BIG sale at Emotiva

[pixelthis]

Cheap stuff on sale = really cheap stuff.
Like a CD player for 319.
Or a 125 watt two channel amp for 249$
I ordered the amp yesterday morning and its currently riding around town in a FED EX truck.
I know I have ragged Emotiva for their cheapness , and some questionable
design decisions(like a slot load on a CD player, and overclocking a 192khz proc
to 384 kh!)
I guess that if 192 khz is good, them 384 has to be better!
Anyway Kex liked his and I TRUST his judgement.
Besides, with a torodial transformer, huge heatsink, .07 distortion, can you really go wrong at 249 bucks?
Anyway, we'll see, and I finally get into seperates.
Only took big lots prices to do it.:1:

[kexodusc]

To be fair...I've only heard 2 of their amps...LPA-1 and RPA-2. Can't speak for the rest of their stuff - Mr. P and Roadrunner have had some good things to say about the CD player though.

Don't expect to be bragging to your Bryston and PS Audio friends any time soon, but it will certainly catch the eye of people with NAD and Rotel stuff. I can say with full confidence my amp outperforms my Rotel, Adcom and NAD amps by a fair margin (say, anyone want to buy a used GFA-535?). The price is just a bonus. I guess I've had it for a year and a half now...still going. A definite consideration for anyone looking to get out of receiver-ville.

I'll be curious to know what you think.

[pixelthis]

To be fair...I've only heard 2 of their amps...LPA-1 and RPA-2. Can't speak for the rest of their stuff - Mr. P and Roadrunner have had some good things to say about the CD player though.

Don't expect to be bragging to your Bryston and PS Audio friends any time soon, but it will certainly catch the eye of people with NAD and Rotel stuff. I can say with full confidence my amp outperforms my Rotel, Adcom and NAD amps by a fair margin (say, anyone want to buy a used GFA-535?). The price is just a bonus. I guess I've had it for a year and a half now...still going. A definite consideration for anyone looking to get out of receiver-ville.

I'll be curious to know what you think.

What I think is that I got the best use outta 249 bucks EVER.
I received word that a fed ex truck overturned leaving Birmingham,
and was sure my amp was on it.
Nope, was riding around T-town in a delivery truck all day.
Mine is a UPA-2 , two channel 125 watter at .04% distortion,
185 into 4 ohms.
The case is thick guage pig iron, with a torodial transformer, a hunk of copper the size of a Dobermans head.
My speakers are B&W 602s2's.
These have always had decent bass, now its more defined, amazing sub-like bass,
and the rest of the frequency range, very lifelike.
The problem with receivers is that they are like baloons, there is nothing behind the sound.
With a decent amp the sound is deeper.
Doesnt get very warm, either, even when hooked up to four ohm Axiom M80's,
although I didn't really enjoy the sound from these four ohm speakers.
Is this amp "special"?
In respect to the fact that at its price range higher end audio is now available
to more people.
If the sound was average it would still be a good buy.
But this sound is really amazing, the "real thing".
Sounds like every high end amp I have ever heard , except now its in my listening room.
So a hundred lashes with a wet noodle for my dissing this brand.
At least for now.
More listening to do.:1:

[pixelthis]

The CD player is on sale for 319.
MMMMMMM.:1:

[kexodusc]

Hey Pix,

Not surprised by your early impressions. Part of that weight of that solid unit are the enormous heat sinks these things have. Something Rotel could learn from...I run 7 speakers on mine, play loud, and it stays cooler than my HDTV cable box.

Don't be fooled by the power rating either. It's quite conservative.

Another thing I appreciate is the smart protection circuitry these amps have - saved me a new amp twice now...



The CD player is on sale for 319.
MMMMMMM.:1:

I think I pretty much have to at that price...

[GMichael]

All I can do it hope they run the same sale next year. ;(

[frenchmon]

Hey Pix,

Not surprised by your early impressions. Part of that weight of that solid unit are the enormous heat sinks these things have. Something Rotel could learn from...I run 7 speakers on mine, play loud, and it stays cooler than my HDTV cable box.

Don't be fooled by the power rating either. It's quite conservative.

Another thing I appreciate is the smart protection circuitry these amps have - saved me a new amp twice now...




I think I pretty much have to at that price...

Well My Rotel amp is pretty nice. What Rotel are you comparing it to?


frenchmon

[frenchmon]

The CD player is on sale for 319.
MMMMMMM.:1:

congrats on your purchase of the amp. The CD player I have heard and for the price you get a very good product....continue to treat yourself...its Christmas.

frenchmon

[kexodusc]

Well My Rotel amp is pretty nice. What Rotel are you comparing it to?


frenchmon
I own the RA-1070 in my 2-ch rig. I like it, but runs warmer than my Adcom, and NAD amps...not as hot a receiver mind you but warm. Never shutsdown or anything.

[pixelthis]

Hey Pix,

Not surprised by your early impressions. Part of that weight of that solid unit are the enormous heat sinks these things have. Something Rotel could learn from...I run 7 speakers on mine, play loud, and it stays cooler than my HDTV cable box.

Don't be fooled by the power rating either. It's quite conservative.

Another thing I appreciate is the smart protection circuitry these amps have - saved me a new amp twice now...




I think I pretty much have to at that price...

Well, it was your experience with this amp that influenced my final decision, after all.
I do have a pretty nice CD/DVDA player, with 192khz dacs, but that CD player is tempting...
MAYBE i CAN WIN SOME MORE MONEY AT THE TRACK...:1:

[kexodusc]

Save some money for the fine for disturbing the peace you'll get when you get carried away driving them 602's.

[pixelthis]

Save some money for the fine for disturbing the peace you'll get when you get carried away driving them 602's.

i HAVE ALWAYS been proud of my 602's, they are known for the tweeter,
but also produce exelent bass.
Well, now that bass is tight and precise, and LOUD.
So an encounter with the polizi is a distinct possibility.:1:

[manlystanley]

What I think is that I got the best use outta 249 bucks EVER.

My speakers are B&W 602s2's.
These have always had decent bass, now its more defined, amazing sub-like bass,
and the rest of the frequency range, very lifelike.


Oh man..... I'm close to pulling the trigger. I have B&W 684's (Which I love as well), but my HK amp is just flacky........... If it sounds good with your 602's, I'm sure they will sound good with my 684's.

Best Regards,
Stan

[manlystanley]

Did anyone get any of Emotiva's ultra series interconnects. I'm thinking of getting some when I get my new power amp. Are they any good?

Best Regards,
Stan

[manlystanley]

Did anyone see this: http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-upa-2-stereo-amplifier

Very nice review. I'll be putting in my order for it and some cables shortly. I contacted them and tried to get a 'refurb unit' for lower then $249. In a very nice way, they told me no way. Also, I got the impression that the $299 prices will be increasing shortly.

Best Regards,
Stan

[pixelthis]

Oh man..... I'm close to pulling the trigger. I have B&W 684's (Which I love as well), but my HK amp is just flacky........... If it sounds good with your 602's, I'm sure they will sound good with my 684's.

Best Regards,
Stan
The sound was quite good.
I mostly listened to jazz, some pop, R&B, Joss Stone, Duffy, Emily Remler, Joyce Cooling,
Miles Davis, SADE, Van Morrison , BS&T, Pat Coil, etc.
The Axioms, again, just didn't sound right, might be because of the four ohm factor,
but more likely the room was just too small for the M80'S.
SACD and DVDA came across best, of course, except for the prize winner, 96khz BLU.
Sweet jeezus, this knocks the socks off of just about anything
And I got the 12v trigger to work, getting anything out of a Japanese receiver is like herding cats.:1:

[nightflier]

Kex, can you elaborate on the heat that the Emotiva amps produce?

I actually have a Rotel RMB-1077 running my Magnepan center and rears, and even though it's a switching amp, I wouldn't consider it cool-running. Of course, it is only 1U tall, but still, compared to many other switching amps, it runs rather warm, and this is something I've heard elsewhere about all Rotel amps and receivers (perhaps over there in Europe, that's a fringe benefit).

Anyhow, I'm still not settled on what amps to use with my Maggies, and perhaps the XPA-3 or XPA-5 might be a better fit. I'm still a big fan of switching amps, but doing it correctly is an expensive and fine art that not many manufacturers seem to be able to get right. If only tube amps could run cool and drive planars!

[kexodusc]

Kex, can you elaborate on the heat that the Emotiva amps produce?

It doesn't produce much heat at all. My PS3 and cable box get warmer than the Emotiva amp does. They are very cool running units. My Rotel runs very warm by comparison...my Adcom somewhere in between. I haven't actually measured heat with a thermometer or anything.

I owned a few HK amps and Technics receivers back in the day that ran even warmer than the Rotel because they were uncomfortable to put your hand on for more than a few seconds.

That said, I don't feel the Rotel is any worse for the heat. Probably doesn't help the life of the unit any though.

[manlystanley]

The sound was quite good.


Yeeee Haaaaaa!!! Just put in my order to. I'm excited!!!

Best Regards,
Stan

[pixelthis]

Kex, can you elaborate on the heat that the Emotiva amps produce?

I actually have a Rotel RMB-1077 running my Magnepan center and rears, and even though it's a switching amp, I wouldn't consider it cool-running. Of course, it is only 1U tall, but still, compared to many other switching amps, it runs rather warm, and this is something I've heard elsewhere about all Rotel amps and receivers (perhaps over there in Europe, that's a fringe benefit).

Anyhow, I'm still not settled on what amps to use with my Maggies, and perhaps the XPA-3 or XPA-5 might be a better fit. I'm still a big fan of switching amps, but doing it correctly is an expensive and fine art that not many manufacturers seem to be able to get right. If only tube amps could run cool and drive planars!

Cant speak for anything but the two channel , but the heat is almost non-exsistant.
Had mine on for going on two days now, and the only heat is around one small area in the rear left, and that is very mild.:1:

[manlystanley]

Cant speak for anything but the two channel , but the heat is almost non-exsistant.
Had mine on for going on two days now, and the only heat is around one small area in the rear left, and that is very mild.:1:


Only heat from mine is via my drool (e.g. it's in transit and I can't wait to set it up!)........

[manlystanley]

Well, the UPA-2 is going back to Emotiva. I listened to it and just did not like the base. I tried moving my 684's closer to the wall and it improved the Bass, but then made the sound more sloppy.

So, if the coming XPA-2 does not solve the bass problem, I'll just look to upgrade my 684's. Not sure what to. Maybe CM9's?

On the plus side, I'm only out the $25 shipping fee. They will pay for the way back. Not bad..

Best Regards,
Stan

[harley .guy07]

Well, the UPA-2 is going back to Emotiva. I listened to it and just did not like the base. I tried moving my 684's closer to the wall and it improved the Bass, but then made the sound more sloppy.

So, if the coming XPA-2 does not solve the bass problem, I'll just look to upgrade my 684's. Not sure what to. Maybe CM9's?

On the plus side, I'm only out the $25 shipping fee. They will pay for the way back. Not bad..

Best Regards,
Stan

If you look at the design of the XPA series and the UPA series the XPA's are more ruggedly built and do offer more power and most likely better sound quality. I just hope this will fix your problem and its not a synergy issue with Emotiva powering B&W speakers. I would not think that would be the case but I have seen stuff like this happen before. I had a customer back when I sold higher end stuff and he had a pair of Carver Amazing loudspeakers and he tried several Adcom amps and he just could not get the sound he was used to with his speakers, the synergy was just not there. Nothing wrong with his speakers or the Adcom amps but I believe either he had a very dark sounding amp driving them before and was not used to the brighter more vibrant sound of the Adcom or they were just not a good match. he finally bought an Acurus amp that we took in on trade for a Adcom 565 and he got the sound he wanted. But to me we thought the Adcom amps were better for the speakers we sold in the shop which were B&W,Mirage, and Paradigm among others. Sometimes its lack of synergy and sometimes its just that the customers ears are used to hearing their speakers a certain way and the change is not what they are looking for. I hope upgrading to the higher end series Emotiva amp takes care of your bass issues since this is the first I have heard of someone not liking the sound of an Emo amp especially for the price paid.

[manlystanley]

I just hope this will fix your problem and its not a synergy issue with Emotiva powering B&W speakers.


Yah, me too. I didn't know what to do. I loved my H/K 655, but the flacky right channel was such a pain. So, if I kept the UPA-2 and then looked to upgrade my speakers, I could get into a situation where my new speakers take more power then what the UPA-2 can deliver. For instance, every once in while I see a great deal for a B&W 800 series.

With the XPA-2, if it doesn't give me the sound I like, then I'll need to start an upgrade search for a new set of front speakers. But, nothing, any time soon. *UNLESS* I get a bonus. Which is possible, since my project that I'm in charge of has passed all testing and is now out in the field.


Best Regards,
Stan

[pixelthis]

If you look at the design of the XPA series and the UPA series the XPA's are more ruggedly built and do offer more power and most likely better sound quality. I just hope this will fix your problem and its not a synergy issue with Emotiva powering B&W speakers. I would not think that would be the case but I have seen stuff like this happen before. I had a customer back when I sold higher end stuff and he had a pair of Carver Amazing loudspeakers and he tried several Adcom amps and he just could not get the sound he was used to with his speakers, the synergy was just not there. Nothing wrong with his speakers or the Adcom amps but I believe either he had a very dark sounding amp driving them before and was not used to the brighter more vibrant sound of the Adcom or they were just not a good match. he finally bought an Acurus amp that we took in on trade for a Adcom 565 and he got the sound he wanted. But to me we thought the Adcom amps were better for the speakers we sold in the shop which were B&W,Mirage, and Paradigm among others. Sometimes its lack of synergy and sometimes its just that the customers ears are used to hearing their speakers a certain way and the change is not what they are looking for. I hope upgrading to the higher end series Emotiva amp takes care of your bass issues since this is the first I have heard of someone not liking the sound of an Emo amp especially for the price paid.

The bass is one of the best things about my new emo.
I always knew that the 602's had more detail in them, maybe its the damping factor
that is giving a better response, but thats just a guess.
But heres the depressing part(not three more years, nightfly) , I am hearing things I never heard before, studio sounds, stuff I could barely make out, and theres more air, not reberb,
but the echo of larger rooms is more evident.
I have spent a lot of listening time demoing amps, come to find out that they are not a "frill" but an absolute nessessity.
I knew receiver amps couldnt cut the mustard, but thought they were "good enough".
Now that I HAVE AN AMP HOOKED TO MY GEAR, and not someone elses,
I find out that that isnt the case.
"sob".:1:

[kexodusc]

Stanley...
I would never change my speakers to accommodate an amp unless the speakers were the problem...

You obviously liked the HK sound with those speakers...it's what you were used to and what you enjoy. Moving to a different brand offered a different presentation that just might not be to your liking. You cited some improvements in imaging, clarity, etc, but there's something about the bass you weren't enjoying. The new Emotiva amp might be the answer, but if that doesn't work, I can't help but think maybe you should seek out an amp with a signature sound similar to your HK.

Doesn't matter how good an amp is, not everyone will like the presentation. That's more a reflection on personal preference than the product. I've owned NAD gear that I wasn't particularly satisfied with, and briefly, and Arcam amp as well...not for me. Don't try to force a square peg into a round hole if it's not working. Hopefully things work out though.

[harley .guy07]

Manly Stanley's problem might be just the fact that his 684's don't mate as well with the upa-2 as your 602's. I would say that the added power of the xpa 2 might tighten up the bass and allow the amp to control the speakers better with better dampening. the 684's aren't that inefficient but like any other floorstanding speaker with multiple drivers and a complex crossover that I am sure the newer breed of B&W speakers have in any of their new lines a more powerful better built amp will bring out more control out of the speaker, Not so much the added power but the added dynamic capability and dampening factor and overall stoutness of the XPA 2 might bring out a cleaner bass in the 684's. But on the flip side the Emotiva amplifiers might also be bringing out some of the limitations of the 600 series speakers that the 800 or CM series might be able to present better with the higher power and resolution of these amps. It could go either way but I believe you will know when you get your XPA-2. But from what I hear the 684 is a good speaker for the money and well regarded within its price point. I used to sell B&W and they are good but I have noticed that there are people that like them and people that don't. Some people just do not like the revealing character of these speakers and would rather trade smoothness for revealing, Its just a mater of opinion and the difference in what they want their sound to be.

[harley .guy07]

Stanley...
I would never change my speakers to accommodate an amp unless the speakers were the problem....

You are very correct under most conditions. And that is exactly what I meantioned when I was talking about synergy between B&W and Emotiva. They just might not work well together but Stanley will be finding out if this is the case as soon as he gets his new amp. But as well it is a different upgraded amplifier even though it is of the same brand and it might not have the same issues as the UPA Emotiva models have. Trial and error is one of the aspects of this hobby that a lot of people like because its a constant challenge to match components together to get the sound they want. Some stuff works together some don't, that is part of the reason why there are so many companies out there making this stuff. because people have different opinions of what sounds good and with so many people in this hobby there is room for many companies to show their opinion of what they think sounds the best.

[bfalls]

I'm a big Emotiva fan. Rarely do you see the quality and features their gear provides at their price point. However, I had a similar experience with their XPA-5 5ch amplifier.

I purchased the amp because of it's high-end features and price. My previous configuration included a Sony STR-DA5300ES receiver (140W/ch) and a Yamaha M-65 (170W/ch) in bi-amp configuration on my main Legacy Focus speakers. In this configuration the bas was always superb. It was deep, weighty and well-controlled.

When I received the XPA-5 I configured it as L/C/R then used the two remaining channels to bi-amp the mains. I used the receiver to drive the side and rear surrounds. The difference I noticed is the bass doesn't go as low and has less weight. The upper bass sounds fine, but there just wasn't as much "kick you in the gut" low-end as I was used to with the Yamaha. The explosions in movies and low frequencies in music weren't as good. Most noted was the bass notes on Bela Fleck's "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" which has excellent extended bass notes.

I plan to go back to the Yamaha for the bass, but just took advantage of the Knuconceptz interconnect clearance sale and will wait for a sub cable and y-connector before changing. Except for the difference in bass the XPA-5 has been a very good amp.

[harley .guy07]

this just might be an Emotiva thing with some of their amps in different lines, and some people don't know it or notice it in their systems because their speakers are either bass heavy enough or weighty enough to compensate or their models don't have this shortcoming. I know the Legacy Focus is a sizable speaker that takes the power to make it perform and can really make an amp really shine or show its shortcomings and I suppose that you found that models shortcomings by mating it up to a speaker known to be a revealing difficult to drive speaker that will let you know if it does not like the amp mated with it.

[winston]

(bfalls@quote) I'm a big Emotiva fan. Rarely do you see the quality and features their gear provides at their price point. However, I had a similar experience with their XPA-5 5ch amplifier

bfalls" just out of Curiosity!!.... have you ever configured the XPA-5 the normal way L/C/R & SL/SR in any of your trial setups configuration's??!! if you have not done so you prolly" should try that con-fig. and see if the bass improves, as sometimes power amps acts differently when controlled by some pre/pros or receiver pre out.

I cant" explain how and why it dose that but it dose

[poppachubby]

Most noted was the bass notes on Bela Fleck's "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" which has excellent extended bass notes.


Of course, we're talking about Victor Wooten on bass. Excellent measure for bass I might add, low yet detailed and bright. You get a headbang!

[manlystanley]

Stanley...
I would never change my speakers to accommodate an amp unless the speakers were the problem...

You obviously liked the HK sound with those speakers...it's what you were used to and what you enjoy. Moving to a different brand offered a different presentation that just might not be to your liking. You cited some improvements in imaging, clarity, etc, but there's something about the bass you weren't enjoying. The new Emotiva amp might be the answer, but if that doesn't work, I can't help but think maybe you should seek out an amp with a signature sound similar to your HK.

Doesn't matter how good an amp is, not everyone will like the presentation. That's more a reflection on personal preference than the product. I've owned NAD gear that I wasn't particularly satisfied with, and briefly, and Arcam amp as well...not for me. Don't try to force a square peg into a round hole if it's not working. Hopefully things work out though.

Good points, I'll be keeping my 684's, I really do like the sound of them.

I think that it's not just presentation preferences. The bass tends to be this 'thumb' instead of a deep roll. But, I do agree that some of it might be presentation preferences, as 'to me' the UPA-2' does not sound exciting. Also, 'To me' it has a dull sound.

I had no idea that I've gotten so picky. Two years ago I was a boom-box sort of guy, now I'm so particular in what I like......

[manlystanley]

I just hope this will fix your problem and its not a synergy issue with Emotiva powering B&W speakers.

Harley, are you like a high priced audio consultant consultant somewhere? ;-) This comment and all the ones that follow are really good. I never thought of the problem with synergy before. That's why some people love he UPA-2 and some people like me are not thrilled about it. It's a combination of: what there system components are, what there room acoustics are, and then personal preferences.

I was thinking about this post and the others that you made while I was shoveling my 150 foot driveway---oh my arching arm........... Anyways, I had a long time to think about it. I really do hope I like the XPA-2, Else, I'm out the money to ship it back. But, I do think from everything I've read I will like it.

[manlystanley]

However, I had a similar experience with their XPA-5 5ch amplifier.

[SNIP] The difference I noticed is the bass doesn't go as low and has less weight.

That is exactly what I've heard. Interesting. I'll tell you what I think of the XPA-2 when it comes.....


Best Regards,
Stan

[harley .guy07]

ManlyStanley no I am not a consultant or anything I just have a passion for audio and the knowledge I have gained comes from my own trial and error and the fact that I used to work in a high end shop selling this stuff. knowledge in this hobby has always come easy to me and I have always been able to help people with my knowledge and allow them to understand what I am talking about even though they might not have my knowledge or experience. I think I am just one of those people that helping people with audio and audio knowledge are my strongest points as a person. But I will say that being a consultant for high end audio systems would be a dream job for me and would not feel like I was working at all but doing something for a living that would be a dream of mine. Thanks for the compliment stanley.

[pixelthis]

Good points, I'll be keeping my 684's, I really do like the sound of them.

I think that it's not just presentation preferences. The bass tends to be this 'thumb' instead of a deep roll. But, I do agree that some of it might be presentation preferences, as 'to me' the UPA-2' does not sound exciting. Also, 'To me' it has a dull sound.

I had no idea that I've gotten so picky. Two years ago I was a boom-box sort of guy, now I'm so particular in what I like......


WELLCOME to the world of audiophilia.
Wanting the "best" to the point of neurosis, putting off bills for that new piece of gear,
and Iknow little Betty will be just as happy in beauty colledge as Harvard...
The bass on my 602's is tight and precise, basically the sound I always knew they had in em.
And the mids and highs has me hypnotized.
AHEM, have you checked the polarity of your connections?
Did the jumpers on the terminals fall off(happened to me once).
Just askin.:1:

[pixelthis]

Reason I am asking is that when a wire is reversed polarity the bass just
disapears, and I START CUSSIN BECAUSE I have to crawl over behind the receiver
again.:1:

[manlystanley]

WELLCOME to the world of audiophilia.
Wanting the "best" to the point of neurosis, putting off bills for that new piece of gear,
and Iknow little Betty will be just as happy in beauty colledge as Harvard...


Thanks for the laugh! I just got in from shoveling snow and needed it. Uggg...

But, yah, I wander about me sometimes. I read posts like this thread two years ago and thought the guys were nuts as well........

So, I re-wrote this message. I read your mail (at first) as ragging me, so I ragged you back. However, I re-read your mail and saw that it was actually a friendly joke.

Best Regards,
Stan

[manlystanley]

Reason I am asking is that when a wire is reversed polarity the bass just
disapears, and I START CUSSIN BECAUSE I have to crawl over behind the receiver
again.:1:


Good point! I'll double check that now.

Best Regards,
Stan

[pixelthis]

Good point! I'll double check that now.

Best Regards,
Stan

Its the little things that get you.
If I did tic you off, sorry, glad you're over it.
My odd humour (or lack thereof) can be a bit abrasive sometimes.
Most people (myself included) can take themeselves way too seriously sometimes(talky).
And the "hobby" will only get worse, trust me.
Having "good" makes you want better.
Hey! I need new speakers!
Ella and basie deserves no less!
Gotta squeeze that last little bit of sound from that 300 dollar plastic receiver, etc.
MEANWHILE I just found out that what I considered a luxery ( a seperate amp) in
instead vital.
They got pills for this?:1:

[nightflier]

I wonder if Emotiva will consider making an integrated amp. Considering their success with preamps and amps, you'd think that wouldn't be to much of a leap.

[pixelthis]

I wonder if Emotiva will consider making an integrated amp. Considering their success with preamps and amps, you'd think that wouldn't be to much of a leap.

nope.
But while Integrateds have more "street cred" than receivers, they still have some compromises.
That pre-amp they sell gives you the option of whatever amp you want, why tie yourself down to just one?
Not sure but I think that is an HT prepro they sell.
SO why not a two channel pre-amp?
DONT SEE TOO MANY OF THOSE in outlets like Emotiva, might fill a niche.
BTW the Christmas card they sent was very nice.:1:

[manlystanley]

Its the little things that get you.
If I did tic you off, sorry, glad you're over it.
My odd humour (or lack thereof) can be a bit abrasive sometimes.
Most people (myself included) can take themeselves way too seriously sometimes(talky).
And the "hobby" will only get worse, trust me.
Having "good" makes you want better.
Hey! I need new speakers!
Ella and basie deserves no less!
Gotta squeeze that last little bit of sound from that 300 dollar plastic receiver, etc.
MEANWHILE I just found out that what I considered a luxery ( a seperate amp) in
instead vital.
They got pills for this?:1:

Pixelthis,
It was a great joke. I should have laughed, but I read it wrong and got grumpy. Two mistakes on my side. Please forgive me.

Best Regards,
Stan

[GMichael]

Its the little things that get you.
If I did tic you off, sorry, glad you're over it.
My odd humour (or lack thereof) can be a bit abrasive sometimes.
Most people (myself included) can take themeselves way too seriously sometimes(talky).
And the "hobby" will only get worse, trust me.
Having "good" makes you want better.
Hey! I need new speakers!
Ella and basie deserves no less!
Gotta squeeze that last little bit of sound from that 300 dollar plastic receiver, etc.
MEANWHILE I just found out that what I considered a luxery ( a seperate amp) in
instead vital.
They got pills for this?:1:

Are you going soft on us, or did you just up your meds? I swear that you are a pod person lately.:frown2:

[pixelthis]

Are you going soft on us, or did you just up your meds? I swear that you are a pod person lately.:frown2:

My new job is going great, got weekends off, work midnites(which I like) and
BAMA in in the title game after winning the SEC and making TEEBOW cry like a little bi-ach.
Also the place where I GOT MY RECEIVER has another 1500$ in my credit line, so theres a 55" LG or SAMSUNG IN MY FUTURE, MAYBE A 60" DLP.
Could life get any better?
Only thing I am missing is Rich is gone, they probably cut his computer acess at happy acres or somethin, but iffen he was still here, I could gloat about my Bama boys nutering
his texas longhorns.
Like the commercial says, that would be priceless.:1:

[blackraven]

Could life get any better?
I could gloat about my Bama boys nutering
his texas longhorns.
:1:


Whoa there boy, the Longhorns are going to pee in the ocean and turn the Tide Yellow!

[pixelthis]

Whoa there boy, the Longhorns are going to pee in the ocean and turn the Tide Yellow!

THAT WILL BE THE DAY.
The only way they will turn anything is by bleeding that yellow blood of theirs.
Theres a saying in Texas...big hat, no cattle.
Nuff said.
Except....


ROLL TIDE!!!


Of course!:1:

[GMichael]

My new job is going great, got weekends off, work midnites(which I like) and
BAMA in in the title game after winning the SEC and making TEEBOW cry like a little bi-ach.
Also the place where I GOT MY RECEIVER has another 1500$ in my credit line, so theres a 55" LG or SAMSUNG IN MY FUTURE, MAYBE A 60" DLP.
Could life get any better?
Only thing I am missing is Rich is gone, they probably cut his computer acess at happy acres or somethin, but iffen he was still here, I could gloat about my Bama boys nutering
his texas longhorns.
Like the commercial says, that would be priceless.:1:

Good to see that things have turned around for ya. Keep up the good cheer.

[manlystanley]

And the "hobby" will only get worse, trust me.
Having "good" makes you want better.
....[snip]....
They got pills for this?:1:

Get worse???? You know it.......... My wife doesn't know about the XPA-2 yet....... Plan for me to be in the dog house, unless I can sneak this 75 pound monster in the house.

Just imagine me walking into the house and me saying: "Ummmm...... What's in my arms????? Ummmm......... It's........It's, um........ 'A surprise???' "

Pills uh??? Let's keep that our little secret. Don't want to put myself out my misery quite yet......

Best Regards,
Stan

[blackraven]

THAT WILL BE THE DAY.
The only way they will turn anything is by bleeding that yellow blood of theirs.
Theres a saying in Texas...big hat, no cattle.
Nuff said.
Except....



:

The Long Horns are gonna go for a swim and ride the waves to Victory! And when they are done they will be throwing cow patty's at the receding tide!

[pixelthis]

The Long Horns are gonna go for a swim and ride the waves to Victory! And when they are done they will be throwing cow patty's at the receding tide!


keep beleiving that, and in Santa, and the Easter bunny.
MEANWHILE, the Tide is gonna cut em a STEAK.:1:

[pixelthis]

Good to see that things have turned around for ya. Keep up the good cheer.

thanks, and I hope Santa was good to you too this year.
Yeah, hit a bit of a rough patch there, but everything turned out okay.
And I got a 12.2 megapix camera for Christmas so I intend to bore everybody with pics of my gear.:1:

[RoadRunner6]

However, I had a similar experience with their XPA-5 5ch amplifier......The difference I noticed is the bass doesn't go as low and has less weight.

I read this thread with lots of interest since I also own the XPA-5 amp. I have to admit right off that I tend to be the objective skeptical type when it comes to subjective listening evaluations on amps. That said, please note that I'm not intending to get into a subjective versus objective debate. I simply would like to know if anyone commenting on the fact that the XPA-5 seems to have a less strong lower bass performance (for lack of better words) can explain how this might relate in technical/specification terms to what you have observed hearing in your listening evaluation of the XPA-5.

If I understand correctly Bfalls previously had his Legacy Audio Focus speakers bi-amped with his Yamaha M-65 (low end I presume) and the Sony 5300ES receiver. Both he and Winston, although he didn't mention what speakers, seemed to find a slight deficiency in the low end of the XPA-5 amp (not trying to put words in anyone's mouth here ... hope this is sort of what they meant to imply).

This got me so curious that I spent some time checking out the XPA-5 and Yamaha M-60 specs. I know specs don't tell the whole story but might give some indications. First the Legacy's are a very full range speaker that hit rather low impedance. Both the Yamaha and the Emo amps seem to be quite stable into 4 ohms. The M-65 has a 2 ohm switch but that is only for driving two sets of 2 ohm speakers in series. The M-65 weighs in at 33 lbs and the XPA-5 at a very hefty 75 lbs even for 5 channels. The XPA-5's rated power into 4 ohms is a higher percentage over its 8 ohm rating than the M-65 (50% versus 35%). The damping factors are 200 for the XPA-5 and 130 for the M-65. Input impedance is almost identical.

Looking further into the test results by Emotiva with their Audio Precision unit on the XPA-5, I found the following results. 209 watts/ch with all five ch/operating into 8 ohms, 0.07% THD+N. Response, 20-20KHz +/- 0.076dB's. 1mW to 200watts under 0.1% THD+N. 100mW to 190watts, 0.015% THD+N. S/N ratio, 112dB's, full output and 98dB's, 1 watt.

Now none of these specifications in themselves of course prove any point about the audible performance of the XPA-5 versus the M-65. My curiosity and question for you guys is, can anyone explain in more specific technical terms what might account for the difference in the perceived audible difference in the lower bass performance. It appears to me from the specifications that if either amp had an edge in performance it would be the XPA-5 by a small margin. What confuses me is why would an amplifier that is virtually ruler flat from 10-50kHz with low distortion, very strong performance at 4 ohms, low noise, an excellent damping factor perform not quite as strongly as the M-65 in the bass?

I'm not asking because I'm a Emo fan-boy (which I of course am) but an honest interest in finding out if your ears really heard this difference or there is some other explanation in the setup differences with these two amps that might explain this. If I had known you were going to compare the two amps driving your speakers I would have predicted that you would hear no difference in the lower bass range.

I am very interested in hearing some good feedback on this. Thanks. RR6 :biggrin5:

[kexodusc]

I'm not asking because I'm a Emo fan-boy (which I of course am) but an honest interest in finding out if your ears really heard this difference or there is some other explanation in the setup differences with these two amps that might explain this. If I had known you were going to compare the two amps driving your speakers I would have predicted that you would hear no difference in the lower bass range.

I am very interested in hearing some good feedback on this. Thanks. RR6 :biggrin5:
Short answer - different amps can measure ruler flat but they'll behave differently with different speakers. Some amplifiers are far more tolerant of capacitive loads, others inductive loads. Some handle both well, and don't favor one over the other. The amplifiers will react differently to the crossovers in the speakers. Often the differences aren't profound, but if the listener's preferences make him sensitive to variations in a certain frequency range, for example, that's all it could take.

It's not about one amp being inherently better or worse, and not about quality. There's just too many combinations possible to say amp A will always sound better than amp B under every condition - and that's not even accounting for listener preferences.

[02audionoob]

keep beleiving that, and in Santa, and the Easter bunny.
MEANWHILE, the Tide is gonna cut em a STEAK.:1:

Wow...Bama is so good they made Urban Meyer quit.

[winston]

(bfalls@quote) I'm a big Emotiva fan. Rarely do you see the quality and features their gear provides at their price point. However, I had a similar experience with their XPA-5 5ch amplifier

bfalls" just out of Curiosity!!.... have you ever configured the XPA-5 the normal way L/C/R & SL/SR in any of your trial setups configuration's??!! if you have not done so you prolly" should try that con-fig. and see if the bass improves, as sometimes power amps acts differently when controlled by some pre/pros or receiver pre out.

I cant" explain how and why it dose that but it dose
the first two lines of the Quote is taken from bfalls post........

RR6"...I'm sorry that my (Post) leads you to believe that i owned an XPA-5 I do not!! Not as yet anyway" Given that Emotive new pre/pros are still in the pipe line so I'll be taken the Sale right up to the WIRE.... (that said... I was trying to suggest to "bfalls" to do the 5.0 Configuration as opposed to Bi-amping the XPA-5" and see if the results rendered a better bass!! to his likening.

IMO" because a five channel amplifier is bi-amp able the results are not always favourable" and this can happen with any five channel amplifier sometimes

[pixelthis]

Wow...Bama is so good they made Urban Meyer quit.

Seeing his star quaterback cry like a little baby put the fear in him.
But hes' coming back next season, after he fixes what we did to his ticker.
That championship throphy will look goood next to the heisman.:1:

[pixelthis]

AND THEN (WAIT FOR IT)
Peytons ponies got their a** handed to em.
Can life get any better?:1:

[GMichael]

AND THEN (WAIT FOR IT)
Peyton's Paytonless ponies got their a** handed to em in a game that meant nothing.
Can life get any better?:1:

There. Fixed that for you.

[RoadRunner6]

Sorry Winston, I need to get the big senior citizen magnifiying glass out! :biggrin5: