thing that should matter to YOU is the sound in YOUR home.

You would be well advised to compare functions and major differences (Audyssey or no Audyssey) or no THX if that's important to YOU.

It's too easy to raise questions like which AC cord should I use, what speaker cables should I use, what interconnects should I use....and unless you are listening to acoustic (e.g. classical) music in an absolutely quiet space, it's unlikely that you will notice a difference. If you are a concert violinist, perhaps....but let your ears make the judgement...not your eyes and please, not the internet or this forum.

they are both phantomware items to hold the market....the companies that know what they need to offer to stay competitive (i.e. stay in business), but they apparently don't have the staff/money or engineering to deliver. I wonder if the Las Vegas odds makers are taking bets on whether either box will make it out before either company runs out of money.

However, I am patient....I have prelim orders in on both although I never expect either to appear at my door.

Queefee....While this might not be the official plan, I guess it could work out the way you describe. I know that Outlaw has been offering (questionably) low prices on their 990 and then on the Onkyo/Integra stuff while we wait for their 997, however they have not promised any discount on the new gear. I'm not aware of emotiva offering much of any special discount in preparation for their offering.

As always, never believe the "hype"...buy what you see available. For example, the NHT Controller was going to be a fully programmable, easily upgradeable processor and it was sold as such...but the upgrades never came, no support for HDMI 1.3 so it's obsolete with no upgrades ever coming. NHT did did go out of business (although they are back now), etc. Lots of reasons why this happened, but it certainly was not their plan...(and by the way it is an excellent controller for what was delivered).

they are a small company...they know what they need to do and they are probably frustrated themselves at not being able to get the product out. If it does ship, we all have to wait to see if they really have a good/solid product. If it ships as described at the price we've seen, it should be a great product....but that's a very very big IF.