i hope not to open a can of worms, but is there any reason NOT to buy an emotiva amp

1fastz28

i have a denon 3808 on my polk Rti A9's i graduated college and sold my A7's so i have some extra money to buy myself the xpa-2, i've heard good and bad things about emotiva, but it seems the negative stuff is just people trolling. i love my a9's but i know there is more life in them than my denon 3808 can give them. anyone have experience with a similar setup?

cstmar01

well its just my preference. I used Emo amps on my A9's and didn't care for how forward they sounded to me for 2 channel. It was not what I was looking for. For HT they worked fine and sounded better than the AVR I had but then upgraded AVR's and found I really didn't need the amps I was using and was very happy with just the AVR I got.

The thing also that I've heard about emo is regarding the quality of parts they use. It was in reference to the caps ect as they weren't very high quality.

Personally I go based upon sound, if I don't like how it sounds I don't buy it. I had the XPA-1's, XPA-3 and UPA-2 and didn't care for any of them for 2 channel.

btw the negative stuff isn't trolling, its called we also have an opinion about the amp and give it, what makes it trolling is when people start Emo threads or say that Emo amps are just as good as Krell or McIntosh where they are no where close to each. Both to me in sound, as well as build quality.

1fastz28

cstmar01 wrote: »

well its just my preferance. I used Emo amps on my A9's and didn't care for how forwarded they sounded to me for 2 channel. It was not what I was looking for. For HT they worked fine and sounded better than the AVR I had but then upgraded AVR's and found I really didn't need the amps I was using and was very happy with just the AVR I got.

The thing also that I've heard about emo is regarding the quality of parts they use. It was in reference to the caps ect as they weren't very high quality.

Personally I go based upon sound, if I don't like how it sounds I don't buy it. I had the XPA-1's, XPA-3 and UPA-2 and didn't care for any of them for 2 channel.

btw the negative stuff isn't trolling, its called we also have an opinion about the amp and give it, what makes it trolling is when people start Emo threads or say that Emo amps are just as good as Krell or McIntosh where they are no where close to each. Both to me in sound, as well as build quality.

in all reality, i want something to open them up for music, for hometheatre the 3808 does a great job, if i get anything extra its just a bonus.

nooshinjohn

1fastz28 wrote: »

i have a denon 3808 on my polk Rti A9's i graduated college and sold my A7's so i have some extra money to buy myself the xpa-2, i've heard good and bad things about emotiva, but it seems the negative stuff is just people trolling. i love my a9's but i know there is more life in them than my denon 3808 can give them. anyone have experience with a similar setup?

In a nutshell, there is no real dislike for Emo, but there are better amps that will work better with the a9's. The general consensus is that they are to bright to be matched up with the Polks, which are also a bright sounding speaker. NAD, Adcom, Sunfire/Carver, and Tubes (tubes RULE!)seem to be a better fit for two channel.

Kex

If you want one, buy one. If you want honest opinions, the search function will probably yield everything you ever needed to know about them, and didn't need to know, in one fell swoop.

Stating that Emotiva may not be all they claim to be, or offering used alternatives, is anything but trolling. Trolling is when new members suddenly sign up to join in a thread where claims have been made about Emotiva that they want to disparage because they just bought one or own one.

So, ... if you think they look nice, perform beyond expectations, and are fairly priced, then buy one. Otherwise, just read the existing threads from your search results.

P.S. Nooshinjohn, it's well past your bedtime!

nooshinjohn

Kex wrote: »

P.S. Nooshinjohn, it's well past your bedtime!

My wife isn't here to give me my good nite Kiss!:D

She is living down in Indy for a while doing her rotations for Pharmacy School.

Face

nooshinjohn wrote: »

She is living down in Indy for a while doing her rotations for Pharmacy School.

Or so she says. :eek:

nooshinjohn

Face wrote: »

Or so she says. :eek:

LOL!!!:D:D:)

I know I can trust her completely, and I have a tracking device on lightman so I know if he gets within 100 miles of her.:p:D

Demiurge

i hope not to open a can of worms, but is there any reason NOT to buy an emotiva amp

Yes.

Fongolio

I don't know about Emotiva but I do know that when I put a Carver TFM-25 on my RTiA7's I was blown away. They had been powered by a Pioneer Elite AVR but the Carver made them sound totally different. Way more bottom end punch. Good clean punch. And then I got the SDA-1C's and the Carver powered them beautifully. Then the current amp a Carver TFM-45. Tons of low level detail but capable of huge volume and clean warm sound. I'd have to spend thousands to get the equivalent sound in a new amp. Moral of the story.....think about used as well. All of the above suggestions are great but if in the end you want an Emotiva go for it. Go with what sounds good to you.

Kelvin

comfortablycurt

As others have said, you should always try to use your own ears to make these decisions. Obviously, that isn't always possible though. The majority of my audio purchases have been sight unseen.

Emotiva does make some decent products at decent prices...but as long as you don't mind buying used, you can get a MUCH better amp for a lot less money.

For those who are dead set on buying new...Emotiva offers a great entry to separates for a reasonable price.

I heard an Emotiva for the first time a few weeks ago. A friend of mine recently bought one. He got an XPA-2 to power his RTi12's. He's using a Denon AVR as a pre...I forget the model number, but I'm pretty sure it's a 3310.

For HT...it sounded just fine, but as far as musicality is concerned...I wasn't impressed. It has a rather grainy sound to it, and was a touch on the bright side...which is a bad thing when matched with RTi's. It had plenty of power and headroom...but the magic just wasn't there.

We compared it to my Adcom 545, and we both agreed(very reluctantly in his case) that the Adcom sounded MUCH better for music. I paid $200 for my 545, versus him paying about $750 for his XPA-2, IIRC. He's already considering selling the XPA-2 and getting something else. I tried telling him to get something else in the first place...but he was dead set on the hypnotic blue LED's that are known as Emotiva. He's now realizing that it's not necessarily "the world class, reference quality" sound that their website makes them out to be.

The XPA-2 did have more overall volume and headroom than the 545, but not significantly so. The SQ just wasn't there. That was the first and only time I've ever heard an Emo amp...but it definitely wasn't a good first impression. I'll definitely never be buying any of their products.

I demo'd the ERC-1 CD player a while back...and I was pretty impressed with it. To be fair though, at that point I hadn't really heard many other players for comparison. In all reality though, I think my Denon DVD-2910 sounds every bit as good as the ERC-1 did.


I'd pass on the Emo. You can get a much better sounding amp for a lot less money.

dpowell

I'll preference this by saying this is a biased opinion but you can probably get a higher end amp used for the same or less than what you'll pay for a new Emo......like the Adcom GFA-7500 (150WPC @ 8Ohms X 5 channels) I'll be listing for sale in the FS section in the very near future. I understand you're going for higher WPC and only a 2-channel amp. I've seen several Adcom GFA-5800's or 5802's on the market for less than the Emo is new.

In all seriousness, never heard an Emo so I can't tell you from personal experience. The nice thing about buying gear used is that you can try it out and if you don't like it, you can usually get most of what you've got into it back out and try something else.

LessisNevermore

deleted

lightman1

nooshinjohn wrote: »

LOL!!!:D:D:)

I know I can trust her completely, and I have a tracking device on lightman so I know if he gets within 100 miles of her.:p:D

Uh OHHH!!! I better turn around and head back south!:D You suck, John.

Sherardp

If your ok with entry level gear then there is nothing wrong with Emo gear. I think the problem here is so many people buy this stuff and push it on others as the next best thing to sliced bread. If your OK with it and enjoy it then by all means try it out; review it even. I almost went the Emo route but they wanted to charge me 500 bucks for shipping an amp to me, NO THANKS EMO. Instead I looked at some other suggestions here and went Sunfire which I am very happy with. Consider other used gear which will outperform the Emo stuff and will elevate your listening experience.

cnh

No can of worms here, you're fine. The best thing to do is see if you can hear one. In general though, I'm in agreement with most people above, especially with the Curt one!

Put your ears on some of the amps mentioned above and ENJOY!

cnh

Toolfan66

If you have the money for an XPA-2 find your self an Adcom 5802 on the used market.

Much better amp IMO, I have had both and now I only own one of the two (Adcom)

george daniel

just buy used,,and start your journey,chances are whatever you buy will not be your last amp,good luck and have some fun.Try to position yourself to be able to flip gear if it's not to your liking,and move on up the chain.:)

mdaudioguy

I, for one did not care much for the RTi/XPA combo - especially with a Yamaha AVR thrown in there. I sold my XPA-2 and XPA-3 essentially to free up cash to take my rig(s) in another direction. The resale value was quite good. For what I got for my XPA-3, I was able to purchase a used 5-channel Adcom in mint condition that effectively replaced both of the Emo's in my HT rig. I sold the XPA-2 because I no longer had a use for it. That said, it still was a very good 2-channel amp, IMHO. I just couldn't justify keeping it when I was offered the same amount that I paid for it a year after buying it. Although I praise it, if I had $800 to buy a new 2-channel amp again, it wouldn't be from Emotiva. There's too much more out there that I'd rather try.

If music is important to you, with your RTiA's I'd search for gear that has a reputation of a bit more warmth. Your ears will let you know what they like.

cfrizz

Emotiva just like Outlaw audio makes good affordable entry level gear for people just starting out.

If you don't want to buy used both companies are an affordable option.

If you don't mind used, check out Audiogon for Rotel, Parasound, Sunfire, Adcom, Nad, B & K

ohskigod

I agree there is some issues against Emo on the board, though to say it wasnt provoked by people who said there Emo's were the best amps ever made are just not getting it. I will say there were some that let it get to them way to much as well. It's funny how people forget that conflict is ALWAYS a 2 way street.

I have never heard an Emo, but hope to hear one at this years Polkfest, as I remember someone saying they were bringing some EMO gear. Someone hear mentioned that EMO gear can lean to the bright side (this is not bad, in fact in a theater setting can be a big bonus for dynamics)

Is there a reason you shouldnt buy an Emo? well yeah, you might not like it........this is the same reason for any other piece of gear. For amplification I generally go the used route, as amplification in particular gives the biggest bang for buck in the used market.

If you have to go new, then the advise given thus far for EMO or Outlaw in that price point is easily the best bang for buck your getting (again, for new gear)

I've heard Outlaw, fantastic gear for the price and to be is pretty neutral on the bright/warm scale (which is why it is used in my theater, and not my 2 channel where I like a warmer sound)

Audio is subjective, unfortunatley only your own ears will tell you if you made the right choice or not.

1fastz28

ohskigod wrote: »

I agree there is some issues against Emo on the board, though to say it wasnt provoked by people who said there Emo's were the best amps ever made are just not getting it. I will say there were some that let it get to them way to much as well. It's funny how people forget that conflict is ALWAYS a 2 way street.

I have never heard an Emo, but hope to hear one at this years Polkfest, as I remember someone saying they were bringing some EMO gear. Someone hear mentioned that EMO gear can lean to the bright side (this is not bad, in fact in a theater setting can be a big bonus for dynamics)

Is there a reason you shouldnt buy an Emo? well yeah, you might not like it........this is the same reason for any other piece of gear. For amplification I generally go the used route, as amplification in particular gives the biggest bang for buck in the used market.

If you have to go new, then the advise given thus far for EMO or Outlaw in that price point is easily the best bang for buck your getting (again, for new gear)

I've heard Outlaw, fantastic gear for the price and to be is pretty neutral on the bright/warm scale (which is why it is used in my theater, and not my 2 channel where I like a warmer sound)

Audio is subjective, unfortunatley only your own ears will tell you if you made the right choice or not.

i appreciate everyones input, what really scares me is spending 800 bucks and not liking it, for me its sort of a gamble buying something like that sure i can return it but i spend 90 or so to ship it and then back if i dont like it, well thats almost 200 just to try out the thing. i think i'll hold off on it for right now and see if i can find some good used gear.

again appreciate all the info.

thuffman03

cfrizz wrote: »

Emotiva just like Outlaw audio makes good affordable entry level gear for people just starting out.

If you don't want to buy used both companies are an affordable option.

If you don't mind used, check out Audiogon for Rotel, Parasound, Sunfire, Adcom, Nad, B & K

Very well said!

nooshinjohn

1fastz28 wrote: »

i appreciate everyones input, what really scares me is spending 800 bucks and not liking it, for me its sort of a gamble buying something like that sure i can return it but i spend 90 or so to ship it and then back if i dont like it, well thats almost 200 just to try out the thing. i think i'll hold off on it for right now and see if i can find some good used gear.

again appreciate all the info.

No reason to fear if you go used. Research will be your best friend here. Just be sure to buy something that if you are not happy with it you can resell it for a few dollars more than you paid and you will do fine.:D:)

cfrizz

nooshinjohn wrote: »

No reason to fear if you go used. Research will be your best friend here. Just be sure to buy something that if you are not happy with it you can resell it for a few dollars more than you paid and you will do fine.:D:)

You can TRY to sell it for more than what you paid for it, but it is by no means GUARANTEED that you will be able to get back what you paid for it. Especially when you add in the postage to send it to where ever.

nooshinjohn

cfrizz wrote: »

You can TRY to sell it for more than what you paid for it, but it is by no means GUARANTEED that you will be able to get back what you paid for it. Especially when you add in the postage to send it to where ever.

True... I should have included that. In my case, I have been able to stay on the low end of the value curve and have been able to recover my investment.

danger boy

it's open now

searay40dad

you knew it was going there too (albeit fairly mildly)! but thats fine IMO, nothing wrong with people being passionate about their hobby. just 2 cents from someone relatively new to it all...

Kex

1fastz28 wrote: »

... what really scares me is spending 800 bucks and not liking it, for me its sort of a gamble buying something like that sure i can return it but i spend 90 or so to ship it and then back if i dont like it, well thats almost 200 just to try out the thing. i think i'll hold off on it for right now and see if i can find some good used gear. ...

Well, you really just answered your own question right there. Given your reluctance, that is the main reason NOT to try Emotiva. If you don't mind paying the return shipping for a heavy item, then the thrity day trial is fine, but it's not really free. BTW, I think they will actually refund you the outbound shippiing, but you will indeed be liable for the return shipping.

When you are using a high current receiver, and efficient speakers (87dB sensitivity, or above, and 8 ohm rated), not everyone will think an external amplifier makes enough difference (if any at all) for the price ... even Emotiva's low prices.

The only free trial is if you can borrow an amplifier from a nearby fellow Polkie or friend, and A/B test (easiest in stereo mode, without the subwoofer IMO), blind if possible, to see what your ears tell you. Otherwise, buying some amplifiers used can often be cheaper than Emotiva, but there will be no warranty coverage in the event of a technical failure after purchase. Some two channel amplifiers sell for about $150-250 on AudiogoN on a regular basis (or eBay, but that's not as easy to do), whether you're buying or selling, but it's still not certain that you'll get all your money back if you don't keep the unit (nor is it even reasonable to expect that IMO, TBH). If you're not prepared to invest at least $25-100 in possible shipping costs and the difference between the purchase and resale prices, then you're probably not at that point in your audio journey yet, and borrowing is really your only option ... or finding a good hi-fi store.

Also, if you limit your choices to only amplifiers rated at 200w/ch or higher, then you will eliminate a whole plethora of good bargains on good amplifiers IMHO.

Toolfan66

Just fly to Colorado and come over to my house and you will forget all about Emotiva. Well I for one don't have a problem saying I don't like Emotiva. It did not sound good to my ears. If you have never owned an external amp then your in for a treat no mater what direction you go it will give you a taste of what you never thought your speakers can sound like.

Good Luck!!!! It's all part of the fun.

inspiredsports

george daniel wrote: »

just buy used,,and start your journey,chances are whatever you buy will not be your last amp,good luck and have some fun.Try to position yourself to be able to flip gear if it's not to your liking,and move on up the chain.:)

I started this hobby in the mid to late 70's, always buying brand new gear. Then I put the hobby on the shelf for a while as my wife and I built careers and brought 4 kids into the world (yeah cfrizz, I know what F1 has in his sig ).

Now I'm figuring out the zen aspect of the hobby. It is truly a journey. There are no end all, be all components. More important, the best components are those that have a history; a story.

I've purchased perhaps 90 and sold perhaps 60 components since getting back to it in 2008. The best are those I've bought from members and others who have become friends through the interaction of the various buys and sells, and the cash outlay for the 30 or so items I've kept is probably still less than cost of the most serious rig I purchased brand new in 1987.