Any Emotiva owners?

Driver_King
Driver_King Posts: 266
edited November 2009 in Vintage Speakers
I know Emotiva is popular with other Polk speakers but I don't think I've heard anybody pairing Emotiva amps with their SDA's. I've been drooling over an XPA-2 for my SDA II's. Not just due to the fact that I can give my SDA's their maximum recommended power of 500 watts, but due to the reviews I've heard. I read about someone who used to have an Adcom amp who upgraded to the XPA-2 and said it is unfair to compare the two. He also said he did a head to head comparison with a Rotel amplifier but the XPA-2 was much more likeable. I think I'm sold on the XPA-2 idea, especially considering what I'd be coming from.:eek::p Anyways, are there any SDA and Emotiva owners out there?:D
Home Theater:

Onkyo TX-SR805
Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

Polk SDA II fronts
Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
Post edited by Driver_King on
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Comments

  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,463
    edited November 2009
    how about one of these...

    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1263299322&/Carver--Tfm-55x-THX-certified-

    Nothing wrong with Emotiva, but there may be some other choices out there that are better matched.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    That looks like it'd be a really good deal actually. Too bad it has a sale pending.:p Seriously though, I'm still open to other ideas. I was just wondering if anyone here had SDA's and an Emotiva.:)
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,224
    edited November 2009
    I have SDA's and Emotiva...but not hooked up together. The Emotiva is in the HT driving the LSi series. The SDA's are in the bedroom being driven by a Carver TFM-45. I'm not getting near optimal performance out of my SDA's because of their location, but they still sound great on the Carver. I've heard another members SDA's with a Carver in a better environment than mine and it's awesome.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    It seems that Carver amps are more popular with SDA's. Have you ever tried your Emotiva with your SDA's?
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,224
    edited November 2009
    Nope and probably never will. The 1C's are downstairs, the XPA-5 is upstairs and they're both too heavy to move around for the sake of testing the sound. Based on my setups I'd never leave them together even if it sounded great. Plus...I'm too lazy to do it even it I wanted to:D
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    Good point.:D How would you compare your Carver to your Emotiva? Sound wise do they compare? I know they're completely different speakers and environments but just from your experiences.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • PSOVLSK
    PSOVLSK Posts: 5,224
    edited November 2009
    I also have a Carver TFM 55 powering my LSi 15's and I think I prefer the Carver. As you said, different speakers in a different environment, but the Carver just seems to sound a little better. Can't really pinpoint why, it just seems a little more musical.

    I do like them both and don't plan on getting rid of any of the amps or speakers anytime soon.
    Things work out best for those who make the best of the way things work out.-John Wooden
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited November 2009
    Try a Moscode, bet it'll blow those amps listed above out of the water for those SDA's :D
    Truck setup
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    Phoenix Gold RSD65CS

    For Sale
    Polk SR6500
    Polk SR5250
    Polk SR104


    heiney9 wrote: »
    Any clue how to use the internet? Found it in about 10 sec.
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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited November 2009
    I heard an XPA-2 on a set of 1.2TLs. The owner sent the Emotiva back, if that tells you anything.

    It was powerful, it was loud, it was exciting. It was absolutely not a great setup for critical listening. If you just want to use your SDAs to play some really loud rock, go for it.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

    Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999

    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

    HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    concealer404 wrote: »
    I heard an XPA-2 on a set of 1.2TLs. The owner sent the Emotiva back, if that tells you anything.

    It was powerful, it was loud, it was exciting. It was absolutely not a great setup for critical listening. If you just want to use your SDAs to play some really loud rock, go for it.

    The 1.2TL's probably would have been better with XPA-1's since they are rated at 1k watts over 500 watts that the XPA-2's can provide. But what was so bad about critical listening? I've heard the opposite from many other people about how detail was noticeably improved over other amplifiers such as Adcom with the XPA-2. I'm not defending Emotiva or anything but I just want to make sure I make the right choice.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,463
    edited November 2009
    Driver_King wrote: »
    I'm not defending Emotiva or anything but I just want to make sure I make the right choice.
    It would appear opposite. The Emo forum is a great place to go for positive re-inforcement. Here you will find objective viewpoints. It is my view that if you want to try Emo, great, and there is nothing inherently wrong with them. It truly comes down to your own ears and nobody else's.

    Personally, I would go with a Sunfire Stereo Grand 300x2 or a set of Carver Silver 7t monoblocks for the same or nearly the same money.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited November 2009
    Driver_King wrote: »
    The 1.2TL's probably would have been better with XPA-1's since they are rated at 1k watts over 500 watts that the XPA-2's can provide. But what was so bad about critical listening? I've heard the opposite from many other people about how detail was noticeably improved over other amplifiers such as Adcom with the XPA-2. I'm not defending Emotiva or anything but I just want to make sure I make the right choice.

    Driver, you can't go by what anyone else says that THEY hear, you can only believe what your OWN ears tell you. You might love what you hear in a "critical" listening session. Or you might not.

    It's got a 30 day in home trial period, buy one & try it for yourself.
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    cfrizz wrote: »
    Driver, you can't go by what anyone else says that THEY hear, you can only believe what your OWN ears tell you. You might love what you hear in a "critical" listening session. Or you might not.

    It's got a 30 day in home trial period, buy one & try it for yourself.

    I would love to hear what the different amps sound like in my room. I may or may not like the XPA-2. I may like it but maybe I could have gotten something better for the money. I can't really know since there isn't anywhere around here where I could try out other amps. One of the best selling points is the 30 day in-home-trial. If it doesn't work out, I can return it. I would love to get a nice Carver amp as long as it doesn't break the bank.:D
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited November 2009
    I have Emo amps and while they are good they are entry level. They get the job done and were a very good step up in terms of what they did, but I know in the future I would be looking towards some McIntosh or Adcom possibly. I would give them a listen and see how you like em. Also you can find used Emo amps even cheaper than brand new and the warranty is transferable. Or the 30 day trial isn't a bad way to go either. Just listen and see what you like, if you like it good, if you don't, then get something else, only your ears can decide.
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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited November 2009
    concealer404 wrote: »
    I heard an XPA-2 on a set of 1.2TLs. The owner sent the Emotiva back, if that tells you anything.

    It was powerful, it was loud, it was exciting. It was absolutely not a great setup for critical listening. If you just want to use your SDAs to play some really loud rock, go for it.


    That was me that sent the XPA-2 back.

    I thought it was way to forward and edgy. And I could not get rid of sibilance. It was decent for what it was. But in the end. It was just a decent budget 2 channel amp IMO.

    I am a firm believer in quality watts over quantity.

    I had a Cambridge audio integrated with 70 watts a channel before the XPA. The Cambridge was 10 times more musical. I wished I kept it...

    YMMV.


    Nik
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  • nikolas812
    nikolas812 Posts: 2,915
    edited November 2009
    Driver_King wrote: »
    I would love to hear what the different amps sound like in my room. I may or may not like the XPA-2. I may like it but maybe I could have gotten something better for the money. I can't really know since there isn't anywhere around here where I could try out other amps. One of the best selling points is the 30 day in-home-trial. If it doesn't work out, I can return it. I would love to get a nice Carver amp as long as it doesn't break the bank.:D

    Thats if you feel like being out $100 just to try. They do not pay return shipping...





    Nik
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    I have a Technics SU-7300 integrated amplifier that provides 41 watts per channel at 8 ohms. I feel like I should connect that to see how it treats my SDA's. Would it be safe to do that?:D Any thoughts?
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited November 2009
    The 1.2TL's probably would have been better with XPA-1's since they are rated at 1k watts over 500 watts that the XPA-2's can provide.

    That's not how it works. I've heard 1.2TL's on considerably less than 500 wpc with stellar results.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    F1nut wrote: »
    That's not how it works. I've heard 1.2TL's on considerably less than 500 wpc with stellar results.

    I know that's not how it works. I was just saying the XPA-1 is a better amp than the XPA-2.
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited November 2009
    I was just saying the XPA-1 is a better amp than the XPA-2.

    I read your comment to say that the XPA-1 is better because it's rated at 1000 wpc verses 500 for the XPA-2 and for no other reason.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • snow
    snow Posts: 4,337
    edited November 2009
    cfrizz wrote: »
    Driver, you can't go by what anyone else says that THEY hear, you can only believe what your OWN ears tell you. You might love what you hear in a "critical" listening session. Or you might not.
    That is some of the best advice yet, None of us know what type of sound you prefer warm neutural forward etc. I have took the advice of friends before and been sadly dissapointed what sounded good to them did not to me.

    My suggestion is read as much as you can about a product that you are interested in to get a general feel for how it compares to others usally a pattern will emerge if you research it enough. If at all possible visit as many people as you can listen to their systems and go to as many audio stores as possible and listen to everything you can get your ears on to get an idea of how a particular amp and or brand sounds.

    Jesse is correct in saying that just because the asswhopper 2000 is rated at 2000wpc is no sign that it will sound better than a 50wpc amp.

    Also by buying an used Adcom Parasound Carver Sunfire etc most of these have depreciated as much as there going to and prices are pretty stable so if you purchase one and dont like it if you shop carefully you can re sell for little or no loss.

    Just my nickels worth :D

    REGARDS SNOW
    Well, I just pulled off the impossible by doing a double-blind comparison all by myself, purely by virtue of the fact that I completely and stupidly forgot what I did last. I guess that getting old does have its advantages after all :D
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,463
    edited November 2009
    snow wrote: »
    Also by buying an used Adcom Parasound Carver Sunfire etc most of these have depreciated as much as there going to and prices are pretty stable so if you purchase one and dont like it if you shop carefully you can re sell for little or no loss.

    REGARDS SNOW

    May even be able to make a couple extra bucks if you do your homework and buy them right.:)
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,753
    edited November 2009
    Hey buddy, I can get the asswhopper 2000 for $99.99 and it's called reference quality, so it has to be the best, right?
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • concealer404
    concealer404 Posts: 7,440
    edited November 2009
    nikolas812 wrote: »
    That was me that sent the XPA-2 back.

    I thought it was way to forward and edgy. And I could not get rid of sibilance. It was decent for what it was. But in the end. It was just a decent budget 2 channel amp IMO.

    I am a firm believer in quality watts over quantity.

    I had a Cambridge audio integrated with 70 watts a channel before the XPA. The Cambridge was 10 times more musical. I wished I kept it...

    YMMV.


    Nik


    I was hoping you'd chime in. :) I didn't want to say all that and make it sound like i was bagging your setup, because even with those gripes, it still was a step or two above mine. :D

    PS: Come and get these 7s!!!! :p Or just hang out, whatever suits your fancy.
    I don't read the newsssspaperssss because dey aaaallllllllll...... have ugly print.

    Living Room: B&K Reference 5 S2 / Parasound HCA-1000A / Emotiva XDA-2 / Pioneer BDP-51FD / Paradigm 11se MKiii

    Desk: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / ISK HD9999

    Office: Schiit Magni 2 Uber / Schiit Modi 2 Uber / Dynaco SCA-80Q / Paradigm Legend V.3

    HT: Denon AVR-X3400H / Sony UBP-X700 / RT16 / CS350LS / RT7 / SVS PB1000
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  • snow
    snow Posts: 4,337
    edited November 2009
    F1nut wrote: »
    Hey buddy, I can get the asswhopper 2000 for $99.99 and it's called reference quality, so it has to be the best, right?
    HeHe it should pair up nicely with "Digital Ready" speakers and some Monster Reference speaker cables :p




    REGARDS SNOW
    Well, I just pulled off the impossible by doing a double-blind comparison all by myself, purely by virtue of the fact that I completely and stupidly forgot what I did last. I guess that getting old does have its advantages after all :D
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  • Driver_King
    Driver_King Posts: 266
    edited November 2009
    F1nut wrote: »
    I read your comment to say that the XPA-1 is better because it's rated at 1000 wpc verses 500 for the XPA-2 and for no other reason.

    I understand where you guys are coming from completely. I'm not that oblivious.;):D

    Sometime later today I may get on that Technics amp. I didn't realize it was a Class A amplifier until I looked online again. :cool:
    Home Theater:

    Onkyo TX-SR805
    Behringer EP2500 for SDA's

    Polk SDA II fronts
    Polk Monitor 5Jr. surrounds
    Polk Monitor 4 back surrounds

    DIY A7-900 and DIY A3-300
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,463
    edited November 2009
    Driver_King wrote: »
    I understand where you guys are coming from completely. I'm not that oblivious.;):D

    Sometime later today I may get on that Technics amp. I didn't realize it was a Class A amplifier until I looked online again. :cool:

    I have a feeling this may very well be a great match with SDA's... try it before you buy anything else. I am anxious to hear the results...
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • wesouth
    wesouth Posts: 41
    edited November 2009
    Sounds like an amp I would end up with. :)
    My Setup:
    Front- Polk Monitor 70
    Center- Polk CS2
    Rear - Polk Monitor 70
    Subs - 2 Polk PSW505
    Receiver - Onkyo TX-SR707
    Amp - Emotiva XPA-5
    Zone 2 Speakers - Polk M40
    CD Player - Emotiva ERC-1
    Interconnects - Emo X-Series
    & Emo Ultra speaker cables
    additional components:
    Television - Samsung LN52B750
    Gaming Console - Microsoft XBox 360
    Media Center - Gaming Computer with Blue Ray Drive
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  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 5,205
    edited November 2009
    nikolas812 wrote: »
    ... I am a firm believer in quality watts over quantity.

    I had a Cambridge audio integrated with 70 watts a channel before the XPA. The Cambridge was 10 times more musical. I wished I kept it...
    This has totally been my experience also. I tried the 125w/ch Emotiva LPA-1, with the Emotiva LMC-1 pre, and I found that with my efficient Polk Audio setup (big speakers, but easy to drive) it was not an upgrade when compared to the modest harman/kardon AVR 147 rated at just 40w/ch (modest ratings, though, according to some reviews). Since then I replaced that with a NAD receiver rated at 70w/ch and that was a significant improvement, which the Emotiva was unable to deliver.

    The were several significant differences, including much bigger bass output from the actual speakers (not the subwoofer), much more musical sounding (much better detail IMO), and generally visibly better build quality IMO. I bought into the Emotiva hype, including stunning reviews from Audioholics, stellar reviews from users on the Emotiva forum and in the Emotiva Emotions thread on AVS, and even some strong recommendations here in Club Polk.

    If I were buying an amplifier today, I would look long and hard at the NAD T955 ($800) rather than the Emotiva XPA-5 (currently $700 + $25 shipping). Actually, I might not look either all that long, nor all that hard ...

    http://spearitsound.com/nad/T955.asp
    http://emotiva.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=4
    Alea jacta est!
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited November 2009
    Driver_King wrote: »
    The 1.2TL's probably would have been better with XPA-1's since they are rated at 1k watts over 500 watts that the XPA-2's can provide. But what was so bad about critical listening? I've heard the opposite from many other people about how detail was noticeably improved over other amplifiers such as Adcom with the XPA-2. I'm not defending Emotiva or anything but I just want to make sure I make the right choice.

    It's not the watts it's the SQ. Look for a used Adcom 5800, or 5802.
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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