I also knew somebody who had a Emotiva processor (I can't remember if it was a UMC-1 or UMC-200). They had problems with it also, and switched over to a Marantz receiver instead. They loved the Marantz. I have listened to the Emotiva receiver (basically a UMC-200 with a 7 channel amp). It is on the cold side. The Marantz will be warmer and probably a lot more musical.
Marantz vs. Emotiva
I'm getting sick of my Emotiva UMC-1. Been back to the factory for repairs twice and it's still got a problem where I intermitently can't hear dialogue. I'm thinking of maybe picking up a Marantz 7702 on the used market. Is this going to be a step backwards in any way? Also, is there a big difference between the 7702 and the 7702mk2 in terms of future proofing? I'm stil a few years away from getting a 4k tv. Thanks all.