[panasonicst60]

Quesiton, do you know how to remedy the situation when there is no sound when restarting a movie playback after a longer pause on Panasonic UHD UB player ? and how to restore the sound w/o the need to restart the device. Thanks.

This is a known problem with Panasonic ub players with the emotiva 2nd gen processors. Emotiva is working on a fix.

 

[MartyMcFlyy]

@panasonicst60 thanks. One more question: can I use my UB9000 as CD transport via XLR's connections with XMC-2 in stereo ?
Then I assume I need to use balanced in audio inputs on xmc-2 selector and perhaps reconfigure UB to enable audio inputs.

 

[Operator7G]

I know what you guys mean. Not sure which Dirac calibration you did but please try calibrating with all speakers around -25dB. Also choose the tightly focused 9 point measurement and make sure the outside points don’t go beyond arms on a chairs and keep that plane consistent.
After the measurement if the center imaging is off - raise one side by 2dB and lower the other by - 2dB. The crossover points should be done based on the Dirac curve. But also do the curtains at 1kHz (or less) and apply the 6dB Harmon curve. Let me know if you have achieved audio bliss 😬

I about to throw a towel on this. I tried everything that I can think of. I tried tightly focused (9 points) and narrow (13 points) multiple times. I tried calibrating at different volumes, i.e. tried bumping up the mic volume, speakers, etc. I spent over 5 hours on this. Yet, I can't get the center imaging right for 2 channel mode. It's not the volume, but it's the delay. I don't know how Dirac measures this, but the delay is definitely off. I never had this issue with the XMC-1 and its Dirac. My speaker positions for L and R channel is exactly the same (9' 6)" from the listening position. When I turn Dirac off, center imaging is spot on dead-center.

I wonder if there is a bug with various speaker configurations. I'm running a 7.1 setup. I upgraded to XMC-2 in hopes of upgrading to a 7.1.4 setup. Fatsow mentioned that he experienced a bug where the right and center channels were switched with his XMC-2. I haven't experienced this myself. But, I wonder if this is happening with Dirac. It's unfortunate that you can't tweak these values once Dirac is activated. Is there a way to tweak this with Dirac Live?

For those who are getting perfect imaging with Dirac, what configuration are you using?

 

[Lsdec2]

I about to throw a towel on this. I tried everything that I can think of. I tried tightly focused (9 points) and narrow (13 points) multiple times. I tried calibrating at different volumes, i.e. tried bumping up the mic volume, speakers, etc. I spent over 5 hours on this. Yet, I can't get the center imaging right for 2 channel mode. It's not the volume, but it's the delay. I don't know how Dirac measures this, but the delay is definitely off. I never had this issue with the XMC-1 and its Dirac. My speaker positions for L and R channel is exactly the same (9' 6)" from the listening position. When I turn Dirac off, center imaging is spot on dead-center.

I wonder if there is a bug with various speaker configurations. I'm running a 7.1 setup. I upgraded to XMC-2 in hopes of upgrading to a 7.1.4 setup. Fatsow mentioned that he experienced a bug where the right and center channels were switched with his XMC-2. I haven't experienced this myself. But, I wonder if this is happening with Dirac. It's unfortunate that you can't tweak these values once Dirac is activated. Is there a way to tweak this with Dirac Live?

For those who are getting perfect imaging with Dirac, what configuration are you using?

I have the exact same issue that you have. For me when I used the previous Dirac version 2.x the imaging was fine but for whatever reason now I can’t get the 2 channel imaging dead center. So as I posted before my workaround is to raise the speaker level by 2 dB and lower the other one by 2 dB. This is off the 9 point measurement with the 6 dB Harmon curve and all the curtain brought down to 1kHz.
The imaging with this adjustment is perfectly fine and good enough where I can live with it until it gets rectified- meanwhile everything else sounds as good as it’s ever sounded, music and movies. The music now is so clear, I really don’t need anything to sound better than this.
Until I get the Wilsons 😊.

 

[stash64]

I about to throw a towel on this. I tried everything that I can think of. I tried tightly focused (9 points) and narrow (13 points) multiple times. I tried calibrating at different volumes, i.e. tried bumping up the mic volume, speakers, etc. I spent over 5 hours on this. Yet, I can't get the center imaging right for 2 channel mode. It's not the volume, but it's the delay. I don't know how Dirac measures this, but the delay is definitely off. I never had this issue with the XMC-1 and its Dirac. My speaker positions for L and R channel is exactly the same (9' 6)" from the listening position. When I turn Dirac off, center imaging is spot on dead-center.

I wonder if there is a bug with various speaker configurations. I'm running a 7.1 setup. I upgraded to XMC-2 in hopes of upgrading to a 7.1.4 setup. Fatsow mentioned that he experienced a bug where the right and center channels were switched with his XMC-2. I haven't experienced this myself. But, I wonder if this is happening with Dirac. It's unfortunate that you can't tweak these values once Dirac is activated. Is there a way to tweak this with Dirac Live?

For those who are getting perfect imaging with Dirac, what configuration are you using?

I decided to return my RMC1-L because of this issue. Along with the imaging problem, I was also getting very poor lip sync on all inputs after applying a Dirac filter. Not sure if the lip sync error is related to the imaging problem but I think it is a possibility, especially if the delays are messed up by Dirac. I agree that Emotiva should show the delays and trims set by Dirac and at least provide the ability to modify the Dirac trims.
I was expecting great things from Dirac but instead it was a very frustrating experience. The software was buggy too. I had the latest version and it kept crashing on the final step when saving the filter. I finally reverted back to the previous version and the crashes stopped but then I would get repeated low signal errors even after bumping up the master volume. I would step back and find that the master volume was back to the default value, as if I never bumped it up.

 

[Lsdec2]

For Dirac imaging issue with 2 channel...

I had to revert back to Dirac v2.5.3 which is the Dirac version pre-DLBC. Image is back to being centered.

Also for the record I hate running Dirac but the results are rather impressive. I can’t listen to music without Dirac anymore.

 

[Operator7G]

For Dirac imaging issue with 2 channel...

I had to revert back to Dirac v2.5.3 which is the Dirac version pre-DLBC. Image is back to being centered.

Also for the record I hate running Dirac but the results are rather impressive. I can’t listen to music without Dirac anymore.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. I'll try v2.5.3. I don't know if this Dirac or Emotiva issue. Either way, I'll let you know.

I know what you mean about Dirac. It made a huge difference with the XMC-1. I couldn't imagine listening to music or watching movies without it. That's why I waited to upgrade to the XMC-2 until they finally incorporated Dirac implementation. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointments when I ran into this issue.

If you're looking to upgrade to the Wilsons, you must have some impressive gears. I've heard a pair of Alexandria and they were impressive! Any Wilson Audio is nice, but for now, I'm happy with my Aerials.

 

[Operator7G]

I decided to return my RMC1-L because of this issue. Along with the imaging problem, I was also getting very poor lip sync on all inputs after applying a Dirac filter. Not sure if the lip sync error is related to the imaging problem but I think it is a possibility, especially if the delays are messed up by Dirac. I agree that Emotiva should show the delays and trims set by Dirac and at least provide the ability to modify the Dirac trims.
I was expecting great things from Dirac but instead it was a very frustrating experience. The software was buggy too. I had the latest version and it kept crashing on the final step when saving the filter. I finally reverted back to the previous version and the crashes stopped but then I would get repeated low signal errors even after bumping up the master volume. I would step back and find that the master volume was back to the default value, as if I never bumped it up.

Thanks for your feedback. Even with the XMC-1, Dirac calibration was frustrating. I too experienced low signal or clipping error, especially with the sub-woofer. But, once I got through it, the difference it made was worth it. Unfortunately, I can't return my XMC-2 as it was an upgrade. If I can do it over, I would keep my old unit. I can wait on Dolby Atmos.

I don't have Dirac experience with other units, i.e. Arcam, NAD, Rotel, etc. I wonder if they also have these issues.. I had an Arcam AVR300 back in the day and I was perfectly happy with that unit.

 

[Lsdec2]

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it. I'll try v2.5.3. I don't know if this Dirac or Emotiva issue. Either way, I'll let you know.

I know what you mean about Dirac. It made a huge difference with the XMC-1. I couldn't imagine listening to music or watching movies without it. That's why I waited to upgrade to the XMC-2 until they finally incorporated Dirac implementation. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointments when I ran into this issue.

If you're looking to upgrade to the Wilsons, you must have some impressive gears. I've heard a pair of Alexandria and they were impressive! Any Wilson Audio is nice, but for now, I'm happy with my Aerials.

I listened to music for about an hour and it looks like I’ll be sticking with this setting for a while. I’m surprised not more people are reporting this imaging issue. Maybe they don’t listen to 2 channel music.
I also watched part of Jurassic world chapter 8 and iconfirmed that this Dirac filter also works great for movies. I raise the sub output by 8dB for movies.
Regarding my gear, it’s pretty good but certainly not “impressive” especially compared to a lot of the folks in AVSForum. It’s a high value 7.1 setup and I was kidding about upgrading to the Wilson’s. I felt like I put my money where I got the biggest bang for the buck and I gotta spend a lot more money to get meaningful improvements so I really only need some Atmos speakers. BTW, Aerials are great speakers btw. On par with my Revels imho.

 

[Operator7G]

I have the exact same issue that you have. For me when I used the previous Dirac version 2.x the imaging was fine but for whatever reason now I can’t get the 2 channel imaging dead center. So as I posted before my workaround is to raise the speaker level by 2 dB and lower the other one by 2 dB. This is off the 9 point measurement with the 6 dB Harmon curve and all the curtain brought down to 1kHz.
The imaging with this adjustment is perfectly fine and good enough where I can live with it until it gets rectified- meanwhile everything else sounds as good as it’s ever sounded, music and movies. The music now is so clear, I really don’t need anything to sound better than this.
Until I get the Wilsons 😊.

I recalibrated using 2.5.3, but it made no difference. One of the test albums I'm using is "Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room". Her voice should be coming from dead-center right between the speakers. When people heard this, they thought her voice was coming from the center channel. After Dirac, there is no doubt that the vocal is emanating from the Left and Right channels. I'm pretty sure this is due to the delay. In the "user" mode, if I throw off the distance setting of one of the channels, the voice starts smearing, just like Dirac.

One more thing I can try is raising the speaker level by 2 dB and lowering the other one. My apologies, but I don't understand how this could help? It seems to me it has more to do with improperly calculating delay rather than volume. I'm willing to try it, but do you have a theory on why or how this works?

I'm just frustrated with Emotiva. They eventually fix these bugs, but it can take them years. I understand that they're a small company and other manufacturers have their issues, but I would consider this a major bug that should've been addressed before it got released.

 

[Lsdec2]

I recalibrated using 2.5.3, but it made no difference. One of the test albums I'm using is "Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room". Her voice should be coming from dead-center right between the speakers. When people heard this, they thought her voice was coming from the center channel. After Dirac, there is no doubt that the vocal is emanating from the Left and Right channels. I'm pretty sure this is due to the delay. In the "user" mode, if I throw off the distance setting of one of the channels, the voice starts smearing, just like Dirac.

One more thing I can try is raising the speaker level by 2 dB and lowering the other one. My apologies, but I don't understand how this could help? It seems to me it has more to do with improperly calculating delay rather than volume. I'm willing to try it, but do you have a theory on why or how this works?

I'm just frustrated with Emotiva. They eventually fix these bugs, but it can take them years. I understand that they're a small company and other manufacturers have their issues, but I would consider this a major bug that should've been addressed before it got released.

Is your imaging off center or does it feel like the imaging is “out of phase”?
With all the variables of running Dirac (points, how high, front / back) you may need to call Emotiva tech support.
The levels worked for me when the image was closer to it left speaker.

 

[markus767]

Is your imaging off center or does it feel like the imaging is “out of phase”?
With all the variables of running Dirac (points, how high, front / back) you may need to call Emotiva tech support.
The levels worked for me when the image was closer to it left speaker.

Why don't you guys simply do some investigative measurements with REW? Much simpler, faster and productive than speculating about the source of error or waiting for the manufacturer to admit that he f***ed up – especially when that particular manufacturer seemingly can't find anything wrong with any of his devices, ever.

 

[Lsdec2]

Why don't you guys simply do some investigative measurements with REW? Much simpler, faster and productive than speculating about the source of error or waiting for the manufacturer to admit that he f***ed up – especially when that particular manufacturer seemingly can't find anything wrong with any of his devices, ever.

Thanks for the suggestion but I do not know how to use REW to troubleshoot nor do I know even know what REW could do to solve the issue.

I don’t know the source of the issue and it’s irrelevant. If Emotiva is licensing Dirac and we have an imaging issue, it’s up to Emotiva to work with Dirac to find the fix.

It’s also up to Emotiva to provide some tools so that we can make adjustments post Dirac. The whole speaker configuration needs some rework as we consumers have no idea what levels were changed or the delays.

 

[markus767]

Thanks for the suggestion but I do not know how to use REW to troubleshoot nor do I know even know what REW could do to solve the issue.

I don’t know the source of the issue and it’s irrelevant. If Emotiva is licensing Dirac and we have an imaging issue, it’s up to Emotiva to work with Dirac to find the fix.

It’s also up to Emotiva to provide some tools so that we can make adjustments post Dirac. The whole speaker configuration needs some rework as we consumers have no idea what levels were changed or the delays.

Did you report the issue to Emotiva support? I predict a "works as designed" is what you'll get from Emotiva. Then they'll blame Dirac and you'll end up in a years-long blame game without any progress. After a couple of years they will release a processor that doesn't have this issue but will probably also be years behind what others already have to offer by then.

So again, if you really want a fix and get what you paid for, you have to investigate yourself. Everything else just takes time, money and is generally nerve-wracking. That's the sorry state of affairs when you buy from Emotiva.

Alternatively don't buy from Emotiva unless they can provide a bug free product. That would obviously be the smart choice for any purchase.

 

[stash64]

Thanks for the suggestion but I do not know how to use REW to troubleshoot nor do I know even know what REW could do to solve the issue.

I don’t know the source of the issue and it’s irrelevant. If Emotiva is licensing Dirac and we have an imaging issue, it’s up to Emotiva to work with Dirac to find the fix.

It’s also up to Emotiva to provide some tools so that we can make adjustments post Dirac. The whole speaker configuration needs some rework as we consumers have no idea what levels were changed or the delays.

I just remembered something about Emotiva's latest generation of amplifiers. The XLR pin arrangement is inverted from the normal industry practice. I wonder if the same is true of their latest processors and if this could be creating an issue with the Dirac calibration ? I do use an XPA3 amplifier for my surround and height speakers and I invert the speaker cables (plus to minus, and vice-versa) on the amp side only to keep the speakers in phase with my fronts. Audyssey lets you know if a speaker is out-of-phase but I don't think Dirac does so. If both fronts are out-of-phase, it should not be an issue for 2-channel music and I would not think there would be an impact to imaging... just a mismatch with other speakers in the system. Still, Emotiva's odd choice for XLR pin arrangement on their amps does add complexity.

 

[markus767]

Audyssey lets you know if a speaker is out-of-phase but I don't think Dirac does so.

Dirac Live detects polarity reversals and fixes them without user interaction.

 

[Lsdec2]

Did you report the issue to Emotiva support? I predict a "works as designed" is what you'll get from Emotiva. Then they'll blame Dirac and you'll end up in a years-long blame game without any progress. After a couple of years they will release a processor that doesn't have this issue but will probably also be years behind what others already have to offer by then.

So again, if you really want a fix and get what you paid for, you have to investigate yourself. Everything else just takes time, money and is generally nerve-wracking. That's the sorry state of affairs when you buy from Emotiva.

Alternatively don't buy from Emotiva unless they can provide a bug free product. That would obviously be the smart choice for any purchase.

I am on the beta tester list so yes I reported the issue on the chat. But if you read my previous post, the issue has been resolved on my end with me reverting back to Dirac v2.5.3 (pre-DLBC), so I’m all set. I don’t have to worry about the denials and whatnot or waiting years for a fix 😊.
I do share your sentiment about not buying anything unless it’s problem free but unfortunately that’s mission impossible in this day and age with any processors from any brand.

 

[markus767]

I am on the beta tester list so yes I reported the issue on the chat. But if you read my previous post, the issue has been resolved on my end with me reverting back to Dirac v2.5.3 (pre-DLBC), so I’m all set. I don’t have to worry about the denials and whatnot or waiting years for a fix 😊.
I do share your sentiment about not buying anything unless it’s problem free but unfortunately that’s mission impossible in this day and age with any processors from any brand.

2.5.x already included DLBC. By the way, DL 3.x works without imaging issues in the HTP-1.

 

[Lsdec2]

2.5.x already included DLBC. By the way, DL 3.x works without imaging issues in the HTP-1.

Well according to the changelog 3.0.0 was the start of DLBC support but ok good to know. Thanks. Thanks again for your help. Happy New Year!

 

[Lsdec2]

So a fellow Emoforum member asked me to try to load the project saved from 2.5.3 to 3.0.13 and vice versa. I agreed to load the 2.5.3 to 3.0.11 since 3.0.13 causes the Dirac software to crash and causes me to reset the XMC2.

I was able to successfully load the project and upload the filter. I’m not sure what Dirac did but it sounds a lot better using Dirac v3.0.11.

I don’t know the inner workings of Dirac but this sounds so awesome...this is all I really care about. My Revels are singing some good tunes! Feel like Norah Jones (one of my favorite tests) is singing in front me. It could be just louder - who knows - it just sounds pretty dam good is all I know, especially the bass, it’s much more authoritative.