Emotiva Story.

metal83

The XPA-3 was my first Amp as well. It definitely made a difference over an AVR. Watching movies sounds great, but 2 channel music on the other hand, seems to leave something to be desired. I "need" to try one of those Sunfire amps, and as soon as i can find one worth buying (price and condition wise), i'll be all over it. But like i said in another post, i'll have to sell my XPA-3 to do so, not sure how easy that's going to be.

Toolfan66

Me too, I would still like to audition an ADCOM, And ROTEL AS WELL.

heiney9

vmaxer wrote: »

heiney9,

I appreciate your input as I do all of the others. I hope I haven't caused problems or issues of any kind between any members here.



I have a Parasound HCA1000A coming (bought used) I plan to compare it to the Emotiva.

hainey9, what is your opinion of the Parasound?? Do you have any experience with them??

I appreciate everyone's input on the and really want to hear from people who have heard an Emo and can report how they compare to others they have listened to.

I can't go with the very best or expensive amp such as the $83,000.00 suggestion earlier and I seriously doubt that most here could.

Comparing the same logic to speakers: there are much more expensive speakers out there than Polk and I'm sure some are much better but I am happy with the Polks. I am trying to do the same thing with the amp decision; I probably won't end up with the best amp, but hopefully I will get the best one possible for my money.

:)Thanks to everyone again!!:)

And along the way we may reach the big 1000:eek:

Look this is just one person's opinion.......mine. I'm truly not trying to run anyone's gear or choices into the ground. I know there is better than what I own too. I just feel that all the praise isn't exactly warranted because I have heard amps (used) that cost 1/2 of an Emo that I feel are more musical, etc.

My best advice vmaxer is to try and compare as much gear as possible. I would choose the Parasound over the Emo w/o even hearing it. Parasound has a great rep and a signature sound which many prefer. But, the only way to know for sure and be confident with your own choice is to compare them in your own environment.

Also all those that are content with their choices......just enjoy. Audio is a journey so experience as much as you can if that's your thing.

Now, I know it's early but I want some PIE

H9

moe

vmaxer wrote: »

heiney9,

I appreciate your input as I do all of the others. I hope I haven't caused problems or issues of any kind between any members here.

To explain from my point of view: As I've stated earlier in the post I have only used receivers in the past, and have never owned an amp. I have been into Polk speakers for several years and have been happy with their products and their great customer service. None of my friends have amps, the closest thing is a Bose system ( I won't go there ) This means I really don't have a baseline except for the Onkyo receivers I've used. The Emotiva does sound better than what I have had. On a couple of occasions I have gotten up to turn off my subs when listening to 2 channe sacd's to find they weren't on. I even unplugged them to be sure. I have never had as much sound or bass coming from the RT55i's. I KNOW the amp is a step up for me, but maybe not the best direction. I have only had it a couple days so I still can return it if I need to.

I have a Parasound HCA1000A coming (bought used) I plan to compare it to the Emotiva.

hainey9, what is your opinion of the Parasound?? Do you have any experience with them??

I appreciate everyone's input on the and really want to hear from people who have heard an Emo and can report how they compare to others they have listened to.

I can't go with the very best or expensive amp such as the $83,000.00 suggestion earlier and I seriously doubt that most here could.

Comparing the same logic to speakers: there are much more expensive speakers out there than Polk and I'm sure some are much better but I am happy with the Polks. I am trying to do the same thing with the amp decision; I probably won't end up with the best amp, but hopefully I will get the best one possible for my money.

:)Thanks to everyone again!!:)

And along the way we may reach the big 1000:eek:

Sorry about the Boulder confusion,I only mentioned it as a good way to not have too many saying how it don't cost enough to be good blah blah....I suppose someone would come along and tell us how they are overpriced for what you get.The Boulder would be ridiculous to hook to any Polk,as Polks are about the same as Emotiva,good product,great price.You sound like a nice level headed guy,I think your own opinion would have plenty value,just as much to your ears as any knowitall.

I've had a few Parasound amps1205 and 1500 (I think it was),very nice amps for the money,maybe bested my Rotel 1075 and 1080(which were also good)I don't think the 1000 is up to the same standard but hard to believe it would not be pretty good.It's too bad we can't do a blind test for everyone that said this amp sounds so much better than that,I think we'd all get a good laugh and learn more than every word in this thread.Good luck

Also,just remember the reason bose is so popular to the masses is WORDS,what people think,not performance,ahh the power of words.I'm just as happy with my Emo amp as most any I've owned,which is many,many amps,over many,many years,and I need no confirmation.

metal83

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

Me too, I would still like to audition an ADCOM, And ROTEL AS WELL.

I've been seeing some Adcoms pretty cheap on Audiogon. And there is a nice Rotel in the classifieds as we speak.

Toolfan66

metal83 wrote: »

The XPA-3 was my first Amp as well. It definitely made a difference over an AVR. Watching movies sounds great, but 2 channel music on the other hand, seems to leave something to be desired. I "need" to try one of those Sunfire amps, and as soon as i can find one worth buying (price and condition wise), i'll be all over it. But like i said in another post, i'll have to sell my XPA-3 to do so, not sure how easy that's going to be.

I want to be first on that list, My brother-n-law wants one.

metal83

TOOLFORLIFEFAN wrote: »

I want to be first on that list, My brother-n-law wants one.

I'll give you first dibs on it.

vmaxer

hainey9 - I didn't take it as you trying to run anyting into the ground, I want to hear all opinions, good or bad. This is a learning experience for me, I truly appreciate all feedback. It is tough to now what is good, better, or best when you have nothing to compare to. Why would I not want to listen to people who have listened to many amps and are willing to share their knowledge??

Moe, I am level headed most of the time, when I chew tobacco the juice runs out both sides of my mouth pretty even.:cool:

vmaxer

Moe, which mo do you have??

mmadden28

a_mattison wrote: »

It was the XPA-5 on my 2-channel system. I wasn't terribly impressed myself. Maybe it was a gear synergy issue, but the amp seemed to compress the dynamics and play everything loud and the soundstage sucked back into the speakers. To me it was as if we started playing MP3's instead of HDCD.

I wasn't a big fan, but at the same time, the XPA-5 probably sounds awesome to somebody who is making the move from an AVR. I agree with Brocks comments regarding pricepoint, underwhelmingness, etc.....

Thanks for the response.
Sorry for the long reply here...:o

I have the XPA-5 on my HT rig and I think it sounds great. Granted I can't really compare it much to other HT amps, but I can pick out when something sounds like crap to my ears, and whether or not the end result is satisfying or not. I try very hard to not deceive myself into hearing an improvement when making a change in my gear. I expect the change, if any, to be reproducible and demonstratable(?) to others. Additionally, if it doesn't sound right to me, I'll admit it. I won't ignore it because I spent money on the gear.

When I first put the XPA-5 in the mix I originally wasn't wowed, especially for music (2 ch or MC). It certainly sounded better but I expected more. Then again I also heard many reports of the RTi series sounding bright (esp for certain styles of music) and that is one of the things that I attributed my lack of satisfaction to. Another factor I considered was that my room is not acoustically ideal.

It was some time later and a few little changes here and there that really made a difference, such as changing the speaker positions just slightly, running a new dedicated AC line, upgrading a power cord here and there, etc. I am not sure what one change made a difference or if it were several, but now I think it sounds awesome. Watching TV has taken on a whole new level, even commercials sounds good (my wife keeps giving me the impatient evil eye every time I stop to watch one ) I am expecting even more improvement when I finally replace my interconnects and speaker cables. Even my wife finally admits its sounds good.

I am still not completely happy with respect to certain music styles (metal, etc.) and I still feel that is because of the bright sounding RTi's (the same sounds much better on my LSi9s when on this amp). Other music sounds pretty damn good (Dire Straits, classical, The Who, Dylan, etc) esp in MC. Real damn good.

I bought the XPA-2 because the reviews indicated that it was a different animal than the other XPA series. Another level and much more geared toward music. The XPA-1 (differential ref mono) and the RPA series (class H) are other higher levels in the lineup even more geared toward musicality than the XPA-2. The XPA-3 and XPA-5 are, in fact, primarily geared towards HT use and many have said the same even on Emotiva's forum. So there are several levels of amps to choose from. Even Polk has several levels of speakers, from the low end to the high end of the lines. I have a pair of Polk Computer speakers-I think they are about 5 inches tall--They sound awful next to my RTi12's, but I don't dismiss/rate the entire brand based on one product from a lineup.

I haven't done any organized critical listening with all the amps and ICs, and power cables, etc. against each other, but in one session, I had a hard time distinguishing much of a difference between the XPA-2 and the Odyssey Khartago Extreme SE. Maybe I don't have the 'ear' or maybe I don't know what to listen for or maybe my gear is not all setup right, or perhaps maybe they are actually similar--Of course I am still collecting my source gear and music, so my subjective judgment is reserved. I also have a Carver, an NHT, and a Cambridge to play with still. I've been buying different amps in an effort to see if I can in fact hear a difference or not.

I do not consider myself a fan-boy. I like to keep my mind open and remain impartial and open to change and not base my decisions on either fanboy comments, or naysayers alike. If somebody were to demonstrate to me that one amp was totally better than another amp and it was enough to really wow me and within a reasonable budget, I'd consider changing my gear. I'm not stuck on any one brand or style (SS, tube, hybrid)

If the opportunity ever comes up to allow others to audition the amps I have, I am open to it as well. This means that if I have somebody over, I'll move the amps around the house, or I'll pack the amp(s) in the car and bring them with me, I'm game for it. I am always looking to hear what others subjectively have to say, esp on gear and rooms different than my own.

Everything is subjective and I agree that synergy (the rest of the gear and the room) is key.

v/r
Madden

vmaxer

mmadden28, Is the XPA2 better/worsr than the XPA3?? I have considered getting it for the front left and right if it is better for 2 channel music?? It seems you have a lot of experience in different amps so what is your favorite one thus far??

ND13

How has this thread devolved into a discussion about Emotiva products?:rolleyes: I mean, come on, let's keep it on the subject already.

Let's get it back on track before it hits 800 posts.

heiney9

xcapri79 wrote: »

That is what the Emotiva story is all about. They are so similar to Polk Audio, which we all love, cause that's why we are here.

Emo is NOTHING like Polk Audio................not even close. :rolleyes:

I want some PIE

Boston Creme sounds good.

ND13

xcapri79 wrote: »

That is what the Emotiva story is all about. They are so similar to Polk Audio, which we all love, cause that's why we are here.

UUMMMKAAY!!!!:rolleyes:

mmadden28

vmaxer wrote: »

mmadden28, Is the XPA2 better/worsr than the XPA3?? I have considered getting it for the front left and right if it is better for 2 channel music?? It seems you have a lot of experience in different amps so what is your favorite one thus far??

I haven't done my side by side comparisons between the XPA-2 and the XPA-5 (essentially the same as the XPA-3) yet, but the XPA-2 is built/engineered differently than the XPA-3/5 and is rated and has been reviewed many times as being much better suited for music. However if I were to mix it up with Emo amps, I would put the XPA-2 ahead of the XPA 3. The only problem with using the XPA-2 for the mains in a HT setup is the Center channel which is just as important, if not more so, than the R & L. But I've heard about many satisfied people using an XPA-2 on the mains and an XPA-3 or XPA-5 to fill out the rest.

Sorry I can't provide anything more definitive at this time. Check out the reviews at Emotivalounge.com. You will actually still find some unbiased reviews adn thorough reviews there.

By the way, I don't have a lot of experience with a lot of different amps yet, I just have a few that I have yet to do proper comparisons between (just been too busy). I expect to though gain more insight as I continue my audio journey.

Sorry to take the thread off topic, back to the banter. ;)

F1nut

Poo nuggets.

Disc Jockey

heiney9 wrote: »

Boston Creme sounds good.

Just bought one from the Dutch bakery for my wife's b-day. Come on over!

Kex

ND13 wrote: »

... Let's get it back on track before it hits 800 posts.

Too late! The next one will do it!

metal83

800!

That Boston Creme Pie sounds nice....;)

ben62670

Well my buddy Jerry has an EMO 5 channel amp. He is using 2 channels to drive a pair of tweeters only. The tweeters are 4ohms with an RE of 2.9 The EMO goes into protection driving them to high volumes. My Adcom's never skipped a beat. I can't recommend Emo's 5 channel amps for 4ohm speakers if they can't handle driving a pair of tweeters properly:( LSI owners should consider used Adcom or Parasound for amps.

metal83

ben62670 wrote: »

Well my buddy Jerry has an EMO 5 channel amp. He is using 2 channels to drive a pair of tweeters only. The tweeters are 4ohms with an RE of 2.9 The EMO goes into protection driving them to high volumes. My Adcom's never skipped a beat. I can't recommend Emo's 5 channel amps for 4ohm speakers if they can't handle driving a pair of tweeters properly:( LSI owners should consider used Adcom or Parasound for amps.

That sucks!
But in all honesty I can't say i'm surprised. My XPA-5 was faulty out of the box so I sent it back.
And there has been a rash of people with issues over on the Emotiva Lounge.

Kex

heiney9 wrote: »

Look this is just one person's opinion.......mine. I'm truly not trying to run anyone's gear or choices into the ground. I know there is better than what I own too. I just feel that all the praise isn't exactly warranted because I have heard amps (used) that cost 1/2 of an Emo that I feel are more musical, etc. ...

This was my sentiment exactly, after I tried Emotiva. It's only my opinion, but it seems to seriously annoy some people every time I mention it, even when I point out that I only tried the LPA-1, not the XPA series.

Nonetheless, if you read the Audioholics review of the LMC-1 & LPA-1, which I owned brieflly, it describes exactly what most people expect to hear from their first step up to amplifiers ... not to mention a dedicated processor.

http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-ultra-theater-series/?searchterm=Emotiva.

Nowhere does it suggest that the 125w/ch is too little to really make a difference with some speakers, IIRC (I'm not going to read it all over again). The whole logic is that this betters much more expensive equipment and that the power output is phenomenal. I tried exactly this combination, for $800 I think at the time. It seemed cheap, but did not perform anywhere close to the lofty description in that review. Audioholics also rated build quality & finish a maximum five, which I still do not think is at all true.

At the time, I decided that something else was probably to blame in my system: either cables or source player or whatever. But then, just last year, I got the same superb bass results described by vmaxer, with four RT55 (almost identical to his RT55i) and a CS400 center, including being able to turn off the subwoofer completely and be surprised at just how much punchy and controlled bass could be thumped out of the RT55. The bass, along with the extra detail and superb dynamics, all came from a NAD receiver rated a lowly 70w/ch. The NAD currently sells at $500, including shipping, from spearitsound.com. Even if I were able to get the same results from a UPA-7 (unlikely IMO, since it's too similar to the LPA-1) or XPA-5, that would still make the NAD the better bargain for me, and most likely for others with similar tastes, equipment and priorities.

If those results can be obtained, with these efficient speakers, from a decent AVR, then why would people such as me spend $600-1,000 on an amplifier when that money might be better spent on a subwoofer upgrade, for example (which is exactly what I did)? Now why does it annoy people when I post this sort of thing? Have I some evil reason to want to mislead them and bash Emotiva? Hype is not always a true refelection of reality, and not just for Emotiva.

Kex

xcapri79 wrote: »

That is what the Emotiva story is all about. They are so similar to Polk Audio, which we all love, cause that's why we are here.

That's a pretty bold statement, and quite untrue IMO, despite my limited knowledge of Polk. I think I know what you were trying to say (something to do with good performance & great value perhaps, combined with great customer service?), but that is to dismiss some of the technical genius of Mr. Polk when he invented such things as the Stereo Dimensional Array that many here still rave about ... or still aspire to own one day. It seems to me that Emotiva builds its success on manufacturing processes (owning a factory in China) combined with the Internet Direct model of AV123, not by inventing anything new to the world of audio with innovative technical genius.

comfortablycurt

xcapri79 wrote: »

That is what the Emotiva story is all about. They are so similar to Polk Audio, which we all love, cause that's why we are here.

Blasphemy.

heiney9

xcapri79 wrote: »

Today, I would discount the SDA success of Polk's past. It was great for history and advertising, but is not relevent today just as the Super Bowls won with Joe Montana are not relevent to the SF 49ers of today. The past was the past. Just look at GM and Ford.

What a load of crap! Have you ever even heard SDA's?

MikeC78

SDA's are relevant to Polk success today, they are still using SDA technology in todays current line-up.

ben62670

EMO has decent sound with easy to drive speakers. They don't have balls to the wall power for better gear.
Ben

MikeC78

You need to go back and look at the "Products" tab in the upper left hand corner. There is a lot more than just the Soundbar, keep looking...

shack

xcapri79 wrote:

Did you completely read the thread?
SDA's are not relevent to Polk's success today!
They are part of Polk Audio's history.
Now if Polk brings them back with some modernization, well that is a different story, but they haven't yet.
What has Polk done recently? Any better than Emotiva?
Please read the thread before responding.

:rolleyes:

SDA is part of the lineage of Polk and many purchase Polk products because of that past. SDA technology exists today in the excellent surroundbar (to answer what has Polk done lately). Polk also has the new line of DSW microPro subs, the LCi IP in-walls as well as many inovations in their latest lineup of speakers. EMO has NOTHING on Polk technology and inovation.

MikeC78

Ok, that's all that matters... you are happy with it. Moreover, I really don't know why you are spouting of garbage about Polk, there is really no comparison to each other. Really bad analogy...

Now can we go back to eating PIE now?:)