Emotiva UPA-7 question

alphaone

I have 2 LSi15 front, and and 1 LSiC center. I will be getting 4 more speakers for the rest, maybe 2 LSi F/X and 2 LSi9.
I am thinking of getting the Emotiva UPA-7. They say 185W per channel, 7 channels completely stable into 4 ohms loads.
Does this amp have enough power for these speakers?
And where can I find used amps?
Thank you

Kex

alphaone wrote: »

I have 2 LSi15 front, and and 1 LSiC center. I will be getting 4 more speakers for the rest, maybe 2 LSi F/X and 2 LSi9.
I am thinking of getting the Emotiva UPA-7. They say 185W per channel, 7 channels completely stable into 4 ohms loads.
Does this amp have enough power for these speakers?
And where can I find used amps?
Thank you

Having tried the LPA-1, which is almost identical to the UPA-7, with easy to drive 8 ohm speakers, I would suggest that whereas the UPA-7 will probably avoid any problems such as potential damage to your 4 ohm LSi speakers, it will almost certainly not drive them properly. The LSi15 and LSi9 are probably the hardest to drive of the series (the LSi7 and LSi25 should be easier). In fact, in my opinion, there are almost certainly amplifiers out there with even lower w/ch ratings that will drive those speakers significantly better than the UPA-7.

If you want to be safe, there are some around here that will suggest you must have a minimum of 200w/ch (8 ohm rating) to be certain that you will have enough power (most famously, cfrizz). You'll have to decide for yourself if you think that is an appropriate restriction on your choices or not. There are others that will tell you that a watt is not always just a watt.

Used amps are frequently for sale right here in the CP Flea Market, or AudiogoN, eBay and craigslist.com. The first two choices are the easiest to use. The second two require a lot more care IMO.

apphd

alphaone, I have a LPA1 which does ok for me, but I'm not asking much of it.
I have never tried to drive a full set up of LSi speakers, but as Kex has said there are many members here that have, and almost all would say the same. So I would have to agree with Kex and say you should consider something with more power. The UPA1 will work, and I don't think you need to worry about any damage, just you may not hear what the speakers are really capable of.

Early B.

The UPA-7 shouldn't have any problems at all driving the Lsi series.

alphaone

xcapri79 wrote: »

I originally used a LPA-1 with my front LSi25's, LSiC, surr. LSi15's, rear surr. LSiC and found it's limit in a large room.
I was so happy to get power back after hurricane Gustav that I let celebrated with loud multi-channel sound with the doors open. That amp was pushed to its limit.

I subsequently upgraded to the XPA-5 and would recommend it instead of the UPA-7. I kept the LPA-1 to drive the LSiFX surrounds and CSi5 back surround in my master bedroom system where it doesn't get cranked up as loud. I use the XPA-3 for the front LSi15's and CsiA6 center there.

So if you are considering Emotiva, I would recommend the higher output amps for use with the LSi's, particularly if your room is large and you like it loud.

My room is 12ft X 21ft. I don't like to go over about 85 dB.

Kex

alphaone wrote: »

My room is 12ft X 21ft. I don't like to go over about 85 dB.

That is reference level, and not many people listen that loud, but I do very frequently, in a room of similar dimensions, and for movies especially (more like 75dB for music). I get far more dynamics, a vast improvement in bass output from my speakers (very accurate bass), and far more detail in surround effects from my current, 2 ohm capable receiver, than I ever did from the LPA-1 ... and the "puny" receiver is only rated 70w/ch, so there are none of the bloated claims that are more usually found.

I know that this is a thorny debate, but it seems to me, from my limited yet careful experience, that all watts are not created equal, and expecting "x" w/ch to solve all issues may be akin to saying that any car with at least 300 bhp is going to be fabulous. There may be a lot more to a good driving car, or a good driving amp, than just that ... especially since, in the case of the amp, there is no industry standard that must be applied to determine how they measure their specifications, or what claims they publish. So I wouldn't advocate "shopping for watts" per se.

The only real test that I trust is when I listen to something for myself, with my speakers, in my room, with my preferred music and movies. Everything else is just hype and noise. That's my opinion, and you're welcome to it !