Okay to mix Emotiva amps? (XPA-3, UPA-7)

BjornB17

I was consiering to get dual UPA-7's to bire wire my entire setup but i've decided to use FXi3s for the four surrounds in place of the RTi4s i originally planned. The FXi3's are not bi-amp capable. With that in mind, only the front 3 mains (RTi10 and CSi5) will be biamped.

Would i be better off getting a UPA-7 AND an XPA-3? The UPA-7 would power the highs in the front 3 speakers and the full range of the 4 surrounds. The XPA-3 would be used to power the lows on the front 3 speakers.

My understanding is that the XPA line is of better quality and more powerful so I figured I would be better off using a higher quality amp of the same price for this bi-amp project.

Is it bad to mix-and-match two amps from different lines?

SolidSqual

Yes, the sound is very different between the two amps. Not to mention the XPA is a better sounding amp. It should be on the highs if anything. Bad Bad idea.

BjornB17

So Dual XPA-5's it is? I pretty much need 10 channels of amplification (3 front speakers bi-amped = 6 channels, then 4 channels for the rear). 2 XPA-5's would give 10 channels.

For $150 it's probably worth it if the sound is considerably better. Or are the RTi's not good enough for this to be worthwhile?

curved

Or just get one MPS-2. IMO, I don't think you need to bi-amp any rears unless you plan on listening to 7-channel stereo.

BjornB17

i just checked out the MPS-2. Apparantly its modular and i can have up to 14 monoblocks installed. that would be good for future upgrades if needed. It looks like the end price is higher but the good thing is that I wont have to make space for two units. maybe i'll get the MPS-2 chasis with 3 200-watt modules to get me going.

BjornB17

but at a weight of 115+ lbs it will probably break my component rack. i think the bottom shelf is rated at 75 lb :eek:

mmadden28

Aside from any possible SQ issues-There are concerns with Gain. Some amps have a different gain across different models and brands. It could affect how the volume increases between the amps. An amp with a higher gain will increase in volume faster than the lower gain unit--in some cases may not be noticeabel-but I can't imaginge it being desireable. If you were still considering both Emo amps--I would ask that question to Lonnie at Emotiva-He would know best-he would also be able to tell you if they are a good match for each other sonically.
I know that the XPA-2 and the XPA-5 have been recommended for each other even though they have different underlying builds, while the XPA-3 and XPA-5 are the same.

But personally I would pay more attention to the front 3 speakers and less to the rears as far as Bi-Amping. Like curved said, unless you're running full size speakers all around and planning to do some serious multichannel audio listening (all channel stereo)...Bi-amping your rears is likely unnecessary.

Otherwise if you really need 10 channels for whatever-2 XPA-5s is not a bad idea - IMHO.

BjornB17

thanks for the input. at this point in definately putting aside the idea of biamping the surrounds. Sending 200 watts to a tweeter doesnt seem like a good use of wattage since the tweeter will only use a small fraction of that anyway.

i'm mainly leanding towards 2x XPA-5's now. Bi-amping the fronts and single-amping the backs will provide a max of 400 W to all 3 fronts and 200 watts to each of the surrounds. That's a bit above the max wattage rating of those speakers and probably more than i'll ever need anyway.

for the time being, my AVR-140 is having a tough time playing the RTi setup even at moderate levels. The display and halo on the HK receiver starts to flicker once the speakers start getting to the "loud" level. Even though i can't hear it, i imagine the receiver must be sending a clipped signal. I better hurry up and get separate amps

mmadden28

I know its probably irrelevant at this point but--here's a link to the Emotiva Amps comparison chart. Note the UPA-7 has a gain of 29dBs, and the XPA series is 32dB. Might not be much and might not even be noticeable, the other specs all appear pretty close but...

Hey you know the Labor Day sale just ended yesterday at Emotiva-perhaps if you make your decision and talk real real nice to the staff....couldn't hurt.

mmadden28

BjornB17 wrote: »

but at a weight of 115+ lbs it will probably break my component rack. i think the bottom shelf is rated at 75 lb :eek:

Holy Crap! :eek: I just saw that. The XPAs are beasts at ~70lbs, I can't imagine hauling that beast-it really needs to come on casters or at least with its own pallet jack.

SolidSqual

mmadden28 wrote: »

Holy Crap! :eek: I just saw that. The XPAs are beasts at ~70lbs, I can't imagine hauling that beast-it really needs to come on casters or at least with its own pallet jack.

Don't be a wimp.

BjornB17

Why am I buying 2 of these??? lol

nm4710

I have RTi10's and a CSi5. I've tried quiet a few different amps and configurations (including bi-amping via an LPA-1, a few 200wpc amps bi and mono-amp'd). Didn't notice any difference with the RTi10's bi-amp'd vs single-amp'd via the LPA-1. None. Nada. Zip. Zero. Auditioned in a 25ftx12ftx10ft room at 70-95dB. Your results may vary, but mine suggest that an LPA-1 or UPA-7 will be more than enough to drive all 7 channels.

The RTi line's greatest feature is it's value. Sinking nearly $2k into amplification really negates that aspect of 'em. If the money is just burning a hole in your pocket...why not sink it into better speakers? I own the RTi's and love 'em..but if I could I'd get the LSi's in a heartbeat. I still think a UPA-7 could drive them to satisfaction. Just my $.02 as an RTi-owner who has enjoyed the speaks for a year and gone through almost a dozen amps now (luckily only had to pay for 4 of 'em).

Sami

BjornB17 wrote: »

for the time being, my AVR-140 is having a tough time playing the RTi setup even at moderate levels.

These a Carver AV405 on the Flea Market that would help out, even if you just used it for the front channels. It's a great value IMHO (no, I'm not the seller).

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=71531