Looking for opinions on Emotiva amplifiers

Gunther16

Been reading a lot about the Emotiva amplifiers. What is the communities opinion of these? Anyone have experiences they'd like to share?

heiney9

Do a search, there are literally hundreds of detailed threads.

Good for HT, not so good for refined 2 channel audio.

H9

deucekazoo

That is one thing I noticed being around here for about a year, is that Emotiva does not get too much love. I could be wrong but that is the feeling I get.
I think their amps are great. I have had the XPA-1s and they were beasts. I ran them with my MMG speakers and loved the sound. The comment about them not so good for refined 2 channel audio is wrong in my opinion. They are very neutral amps. But like everything in audio, its personal taste. Are there better amps? Sure but how much do you want to spend. Give them a shot, I don't think you will be disappointed.

deucekazoo

I forgot to mention, right now I am running the Emotiva X-100 with my M7s and the sound is great. Its the smallest amp they make.

Rex81

Well made, very high value. Excellent for refined 2 channel audio.

Rex81

I'll add that Emotiva seems to get more love on other forums.

heiney9

You get what you pay for. I think some of you who think Emotiva is fantastic have never heard a really fine amp. Of course we all have different level of compromise and different views as to what sounds good.

It's fine, nothing special. Hits a price point and not great for a really serious 2 channel rig.

H9

afterburnt

Their whole line has been revamped from what I have seen but iknow nothing about them. I have a few of their older amps and they are decent. I am running a pair of the xpa1ls and they are doig a fine job.

Rex81

I think the issue is that "refined" and "really serious" are subjective. Your "refined" is different than mine. Your standards are likely a lot higher than mine. I'm not willing to spend outrageous money for an amp, and neither are a lot of other people. They want great sound and if they can get a good value, all the better. Emotiva offers great sound, great built quality for a good deal less than the competition. More sound per dollar. I think they're a sweet spot in hi-fi.

So a lot of people would feel they can build a really serious 2 channel rig with an Emotiva amp. Some may not.

Then there's all the evidence out there showing that even the most experienced audiophiles can't ever tell the difference between amps of similar specs in double blind comparisons regardless of whether they're $200 or $20,000, but that's a different topic.

boston1450

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boston1450

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heiney9

Rex81 wrote: »

I think the issue is that "refined" and "really serious" are subjective. Your "refined" is different than mine. Your standards are likely a lot higher than mine. I'm not willing to spend outrageous money for an amp, and neither are a lot of other people. They want great sound and if they can get a good value, all the better. Emotiva offers great sound, great built quality for a good deal less than the competition. More sound per dollar. I think they're a sweet spot in hi-fi.

So a lot of people would feel they can build a really serious 2 channel rig with an Emotiva amp. Some may not.

Then there's all the evidence out there showing that even the most experienced audiophiles can't ever tell the difference between amps of similar specs in double blind comparisons regardless of whether they're $200 or $20,000, but that's a different topic.

That's fine, except I didn't pay outrageous money for my amp, so the $$$ scenario really doesn't hold water.

A nice Pass amp can be gotten for less than $2500. Certainly a bit more than Emotiva, but certainly not OUTRAGEOUS. I just use this as one singular example. There are many other examples out there as well.

More sound per $$$ doesn't make a great sounding 2 channel rig.

The best thing for the OP is to get your ears on them and decide for yourself. You are going to get all kinds of suggestions and outrageous comparisons and flawed logic, etc, etc.

I've said my piece and I'm not getting into a difference of opinion and the flawed nonsense and absolutes that ensue in threads like this.

Try it, if you like it................rock on.

H9

slbenz

I used to own a XPA-5 that replaced my Parasound HCA-1205A 5 channel amp. The Emotiva was neutral and had a more upfront sound stage than the Parasound that it replaced. Very well built and ran much cooler than my Parasound. I would recommend Emotiva.

nooshinjohn

I'm selling popcorn for 50 cents a bag...

ken brydson

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I'm selling popcorn for 50 cents a bag...

polkfarmboy

I have heard alot of equipment over the past few years and have spoken on the phone to many audio lovers. I think what Emotiva is doing is a good thing with their amps. They are introducing many new members into the audio comunity with a decent well built amp with a very good warranty.

Its not that Emo is garbage but its the users opinions on audio is garbage. I have had 4 Emotiva come through my door and they are not something that has mixed well with higher end components. If your on a budget and need massive amounts of power then they fit the the bill. The main reason I would encourage a first time user to get one is the resale value because once your tastes become a little more refined then your going to have no trouble shifting it on the used marked when stepping up to a higher end component.

pitdogg2

Rex81 wrote: »

Then there's all the evidence out there showing that even the most experienced audiophiles can't ever tell the difference between amps of similar specs in double blind comparisons regardless of whether they're $200 or $20,000, but that's a different topic.

That is one BOLD statement.....

If you go and listen to very good gear you CAN tell...its all in the dynamics.

Hey I have a Carver TFM 45 it has been rebuilt to the max and has some film caps in critical areas. It sounds 100% better that it did new, but let me tell you I could tell right away when I put it in the chain and compared it to a Ayre amp at 1/2 the wattage the Ayre just blew it away it all aspects.

mikeyb128

They get rave reviews due to the fact they are priced decently, and have a warranty. They pair ok with speakers in there price point. The fact is you can get a much better amp on the used market for the money. People see "new" and "warranty" and the price and flock towards it, and give high praise. I've owned emotiva and I liked it for a while, and it was a good amp to dip my feet in the seperates water. Then I matured in this hobby, my ears and Tastes became for refined.

There is better out there, many members on here have as much experience in this hobby as I am old.

pitdogg2

nooshinjohn wrote: »

I'm selling popcorn for 50 cents a bag...

if you have beer also DEAL

trj

Depends on what you are looking for at what price point, what gear you are trying to drive, what is your taste.
I'd personally go for outlaw audio amplifiers than the emotiva. I will probably buy outlaw audio 5000 for HT purpose. Just saying.

[Deleted User]

I don't know PFB, ignore who you want but I'm not ready to write Rex off that easy.
He parroted an outrageous comment. So what.

I still have the Emo pre in my system as it ties HT and 2 channel together nicely.
It is neutral sounding. Some would say too lean. So, I've been out there trying to
find a replacement pre that has the flexibility the Emo does and have come up short.
I was looking at a Sim Audio and other than no sub X-over it fits the bill. Three
times as much used. Oh and the complaint is people find it too lean.

Getting back on point, the Emo amps I've heard and used have no richness in the
bottom end and they don't have the detail. Deadly combo.

F1nut

Gunther16 wrote: »

Been reading a lot about the Emotiva amplifiers. What is the communities opinion of these? Anyone have experiences they'd like to share?

Try the search feature next time.

afterburnt

Nothing funny about that

nguyendot

I think it's what your expectations are. For the money, Emotiva is pretty decent. Is there a higher level out there? Sure. But dollar for dollar, especially new - Emotiva is not terrible. I just picked up an XPA5 and it seems great. I swapped it in and out with my Sunfire 200x5 and it holds its own fine. Is it on the level with my Rotel? No, but it does very well considering.

ledhed

I picked up two of their XPA-100 amps to drive my recent acquisition of LSi9 (with Vr3's Fortress crossovers). For what I paid, I'm exceedingly happy. The general consensus is that they are bright and admittedly, I found the top end harsh when hooked up to my old RT5's.

I went with them because I knew I needed gobs of stable power, I was in a hurry and didn't want to wait to find a used Parasound 1200 or 1500, and I got a great price.

I've experienced a good amount of their gear and have always thought the performance and quality far surpassed the cost. I own their Stealth DC-1 DAC (great piece of gear), UMC-200, and their Little Ego portable DAC in addition to the amps. I'm happy with all of it.

I'm not one of their ravenous fanboys that thinks anything more expensive is useless but do think the product far out-punches its price class. For Home Theater use, I'd likely look no further than their products. For music, I'd avoid pairing them with a bright speaker (Emo + Klipsch would likely lead me to buying Excedrin in bulk).

If you're wanting one of their current Gen2 Amps, you'd better hurry up and grab one - they're selling off their remaining stock before the Gen3 Class-H stuff is sold (at higher prices).

cfrizz

So basically the bottom line is, try it out for yourself and form your own opinion. Which is true for all of audio.

[Deleted User]

So there you have it OP. Now on to speaker cable...

Nightfall

rednedtugent wrote: »

So there you have it OP. Now on to speaker cable...

Coat hangers. Now on to power cables and regeneration...

RandyCroissant

Dskip how would the Ampino do with SDA 2 B TL modded? I wish there was a way to hook one up and test drive it in my rig.

[Deleted User]

Well, if they are Monster or Rocketfish you are golden.
NOW vinyl .vs. Hi res digital...

Nightfall wrote: »

rednedtugent wrote: »

So there you have it OP. Now on to speaker cable...

Coat hangers. Now on to power cables and regeneration...

Nightfall

rednedtugent wrote: »

Well, if they are Monster or Rocketfish you are golden.
NOW vinyl .vs. Hi res digital...

Both. High resolution digital for the black background and superior channel separation, vinyl for the fun/experience and organic sound.