Just received the Emotiva BasX MC1 and wow!! Spent a few hours calibrating it to my 7.2.4 setup with a 92 inch screen using a 4K HDR projector. Compared to my Pioneer Elite LSX-103 (only 7.2), the MC1 made the sound go from ordinary to extraordinary!!

So I returned a Marantz SR6015 to A4L and picked up the MC1 with a Bas-X A6, A3 and I use it with my existing Carver 705x amp. I only use e-ARC and one audio input from my Panasonic UB-9000 running to an LG OLED C1 65”. I use the e-ARC so I don’t lose the 4K HDR10 120hz and the difference in quality is negligible from the Series X. That being said, I paid $870 shipped for it with a military discount and I’m quite happy. It’s not perfect and it has its flaws, but I like the manual PEQ which I use with REW. The room correction Emo Q system is absolutely awful and I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone who plans on relying heavily on it. After implementing the REW filters it sounds great and I can’t think of a cheaper way to go 7.4.6. My subs are controlled via a MiniDSP 2x4HD which I optimized with MSO.

Just the video I was looking for... Great job sir

Thanks for doing this review!

Thank you so much! Great job!

These aren't bad deals if you need those extra channels at a budget price processor. If you have the amplifiers already I think this is a great way to go. It's refreshing to see budget price processors considering they are usually more expensive and you don't even get amplifiers built in.

Just purchased the MC1 Processor. Paired with the Emotiva A7 amplifier. The Speaker array consists of Emotiva AirMotiv T-2, C1+, B1, and SE-12. Without a doubt, it crushes any AVR I have ever had in the $1500-2000 dollar range. YES, the shortcomings of the MC1 are well-known and represented well in this review (appreciated). The real question at the end of the day is will this be enough for the Budget Home Theater Enthusiest? For me, the answer was a solid YES!!!. Even with the subpar calibration software, I was still able to run the bas EmoQ during the initial setup and get a fantastic sound and soundsatge. The Emotiva BasX line is one of the Industry's great secrets and is all about the best bang for the buck possible and ZERO snake oil... PS. I also have a full Emotiva BasX two-channel listening room; absolutely blissful. Two-channel consists of Emotiva A300 amp, PT100 pre amp, ERC3 transport, SE-12 sub, and AirMotiv T2 towers. 😍😍😍😍

Thanks for the informative, comprehensive video man.

At $1099.00 now, it is still rare to find a low cost Processor. Look carefully how this would not work. HDMI. Soon it would be 2.2,2.3 and so on. HDMI will continue to evolve and change, so having a low cost processor is a tough sell for allot of companies. Marantz, Anthem, and so on will never make an affordable. Denon does not even have a preamplifier processor at all. The commitment to create a preamplifier processor is staggering. All the compliances and features and engineering is not cheap. So what Emotiva is doing is amazing. Enjoy it while you can. Even Emotiva and Tonewinner to a lesser extent may have their days of a low cost Processor Preamplifier. I think it is cool, but I don't see it lasting all that much longer. Fortunately I don't need HDMI switching so my choices are vast the Processor Preamplifiers I could get for a song.

I've had an Outlaw 975 for years. Great unit except for two limitations. First is that resolution is maxed at 1080. Second is reliability as the unit runs very hot for not having any power components. Solved that by installing an AC Infinity Aircom S6 cooling unit ($50 at Amazon). This is after two trips back to Outlaw for component repair. No problems after fan install. I'd like to see Sound United take one of their mid receivers and remove the amps making a $1000 Pre-Pro.

Decided I'm going with the Anthem AVM 70 8K. It's a full 9.2.6, I won't need to substitute a sub for heights or wides. Buy once cry once right bros

Very nice work, thank you sir!!

I'm currently running a 11.2.4 Atmos system with my MC1 and am very happy with it. 8k is vaporware, the video on this unit is passthrough anyway, the sound is quite good. The subs have the same signal but you can configure them separately, try finding that at this price point. Basically everything I need. Bugs, sure. Perfect. Of course not. But it beats a receiver Every way from Sunday. The sound is so good I run some audio sources through it instead of my 2.,2 Parasound system. Maybe an upgrade later, but I see no reason to now

It’s nice that there are budget offerings but both are non hdmi 2.1 and it would be really nice if they were as I like to hook up everything to a avr or processors Also don’t understand why they usually cost more when they don’t even have amplification in them

The Tone winner eq picture you used is the EMOQ setup. Tone winner is using EmoQ

Once again well done video and informative... Yes entry level ones are ok if you really want to get into separates on the cheap...and don't need a lot of the features like the Marantz 7706.... so now I have seen on some threads that a Denon x4700 receiver sounded better than a Marantz 8805.... I don't know how true that is ...but if it does then it would be a no brainer which one to buy and you want to save some money the Denon ...then I saw where the pre outs on the Denon receivers 4700 and 6700 and up measured better than the Marantz pre outs on the 8805 A.... I was thinking about the Marantz 7706 which would be $4000 plus 13% tax for me Since I live in Canada prices are higher here...so after seeing about the Denon receivers doing just as good and maybe better than the Marantz ...go with Denon x6700 @ $4000 plus tax....and I do have enough external power to at least 12 channels...to run the pre outs on the Denon plus I think I would get AM FM Tuner lol....since we as consumers and I live in a small city in Ontario Canada I don't have the luxury or any in store demos on these products...and have to rely solely on reviews on line and you tube videos ...which kinda sucks in a way ..when you are spending big bucks on this hobby and not really sure what you are getting until you make your decision and get it home and hear for your self...but then again you haven't heard a comparison of the products ...which could come down to a personal choice anyways... So do you think these Denon receivers are as good as the Marantz processors? Again it could just come down to a personal choice ... because I don't think you are going to hear leaps and bounds of improvement at this price range until you get to the $10000 and up range ...or start with better power supply if you want to hear a real improvement in sound then go with the processing equipment....I might have just answered my own question lol Thanks and good job !

I was thinking about getting an amplifier as my first separate using the pre-outs of my Denon 4700, then upgrading to a processor. Now I'm thinking it would be better to replace my surrounds...it would make the whole system sound better to begin with. I have a 7.2.2 system right now with my LCR and front heights plus one sub as Klipsch and my other sub and surrounds are Polk from my first 5.1 system, They are tiny little satellites - one problem I might face is having enough room for them. Update - I ended up getting an amp, anyways, but it hasn't arrived yet...the Tonewinner AD-8300PA 11-channel. I can't wait til I get it...should have been yesterday, then it could have been today if UPS follower my instructions to waive the signature requirement...now I might have to wait til Monday!!! From what I understand, if three unsuccessful delivery attempts are made it's returned to the shipper...in CANADA. I'm just East of STL.

On tonewinner website they say they use "Latest ADI new dual core DSP." I dug a little further and another website said it was a ADI ADSP-21573

I would really like a processor with only AVB/TSN output. That would save D/A chips and audio cables. In the end would have a 6x2 HDMI matrix and a network cable output.

Their both made by Tonewinner, both pretty much the same unit but the tw has a few more features. Correct?