Emotiva USP-1 PREAMPLIFIER

angelsfann02

As of late I have been doing much more 2-channel listening. Reason being my kids are older now and finally attend school all day. That leaves a little more free time to crank things up a bit without anybody complaining.

I own a Pioneer bdp-05fd. It does double duty as a blu-ray player & cd player. Very solid unit. I connect the ipod via an ipod port on the avr. I was excited to listen to my collection of cd's, and various music downloaded on my ipod. All that excitement turned sour one day when I was unimpressed by the sound coming out of my LSI-15's.

While I had been very very satisfied with the sound I was getting watching blu-rays movies and home theater in general, I felt my 2-channel sound was lacking. At the time I was running a Pioneer VSX-23 receiver and an Emotiva XPA-5 amplifier. I decided to try many things. I made attempts at running Pioneer's MCACC again, manually adjusting x-over settings, and even purchasing a new avr, (Pioneer SC-25) I still was not satisfied. I decided to take some fellow polkies advice and try out a preamp into the mix.
The search was on. I did tons of reading about preamps, but being that I wanted to keep it relatively inexpensive I narrowed it down to the Emotiva USP-1. I liked the positive reviews from many well respected audio forums. I liked the look of the Emotiva, and the fact that it had a warrany, plus like I said the price was right.

Now for the actual review. Unboxed it looks very industrial just like the
XPA-5. The look of this preamp is clean and simple. Larger in size than I imagined. Taller and longer than an Adcom GTP-500 I run in my garage rig. The manual was simple and easy to understand. The connections were straight-up. This preamp has an HT BY-PASS feature that disables the preamp. This enables the user to utilize their AVR for home theater use. Its simple really, what goes into the preamp comes out. Nothing is done to the sound. Well it works just as advertised. The blu-rays sound just as sharp and precise as before.

Next came 2-channel listening. I listen to many types of music from rock to rap. First I decided to listen to BOB Marley's greatest hits cd. WOW! Music like I had remembered it! The LSI-15's came alive, just as they do during home theater use. The bass was tight and punchy. The highs were sweet without being over tiring. The detail of the instruments in the music was once again evident. I finally knew the reason so many people rave about the LSi line of speakers. I was experiencing bliss.I continued to try different types of music and they all sounded great. Depeche Modes greatest hits album was a-m-a-z-i-n-g! Over and over I swear I heard some details in some of the songs that I had never heard before.

All in all it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. I may have made some mistakes along the way in my search for better 2-channel sound. Most noteably the fact that I probably didn't need to swap out my Pioneer avr, but I do like that my Pioneer SC-25 has "Ice" amplification. Other than that I am almost positive the Pioneer VSX-23 would have yielded the same results.
All I needed was the preamp.....

tonyb

For 2 channel sound, a seperate pre will usually trounce an avr 9 out of 10 times. Well, that's not comparing a 4 g avr to a 200 buck pre either. Enjoy the tunes bro.

angelsfann02

Thanks bro. If its one thing I have learned in this hobby, its that it only really matters what you think. I dont get hung up on brand names or price. I like what I like even if others dont care for it. I'm the one who has to live with it.

steveinaz

The better your equipment gets, the better your source music has to be. Think "large microscope" or better yet, watching standard def material on an HD set---HD shows all the flaws of lesser standard def media huh? But it looked fine on a standard def TV, no?

Same goes with audio components/sources/media.

cfrizz

Congrats & enjoy your tunes!

angelsfann02

steveinaz wrote: »

The better your equipment gets, the better your source music has to be. Think "large microscope" or better yet, watching standard def material on an HD set---HD shows all the flaws of lesser standard def media huh? But it looked fine on a standard def TV, no?

Same goes with audio components/sources/media.

Good thing my ears are satisfied with my current "beer budget" equipment! Lol.

cfrizz

So long as YOU hear and are pleased with the difference that is all that matters. Enjoy it and disregard the rest.

edoggrc51

Congrats man!

One thing i love about this hobby is finding that next step towards audio nirvana!

tonyb

steveinaz wrote: »

The better your equipment gets, the better your source music has to be. Think "large microscope" or better yet, watching standard def material on an HD set---HD shows all the flaws of lesser standard def media huh? But it looked fine on a standard def TV, no?

Same goes with audio components/sources/media.

Good analogy Steve, gonna have to steal that one from ya for future use.

angelsfann02

Thanks. Yeah, I figure it would take a whole lotta moola to get noticebly better sound than I am currently getting from my set-up. I think I am set for a while.....just need to order the Emotiva et3 12v trigger module to power on all my gear at once because the wifey gets confused about what unit to turn on just to watch a movie. Ha ha.

angelsfann02

Ever since I have owned the Lsi15's and Lsi-c, I never thought once about powering them with just the Sc-25. All the information I had read regarding the Lsi line before I bought them suggested external amplification was the way to go. So that lead me to buy the Emo xpa-5. Furthermore, upon seeing how well my rti55's sounded with an external amp (adcom gfa545) and a preamp in my 2-channel garage rig vs. just an avr, I was 100% positive the Lsi's would benefit from a preamp & external ampflication.
Try it out lemme know what you think.

F1nut

I own a Pioneer bdp-05fd.

I have one of those. Great Blu-ray player, sucks for CD's. IMO, you should have purchased a dedicated CDP first, followed by a tube pre amp.

polkfarmboy

Congrats

I have always wanted to buy one of these but I just cant afford one

Toolfan66

To the OP enjoy your rig!!!

Systems

UPA-1 is a nice add in the your gear..injoy it...money in the Bank..money in your wallet..money well spent..Analogys are what they are..two cents of it i say...j/kin..lolo..

Joe08867

angelsfann, I am glad you are enjoying your rig. In the end that is all that matters.

xcapri79, if tubes are so bad why do all of the best guitarists and bassists in the world use Tube Amplifiers? Short answer, Warmth and that Human feel. You can't get that from almost any SS gear.

If you have not tried out a good Tube setup or any real tube setup than you have no room to talk on the subject.

OP, Please disregard anything that xcapri79 has to say on tube gear or anything for that matter. He likes to talk out of his other ****..

audiocr381ve

angelsfann02 wrote: »

Thanks bro. If its one thing I have learned in this hobby, its that it only really matters what you think. I dont get hung up on brand names or price. I like what I like even if others dont care for it. I'm the one who has to live with it.

I'm glad you're enjoying the USP-1! It's been on my radar for awhile now. I have the XDA-1 DAC in my system now, tried the XPA-2 amp, and so far I've been pretty happy with Emotiva products.

audiocr381ve

heiney9 wrote: »

Shane, you miss that he is making this statement out his a@%, with no experience. That's why he is getting called out, but then his M.O. is that as well as a pot stirring troll.

H9

Brock, I guess I understand the guy because I was in his shoes at one point (not to long ago). It's really tiring getting hit with post after post from members who take it much further than just disagreeing with your opinion. Makes trying to have an honest conversation difficult around here. On the other hand, there are those who like baiting the hook in hopes to stir up trouble, and that's not cool.

Xcapri, I've come across a ton of your posts, and I get where you're coming from. A little self-control and humility goes a long way.

audiocr381ve

cstmar01 wrote: »

so? he discourages people and want them to all think alike. Is that needed no. My sig is what he said in a thread and proves how stupid his crap gets.

I could careless if you don't like it. Block me. Do whatever I really don't care.

I've read the thread where your sig came from. You're to far gone for me to even respond to your non-sense. I won't block you though, you're fun.

audiocr381ve

FTGV wrote: »

Most covers a lot ground though Brock and is purely subjective.

I completely understand the attraction of tubes,and may even dip my toe's in the Dared SL2000 camp because of all the positive banter.However X is correct in part that even some modern tube gear suffer greatly in comparison to SS in regards to objective measures like THD and S/N .(because it's inherent in the simple single ended topologies used in the majority of tubed preamp's etc.) .Of course we all know good measurement's do not a great preamp/amp make but there are many that prefer the hard ,sterile, clinical SS sound.

Finally, a sound mind. (pun intended)

heiney9

audiocr381ve wrote: »

Dude, come on. Don't flatter yourself. If you think I care about your opinion of me or anyone else on this forum, you need to wake up.

When I said I was in his shoes at one point, I meant it was once hard for me to post anything, even something legit with out a "hater" chiming in to start crap, and that gets old fast. You wonder why he stirs up trouble? Look at the responses towards him. If the proverbial "bigger man" exists, he's no where to be found.

Joe, please oh please I didn't mean to offend you, a royal member of the crowd and I could only offer up a prayer in hopes that you all don't turn on me! What would I do! I have a family!

Shane, you were never a troll, X has been a troll since day one and keeps up the same tired act. You weren't here in the beginning when he and a bunch of other idiots from AA joined with the express intent of cleaning house at the Polk Forum and doing their best to troll all over the board (their words used in their own threads AA). Most have left or a good number were eventually banned here.

So puh-leeeeese don't tell me how X is so innocent and prey'd upon. He brought it on himself and continues to do so...........if you want to align yourself with that kind of behavior............go right ahead.

H9

cstmar01

audiocr381ve wrote: »

I've read the thread where your sig came from. You're to far gone for me to even respond to your non-sense. I won't block you though, you're fun.

and I went to far? OK. Have fun with X and defending him.

audiocr381ve

cstmar01 wrote: »

and I went to far? OK. Have fun with X and defending him.

Defending the weak is horrible, I know.

audiocr381ve

This thread sounds like this.

heiney9

FTGV wrote: »

Most covers a lot ground though Brock and is purely subjective.

I completely understand the attraction of tubes,and may even dip my toe's in the Dared SL2000 camp because of all the positive banter.However X is correct in part that even some modern tube gear suffer greatly in comparison to SS in regards to objective measures like THD and S/N .(because it's inherent in the simple single ended topologies used in the majority of tubed preamp's etc.) .Of course we all know good measurement's do not a great preamp/amp make but there are many that prefer the hard ,sterile, clinical SS sound.

X never used the word "some" you inferred that's what he meant, just like you inferred I meant "all" in my statement.

I encourage anyone with solid experience in audio to give the Dared a try, it's a real eye opener. Not all SS is hard and clinical and there are tube pre-amps that are as hard and clinical as SS.

H9

heiney9

audiocr381ve wrote: »

this thread sounds like this.

nm.....

H9

cstmar01

audiocr381ve wrote: »

Defending the weak is horrible, I know.

no defending the stupid that knows they are playing victim is stupid and shows how much you really know.

He's soooo weak. Please. Give me a break.

audiocr381ve

heiney9 wrote: »

Shane, you were never a troll, X has been a troll since day one and keeps up the same tired act. You weren't here in the beginning when he and a bunch of other idiots from AA joined with the express intent of cleaning house at the Polk Forum and doing their best to troll all over the board (their words used in their own threads AA). Most have left or a good number were eventually banned here.

So puh-leeeeese don't tell me how X is so innocent and prey'd upon. He brought it on himself and continues to do so...........if you want to align yourself with that kind of behavior............go right ahead.

H9

Well, I honestly didn't know about that, which is pathetic and childish. It does not however diminish my thoughts towards how we as a forum should treat people. How we react to this type of thing shouldn't be with fire. That is good for no one.

heiney9

Well, I'm done here I guess we (me included) have taken this review thread way off topic.

H9

heiney9

audiocr381ve wrote: »

No, didn't catch your response fast enough, sorry.

I edited my repsonse after I read yours.

H9

FTGV

heiney9 wrote: »

X never used the word "some" you inferred that's what he meant,

Guilty,but said he "was correct in part".

just like you inferred I meant "all" in my statement.

Not guilty.IIRC "most" was the word in question.

Not all SS is hard and clinical and there are tube pre-amps that are as hard and clinical as SS.

H9

That was ofcourse stated with tongue firmly in cheek as I have heard SS gear that cover the full spectrum from warm and smooth to hard and clinical.