Emotiva XPA-1L MONOBLOCK POWER AMPLIFIER Class A or Class A/B operation

tonyb

xcapri79 wrote: »

Had some nice blueberry pie from my Neighborhood Walmart today.
!

Now that right there says it all.

[Deleted User]

more pie pics please I just jumped on to this thread.

ZLTFUL

afterburnt wrote: »

Now that you put it that way I am just gonna get the XPR-5

A fine HT amp. Own one myself...and other than the hum it has developed on one channel which is requiring me to ship it back to Emo at my cost (shipping 97lbs across country insured for the full retail price is not a small amount of money), I have enjoyed it. But I am not going to make any claims that it is some kind of giant killer. Because the comparably priced Rotel RMB-1585 sounds better with music but wasn't a good synergy with my speakers.

tonyb

afterburnt wrote: »

Now that you put it that way I am just gonna get the XPR-5

Go ahead, if that's what fits the old budget. HT use it does well, musically though it lacks some against some other well known brands. Right tool for the right job and all that.

heiney9

Cables matter...............er.......isn't that what we're talking about. Get whatever floats your boat, but just know if you go on a forum and ask for suggestions and opinions.............you're going to get them. Emo has never been a thought for me, but if it fits your budget and you believe in the hype then go for it.

H9

afterburnt

afterburnt wrote: »

Now that you put it that way I am just gonna get the XPR-5

I was jk even if I had the money I wouldn't buy one.

darknight1080

I want to chime in. I had my Metallica Black album 45 records playing on a friends setup with Emotiva 1Ls and I had never heard such amazing separation and clarity! It doesn't sound that clean on my system. These amps have a good following for a reason.

tonyb

....and the reason is cheap. Anyone coming off a receiver for their music will be impressed by adding an amp....any amp really. So it's no surprise for some to feel like it's the best thing since sliced bread.

If you like what you hear with an Emo amp, some of the better brands offer even more...in spades. Not knocking them, they do offer value for the buck for those getting into separates for the first time. It's more so just an open window to a big world of audio that awaits.

darknight1080

I've heard plenty of separates myself from Mcintosh to Bryston to Krell. It's not the first time nor am I coming from a receiver. I have heard even their high end XPR amps and their bread and butter XPA amps, there is something unique about the 1Ls compared to their other products.

afterburnt

xcapri79 wrote: »

So have you decided what you are going to do?

Who me?

afterburnt

Oh yeah. I am gonna get some RTi fronts first before I get some more amps. The XPA-1l's are still on my short list though. I hope a FF sale doesn't come up too soon, I need time to save up some more money.

headrott

afterburnt wrote: »

Oh yeah. I am gonna get some RTi fronts first before I get some more amps. The XPA-1l's are still on my short list though. I hope a FF sale doesn't come up too soon, I need time to save up some more money.

If you plan on some RTi fronts, I defintely do not recommend an Emotiva amplifier. While I have not heard the XPA-1L monoblocks, if they sound like EMO's other amps/receivers, then the mono blocks will absolutely not be a good match for the RTi fronts. Your ears will bleed from the high end. (Unless you like overly exaggerated high end, then by all means, go for it) (Or, unless the sound siganture of the XPA-1L's sound signature is much warmer than their other amps and receivers, which I am skeptical of).

Buy something with a warmer sound siganture to mate with the RTi's, IMO.

afterburnt

I will burn that bridge when I come to it %^(

F1nut

It's cross that bridge.

F1nut

Yawn

afterburnt

xcapri79 wrote: »

If you are going for the RTi fronts, I would suggest going with the RTi12's then getting the XPA-1L's. Have you checked out polkaudiodirect on ebay?

Why 12's as opposed to 9's or 7's?

afterburnt

I like the CSiA6 with the Emo, do yooz think I will dislike the RTi towers?

afterburnt

xcapri79 wrote: »

afterburnt wrote: »

xcapri79 wrote: »

If you are going for the RTi fronts, I would suggest going with the RTi12's then getting the XPA-1L's. Have you checked out polkaudiodirect on ebay?

Why 12's as opposed to 9's or 7's?

Because of the value performance/price ratio. The RTi12's are available for $800 a pair in either cherry or black from polkaudiodirect on ebay. The RTi10's are available for 525 a pair in black only. I'm partial to the cherry version.

But is the a sonic difference? I may be able to get the FF deal and it would be less expensive for the newer models no?

Nightfall

If you're going to wait for FF sale get the LSiM703 or 705's instead, no doubt.

afterburnt

It is a good thing that I shave my head!

bryantspaint

Keiko wrote: »

Lmao

headrott

afterburnt wrote: »

I will burn that bridge when I come to it %^(

F1nut wrote: »

It's cross that bridge.

If you pair the Emo and the RTi's, you may wish you had burned it.

That said, I think your ears will burn up long before the bridge does (if you pair the Emo and RTi's).

I have not heard a single Emo amp/receiver that sounded "neutral" to my ears. They are all bright and harsh. As I said, I have not heard the XPA-1L's. I would hear the pairing before you buy if it were me.

All this, of course, is in my opinion. It's your money so, (as the Blind Faith song goes) do what you like.

headrott

xcapri79 wrote: »

headrott wrote: »

afterburnt wrote: »

Oh yeah. I am gonna get some RTi fronts first before I get some more amps. The XPA-1l's are still on my short list though. I hope a FF sale doesn't come up too soon, I need time to save up some more money.

If you plan on some RTi fronts, I defintely do not recommend an Emotiva amplifier. While I have not heard the XPA-1L monoblocks, if they sound like EMO's other amps/receivers, then the mono blocks will absolutely not be a good match for the RTi fronts. Your ears will bleed from the high end. (Unless you like overly exaggerated high end, then by all means, go for it) (Or, unless the sound siganture of the XPA-1L's sound signature is much warmer than their other amps and receivers, which I am skeptical of).

Buy something with a warmer sound siganture to mate with the RTi's, IMO.

This is a commonly discussed issue here. Below is some correspondence from a previous thread that covers the subject.

xcapri79 wrote: »

AFloyd wrote: »

Do you think the opinion i got earlier about that combination being too bright is more of a personal preference thing than something more established by a larger base of people?

halo71 wrote: »

John, you are a Sunfire fan....x is a Emo fan. Let it go! Everyone has their "opinion" remember?!?

audiocr381ve wrote: »

Exception to the norm on THIS FORUM, certainly not others. I've owned the XPA-2 and had it paired with several speakers and while it is true that it has a forward sound signature, it's not nails on a chalkboard like a lot of the people whose life mission is to make it known on every Emotiva thread say it is. Take everything with a grain of salt. Get second, third, and fourth opinions on DIFFERENT forums. We have a lot of great experienced guys (like John) but most of them are a little rough around the edges (no pun) :P

I'm a fan of several amps. I own several manufacturers (over and above what is shown in my signature) including some vintage receivers from Pioneer and Marantz. My favorite is McIntosh actually. The RTi's sound wonderful powered by McIntosh amp, but they are pricey, even used.

Unfortunately, some people on this forum tend to overly downgrade the Emotiva amps unnecessarily. They are good for their price and they get better as you move up in price like most things. They are what they are, but most certainly they do fine with the Polk RTi line speaking from experience with owning several RTi speakers and Emotiva amps. I very much enjoy my RTi12's powered by the XPA-1 amps. This answers the OP.

The issue isn't the Emotiva amps as they are pretty neutral. The issue is the RTi tweeter which is designed more for the home theater experience rather than for music. Trimming the treble by about -3dB does the trick to balance the tone for these speakers. I'm listening to my RTi12's right now driven by a pair of XPA-1's using a XSP-1 preamp. Noticeable is the nice soundstage, crisp bass and excellent detail.

The issue is both the RTi's (which as you stated are more for a HT experience) and the Emo amp(s) and their pairing, which is why I stated what I did in my previous post(s).

Unless the OP likes his high end extremely exaggertated, the pairing of an Emo and RTi's is not a good one (as stated, assuming the Emo sound signature (being bright and harsh, IMO) is present in the XPA-1L's).

I am done with this now as I cannot offer any more advice. It's up to @afterburnt at this point..........

[Deleted User]

In other news, Monster and Bose (in a joint venture) have purchased Emotiva.
A new line of even cleaner amps, called Bosmostiva is due out the 4th quarter 2015.
In a press statement; "We believe the Bosmostiva will hit that sweet spot that audiophiles crave while losing none of the detail Monster cable is known for." Metallica and Green day
to promote.

gudnoyez

Let's see the OP seems confused as h..l, you have the CSI A6 you got at half price with the code I gave you so build off that. FIrst off build off that center channel sell your 70s, get you a pair of Rti As for fronts and get a warm sounding 3 channel or 5 channel amp and go from there. You should not of chose that A6 center channel if your going to mix them with Lsim's.

It sounds like you don't have the cash so why keep debating, sure you could sell the A6 center and the 70s, and go for the LSIM's but if I were you build of that center stick with the Rtia series and search for a nice warm sounding amp for them.

ZLTFUL

@xcapri79 aren't you the one who said that at your age, your ears don't exactly perform like they used to? Just saying...makes it hard to take what you say at face value.

I personally have matched several Emo amps with the Monitor 70s, the RTiAs and my current LSis.
The amps were UPA200, UPA500, XPA2, XPA5 and ultimately the XPR5 that I currently use.
None of the amps paired well with the Monitors or the RTiAs. The top end was overtly shrill and brittle sounding.
The LSis tend to pair well as the radial ring tweeter tends to bring some warmth to the equation which softens the edginess of the Emo amps. One thing I have noticed across the *entire* Emo range is unless it is matched with a very specific speaker type, they tend to be harsh.

Just look at the speakers they pair them with at shows...either their own speakers or notably warm speakers. There is a reason for it. If your Google-fu is weak, just do a search for Emotiva audio show pairings and you will see what I am referring to.

afterburnt

I am not confused. I do not and will not have the ducats for three LSi's any time soon. I am pleased with what I have so far despite the warnings that my current setup would be bright, harsh etc. It may be that the RTi's will be a bad combo with the Emo's however this has not been the case with the Monitors and the CSi center. The question became should I get the amps or the speakers. I could do one or the other but not both so I have decided to get the speakers that I think I will be able to afford in the next few months or so.

afterburnt

Sound advice indeed. I appreciate it.

RamZet

I wouldnt get such an expensive amp or amps for the Monitor70s. Ive given my M70s 50watts and ive given them 220watts (each). They sound and perform the same. I would however give them new cables.
My current Polk setup consists of M70s, a bryston 60watt x2 amp, and Nordost speaker cables.
The better cables have breathed new life into the M70s.

heiney9

RTi and RTiA, different animals. Not really the same. Better x-overs, better cabinets, better drivers = better presentation over the previous RTi series. Original RTi series with the tri-laminate tweets were better than anything in the RTi or RTiA series.

Emo is not neutral. Someone here doesn't understand the meaning of the word as it relates to hi-fi.

Emo = Entry level. Buy it, try it and then keep it or flip it. It's fine for HT, but there is much more refined gear out there if you are so inclined, if not, get it and forget it and move on.

Seems like a dead issue since you're not actually in a position to buy it for quite sometime.

H9