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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr Peabody
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
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LeRoy ordered one of the X-rays as well. He hasn't received it yet.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by majorloser
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/community-welcomes-gatherings/oregon-coast-audio-meet-gtg-30083.html
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 Cables
This 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...37&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...36&postcount=2
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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?
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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.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
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?
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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
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Yep, I ordered the X-Ray...expecting it on Wed or Thurs..
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
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I've never heard a Rega player, that may have been interesting. A lot of choices in that under $1k area.
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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.
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You know the ERC-1 has XLR outputs. I don't think the unit is truly balanced but the connection is there.
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It's not truly balanced? What does that mean?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
It's not truly balanced? What does that mean?
Good question....unless he's talking about phase-splitting?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nightflier
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
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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.
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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.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevincop130
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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kevincop130
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
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If any one is interested Emo is running a sale on speakers until 10/31
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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
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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.
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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...ad.php?t=62205
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You'll have to let us know when you've done some listening, looks like you are just getting started.
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