Yamaha CX-A5200 vs. Emotiva RMC-1 sound quality with RTi12's?

BjornB17

I'm building a 7.2.4 system and will likely be using a Emotiva XPA-DR3 to power the front RTi12's & CSi5. Likely will be building one of their custom 8 channel amps to power all the in-wall and in-ceiling speakers.

I'm currently debating whether to get a Yamaha Aventage CX-A5200 or an Emotiva RMC-1 to use as a sound processor. Cost is not a huge factor but the Yamaha is a bit cheaper (like half the price). Also, I have a Yamaha S301 stereo amp on my secondary system with some RTi4s and the warm amp sound pairs great with those speakers. My current RTi10's sound great with a Harman Kardon as a pre-amp and an Emotiva UPA-7 as a amplifier.

So my main deciding factor is likely brightness vs warmth. Polk RTi's tend to be bright, but when paired with my Yamaha amp or previously my Harman Kardon amp, had a warm enough balance that the speakers sounded great, but with the newer Yamaha sounding a bit warmer and better overall (slightly). So, my question is where in the process does the "warmth" get added? Is it in the pre-amp/processor, or does it actually happen in the amplifier section?

I'm guessing I'll probably be in good shape either way and will likely go with Yamaha due to cost, but just wanted to make sure I pick the right option of the two. Both options seem to offer similar features (including balanced connections throughout) and Yamaha probably is more experienced in the processing realm.

sponger

Marantz is known for "warmth." Maybe the AV8802a would fit the bill?