Emotiva tid bits from the horses mouth [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : Emotiva tid bits from the horses mouth



Mr Peabody
09-08-2009, 06:11 PM
Follow za link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XflLmNQEtU4

blackraven
09-08-2009, 08:56 PM
I've seen that video before. The CDP ERC-1, seems to be built rock solid. I'd like to know what OP amps, DAC's and Clock are used in it. I would love to see it compared to the Marantz 8003, Rega Apollo and 740/840c's. I might have to order one and give it an audition.

Mr Peabody
09-09-2009, 05:38 AM
I hope some one does, it may be me. I read some of the reviews off the Emotiva forum and it gives me some reservations. Most of the people compared the ERC-1 to some existing DVD or Blu-ray player, one guy compared it to a 19 year old JVC top of line but still 19 years old. The reservation comes in that no one really said the ERC-1 was better in any significant way. Two guys auditioned the ERC against the JVC, the JVC owner decided not to buy the ERC. He may have just been used to the JVC sound and not wanting to change but my goodness if the ERC can't sound any better than the output of a 19 year old player then you have to wonder if people aren't just in love with the looks. One guy preferred it to the Panasonic BR player but not by much and even if so what does that say. I know the ERC is only $399.00 but it should be standing out against such modest competition. Going up against something like the 8003 or 840 the ERC could get fed lunch. AVS forum writing about Emo at the show seemed to think their 2-channel set up with the ERC-1 sounded good though, but they seem to have a love affair with Emo. I really have to wonder if it's that good or if people are just thrilled to get equipment that cheap, maybe reverse power of suggestion, they want it to sound good. They have a thread devoted to the ERC but I didn't want to read through that many pages to see if I could gleen any useful info.

BR, you would be a good candidate as well having compared Marantz and Cambridge.

Luvin Da Blues
09-09-2009, 05:57 AM
............ERC can't sound any better than the output of a 19 year old player then you have to wonder if people aren't just in love with the looks.

Have to admit the gear does look real nice. I lost interest when the last half the video is about the limited editions amps have laser etching and nary a blurb on the SQ.

Rich-n-Texas
09-09-2009, 06:21 AM
Opened my audio cabinet door the other day; saw my LPA-1 sitting there, all by itself, nice-n-quiet, and said to myself... shoot, I forgot all about you Emo. Proceeded to dust it off...

:smilewinkgrin:

pixelthis
09-09-2009, 12:46 PM
Opened my audio cabinet door the other day; saw my LPA-1 sitting there, all by itself, nice-n-quiet, and said to myself... shoot, I forgot all about you Emo. Proceeded to dust it off...

:smilewinkgrin:

Here ya go, Richie, just teh thang fer you.:1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Ccfpwc6bg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egodlikeproductions%2Ecom%2 Fforum1%2Fmessage876873%2Fpg1&feature=player_embedded

Mr Peabody
09-09-2009, 07:32 PM
Kapassa!? Rich

Rich-n-Texas
09-10-2009, 06:29 AM
Here ya go, Richie, just teh thang fer you.:1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4Ccfpwc6bg&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egodlikeproductions%2Ecom%2 Fforum1%2Fmessage876873%2Fpg1&feature=player_embedded
So when are you going to admit you were wrong about XM being dead, dumbass?

Rich-n-Texas
09-10-2009, 06:36 AM
Kapassa!? Rich
= Que pasa, correct Mr. P? Not much, just trying to get pixelthis to admit he was wrong about something.

How are you sir? As I was eluding to, my Emotiva LPA-1, recommended to me here by a knowledgeable member, is still working flawlessly after it's first year in service. Sits in the bottom of my audio cabinet effortlessly pumping out 5 channels of audio bliss. :thumbsup:

nightflier
09-10-2009, 10:06 AM
Mr. P., maybe this is why people here are trying to get you to buy the player - they want you to be the guinea pig. Borrowing a page from Pixie's playbook...

http://www.sjtent.com/EF/shoppingcart/images/smallimages/69072.jpg

Mr Peabody
09-10-2009, 06:34 PM
I've pretty much decided to try the preamp. That NAD c565 is more than I wanted to spend but looks like a cool unit. Emotiva won't admit comparing the ERC to any other units and no one seems to have great things to say about sound, only how good it looks or heavy it is. I can get my hands on a NAD, maybe I'll start there and if I'm not happy with what I hear then bring the ERC in for a spin. It would also be cool to have both Emo pieces to see what synergy there might be.

pixelthis
09-10-2009, 11:16 PM
= Que pasa, correct Mr. P? Not much, just trying to get pixelthis to admit he was wrong about something.

How are you sir? As I was eluding to, my Emotiva LPA-1, recommended to me here by a knowledgeable member, is still working flawlessly after it's first year in service. Sits in the bottom of my audio cabinet effortlessly pumping out 5 channels of audio bliss. :thumbsup:

Thats you standard, that something work for a year?
NO WONDER YOU LIKE PONTIACS SO MUCH.:1:

RoadRunner6
09-11-2009, 04:04 PM
That NAD c565 is more than I wanted to spend but looks like a cool unit. Emotiva won't admit comparing the ERC to any other units and no one seems to have great things to say about sound, only how good it looks or heavy it is

"..... Emotiva won't admit comparing the ERC to any other units....." ??????????
Mr. Peabody, can you expound on this statement please. Most reputable companies don't.specifically compare their own units to the competition, but let the user and reviewers make comparisons.

"..... That NAD c565 is more than I wanted to spend but looks like a cool unit....." Can you quote where NAD has admitted to comparing to any other unit. You say, "ERC ... no one seems to have great things to say about sound, only how good it looks or heavy it is....." You criticize others for commenting about how good the ERC-1 looks while yourself saying the NAD C565 "looks like a cool unit."

Mr. Peabody, how can you make these outlandish statements when you've obviouly not searched the forums yourself? You even admit above, ".....AVS forum writing about Emo at the show seemed to think their 2-channel set up with the ERC-1 sounded good though, but they seem to have a love affair with Emo. I really have to wonder if it's that good or if people are just thrilled to get equipment that cheap, maybe reverse power of suggestion, they want it to sound good. They have a thread devoted to the ERC but I didn't want to read through that many pages to see if I could gleen any useful info......" For one who has negative comment after negative comment about Emotiva products, it is odd that you would admit that you didn't want to read thru the thread. Then how could you have concluded that they are in love with Emo? In fact it is just the opposite when I read the entire thread several months ago. Chu Gai and his sharpshooters were tearing apart the guy for his subjective comments and they were generally trash talking Emo. There are finally some positive comments now appearing on that forum.

Why don't you just refrain from posting about Emo products until you are willing to read the threads and posts that I have taken the time to read (before I bought the ERC-1). Your statement that nobody has compared the ERC-1 to other recent players at higher prices is pure nonsense and embarrassing to you, especially when you admit that you haven't taken the time to actually read the posts.

I will admit I am a Emo fan boy, but only after a great deal of study and research before I spent a dime on any of their products. You contunue to write negative comments when you have not even taken the time to study or use the products.

Mr Peabody
09-11-2009, 08:55 PM
"..... Emotiva won't admit comparing the ERC to any other units....." ??????????
Mr. Peabody, can you expound on this statement please. Most reputable companies don't.specifically compare their own units to the competition, but let the user and reviewers make comparisons.

* Well, you don't know what you are talking about. When I was in dialog with SVS they were very candid about what I could expect and how their unit would stand against brands I was considering. Emo could have at least admit who they thought their competition might be.

"..... That NAD c565 is more than I wanted to spend but looks like a cool unit....." Can you quote where NAD has admitted to comparing to any other unit. You say, "ERC ... no one seems to have great things to say about sound, only how good it looks or heavy it is....." You criticize others for commenting about how good the ERC-1 looks while yourself saying the NAD C565 "looks like a cool unit."

* When I said, "looks" like a cool unit, I was referring to features and what it has to offer. I care less what it looks like which is more than I can say for you.

Mr. Peabody, how can you make these outlandish statements when you've obviouly not searched the forums yourself? You even admit above, ".....AVS forum writing about Emo at the show seemed to think their 2-channel set up with the ERC-1 sounded good though, but they seem to have a love affair with Emo. I really have to wonder if it's that good or if people are just thrilled to get equipment that cheap, maybe reverse power of suggestion, they want it to sound good. They have a thread devoted to the ERC but I didn't want to read through that many pages to see if I could gleen any useful info......" For one who has negative comment after negative comment about Emotiva products, it is odd that you would admit that you didn't want to read thru the thread. Then how could you have concluded that they are in love with Emo? In fact it is just the opposite when I read the entire thread several months ago. Chu Gai and his sharpshooters were tearing apart the guy for his subjective comments and they were generally trash talking Emo. There are finally some positive comments now appearing on that forum.

* First of all, you cannot find one negative thing I have said about a Emotiva product. Maybe the company, open to interpretation, or the feedback, but I've never said negative things about the particular product. Now, the AVS Emo forum is mega pages and from the sample I attempted to go through any meaningful posts were far and few. I read a lot of the reviews on Emo's website and they were written by people like you whose point of reference is other entry level gear, or, a DVD player which is not what I call a reference for digital music playback. When you have heard, or owned, such playback as Krell, Conrad Johnson, Arcam, Audio Note and T+A, then your opinion on how good a CD player is may be viable. So don't expect me to jump up and down because you found a CD player that can out perform a DVD player. Some guy on the Emo forum wanted to keep his 19 year old JVC instead of keeping the ERC, what kind of confidence do you think that gives me? Even though I'm looking for a secondary player I want it to sound like music. If I just wanted any noise I have other DVD and cheap players around.

Why don't you just refrain from posting about Emo products until you are willing to read the threads and posts that I have taken the time to read (before I bought the ERC-1). Your statement that nobody has compared the ERC-1 to other recent players at higher prices is pure nonsense and embarrassing to you, especially when you admit that you haven't taken the time to actually read the posts.

* Why don't you quit posting about Emo until you've used something other than what you've bought at Best Buy.

I will admit I am a Emo fan boy, but only after a great deal of study and research before I spent a dime on any of their products. You contunue to write negative comments when you have not even taken the time to study or use the products.

Study & research only goes so far. I can write volumes on how a piece of chocolate tastes but you will never know what it's like until you've actually tasted it for yourself. I realize your comprehension is limited so let me try it this way, you will never know how good Emotiva really is until you've heard and experienced quality hi fi equipment to know if Emo holds up to that.

So you think the Emo processor and power amp is better than your old Sony receiver, I'd hope so for separates. But how would Emo stack up to separates by Anthem, NAD, Marantz, Arcam etc. Emo may fair very well who knows but from what I've seen their main customer base seems to be receiver boys wanting separates on the cheap. This is an advantage for Emo as the mentioned customer base wouldn't know the difference.

RoadRunner6
09-11-2009, 09:31 PM
You are very good at begging the question, Mr. Peabody. I didn't insult your intellgience, I simply question your general negative comments about Emo gear and the customers who purchase it. They are not all upgrading from receivers, which you would know if you read the threads.

You avoid answering any of my direct questions, and instead do an end run, attacking my experiemce and my intelligence. I only point out your baseless attacks on Emo gear like the ERC-1 when you yourself admit you haven't even read the threads by its owners.

Once again I point out that,

"......You contunue to write negative comments when you have not even taken the time to study or use the products......"

RR6 :biggrin5:

JoeE SP9
09-13-2009, 02:53 PM
Has anyone else noticed the very similar appearance between the Emotiva ERC-1 and the Rotel RCD-1520? Has anyone noticed the difference in price?

Mr Peabody
09-13-2009, 04:21 PM
Wow, right down to the slotted loading.

pixelthis
09-14-2009, 01:14 PM
Has anyone else noticed the very similar appearance between the Emotiva ERC-1 and the Rotel RCD-1520? Has anyone noticed the difference in price?


I smell badge engineering.
Both are made in CHINA YOU KNOW.:1:

nightflier
09-14-2009, 01:42 PM
Has anyone else noticed the very similar appearance between the Emotiva ERC-1 and the Rotel RCD-1520? Has anyone noticed the difference in price?

Well, but internally they are also totally different, so I really don't think they share the same manufacturing. Actually the internals on the Emotiva look quite a bit more substantial.

RR6, not to jump on any bandwagons or anything, but you have to admit that the independent reviews aren't exactly plentiful. And I haven't really read any comparisons to other players in it's price range or slightly above (the Cambridge ones come to mind). For Emotiva to compete, it has to offer gear at a competitive edge over NAD, Rotel & Adcom, to mention a few companies that people have mentioned.

Speaking of looks, I'm actually not too fond of the design work that Emotiva did for it's product line. The blue & silver looks a bit kitsch to me. But that's just my opinion. After all, McIntosh uses the same design queues and people love it (although I'm not one of those people either). Now if the Emotiva player is rock solid underneath, then that's perhaps a minor issue for most people, but I just prefer a little less flash in my gear.

JoeE SP9
09-14-2009, 03:12 PM
Slot loading is something I'm not really fond of. The only other slot loaders I've seen are car stereo units. I've never thought very highly of them.

Rich-n-Texas
09-15-2009, 07:36 AM
Thats you standard, that something work for a year?
NO WONDER YOU LIKE PONTIACS SO MUCH.:1:
This post is weak, worthless, and a total waste of time. STFU dumbass.

pixelthis
09-15-2009, 02:19 PM
This post is weak, worthless, and a total waste of time. STFU dumbass.

PRETTY much like yourself, so I hit the mark.:1:

pixelthis
09-15-2009, 02:20 PM
Slot loading is something I'm not really fond of. The only other slot loaders I've seen are car stereo units. I've never thought very highly of them.

Great way to mess up a CD, lame for a higher end unit.:1:

TheHills44060
09-15-2009, 03:16 PM
Speaking of looks, I'm actually not too fond of the design work that Emotiva did for it's product line. The blue & silver looks a bit kitsch to me. But that's just my opinion.
I feel the same way. It makes them look gaudy and cheap IMO...kinda like putting underglow on a honda civic.

Slot loading is something I'm not really fond of. The only other slot loaders I've seen are car stereo units. I've never thought very highly of them.
Hey, all the Bose home units use slot loaders lol. I can't think of a single reason to use a slot loading mechanism other than a foolish attempt to appear high end to the ignorant consumer.

Yeah I know some expensive Meridian players use slot loaders but they are the vast minority.

Great way to mess up a CD, lame for a higher end unit.:1:
Absolutely.

I have never actually heard an Emotiva unit first hand but if they sound good for the price i guess you have to make some compromises.

nightflier
09-17-2009, 10:33 AM
It seems like slot-loading is the new in-thing in mid/high-end audio. Here's another company going that route:

http://www.perreaux.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/9/16/eloquence-transport-prototype

Mr Peabody
09-17-2009, 04:27 PM
A new front runner in the CDP search, the Creek Evolution normally $1095.00 being sold by AA $699.00. Still need to do a bit of research on it. Any one else hear it or other Creek players hit me with some feedback. I like their integrated amps a lot but haven't a great deal of experience with the CDP's.

RoadRunner6
09-18-2009, 05:13 PM
RR6, not to jump on any bandwagons or anything, but you have to admit that the independent reviews aren't exactly plentiful. Speaking of looks, I'm actually not too fond of the design work that Emotiva did for it's product line. The blue & silver looks a bit kitsch to me.

I hear you, but you must remember that Emotiva is a very small company with a tiny advertising budget. The ERC-1 has only been on the market for a few months. It is getting a lot of attention considering its price. Surprisingly enough there is already a review out on the Emotiva USP-1 stereo preamp. There have been a lot of owner reviews on the ERC-1. Some sceptics complain that there are no comparisons to more expensive units and then when there is such a comparison they blast it for being a "wild claim." Sort of a damned if you don't and damned if you do, catch 22.

As far as looks, have you ever seen a Emo product in person? IMO, they look better in person where you can immediately see the superb build quality. The colors are actually black with silver trim and blue lights. I have replaced the silver end plates on my amp with black ones and I like the all black looks better. It is much more subtle than the McIntosh blue light show. My components are off to the side and the lights don't bother the video at all. My wife thinks the appearance is great and the blue lights are "wow, cool" (her own words). We both like black versus silver front panels.

Here are several comments on the ERC-1 from the Emo forum. This first one is from today.

".........I got my ERC-1 yesterday. It is the best sounding CD player I've ever heard. And I've owned many.....I just can't believe that it sounds sooooooooooo good. The ERC-1 replaced my Cambridge 650C. The Cambridge sounds a little edgy compared to the Emo......"

This is from several months back.

".....If you want to know about comparing expensive players to the ERC-1 here is my list. I have owned the following CD or SACD players and so far the ERC-1 is better player than those.

Sony SCD-1. A $5000 50lbs beast and supposed to be at the time the best SACD/CD player out there. The ERC-1 sounds more detailed and more involving than this player during redbook cd playing. Since the ERC-1 is not a SACD player I will not be able to make a comparison regarding SACD playing.

Marantz SA-1. This was Marantz first state of the art SACD player. At $7000 was supposed to be a true reference player. I think that the SA-1 was slightly better than the Sony SCD-1 in both SACD and CD playing but in Redbook CD playing the Emotiva ERC-1 is a more detailed and natural sounding CD player.

Denon 5910ci. A $3500 Universal player and while it was ok playing CDs or SACD's it does not justified the price. It is a great DVD player. No doubt about that but as a cd player it was just mediocre. The Emotiva ERC-1 will eat this unit for breakfast anytime at playing redbook cds.

Sony SCD-XA777ES. $3000 CD player. Very good player. In fact I founded to be better than the SCD-1 specially in Multichannel SACD playing. In Redbook Cd playing was much better than the Marantz but again the ERC-1 is a more detailed and involving cd player.

Sony SCD-XA9000ES . A $3500 SACD/CD player. Was supposed to be better than the SCD-XA777ES which it replaced,with better dacs but in my personal opinion the SCD-XA777ES was a better sounding unit. The SCD-XA777ES was a more neutral souding with better soundstage but not as good as the Emotiva ERC-1.

I can go on and on with the list of other cd players that I have owned previously and the ERC-1 still is a better cd player.

The only player that I have considered to be the best CD/SACD player so far is the Musical Fidelity Trivista. This player is such a detailed,natural and so involving cd player that I am yet to find a player that can sound this good. Its a $6500 CD player and I think it was worth every penny. It is also a Tube CD player so it will not be fair for me to make a fair comparison to the ERC-1. But the Emotiva ERC-1 is the closest player that has ever come to the Musical Fidelity Trivista while playing Redbook Cds.

The best way that I can described the ERC-1 is an amazing CD player that delivers enhanced linearity, dynamic range and distortion-free response in the most beautiful way possible.

The sound is so unbelievably crisp, so undeniably clear and so completely pristine, it will change the way you listen forever.

For Redbook CD playing I don't think that you will find a more involving and detailed sounding CD player under the $3000 price range.

This is the level of competition that the ERC-1 matches up to extremely well. When you stop to think that this Emotiva CDP is outperforming products that cost 15 to 20 times as much it becomes a "no brainer" as to which player offers the most BANG FOR THE BUCK!....."

Here's another posted on 9-19:

".....My Emo UPA-2 and ERC-1 arrived yesterday afternoon. When I got home I disconnected my old system—Cambridge 650A and 650C—and moved the UPA-2 and ERC-1 in. The ERC-1 is connected to an Audio Electronics AE-3 tube preamp and that in turn is connected to the UPA-2. I fired up the ERC-1. The sound is incredible! It is very detailed—so clean and clear and not too bright. I am very pleased with this tube preamp/SS combo! I am driving a pair of Polk TSi300 speakers. They’re not very expensive but the sound is fantastic with the Emo. And the bass is even deeper. It’s like I’ve got a new pair of speakers with the Emo......."

If you walked in off the street and looked at my ERC-1, (not knowing the brand or source), lifted it, looked at the remote, looked under the hood, before you even listened to it, there is no way on this planet that you would think it sold for under $1000 at the least.

TheHills44060
09-19-2009, 12:19 PM
I I have replaced the silver end plates on my amp with black ones and I like the all black looks better.
That's a really good idea, i'd be interested in seeing pics.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 12:22 PM
Sony SCD-1. A $5000 50lbs beast and supposed to be at the time the best SACD/CD player out there. The ERC-1 sounds more detailed and more involving than this player during redbook cd playing. Since the ERC-1 is not a SACD player I will not be able to make a comparison regarding SACD playing.

Marantz SA-1. This was Marantz first state of the art SACD player. At $7000 was supposed to be a true reference player. I think that the SA-1 was slightly better than the Sony SCD-1 in both SACD and CD playing but in Redbook CD playing the Emotiva ERC-1 is a more detailed and natural sounding CD player.

Denon 5910ci. A $3500 Universal player and while it was ok playing CDs or SACD's it does not justified the price. It is a great DVD player. No doubt about that but as a cd player it was just mediocre. The Emotiva ERC-1 will eat this unit for breakfast anytime at playing redbook cds.

Sony SCD-XA777ES. $3000 CD player. Very good player. In fact I founded to be better than the SCD-1 specially in Multichannel SACD playing. In Redbook Cd playing was much better than the Marantz but again the ERC-1 is a more detailed and involving cd player.

Sony SCD-XA9000ES . A $3500 SACD/CD player. Was supposed to be better than the SCD-XA777ES which it replaced,with better dacs but in my personal opinion the SCD-XA777ES was a better sounding unit. The SCD-XA777ES was a more neutral souding with better soundstage but not as good as the Emotiva ERC-1.


Yeah right!. Where are the detailed reviews?

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 12:44 PM
Ok...I google the guy who said it sounded better than the Marantz. the way his system looked , it was very familiar to me. I knew that I had seen that room before. So I though about where I had seen that room and found it on audiogon. So just maybe there is some credibility there. Take a look at the two systems in that same room. The first with the Marantz, the second with the Emotiva. (Sorry, dont know how to post pictures)

http://cgim.audiogon.com/i/vs/s/f/1251847514.jpg


http://s618.photobucket.com/albums/tt266/NY1PR2009/?action=view&current=DSC01721.jpg


So this guy swapped all of his Marantz gear out for the Emotiva gear? Does the midfi out perform and sound better than the Hifi....something is fish here.

blackraven
09-19-2009, 12:59 PM
I agree Frenchie, why would you swap out high end Marantz gear for Emotiva unless he has 2 systems and is using the Marantz on another system or he wanted more power or a multi channel amp.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 01:02 PM
I agree Frenchie, why would you swap out high end Marantz gear for Emotiva unless he has 2 systems and is using the Marantz on another system or he wanted more power or a multi channel amp.

The system you are looking at are two systems....a hometheater and a two channel system....It just does not make sense. Here is his thread over on audiogon.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vevol&1251847968&read&keyw&zzmarantz

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 01:17 PM
That Marantz CDP is one of the most acclaimed CDP's on the market today. It cost $7000 big ones. It aint chump change

The control amp is another fine piece at $3200 hundred and the Marantz amp is another $4500. You telling me the Emotiva is a better system? Yeah right....The repo man paid that guy a visit!


HIs new gear...XPA-2====$799. RSP-2======$699 (discontinued) ERC-!======$399


So you telling me Marantz who has been making gear for about 60 years and this system costing at about $15.000.00 is no better than Emotiva who has been around less than 10 with this system costing $1.800.00 is better? Yeah right...the repo man came a calling.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 01:40 PM
This is the only online review I could find of the guy and he does not mention Marantz at all. But he does mention some other very good gear.


03-14-09: Nypr2003
I have just purchased from Emotiva the RSP-2 Preamp,XPA-2 stereo amp and their ERT-8.3 Reference Tower Speakers and after 5 days of breakin in the whole system all I can say is "WOW", "Unbelievable","REMARKABLE".

I used to own a Parasound Halo system consisting of their famous stereophile class A rated JC1 Monoblocks,their A51 5 channel amplifier,A21 Stereo amp and their C1 processor and I used to think that after trying the FPB Krell's and other High end amps or Preamps I though that there was nothing else better than the Halos within that price range over $15K plus.

I sold my system last year because of lack of time due to my job. I felt that there was no reason to keep such a nice system in my house since I was not using it. So I sold it here on Audiogon and decided that later on I will get more or less the same system when I have more time to be able to enjoy it.

Well the time is here now and I started looking to put together a very nice system again and the first thing that came to mind was Parasound Halo Line again. That was until I came across the Emotiva Products website.

I spent quite amount of time reading about their products specially their preamps and amps. I did a side by side comparison of the Parasound Halos amps and the Emotiva amps. The Emotiva amps seem to be much better amps than the Halos exept for the fact that the Halos are THX certified and used a MOSFET driver stage and JFET input stage as opposed to Emotiva using a Triple Darlington with ON semiconductor output stages. Besides the Emotiva amps offer more power than the Halos.

I know what most of you all will say. That's just in the specs! It's the sound that matters! Yes, you are right and I will get to that in a minute.

Being quite familiar with the Halos since I owned them for almost 2 years and was very happy with their warmth and neutral sound I think that qialifies me to make a very good comparison.

Now going back to the Emotiva RSP-2 Preamp and their XPA-2 stereo amplifier. As I said before after giving them around 5 days of a good break-in period of about 16 hours a day I decided to sit down for a good listening session.

First let me say that the RSP-2 is one of the most analog sounding preamps I have ever come across. In the past have auditioned or owned many Preamps such as ,BAT tube Preamps,Classe,Proceed,Parasound Halo,Rotel,Adcom,McIntosh and Musical Fidelity and none of these Preamps have sounded as analog as the Emotiva RSP-2 Preamp. How these people at Emotiva do it its beyond me. Besides being a great sounding preamp it is a beautiful unit. It has so many features that it is hard to believe that for the price of $699 you can get features that you can only get at Preamps costing over 3 to 6 times more. The performance of the Emotiva RSP-2 Preamp is so good that you can only get this kind of performance in preamps costing way over $3K+ or more. I highly recommend this Preamp. It's really that good. in fact I had my eyes set on a Parasound JC2 Preamp and I am so glad that I didn't buy. Now I am extremely happy with my Emotiva RSP-2.

Now the XPA-2 Stereo Amplifier. What a beautiful looking unit! The Sound? Oustanding! Warmth,Neutral,Extremely Analog Sounding.Not a hint of brightness. Powerfull! Powerfull Powerfull! It has the same sound as the Halos JC1's but with more extension and more dynamics of the FPB of the Krells and still analog sounding. Between the Emotiva RSP-2 Preamp and the XPA-2 Amp it is a marriage made in heaven. It's the perfect combination.

And the ERT-8.3. Reference Speakers. Do not let the price fool you. These speakers delivered one of the most natural and clear sounds that I have only be able to hear in speakers costing over $5K+. I have owned them so I know that it will be impossible to hear a pair of $1600 speakers sound this good. But how wrong I have been. These are truly Reference Speakers.The bass extension is remarkable.I don't even need a subwoofer.Emotiva rates these speakers at Frequency response: 45hz-20Khz +/-2db byt trust me these speakers go way lower than 45hz.

Emotiva is coming out with a new Reference CD player, the ERC-1 and I have put myself on their waiting list. I know that it will be an outstanding Cd player.

Emotiva has put together a "True Reference" Line of products that proves that you can still obtain "High End Performance" without paying "High End Prices". I used to be one of the many believers that had the mentality that you needed to pay top money to get a top high end performance equipment. Guess what? Not Any more.

Emotiva has proved me wrong and.. I Stand Corrected"

Best regards to all,

Carlos Reyes
Queens, New York.

Heres the link

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?aamps&1234483217&openusid&zzNypr2003&4&5#Nypr2003


This is unbelievable! How can they afford to sell this stuff for such a small price? I keep telling my self the wheels will come off sooner or later and we will find out the stuff only last a few years before it needs repair. It seems they are going to run every audio manufacturer out of business or force then to come down in price if this stuff catches on.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 02:03 PM
Ok..its seems as if the guy swapped out the Emotiva for the Marantz. Check out the date of this latest posting.

Marantz Marantz SA-7S1 CD Player pic
Marantz SC-11S1 Preamplifier pic
Marantz SM-11S1 Amplifier pic
Tyler Acoustics Special Custom Made Lynbrooks Speaker pic
Acoustics Zen Silver Reference II 1m. XLR Interconnect
Acoustic Zen Matrix Reference II 1m. XR Interconnect
Acoustic Zen Satori Shotgun 10ft. Biwired Speaker cable

Marantz Reference and Pioneer Elite Systems
This is my Marantz Reference Series Two Channel Audio System and my Pioneer Elite Home Theater System. The speakers took about 2 months to be built because everything from the cabinets to the drivers were picked by me and they were installed and the cabinets made and finished by Tyler at Tyler Acoustics. They have been terminated and wired with Cardas wire internally and finished in biwired configuration with Cardas Binding posts. These are the first pair ever made with the 10" Seas Woofers

Each Speaker weights almost 200lbs and the specifications are
Frequency- 22-25K
Sensitivity-90db
Impedance-4 ohms
30-400 watts

Now my new System consists of

Two Channel System;

Marantz Reference Series SA-7S1 SACD Player
Marantz Reference Series SC-11S1 Preamplifer
Marantz Reference Series SM-11S1 Stereo Amplifier
Acoustic Zen Silver Reference II Interconnects 1meter
Acoustic Zen Matrix Referenc II Interconnects 1 meter
Acoustic Zen 10ft. Satory Shotgun Biwired Speaker cables
RGPC 400 Pro 6,000 watts Parallel power delivery

and my Home theater consists of:

Pioneer Elite Kuro Pro 151FD 60" Plasma TV
Pioneer Elite SC-07 Receiver
Pioneer Elite BDP-05FD Blue Ray Player
Motorola Dual Tuner HD DVR DHC3416 160g Cable Box
Selah Audio Center Channel with 8" Drivers
Elan THP650LS Front Channel Speakers Wall Mounted
Elan THP650SS Surround Speakers (4) for side an back
Elan THP1200SW 12" Powered Subwoofer
Monster Signature Series AVS2000 Voltage Stabilizer
Monster Signture Series HTPS7000 MKII Power Conditioner

My Best Regards to all,

Carlos
Nypr2003 (Threads | Answers)

09-01-09


Maybe the Emotiva did not have that high end sound after all.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 02:31 PM
OK it seems this guy did in fact get rid of his Emotiva....all of it. I guess after the dust settled and cleared it had to go. Heres the thread. and the link.

http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=emporium&thread=6227&page=1#89010


*SOLD* FOR SALE EMOTIVA XPA-2 $650 SHIPPED
« Thread Started on Aug 8, 2009, 9:15pm »
I am selling my 4 months old Emotiva XPA-2 Stereo Amplifier.

AMP HAS BEEN SOLD

*THIS IS AN "A" STOCK XPA-2 PURCHASED BRAND NEW FROM EMOTIVA*

This amplifier is in "MINT" new condition since I take extremely good care of all my high end equipment. I have the original boxes and all the accessories that came with it from Emotiva.

The reason that I am selling this wonderful stereo amplifier is because I have changed my entired system and I have gone with an all Marantz Reference Series System consisting of the Marantz SA-7S1 SACD Player , the SC-11S1 Reference Control Amplifier and waiting on the SM-11S1 Stereo Power Amplifier.

I WILL SELL THE AMPLIFIER FOR $650 INCLUDING SHIPPING AND FULL INSURANCE WITHIN THE CONTINUOUS 48 STATES ONLY VIA FED EX GROUND SHIPPING.

I CAN ACCEPT A CERTIFIED CHECK OR MONEY ORDER BUT IF YOU ARE USING PAYPAL PLEASE ADD THE 3% FOR THEIR FEES. IF YOU SEND A CERTIFIED CHECK OR MONEY ORDER PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT I WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY CLEAR BEFORE SHIPPING THE AMP.

If you need to see my feedback on Audiogon as a seller and buyer of high end equipment please click on this link,

http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fb.pl?user=Nypr2003


Here are pictures of the XPA-2 amp in my system ,(The RSP-2 and the ERC-1 have already being SOLD)

Mr Peabody
09-19-2009, 02:58 PM
I've heard the Marantz Reference was good stuff. I haven't heard any of it except the $7k SACD, I'm talking about the very first one Marantz built when SACD was trying to get traction. I personally did not think the unit sounded like a $7k unit, a $3.5k Krell sounded better on Redbook.

I feel everyone's pain now who has tried to buy new components. We all say audition, but that is getting to be very difficult especially for those who want higher end. The only players on my list I could actually hear would be the NAD units and Rotel, if I was interested in Rotel. I like what I hear about the Creek "being musical" but I've heard it wasn't as "dynamic" as the NAD 565 or Cambridge 740/840. As much as I'd like to try a 740 or 840, I don't think I want to pay that much for a secondary player. What I might do is bring in an ERC-1 and then borrow a 565 and have a shoot out. It won't be scientific with level matching and all that but I've been doing well so far evaluating my gear in my own fashion. The 565 is getting up there in price but I like that USB feature. This could be handy if the unit ever ended up in my work out system.

frenchmon
09-19-2009, 04:41 PM
I've heard the Marantz Reference was good stuff. I haven't heard any of it except the $7k SACD, I'm talking about the very first one Marantz built when SACD was trying to get traction. I personally did not think the unit sounded like a $7k unit, a $3.5k Krell sounded better on Redbook.

I feel everyone's pain now who has tried to buy new components. We all say audition, but that is getting to be very difficult especially for those who want higher end. The only players on my list I could actually hear would be the NAD units and Rotel, if I was interested in Rotel. I like what I hear about the Creek "being musical" but I've heard it wasn't as "dynamic" as the NAD 565 or Cambridge 740/840. As much as I'd like to try a 740 or 840, I don't think I want to pay that much for a secondary player. What I might do is bring in an ERC-1 and then borrow a 565 and have a shoot out. It won't be scientific with level matching and all that but I've been doing well so far evaluating my gear in my own fashion. The 565 is getting up there in price but I like that USB feature. This could be handy if the unit ever ended up in my work out system.


when was the first Marantz sacd built, 1999-2000? I think they may have come a long way sense then. There are many on the audioasylem forum who would differ from you. Then again its all subjective. Here a review on the newer units if you are intersted.

http://www.10audio.com/marantz_sa-7s1_cary_306pro.htm

http://www.10audio.com/marantz_ma-9s2.htm

Surprisingly he has not reviewed any Krell after a 138 reviews.

Mr Peabody
09-19-2009, 05:36 PM
Krell hasn't made a simple CD player in quite some time and the incident where Phillips sold a bunch of bad transports really hurt some of the independent companies like Krell. I really don't know how good there SACD players are. Some may disagree but in the last ten years I feel there hasn't been huge gains in digital playback. Around 2k there were starting to appear 24 bit players and I really haven't seen any large improvements once every one got to that level. I know of some players made 10 years ago I'd still love to have. In fact, my Conrad Johnson DAC is at least that old and not 24 bit and it holds it's own very well against players from today.

If anything improved over these years to make Marantz sound better it's the SACD software. The dealer here in town doesn't seem to sell much of their disc players compared to other brands they handle. But once you get into the price range of T+A, Marantz don't have a chance. Oddly, the NAD M5 seemed to be the seller in the 8003 range. As everything else I guess it comes down to what comparisons are made and taste. This is also just one store. It would be interesting to get some sales figures from some place like Audio Advisor or Musicdirect to see which brand does better. Also, things seem to spread on forums. One person say they like something and it catches on. Blackraven did a side by side with Cambridge 840 and Marantz 8003, he preferred the 840. So regardless of fanboy rumors in the end you have to trust your ears.

Frenchmon we aren't that far in distance any more so we will have to do some listening some day. I'm not really as big of a snob as I sound :)

RoadRunner6
09-19-2009, 06:05 PM
I've heard the Marantz Reference was good stuff. I haven't heard any of it except the $7k SACD, I'm talking about the very first one Marantz built when SACD was trying to get traction. I personally did not think the unit sounded like a $7k unit, a $3.5k Krell sounded better on Redbook.

I feel everyone's pain now who has tried to buy new components. We all say audition, but that is getting to be very difficult especially for those who want higher end. The only players on my list I could actually hear would be the NAD units and Rotel, if I was interested in Rotel. I like what I hear about the Creek "being musical" but I've heard it wasn't as "dynamic" as the NAD 565 or Cambridge 740/840. As much as I'd like to try a 740 or 840, I don't think I want to pay that much for a secondary player. What I might do is bring in an ERC-1 and then borrow a 565 and have a shoot out. It won't be scientific with level matching and all that but I've been doing well so far evaluating my gear in my own fashion. The 565 is getting up there in price but I like that USB feature. This could be handy if the unit ever ended up in my work out system.


"..........It won't be scientific with level matching and all that .........."


...And you have the nerve to criticize other's evaluations? You're going to do an A/B comparison without even bothering to level match the components, what a phony audiophile! How much credibility do you think your evaluation merits?

RoadRunner6
09-19-2009, 06:08 PM
I'm not really as big of a snob as I sound :)

That's what you sound like to my ears!

RoadRunner6
09-19-2009, 06:16 PM
Maybe the Emotiva did not have that high end sound after all.

I suggest you compare what he paid for the Emotiva equipment to what he has now.

Carlos seems like a very nice guy who just apparently has money coming out of his ears. I think he is the type of personality that changes underwear every hour and audio/HT systems almost as frequently.


He said not too long ago:

"..........Im back! After spending around 5 months with my Emotiva gear I was bitten by the "upgrade bug" and decided that it was time to go an all Marantz Reference Series assault and my New Special Custom Made Tyler Acoustics Full Range Speakers.

Please do not get me wrong. The Emotiva gear is an outstanding system considering what they cost. You will not find a better audiophile quality gear for the price. I still wonder how is it that Emotiva can make a profit considering what they ask for their products.

All I can say is that I have been very happy with the Emotiva gear while I had it and enjoyed it very much. But as it always happens in this hobby, I got bitten by upgrade bug and here is my New Marantz Reference Series with my New Special Custom Made Tyler Acoustics Lynbrook Signature Series with a pair on each speaker of 10" Seas Aluminum Cone Woofers.

These speakers took about 2 months to be built because everything from the cabinets to the drivers were picked by me and they were intalled and the cabinets made and finished by Tyler at Tyler Acoustics. They have been terminated and wired with Cardas wire internally and finished in biwired configuration with Cardas Binding posts. These are the first pair ever made with the 10" Seas Woofers,,,,,,,,,,"

Mr Peabody
09-19-2009, 06:49 PM
"..........It won't be scientific with level matching and all that .........."


...And you have the nerve to criticize other's evaluations? You're going to do an A/B comparison without even bothering to level match the components, what a phony audiophile! How much credibility do you think your evaluation merits?

Well, turn me in, they can have my license. Like I said it works for me. I don't have a problem being able to tell what a CD player sounds like and whether I prefer one over another. And, any one can take what I say or leave it because in the end, which ever player, I, will be the one listening to it. And, I suppose I'm as credible as it gets until you prove me wrong. In addition, one ERC reviewer says it's not as good as a 19 year old JVC, another says it is slightly better than his DVD player, then, we have Carlos, who thinks it's almost as good as a $7k Marantz, so I feel I don't really have much of a standard I need to live up to.

The ERC is $300.00 cheaper than the other competition on my list, if you think it won't get a fair shake you give yourself too much credit. Because I won't have a probelm what so ever saying it was better, if, in fact, it is. And, if it isn't better, you'll just have to live with it while I live without it.

frenchmon
09-20-2009, 12:17 AM
MrP....I will have to take ou p on that offer one day.

RoadRunner6 dont be so easily moved. MrP has an opinion like we all do. I fine it very unbelievable to think a $400 machine is as good as a $7000 machine as well. Now Krell and Maantz have two diffeent distinct characteristics. Its my opinion that Emotivia is trying to find its way...and its people like Carlos that will make or break the Emotive for a certain market. I've researched the guy and saw many postings by him that I did not post, but noticed the guy has change gear a few times but he has always used more high end stuff. This was pretty much the first time he has used midfi stuff with the Emotiva....gave it a good report, and what does he do....go back to hifi. Lets see what the audiophile community is saying about emotiva in about a couple of years. Oh and BTW...I ran across some guys who tested Rotels new stuff to Emotiva new amps...and the Emotiva while good had high THD. But for some it does not matter, while others it does...its all subjective.

Mr Peabody
09-20-2009, 09:56 AM
Frenchmon, when they did the Emo vs Rotel, how did the power look? The Emo amps are supposed to be conservatively rated to say the least. Also, Kex has an Emo amp which he compared to Rotel and Adcom. He thought the Emo was some better than both.

frenchmon
09-21-2009, 10:20 AM
Frenchmon, when they did the Emo vs Rotel, how did the power look? The Emo amps are supposed to be conservatively rated to say the least. Also, Kex has an Emo amp which he compared to Rotel and Adcom. He thought the Emo was some better than both.

Mr Peabody, All they said was the Emotiva was good but rated high in THD and Rotel was lower in THD.

nightflier
09-21-2009, 01:17 PM
Interesting discussion. A couple of quick notes:

- The USB port on that NAD is not USB-standard compliant. NAD has acknowledged this problem but it's not offering a fix. According to Stereophile, if you unplug a USB device from the player while music is playing, you could actually break the player (the reviewer actually did this). Maybe when they get a bunch of warranty returns....

- AA was selling a Creek Evo this morning for $549 (open box), but someone snapped it up pretty quick. I've been eying that one for a while, but I keep hearing positive as well as negative reviews so I'm still on the fence. For $549, though, that's a hard one to ignore. Most accounts say it is on the warm/dark side of neutral and while that's my preference, the rest of my gear is too, so it may not be the best fit for me.

- Mr. P., a quick question, how would your describe the sound of the T+A? My experience with anything German, French or Scandinavian has typically been analytical and dry, but I don't know T+A at all. I wonder how that would compare to Cairn, Primare or Bryston (a Canadian that seems to share the trait). There's a Primare CD21 on A-gon for $850, I believe, but No T+A players. There's also a Bryston for $1900, but that's too rich for my blood.

- Unless I missed it, no one mentioned any players with tube complements (Jolida, Vincent, Cayin, Cary, etc.). I wouldn't mind hearing from some of you who own or who've owned one. I had a Music Hall tube DAC for a few weeks and I didn't think it improved my player much so I returned it. Anyhow just wondering.

- While the Emotiva is just over $400, I still can't bring myself to actually buy one. The looks of it bother me a great deal and the slot-loading doesn't help either. Frankly, I'd pay an extra $200-300 for a comparable player just because of it - there's no use buying something I'm going to hate looking at and using.

- I'm also curious about what's coming out of the East these days. Brands like Dussun, Xindak, MHZS, Shengya, Roksan, Shanling, even some of the more curious names like Lite, Dugood, and Bada all have impressive specs and most of the time, the looks aren't too kitsch. Speaking of Asian-manufacturing, here's one from a brand called "Winner" who's innards look dubiously similar to Emotiva's:

http://j6senw.bay.livefilestore.com/y1pN1XMY2fj2VafU-H6nwxT5h-kElMNe73M9FEGBZsEThMCaQW1h3WzuEYxrPQyTs9TKgsoLjWkM rplExCW9ZkXBh1Qj2zoPINq/a4.jpg

http://cgi.ebay.com/ToneWinner-TY-20-hi-fi-CD-HDCD-MP3-PLAYER-24bit-384KHz_W0QQitemZ170383079644QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_ DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27ab9f78dc&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Mr Peabody
09-21-2009, 03:27 PM
Thanks for the tip NF, I'll just look at the 545 then, supposedly the sound isn't much different just upgrade in features. Of course, one of the features is upsampling which could make a difference.

The T+A provides tons of detail but doesn't sound analytical in the way some criticize Krell, the T+A remains musical. The sound I would describe as a more robust Arcam style sound, the mentioned detail and wide frequency response with stunning bass. T+A is a difficult sound to describe because they aren't what one would call warm or analytical, they just do what they are supposed to do very well and the sound is sweet without lacking anything.

From people I've spoken to and reviews read the Creek Evo is consistently agreed "musical" but on the down side "lacks dynamics", said another way "lack of attack". I like that dark presentation as well but I still like my kick drum to have a kick.

The Primare 31.7 was an excellent preamp processor but I don't care for their CD playback. The sound stage seems comparatively smaller or more intimate which isn't always bad but there was a sound characteristic that annoyed me to the point I couldn't listen. It was like an edginess, or maybe what you said was overly dry.

Jack at Spearitsound thinks highly of the Shanling players but I have not heard one. Wasn't it Bernd who bought one of Shanling's all-in-one units? He seemed to like it pretty well. I've yet to hear any of those Chinese players yet.

I still have my Audio Note DAC if you'd be interested in trying that for tube playback. One down side to them is the lack of ample connectivity. They provide XLR & BNC digital inputs and the BNC can be adapted to coaxial which is what I do.

Mr Peabody
09-21-2009, 04:38 PM
Actually, NF, you should follow the link in my sig and check out T+A's website. They do have a line of tube gear. And, other of their amps use the PWM switching. Their solid state amps are lightning fast, detailed with excellent bass. They don't have the brute force for difficult loads like Krell and I prefer the superior refinement of Krell's high end. I have not heard T+A tube amps but I have heard their $8k tube CD player and it is in the group of best players I've heard.

I was hoping maybe some one else would hear something by them so I can see if I'm the only fan boy. The guys told me I can borrow the matching "Power Station" integrated to my player but I'm about half afraid to. It could be the piece that is the compromise between tube and solid state for me. Then I'd have a delimma.

When the dealer first brought in T+A and still supported Krell they put two systems together of each in the same room. The T+A system had one of their CDP, a preamp and two amps bridged mono. Same set up with all Krell, except the krell were true monoblocks. I believe the T+A came to around $15k where the Krell was over $45K. Using the same set of Dynaudio it was an impressive comparison. As stated, typically consistent, the Krell had a more refined high end, not more extended, just refined to the point it could be extended but remain less offensive. Not that the T+A was offensive. What startled me was the bass response of the T+A was overall better. The Krell had more weight but with the T+A bass lines were a bit more defined and agile without being thin or lack punch.

T+A recently dumped their distributor and from what I hear will remain without one. This brought prices down slightly but i wonder how getting product will be. I think they only have about ten U.S. dealers. I know the markets are in the toilet but I'd like to see them with more presence here.

kexodusc
09-22-2009, 04:25 AM
Frenchmon, when they did the Emo vs Rotel, how did the power look? The Emo amps are supposed to be conservatively rated to say the least. Also, Kex has an Emo amp which he compared to Rotel and Adcom. He thought the Emo was some better than both.
I have only compared it to my Adcom and Rotel amps...oh and some NAD integrateds (old 3140 and 3020). Hardly an exhaustive list, but I am very impressed.
The amps at least are very high quality, solid built, decent sounding. Serious competition for the likes of NAD, Rotel, Adcom...even if you felt one of the other brands sounded a bit better or more to your personal taste, I'm sure you'd concede it as a smart option.

I know of 1 person whose opinion I trust that has had more Emotiva gear - the person that begged me to try the amp I bought for a year because he was happy with his experience. He had one of their old pre-pros and swore it was a big step up in sound quality over his old Integra 5.1 DTS processor...but he's since forked out month's salary for a very nice Arcam unit with all the HDMI goodies...and he likes the Arcam a lot better - which isn't really a fair comparison...

I don't know about some of the Emo fan boys claims about their stuff taking on gear costing 4-10 times as much. Let's be honest, to an untrained ear, the differences between the likes of NAD and Krell might not sound that big anyway...

I think Emotiva is trying to be a quality, entry-to-mid level separates company - for the price of their processors and amps you can say good bye to $1000-$2000 receivers, integrateds, etc, and be much better off. Like Outlaw, their prices started low, but have increased moderately as the brand has grown. I don't think they'll be taking over the industry, but they're probably a decent alternative to some of the usual suspects for people on a budget. No doubt their business model offers some huge cost advantages. But having said that, if the electronics industry is like the speaker industry, there's tons of wiggle room so we shouldn't be shocked by their prices...They've been around awhile now, but I'd like to see where they are in 5 more years - my guess is they keep putting prices up.

Just my 2 cents.

Mr Peabody
09-22-2009, 05:10 AM
Kex, your friend hasn't tried the ERC1?

kexodusc
09-22-2009, 09:00 AM
Kex, your friend hasn't tried the ERC1?
Nope, just a few of their amps and the one pre-pro IIRC.
I don't know anyone who's heard the ERC1 off the top of my head...
Say Mr. P...your experience with electronics would make you a great candidate to be the official AR.com guinea pi---err..reviewer....:biggrin5:

RoadRunner6
09-22-2009, 06:17 PM
So you telling me Marantz who has been making gear for about 60 years and this system costing at about $15.000.00 is no better than Emotiva who has been around less than 10 with this system costing $1.800.00 is better? Yeah right...the repo man came a calling.

Frenchmon, the Marantz company today is no connection whatever, except for the name, to the company that we knew by the name Marantz back in the 60's or even much later. So your argument sounds great on first listen but holds no water. Only the name remains the same. I'm not saying the present Marantz does not make excellent products. I'm just saying this is not the same company.

As far as the cost difference, the Emotiva ERC-1 if sold by a traditional retail audio shop would probably list somewhere about $1200 and up. The $1800 system would cost about $5400 and up. If you don't have experience at the factory, wholesale and retail level you might not realize how this estimate can be accurate

I am in no way saying the Emo is as good as player X or Y. I simply posted these owner comments above to answer the objection that no owners were comparing the ERC-1 to anything but cheap CD players. Then the comments are attacked as too short. Then they are attacked as wild claims. This forum is overcrowded with sharpshooters who cannot change there initial feeling that this is another online to buyer company pushing mediocre products such as Fluance speakers. Now that they realize Emotiva is actually selling high quality products at low prices compared to retail outlets, they just can't admit that these are genuine bargains. Some of the products they sold several years ago and earlier were those modified and sold under several brands. The Emo models of the last several years are exclusively unique Emo design and assembly.

The ERC-1 is not perfect. However, I must say that there is no CD player that I have seen anywhere near this price that matches this build and sound quality. I am a big sceptic of the amazing sound differences that many claim to hear between different CD players. I think the actual blind differences are quite small for most quality players. That said, I cannot afford a CD player costing $1500 and up. So even if a $1500 CD player sounds ever so sightly better, I'll settle for the $399 player by finanacial necessity, while the sharpshooters conitune to attack my player.

This post is for those out there who would also like to buy a very high quality CD player for $399. If you buy it and don't like it you are only out a few dollars to return it. Less return costs than one quality RCA cable. :D

manlystanley
09-23-2009, 01:58 PM
So, I'm doing some trolling, and I find this guy that wants to sell his three (month old) Emotiva Mono block XPA-1's for $625 each.... I gaged when I turned him down. Great stuff, but out of my price range.

majorloser
09-23-2009, 02:49 PM
If you guys in the Northwest want to hear some of Emotiva's gear, there is s good opportunity coming in a couple weeks:

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=30083

We are going to have some of the best gear Emotiva has to offer!!!

a pair of ERT-8.3 Reference Towers
a pair of XPA-1 Mono Block Amplifiers
a USP-1 Stereo Preamplifier
a ERC-1 Reference CD Player
a complete set of Emotiva X-Series CablesThis will be the ultimate opportunity to audition Emotiva's gear in the Northwest.

Mr Peabody
09-23-2009, 03:00 PM
Man, I'd give an eye tooth to go.

frenchmon
09-23-2009, 03:01 PM
Frenchmon, the Marantz company today is no connection whatever, except for the name, to the company that we knew by the name Marantz back in the 60's or even much later. So your argument sounds great on first listen but holds no water. Only the name remains the same. I'm not saying the present Marantz does not make excellent products. I'm just saying this is not the same company.

Man...must have plucked a nerve with you. I think you are wrong here. While the company has been sold a few times, they claim they still build on the traditions that drove Mr. Saul Marantz. This is there own words not mine...so there is a connection.


As far as the cost difference, the Emotiva ERC-1 if sold by a traditional retail audio shop would probably list somewhere about $1200 and up. The $1800 system would cost about $5400 and up. If you don't have experience at the factory, wholesale and retail level you might not realize how this estimate can be accurate

So you think it would be three times what you paid for it? I dont. Its mid fi at best. And believe me...guys who have hi-fi as a hobby would love a bargan on good gear....if what you say is true, why are guys who have hi-fi gear, SUCH AS Carlos getting rid of it a few months later?


I am in no way saying the Emo is as good as player X or Y.
I simply posted these owner comments above to answer the objection that no owners were comparing the ERC-1 to anything but cheap CD players. Then the comments are attacked as too short. Then they are attacked as wild claims. This forum is overcrowded with sharpshooters who cannot change there initial feeling that this is another online to buyer company pushing mediocre products such as Fluance speakers. Now that they realize Emotiva is actually selling high quality products at low prices compared to retail outlets, they just can't admit that these are genuine bargains. Some of the products they sold several years ago and earlier were those modified and sold under several brands. The Emo models of the last several years are exclusively unique Emo design and assembly.

It sounded as if you where agreeing with all these claims. Personally I would love to hear the ERC1 at 399 compared with My Rotel CDP at 699 or my Marantz SACDP at 699. I wonder if it really is that much better than my mid-fi gear. Im on an upgrade path and I want something better than my mid-fi gear....I don't think the ERC1 will satisfy me.


The ERC-1 is not perfect. However, I must say that there is no CD player that I have seen anywhere near this price that matches this build and sound quality

That is a claim that is said of many manufactures gear....its become a common statement. Heck, I could say that about my Canton Speakers.


. I am a big sceptic of the amazing sound differences that many claim to hear between different CD players. I think the actual blind differences are quite small for most quality players.[/qote]

Shoot RR...you said the something about wire. So I had to see for my self, and found that wires don't all sound the same.

[quote] That said, I cannot afford a CD player costing $1500 and up. So even if a $1500 CD player sounds ever so sightly better, I'll settle for the $399 player by finanacial necessity, while the sharpshooters conitune to attack my player.

Look RR....I am not saying that the ERC1 is a bad player. But the facts speak for themselves. Its mid-fi. If it was as good as a 1500 player, I'm sure it would sell for more than $399. last I checked, the CDP's selling for $699 where either sold out or on their way to being sold out with ease.

frenchmon

Mr Peabody
09-23-2009, 03:17 PM
Frenchmon, depending on how large a jump you want to take, Audio Advisor has the Creek Evolution regularly $1095.00 for $699/00 and not shown yet but they have Musical Fidelity X-Ray v8 with the power supply for $799.99. If you want SACD and CD the NAD M5 for $999.00 is excellent. The M5 has a sound you just have to hear, I found it very engaging. There are some Cambridge 840's around too like $1599.00.

I think whatever I plan to get I will still bring in an ERC, the best one I will keep, the other goes back.

frenchmon
09-23-2009, 04:16 PM
Frenchmon, depending on how large a jump you want to take, Audio Advisor has the Creek Evolution regularly $1095.00 for $699/00 and not shown yet but they have Musical Fidelity X-Ray v8 with the power supply for $799.99. If you want SACD and CD the NAD M5 for $999.00 is excellent. The M5 has a sound you just have to hear, I found it very engaging. There are some Cambridge 840's around too like $1599.00.

I think whatever I plan to get I will still bring in an ERC, the best one I will keep, the other goes back.

Yeah I do want SACD. I have had my eye on the Marantz SA 11S2. I know you where not a fan of the Marantz players, but I have got to hear it first before I buy any other machine, other wise I will regret it. Some of the guys over at Audio Asylum gave it great reviews. Im just waiting till the begining of the year to see if Marantz comes out with a new player hoping that the 11S2 comes down a little bit. I've liked Marantz and Macintosh sense I was a kid. I also want to here the T+A. The Creek Evolution sounds like a deal. I don't know much about Creek. I had a Cambridge D magic DAC hooked up to my Rotel CDP and it didn't sound as well as the DAC's in the Rotel. It gave it a sweeter tone but overall I thought the Rotel was better. I returned it. I say that to say from what I know about the Cambridge 840, it has the same DAC's as the Dmagic

Have you hears about the Gateway Audio Society? Its and high end audio club. They are having a get to gather out in Pacific Mo. this weekend.

frenchmon
09-23-2009, 04:53 PM
MrP...Been doing some research on the Musical Fidelity X-Ray v8. Im liking it at the $799 price tag. When will it be avalible?

Mr Peabody
09-24-2009, 04:57 AM
It's available now but not yet on the website, you'll have to call Audio Advisor.

frenchmon
09-24-2009, 10:32 AM
It's available now but not yet on the website, you'll have to call Audio Advisor.


Thanks Mr.P....Its ordered and on its way. Thanks for the heads up. My beloved Marantz 11S2 will be a while before it comes down in price. IF this player is better than what I have, the Rotel gets sold.

Mr Peabody
09-24-2009, 06:50 PM
You'll have to let me know what you think. Did they say anything about inventory? I hate to miss one of those myself.

RoadRunner6
09-24-2009, 08:51 PM
they claim they still build on the traditions that drove Mr. Saul Marantz. This is there own words not mine...so there is a connection....frenchmon

Wow, that is amazing Frenchmon. "I had no idea they were still building on the traditions that drove Saul Marantz!" LMAO! I said there is no connection other than the name. Can't you read?

You are a real sucker for marketing hype. Maybe you also believe that the Bose Wave Radio sounds better than systems costing five times as much.

"....It sounded as if you where agreeing with all these claims....." How in hell did you come to that conclusion? Frenchmon, you need to go back to school and take a course in logic.

I suppose the cheapo ripoff artist who bought the KLH name some years back and were peddling budget speakers under the KLH name were building on the traditions that drove Henry Kloss? (Now watch folks, Frenchmon will come back and say that I implied that the current Marantz company peddles cheap equipment)

No wonder most of the members who still hang out here are mostly interested in politics and the latest recipes. :crazy:

frenchmon
09-25-2009, 05:58 AM
You'll have to let me know what you think. Did they say anything about inventory? I hate to miss one of those myself.

Yeah he said they had a lots of them and that I was one of the first to get one. They had not time to put it up on the site yet. He said the two pieces retailed for about $3000. but is now discounted because they stopped production. If I like it, I might get theMusical Fidelity X-DAC v8 that can be added as well. And there's also an integrated amp that goes with it, but I think my 2 hundred watt per channel Rotel amp will do good. The only problem I can see is that the units look a little small in size. But every consumer review I read gave this thing very positive and good high marks.

frenchmon

frenchmon
09-25-2009, 06:03 AM
Wow, that is amazing Frenchmon. "I had no idea they were still building on the traditions that drove Saul Marantz!" LMAO! I said there is no connection other than the name. Can't you read?

You are a real sucker for marketing hype. Maybe you also believe that the Bose Wave Radio sounds better than systems costing five times as much.

"....It sounded as if you where agreeing with all these claims....." How in hell did you come to that conclusion? Frenchmon, you need to go back to school and take a course in logic.

I suppose the cheapo ripoff artist who bought the KLH name some years back and were peddling budget speakers under the KLH name were building on the traditions that drove Henry Kloss? (Now watch folks, Frenchmon will come back and say that I implied that the current Marantz company peddles cheap equipment)

No wonder most of the members who still hang out here are mostly interested in politics and the latest recipes. :crazy:


Something is wrong with you. You complain like a woman. let it go please. Its not that big a deal. I've moved on can't you. Like I tell my wife....act like a duck with water on the back.

frenchmon.

Mr Peabody
09-25-2009, 05:03 PM
True, these MF pieces were designed to have smaller chasis. It may be redundant to get the DAC. Stereophile did a positive review on the DAC. I couldn't find an actual review on just the X-ray though.

frenchmon
09-25-2009, 06:01 PM
True, these MF pieces were designed to have smaller chasis. It may be redundant to get the DAC. Stereophile did a positive review on the DAC. I couldn't find an actual review on just the X-ray though.

I think the DAC has a tube output stage. Not the same dac in the CDP.

Mr Peabody
09-25-2009, 06:06 PM
That's right! it's the one with the switchable output stage.

frenchmon
09-25-2009, 06:20 PM
Heres one pro review of the players.

http://www.audioenz.co.nz/2007/mf_xt100-xray.shtml

Heres another.

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/reviews/pdf/xt100/xt100_hifichoice.pdf




Heres what one guy had to say who was selling his. But of course if one is selling his player he is going to say good things.

http://trade.audioasylum.com/ca/listing/CD-Player-Recorder/Musical-Fidelity/X-Ray-V8/-amp-Triple-X-power-supply/17464


Heres one guy selling his X-DAC V8 and His X-Ray V8. With the prices over at AA he maynever sell it.


http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1256785383&/Musical-Fidelity-X-dac-V8---X-


-frenchmon

frenchmon
09-26-2009, 09:59 AM
MrP....The player came today. Hooked it up, pushed the power and nothing. The display came on for a second and then went out. I called and they are going to send me a return label. When they get the player back, they send another player. I was thinking they would send another unit right away, but no such luck.


frenchmon

Mr Peabody
09-26-2009, 11:18 AM
That sucks. They could have shipped another even if they had to bill and credit it back when the first one was received. Sometimes these places don't use their head. I guess there's always the fluke but bad out of the box isn't a good sign. I emailed AA a question about the CD players I received an out of office reply, I waited until the time frame elapsed and sent another email. I got two responses the same day. The original guy I didn't like his responses very well and I had to email back for basic info like his hours and he didn't tell me what time zone etc., the second guy was nice and gave good info on the actual sound quality. So I wanted to deal with the second guy but since they are on commission I guess the first guy must have found out and said I was his customer or something. So unless I'm swayed to buy the X-Ray I won't deal with them.

I have a plan though, I am going to order an ERC-1, when I get it in listen and give it some time I will borrow a NAD c545 to see which is best. If all this stuff about cutting out the middle man etc holds true the ERC should win. Frenchmon, if you had a free Saturday or Sunday afternoon you could bring the X-ray over for the fight. If not, I will have the c545 and my CJ and AN DAC's. I have my Krell integrated out and using it in my second system, I could hook it up for the shoot out then we could have 3 players plugged in set levels with my SPL and either take turns switching or have some one else do it. The ERC should have a pretty hot output with a peak voltage of 9v.

Mr Peabody
09-26-2009, 02:47 PM
I placed the order today for the ERC.

RR6, is Fedex the only shipping service Emotiva uses? On shipping options I didn't see any choices I eventually hit "calculate shipping" and it gave shipping with Fedex and I couldn't figure out any way to change it. Fedex was the only choice in the pull down box.

Confirmed the c545 was on display. It won't be a problem to borrow it.

JoeE SP9
09-26-2009, 04:12 PM
I'm looking forward to your comments about the ERC.

RoadRunner6
09-26-2009, 09:26 PM
I placed the order today for the ERC....RR6, is Fedex the only shipping service Emotiva uses?.....

I think that is their default shipping and they have been receiving great service and prices from Fed EX. Usually it is shipped out the same day. I'm not too fond of Fed Ex myself but with the Emotiva gear they have been extremely fast and no damage. If you want to ship it USPS or UPS then you could call and request it, However the shipping charge might be significantly more.

Look forward to your feedback. I think you will find the slot feed a little tight feeling at first. I now like it since I have become used to it. If you have any questions after you start your testing call and ask to speak to Lonnie (head design engineer), Big Dan (president) or Dann Gunn. One of them are usually in.

If you want to try out any of their interconnects, you would now (being an established customer) get 25% off thru the end of October. Shipping is free on all cables.

frenchmon
09-27-2009, 08:37 AM
That sucks. They could have shipped another even if they had to bill and credit it back when the first one was received. Sometimes these places don't use their head. I guess there's always the fluke but bad out of the box isn't a good sign. I emailed AA a question about the CD players I received an out of office reply, I waited until the time frame elapsed and sent another email. I got two responses the same day. The original guy I didn't like his responses very well and I had to email back for basic info like his hours and he didn't tell me what time zone etc., the second guy was nice and gave good info on the actual sound quality. So I wanted to deal with the second guy but since they are on commission I guess the first guy must have found out and said I was his customer or something. So unless I'm swayed to buy the X-Ray I won't deal with them.

I have a plan though, I am going to order an ERC-1, when I get it in listen and give it some time I will borrow a NAD c545 to see which is best. If all this stuff about cutting out the middle man etc holds true the ERC should win. Frenchmon, if you had a free Saturday or Sunday afternoon you could bring the X-ray over for the fight. If not, I will have the c545 and my CJ and AN DAC's. I have my Krell integrated out and using it in my second system, I could hook it up for the shoot out then we could have 3 players plugged in set levels with my SPL and either take turns switching or have some one else do it. The ERC should have a pretty hot output with a peak voltage of 9v.

Ok Mr Peabody I'll try to work something out. I do work weekends tho but I may just have to work something out. I don't know any body who shares this hobby. And when I do talk to people I do know about audio, they look at me like I am crazy. They cant believe the money that is spent on gear, and that includes my wife. I still have not told her how much I spent on the Musical Fidelity. But she does know its not working out the box and its going to be replaced. This thing must sound really really good, because just looking at it, you wonder why the retail price was about $3000. So I cant wait to get the new one sent.

frenchmon

Mr Peabody
09-27-2009, 10:06 AM
LeRoy ordered one of the X-rays as well. He hasn't received it yet.

majorloser
09-28-2009, 12:54 PM
If you guys in the Northwest want to hear some of Emotiva's gear, there is s good opportunity coming in a couple weeks:

http://forums.audioreview.com/showthread.php?t=30083

We are going to have some of the best gear Emotiva has to offer!!!

a pair of ERT-8.3 Reference Towers
a pair of XPA-1 Mono Block Amplifiers
a USP-1 Stereo Preamplifier
a ERC-1 Reference CD Player
a complete set of Emotiva X-Series CablesThis will be the ultimate opportunity to audition Emotiva's gear in the Northwest.

The Oregon Coast GTG is less than two weeks away!

Please check the attendee list to be sure I have it right.
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=534237&postcount=3

Those that are listed in RED have not made final contact with me to confirm.

We need an RSVP pretty darn ASAP.

This also applies to those who may still wish to attend. You may wish to check out the latest equipment list updated today!
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showpost.php?p=534236&postcount=2

nightflier
09-28-2009, 02:14 PM
That X-Ray may be a good deal, but I have to nitpick a bit about looks:

1. The disk tray looks like a standard CD-ROM drive (and the player's dimensions don't help change that look)
2. The height is a bit much compared to the width
3. The option external power supply doesn't match (would it have hurt too much to put it in the same-size box?)
4. The side fins make it look unfinished
5. The looks over all are a bit boring, especially w/o the associated amp
6. Too many color shades make for a kitsch looking unit
7. A bit short on features, but that's to be expected from the form factor, I suppose

I know it's probably a decent sounding unit, but geez, why don't these companies spend a little more on the looks? But if Rega can do it at the same price-point (Apollo), what's the deal?

********************************

Speaking of Rega, someone mentioned that the Saturn had an issue with some types of disks (CD-R?), does anyone remember what that was? I am leaning to that player, but not if there's issues.

frenchmon
09-28-2009, 02:47 PM
That X-Ray may be a good deal, but I have to nitpick a bit about looks:

1. The disk tray looks like a standard CD-ROM drive (and the player's dimensions don't help change that look)
2. The height is a bit much compared to the width
3. The option external power supply doesn't match (would it have hurt too much to put it in the same-size box?)
4. The side fins make it look unfinished
5. The looks over all are a bit boring, especially w/o the associated amp
6. Too many color shades make for a kitsch looking unit
7. A bit short on features, but that's to be expected from the form factor, I suppose

I know it's probably a decent sounding unit, but geez, why don't these companies spend a little more on the looks? But if Rega can do it at the same price-point (Apollo), what's the deal?

********************************

Speaking of Rega, someone mentioned that the Saturn had an issue with some types of disks (CD-R?), does anyone remember what that was? I am leaning to that player, but not if there's issues.

Yes I agree. They could have given it some looks.

frenchmon

LeRoy
09-28-2009, 02:51 PM
I don't expect any out of box failures with the unit but you never know till it gets here...

The XRAY will be paired with the Belles Soloist 5 amp, Belles Soloist 3 pre-amp, Sony XDR-F1HD digital tuner, and my new speakers, Mordaunt-Short Avant 902i's ( which I have had for a week now).

Once the xray breaks in I'll be doing an A/B comparison to the NAD 545 and will be happy to report my perceptions.....


LeRoy

Mr Peabody
09-28-2009, 06:12 PM
I've never heard a Rega player, that may have been interesting. A lot of choices in that under $1k area.

nightflier
09-29-2009, 09:17 AM
There was a Rega Saturn that just sold on eBay for $887. I didn't think it would sell for that little so I didn't follow it, but had I known, I would have bid on it. The only drawback for me is that it doesn't sport XLR outputs. There was also a Marantz SA15S1 that sold for $700 and a Musical Fidelity CD Pre24 that sold for $800.

Yes, there are some great finds out there under $1K.

Mr Peabody
09-29-2009, 04:22 PM
You know the ERC-1 has XLR outputs. I don't think the unit is truly balanced but the connection is there.

nightflier
09-30-2009, 10:38 AM
It's not truly balanced? What does that mean?

kexodusc
09-30-2009, 11:48 AM
It's not truly balanced? What does that mean?
Good question....unless he's talking about phase-splitting?

blackraven
09-30-2009, 03:32 PM
It's not truly balanced? What does that mean?


Here's an article about xlr and balance. Not all equipment with XLR connections have true balanced circuitry

http://www.stereophile.com/features/335/index.html

nightflier
10-08-2009, 03:52 PM
Yes, I know. I have an Odyssey Candella with XLR inputs, but according to Klaus, those are not truly balanced either. interestingly, I also cannot tell a difference in sound quality between them and the RCA inputs, although I can tell the difference on my other preamp (Plinius CD-LAD).

Mr. P., any update on the the sound from Emotiva's XLR outputs? Are they truly balanced?

To be perfectly honest and despite the looks and slot-loading, at $400 and with your review, I am rather tempted to give the player a try.

Mr Peabody
10-08-2009, 04:35 PM
The ERC-1 does not have balanced circuitry as confirmed by Nick at Emotiva. The slot load is not so bad once you get used to it. The loading is very smooth. You just have to give it a second after turning on to get ready. I hope some one else here buys one in order to get more of a concensus if you will. It is an incredible player NF and I think you will be quite impressed with it as I was. This is from the skeptic.

harley .guy07
10-09-2009, 01:53 AM
So, I'm doing some trolling, and I find this guy that wants to sell his three (month old) Emotiva Mono block XPA-1's for $625 each.... I gaged when I turned him down. Great stuff, but out of my price range

It might be out of your price range but in my opinion These amps are about the only way a person can buy new monoblock's that are quality stuff at prices that are about the same as a good AV receiver. The only other way a person could get this kind of sound and power is to buy something like the Adcom 565 used or something like it. The more I study and hear reviews of Emotiva stuff the more I respect them and what they are trying to do. Their whole idea of making products of great quality that compete with some of the much higher priced stuff out there is great. With the economy setting where it is and the fact that in todays world there are so many things that pull money out of your pocket its nice to see a company come out and make good seperate pieces of audio gear that have the sonic potential of much better gear but make it affordable to almost anyone that has the ability to save and budget for a little piece of high end gear. I kind of like the idea that a company comes out with preamps,cd players and amps that kind of make the multi thousand dollar brands look a little overpriced. And so far I have not read a bad review on their stuff so to me they seem to be delivering on what they say.

nightflier
10-09-2009, 09:04 AM
Well yes, but it's always been an irritation to me when a company adds something that appears to be something else. If what Mr. P says is true about the XLR jacks not being balanced, then why include them? As a point of reference, the XLR jacks on the Cambridge, albeit at a higher price-point, are actually balanced, and so are the ones on the Benchmark DAC.

To me the cost isn't the primary factor. I am expecting to pay up to $1500 for a very good quality (second hand OK) CD player. If I can do it for $399, great - more money for music and such, but that's not the deciding factor for me. It has to perform.

When a company does this with XLR jacks, I am left wondering what else they did that appears to be high-end, but perhaps isn't. I'm not saying that this will be the case with the Emotiva CDP, but it puts a doubt in my mind. After all, everyone, including the other manufacturers, is still scratching their heads wondering how they could have packed that much technology in a $400 box. Maybe they didn't.

Mr Peabody
10-09-2009, 02:01 PM
NF, you are making too much out of the XLR's. Even companies like ARC do it. I don't think it's a deception, just offering further connectivity options. And, there is no doubt the ERC-1 is an excellent sounding machine. To an extent I agree that XLR's really shouldn't be used unless the balanced circuitry is there throughout in order to get the true benefit but you can't default Emo for doing it when it's pretty much a standard practice already in the industry. I'd bet the ERC would show up the 840. You might want to look at the Musical Fidelity X-ray 8 Audio Advisor is selling at $799.00. I doubt if it's as neutral as the ERC but hopefully I'll have a chance to hear this weekend.

nightflier
10-09-2009, 04:08 PM
Well, I really would like to read a shootout between the Cambridge and the Emotiva. I think the Cambridge would fare better, but that's just going by what other people have said about them.

To be fair, there ought to be a shootout of sub-$800 CD-only players, like the Marantz, Cambridge, Rotel, Creek, NAD, Shanling, and of course Emotiva. If Emo comes out on top there, like your review would indicate, then that would be an impressive achievement already.

While we're at it, I wonder how the Emotiva would fare against another bargain-basement-scraping wonder: the Oppo BDP-83 (RBCD only, of course).

Mr Peabody
10-09-2009, 04:27 PM
I to would like to see or actually do a shoot out with the ERC. But if it's done to be fair they better bring out the 840 and 8003 because a sub $1k player won't have a chance against the ERC. The ERC handily wiped the floor with the NAD c545 and you can see the reviews written on the 545.

Rudy Gireyev
10-10-2009, 08:31 PM
So, I'm doing some trolling, and I find this guy that wants to sell his three (month old) Emotiva Mono block XPA-1's for $625 each.... I gaged when I turned him down. Great stuff, but out of my price range
Dang. Where do you live? Both you and Stanley found them at that price, which I think is pretty incredible I think.

Rudy

Mr Peabody
10-10-2009, 09:18 PM
If any one is interested Emo is running a sale on speakers until 10/31

RoadRunner6
10-11-2009, 10:32 AM
Thanks, but I just bought 5 of their speakers two months ago. I have been just as impressed with the price/performance level of their Vance Dickason designed speakers as I have with their ERC-1 CD player and XPA-5 amp.

The speakers are the real sleeper in their line of products. The in person appearance is a very classy subtle satin black lacquer. :D

Mr Peabody
10-11-2009, 11:00 AM
I got Emo's sale email and thought I'd throw that out in case any one might be interested.

RR6, if all the gear performs like the ERC you should have a fine sounding system for sure. If any are left I'm sure tempted to bring in a pair of the ERM that are being closed out. The only thing is I really don't have a purpose for them right now.

majorloser
01-14-2010, 07:13 PM
I'm one of the lucky first group to receive the Emotiva UMC-1.

Please feel free to visit my thread that include pictures and impressions:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/showthread.php?t=62205

Mr Peabody
01-14-2010, 07:59 PM
You'll have to let us know when you've done some listening, looks like you are just getting started.

Feanor
01-15-2010, 05:55 AM
...

http://www.sjtent.com/EF/shoppingcart/images/smallimages/69072.jpg

The above is something I can really relate to. I suppose many would agree.

I've certainly offered to my son my life experience as a cautionary tale.

nightflier
01-15-2010, 10:22 AM
My favorite is this one:

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/motivation03.jpg

Check out the whole website, there are some pretty funny ones:

http://www.despair.com/viewall.html

I've refered quite a few people to this site, especially the types that look like they have motivational posters hanging in their offices (and probably have a richly framed, extravagantly large, custom-lighted one hanging over their bed, lol).

Let's hope Emotiva isn't one of those companies that has motivational posters hanging in the lunchroom.

Feanor
01-15-2010, 12:44 PM
My favorite is this one:

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/motivation03.jpg

Check out the whole website, there are some pretty funny ones:

http://www.despair.com/viewall.html

...
Yeah, that's great. Lot's of really good ones.

One that appeals to me today is ...

http://site.despair.com/images/dpage/adversity03.jpg


...
... types that look like they have motivational posters hanging in their offices (and probably have a richly framed, extravagantly large, custom-lighted one hanging over their bed, lol).
...
I know the type. I often have the urge to kick such people in the groin.

nightflier
01-15-2010, 01:25 PM
I know the type. I often have the urge to kick such people in the groin.

As long as they're not female....

hifitommy
01-17-2010, 12:45 PM
pixi is playing with himself again. pissing in the snow in public.

errol van
03-07-2010, 12:46 PM
I am thinking about purchasing a amp and preamp to replace my twenty something year old reciever. I saw some old carver amps on ebay but I don't trust old resale gear. I read about the new Emotiva xpa2 $799 power amp and the upa1 preamp $399 amd they had good reviews for the price. I will use it for two channel stereo with my Bose 901s! I have ran the 901s with a 100 wpc reciever for over 20 years without any problems so the increase in power up to 200 wpc should make them sound even better! Anybody who has owned Emotiva products please me decide befofe I spend $1300 on these pieces thanks!

Mr Peabody
03-07-2010, 01:52 PM
I've only used the CD player from Emo so far. If that's any example of what they offer for the price you will be pleased. The preamp also offers some cool features not found in many like the built in crossover for subwoofer or biamping. Also, keep in mind you have a 30 day return window if not happy so nothing really lost.

Ajani
03-07-2010, 02:54 PM
I am thinking about purchasing a amp and preamp to replace my twenty something year old reciever. I saw some old carver amps on ebay but I don't trust old resale gear. I read about the new Emotiva xpa2 $799 power amp and the upa1 preamp $399 amd they had good reviews for the price. I will use it for two channel stereo with my Bose 901s! I have ran the 901s with a 100 wpc reciever for over 20 years without any problems so the increase in power up to 200 wpc should make them sound even better! Anybody who has owned Emotiva products please me decide befofe I spend $1300 on these pieces thanks!

You'd be better off starting a new thread for your query in the amp/preamp section...

As for Emotiva; their products are quite popular... And as Mr Peabody rightfully pointed out, you have 30 days to try them at home... I think it's worth a chance....