Yes. That amp has the capability to put out a lot of power, especially in bursts. The rating is probably some approximation of "real world". I don't think it will put out 800w into 4 Ohms x7 continuous. But, it will put out a LOT of power when 2-3 channels need it and is stable into very low impedance.

I am still planning on getting a pre/pro and the Athem AVM 60 is at the top of a short list. I need to save up a bit more so I'll run the Sunfire off my preamp outputs of my Onkyo in the near term.

I agree, it would be nice if there were reviews of the AVM and new MRX receivers.

There's an AVM 60 thread on AVS. In a recent post a guy claims to have done a direct comparison to the Marantz 8802a and he doesn't have much positive to say at all about the Anthem. Says it sounds thinner, less emersive, panning is not as seamless. Definitely gave the nod to the Marantz.

I've been following that as well but that is one reviewer, in one room, with one set of speakers... Who knows what his expertise level is? From the other feedback, it appears to perform better than the 7702 but not as good as the 8802. Makes sense based on price but then you throw in the $2,500 Yamaha 5100 and it gets messy. The Yamaha has Sabre DACs on all channels and has great reviews, but I'm not so sure about their room correction. It seems to be a difficult decision right now with all the format changes and manufacturers moving away from Audessey.

It would be nice to have q good shootout between the modestly priced surround processors. Some online pubs seem to be reviewing all the über expensive models in the ten thousand dollar range while the AVM 60 and new 7702 MKII have nothing! Pretty frustrating and I don't trust a stray opinion or two with as many trolls as there are lurking on the forums. I may have to ask for an in-home audition and take the leap if I like what I hear.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Bro T. Cobe,
Emotiva XMC-1?????
The DIRAC room correction is off the charts better than Audyssey.
And the sound is almost there to the nosebleed $$$$ selections.
Just a thought,
God Bless,
Wayne

WayneWilmeth wrote: Bro T. Cobe,
Emotiva XMC-1?????
The DIRAC room correction is off the charts better than Audyssey.
And the sound is almost there to the nosebleed $$$$ selections.
Just a thought,
God Bless,
Wayne

Please take this in the spirit it is intended and not as any kind of doubt, accusation, or insult to your motives or experience.

I'm curious what other A/V preamps you have experience with. Emotiva's following on AVS goes beyond cult-like in my opinion but my observation has been over the the years that 90%+ of the owners have no other "high end" experience. E.g. most of them come to Emotiva amps from mass market AVRs Emotiva gar is the most expensive A/V gear they've ever purchased. Obviously not all but its been something I've definitely observed.

If someone who has owned Krell or Theta, or Lexicon or even upscale mass market pre/pros like NAD and Rotel and they think the XMC-1 is as good or better, fine. If the extent o their prior experience is a $700 AVR then I remain skeptical.

I can't emphasize enough that I don't intend this as any kind of attack, I'm just reporting my perception over the years.

Okay, I'll try to keep this above the line. Emotiva gets a bad rap because of a lot of audiophile snobbery. I'm not saying that Imahawki is being a snob here, but it happens a lot and has been discussed on the forum before. The industry pros at Home Theater Review, Home Theater and High Fideltiy, Sound and Vision, and Audioholics all rave about the XMC-1 and they get their hands on more "high end" gear than most.

IMO, Emotiva gear is stupid good and they are a tremendous value. That said, their track record on surround processors is a bit mixed. The XMC-1 came out late and without the latest technology. I understand omitting Atmos and DTS:X, but there are other required updates that they missed the boat on such as HDMI 2.0, HDR, and copyright protection. The XMC-1 went over on their expected release date by so much that it was practically obsolete when it came to market. For someone that just wants a 7 channel setup, it's pretty hard to beat for SQ and the professional reviews support that, but for me, if I buy a new processor, I want it to last through one life cycle and be compatible with the latest and greatest the day I make the purchase. From there, all bets are off.

So, yes I considered the XMC-1 and it is a great processor even compared to the "high end" units with snob appeal. At the end of the day, it's just not the right unit for me. I'll be keeping all of my Emotiva amps, CD player, and 2-channel pre-amp, though. I think they are stupid good for the money. Feature for feature, I would have to spend at least 3 times the amount to better their performance. Sorry, Imahawki, I'm not directing this solely on you. I do understand where you're coming from with the cult following.

Cheers,

T Cobe