What receiver/processor should replace my UMC-1?

It feels wasteful to me to have bought a 5-channel amp (XPA-5) and then I just end up buying a receiver w/ a built in 7 channel amp that would go unused.

Yet as I look around I have yet to see anyone running processors in my price range other than the UMC-1, which is what I have now, and I'm tired of being a beta tester for them. I have enough headaches caused by technology being than I'm an IT by day. I don't need to pay $800 to have a constant headache at home too.

So enough complaining about the UMC-1 and on to the question at hand.

What else is out there or will be out there soon that I should be considering? I'd like to keep things under $1000 after any applicable discounts (MSRP doesn't matter of course)... under $1500 I could manage for something truly worth it.

It seems to me that there are receivers out there offering features sets that ON PAPER look as good if not better than the UMC-1, even though I'm also in theory buying an amp from them as well. Am I missing something or does the UMC-1 really only have a strong value proposition when put next to those $5000 dollar sound processors that have been out on the market for a year or two now?

Just to give an example I've been looking at the Pioneer VSX-1120-K. MSRP $749
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PU...SX-1120-K.Kuro

It has a Marvell video processor which will upscale all sources including HDMI (how does this compare to the UMC's Cirrus?). It does HD-Audio, DTS-HD, PLIIZ (UMC is only PLIIX), HDMI 1.4 (UMC is only 1.3), it has its own room correction engine which I don't know how well it works but it surely can't work any worse than the UMC's Emo-Q (worthless), I'm guessing it has an 'all channel stereo' mode (party mode) whereas Emo deleted it from the UMC and isn't saying if they'll bring it back, it offers some other very cool features like iphone integration including remote control via iphone, LAN connectivity, room correction charts and controls on your PC..

And most of all... I'll bet it's going to 'just work' for the most part. Or at least it sure as hell won't drop audio and video, lock up and cause a new headache on an every other day basis.

And this is just one receiver I looked at after somebody told me about it. I haven't even begun looking at any other newer product offerings.

Well I might be able to find some use for the built in amp.

If I take a couple of the receiver's channels and use them to power my surround sound speakers, I can then take the zone 2 preamp outputs and run them to my 2 newly freed channels on my XPA-5 and use that to run my 'whole house' audio system which uses a speaker cable based power distribution block to send audio to several pairs of speakers around the house. I've been thinking of buying a second amp for that duty so this would stop me from having to buy another amp assuming the Pioneer would do OK running my surrounds with the XPA-5 running the front three speakers.

Are there any features I'd be missing from the UMC-1 with the VSX-1120-K? I can't tell if the VSX has any trigger outputs. I do see something labeled 'control' and it has a single input and output and a cable size that looks similar to a trigger cable.

Thanks for the recommendations. I'll look into all of the receivers mentioned here.

But I guess as far as non-amplified units (processors) I'm out of luck. I guess the nature of separates is to generally cater to those with larger budgets.

The more I think about it the more I think the processor business was just a bad business for Emo to get into. They don't have an ultra high cost when it comes to parts... the big budget item is R&D... and they just don't seem to have the staff or sales volume to support working out all the kinks on their own. From what I've read it seems like they have a limited test lab and if it works with the equipment they have on hand with the settings they used, they assume it will work OK for everybody.

Well I don't even own another suitable receiver or processor. For a solid year I was using my Sharp Television is a receiver of sorts... just input switching and volume control. And that's what I'll have to go back to.

Honestly at this point I may return the UMC-1 even if Emo announces another firmware and return period extension. I just don't feel like I can trust them anymore.

Well the UMC doesn't even have a network connection so it would be an upgrade regardless.

What's wrong with the Denon's network card?

I tend to do more blu-ray watching and game playing on PS3 than anything. I do some music listening but it's nothing serious... just MP3 playing off Zune Marketplace for working out or social gatherings.

How would the 40.1 compare to this new Pioneer unit?

Yeah the 1120 won't be out until late April or May from what I heard before... though I've also heard June. I've waited this long, I don't mind waiting another month or two.


Oh so there's more markup or at least discounts are more easily accessed in the Elite models?

Well from what I've heard the current Elite lineup is going to be a tad antiquated in some ways by the new non-Elite lineup. Of course I'm sure they'll update the Elite lineup accordingly but who knows how much longer that will take. I haven't seen any press releases about that.