ADCOM 7705 vs. Emotiva XPA5

Rocco1 · May 2010

I own Adcom amps and love them. I dont love the price so much though. I have literally never heard an emo amp. I was wondering if anyone can chime in on what kind of difference one would notice between these to amps, besides a big chunk of money?

Toolfan66 · May 2010

IMO the Adcom has the better lows they seem to dig a little deeper and are just a little more refined. The Emo is not bad for the price and if your looking at using one of these more for "HT" ether one will work just fine.. For music my vote goes to the Adcom all day.

I have been running the EXP-3 in my HT for over a year with no problems, The only reason I don't change it out is that I really only use my HT system for movies only, If I used it more for music it would be gone. I like a deeper more refined bass in my music,I hope to someday put in a Sunfire Grand..

heiney9 · May 2010

Lots and lots of Emo and adcom amp threads. Search and you will find.

H9

Toolfan66 · May 2010

heiney9 wrote: »

Lots and lots of Emo and adcom amp threads. Search and you will find.

H9

True Dat!!!!;)

Rocco1 · May 2010

I did some searches and didnt really find any direct comparisons. I mean besides their DB rating they seem like a very similar product. I guess maybe its just simple build quality.

bopicasso · May 2010

From experience, emo with ht is great, but with music is harsh. Hurt my ears. And it was being used with dynaudio speakers which are not bright speakers.

tonyb · May 2010

You think adcom is expensive?? You need to get out more my man. I would suggest going the used route for something a tad better than emo for music.

nooshinjohn · May 2010

Rocco1 wrote: »

I did some searches and didnt really find any direct comparisons. I mean besides their DB rating they seem like a very similar product. I guess maybe its just simple build quality.

That's because there is no comparison. Go with Adcom and be happy:)

DMara · May 2010

bopicasso wrote: »

From experience, emo with ht is great, but with music is harsh. Hurt my ears. And it was being used with dynaudio speakers which are not bright speakers.

I don't know about this though. I've been using Emo XPA-5 for my HT & XPA-2 for my 2-channel: never got any harsh music problem at all! In fact, I prefer listening to music or watching concert to playing movies. And I use the LSi speaker series, which is also not bright.

Pappy1 · May 2010

Rocco1 wrote: »

I own Adcom amps and love them. I dont love the price so much though. I have literally never heard an emo amp. I was wondering if anyone can chime in on what kind of difference one would notice between these to amps, besides a big chunk of money?

Hi Rocco,

Thank you for starting this thread. I have had the same question for the past couple of weeks, and have also been reading a lot of threads here at Club Polk and on other sites. I'm also interested in both brands, and still not exactly certain as to what the differences between them are. When I come to a better understanding as to what makes one amplifier a better choice over another I will post my thoughts.

Pappy

AVR - Pioneer VSX 9040TXH
TV - Samsung HL-T6756W DLP
BD - Panasonic DMP-BD605
Cable - CableOne HD DVR
Fronts - Polk Audio Monitor 70s
Center - Polk Audio CS2
Rears - Polk Audio Monitor 60s
Subwoofer - Polk Audio PSW 505

cnh · May 2010

Frankly speaking a lot of us have not actually heard an Emotiva....but we have heard classic gear like Adcoms, Carvers, NADS, Parasounds, etc. The reason?

Emotiva is the new kid on the block. Their gear is lower in cost at the new level, but not necessarily at the 'used' level.

Most of us buy used and at the used level we can get something better than an Emotiva for the same price. And that's one of the problems. The Used market has pretty much spoiled a lot of us. And we look there first rather than buying NEW.

Just some thoughts on the lack of direct comparisons, etc.

cnh

Dawgfish · May 2010

I've had both Emotiva and Adcom amps in my HT rig before. The others here have pretty much pegged it, I preferred the Emotiva for HT purposes and the Adcom for music. I did have a little bit different reults than ToolForLifeFan though, as I found my Emotiva to have more bass than the Adcom amp I was running. It just goes to shoe how setup and system synergy can make a difference. YMMV.

heiney9 · May 2010

Emo amps are colored and farther from neutral than most amps including Adcom. For music Adcom, for HT still Adcom but the Emo would be alright as well.

bopicasso · May 2010

The emotiva amp had alot more punch than my b&k. But it was fatiguing to listen to. The b&k can be played all day with no fatigue. And it is ten times more 3-d sounding! Love it!

heiney9 · May 2010

bopicasso wrote: »

The emotiva amp had alot more punch than my b&k. But it was fatiguing to listen to. The b&k can be played all day with no fatigue. And it is ten times more 3-d sounding! Love it!

Punch and fatigue = colored. Emotiva's are the opposite of delicate, refined and organic. They are a bull in china shop to borrow a phrase. That's why people tend to like them for HT, becuase they are so "over the top" just like most movies people watch.

For music they don't really sound all that great because they lack the finesse, detail, refinement and soundstage of other amps that only cost a little bit more.

YMMV

H9

heiney9 · May 2010

http://emotivalounge.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=xpa2&action=display&thread=11669&page=1

Found this review over at the Emo site. This pretty much sums it up for me. It's a great review and really hits the nail on the head about why a more expensive and better design sounds better. The only flaw I see in this review is the reviewer gives a bit too much praise to the Emo in the end, and notice how he is constantly stating "for the price". But it's his opinion and I can respect that.

Probably not a fair comparison because the Aleph line by Nelson Pass is arguably considered the best series of SS amps of all time and are true classics. But just read the review and this is what the guys hear who know what a good amp should sound like, and why those of us think Emo is nothing more than a bargain, entry level amp. If you're not looking for or care about the things in your music that the reviewer states about the Aleph then perhaps the Emo will be fine for you. Because other higher end amp designers have these same sort of characteristics too.

Nothing wrong with Emotiva gear, but don't believe the hype that it is a great sounding amp for true reproduction of music, because it isn't.

H9

NotaSuv · May 2010

Rocco

Take it all with a grain of salt as everyone here has their favs and their flames..easy to tell the teams and players after 3 years..not so easy for first timers and you will go crazy taking all here to heart....do as much on line research as you can..read as much as you can... BUT most importantly LISTEN before you buy a amp based upon what others hear...be there and it sure wasnt what I heard

Always listen before you leap

good luck on your search....

heiney9 · May 2010

^^That's right, none of us who have been around the business and in the hobby for 20+ years have no clue what we're talking about.

.

But it is true, nothing beats getting your own ears on something. I've heard Emotiva and my opinion stands and mirrors what the reviewer wrote in the link I provided.

YMMV as always

Good luck to the OP

H9

LessisNevermore · May 2010

heiney9 wrote: »

^^That's right, none of us who have been around the business and in the hobby for 20+ years have no clue what we're talking about. .

But it is true, nothing beats getting your own ears on something. I've heard Emotiva and my opinion stands and mirrors what the reviewer wrote in the link I provided.

YMMV as always

Good luck to the OP

H9

Q:So how long did you listen to the amp, and what was the associated gear/synergy like?

A:<15 minutes, and used a Nak CA-5 which is not a good match.

You do make it sound as though you gave it an honest chance, which you did not. The opportunity was not there, but don't let that stop your beatdown.
That is why it should be taken with a grain of salt.

bopicasso · May 2010

I had a xpa 3 for a year. Would not buy emotiva again after experiencing the b&k.

heiney9 · May 2010

LessisNevermore wrote: »

Q:So how long did you listen to the amp, and what was the associated gear/synergy like?

A:<15 minutes, and used a Nak CA-5 which is not a good match.

You do make it sound as though you gave it an honest chance, which you did not. The opportunity was not there, but don't let that stop your beatdown.
That is why it should be taken with a grain of salt.

Agreed, but my first impression mirrors another person's POV who spent more time with the amp. And yes synergy can and does play a part. Just presenting both sides of the coin as it's usually Emo-centric in these types of threads. Notice I linked to someone else's review rather than writing my own realizing the short time (more than 15 minutes) spent with your Emotiva amp wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

Q. How do you know the Nak isn;t a good match since you as well spent <15 minutes listening?

A. The same way I know I didn't care for the Emotiva in that particular setting. Or because it didn't sound good, which is what my impression was.

Nothing more nothing less (pun intended)

H9

P.s. I am not trying to beatdown Emotiva, just presenting as I and another person see it.

heiney9 · May 2010

After this post I'm done discussing Emotiva. There are plenty of user reviews on the internet. I reread my posts and apparently I'm biased against them just like I am other gear. I have my reasons but in the end my opinon and other's don;t really matter.

I don;t want to offend anyone who owns Emotiva gear so I will not speak of it anymore and I welcome the chance to revisit Emo gear. We all are looking for different things in our audio experience and we all have taken different paths to get there. The bottom line is enjoy your music the way you want to hear it. There is no right or wrong path.

H9

LessisNevermore · May 2010

heiney9 wrote: »

Agreed, but my first impression mirrors another person's POV who spent more time with the amp. And yes synergy can and does play a part. Just presenting both sides of the coin as it's usually Emo-centric in these types of threads. Notice I linked to someone else's review rather than writing my own realizing the short time (more than 15 minutes) spent with your Emotiva amp wouldn't necessarily be a good thing.

Q. How do you know the Nak isn;t a good match since you as well spent <15 minutes listening?

A. The same way I know I didn't care for the Emotiva in that particular setting. Or because it didn't sound good, which is what my impression was.

Nothing more nothing less (pun intended)

H9

P.s. I am not trying to beatdown Emotiva, just presenting as I and another person see it.

Because I know quite well what it sounds like with my gear at home, and it sounded nothing like that on that day, with that set of gear, wire, PC, and IC's. It was all different. If you recall, I pointed out that it didn't sound right.

It's not much different than hooking your Aleph up to a set of Cerwin's, and someone basing and sharing their opinion of the amp solely on that one listen, yet presenting that opinion as if it were based on a subjective, lengthy listen. You'd call BS too.....;)

So before any of the usual suspects show up here, and accuse me of claiming the XPA is superior to a class A Pass....I am not, nor do I believe it.

Rocco1 · May 2010

Well I really thought the review that was posted helped out a lot. I dont know exactly where i can go in Chicago to listen to a Emo. I just happen to stumple upon a shop near me that had adcom, nad, and a few other brands, which allowed me to spend a few days here and there listening to different amps. That is why I choice the Adcoms originally.

I just feel that if I am going to spend 2x-3x as much for the adcoms just to handle my surrounds, i can slide that money else where for imporvements, and return the adcoms.

cfrizz · May 2010

Everyone has to start somewhere. Outlaw Audio & Emotiva are good places to get an introduction to what seperate amplification can do for your speakers brand new at a price that won't bankrupt you.

At one time, I would never have considered getting a used piece of gear. It took me 15 years of having my original Rotel Pre/amp to realize most gear made by reputable companies will last for years.

Hence when I wanted to get back into seperates, I went with used.

Everyone hears things differently. People on here say that I should replace my tweeters because they sound bad. Well I have NEVER had any problems with them, they sound just fine to me & my system can/will be on all day long.

A lot on here say that the RTI series tweeter is very bright & when paired with some gear, like Emotiva, they get brighter which = fatigue. But as Xcapri pointed out above, he has NO problems with fatigue & he owns both RTI's & LSI's, and Emotiva amps.

A lot of people on here have moved WAY beyond entry level gear and are not interested in going back, hence their atitudes about Emotiva & Outlaw and steering newbies in other directions, namely the used market for what they consider better gear.

The bottom line is you have to decide what is important for YOU. There is no right or wrong answer, only what you want to achieve & at what price.

concealer404 · May 2010

Sounds like it's an HT setup. Just get something with a lot of power and forget about it.

I would gladly rock Emotiva in an HT setup. But i will carefully quarantine my 2-channel at that point.

Pappy1 · May 2010

Hi Rocco,

Thanks again for the thread. The comments that have been made here over the past 18 hours have been very helpful. I am currently watching several Adcom amps on e-Bay and am also keeping an eye on the Emotiva site for any possible sales. I'm afraid that for me, in this economy, dollars sometimes trumps purity of sound.

Best wishes to everyone! (And thanks to all of the guys that encouraged me a couple of months ago on this forum to purchase some Polks- I am still really enjoying them!)

Pappy

AVR - Pioneer VSX 9040TXH
TV - Samsung HL-T6756W DLP
BD - Panasonic DMP-BD605
Cable - CableOne HD DVR
Fronts - Polk Audio Monitor 70s
Center - Polk Audio CS2
Rears - Polk Audio Monitor 60s
Subwoofer - Polk Audio PSW 505

98Badger · May 2010

I'd say at least audition any amps you are considering (if possible) and make a choice on what you hear, not what someone else claims to be good. No disrespect to anyone here. We all have different tastes and may be looking for different things out of our gear, not to mention different budgets. I usually put most of my budget (50-60%) into my main speakers because I feel they make the most audible difference. I think about 20% of the cost of my music rig went to amplification. Others may have different priorities. Make the decision based on your preference and what fits your budget. That being said, I've found it cheaper in the long run to get the best I can afford and save myself from getting the upgrade bug as often or questioning my purchase.

Toolfan66 · May 2010

There has only been 1 amp I have had in my system (2 channel) that I hated, and it was an Emo XPA-2. was it the amp? Or did it just not mesh with my other equipment? I'm not sure, but the Emo had to go and fast.

Pappy1 · May 2010

xcapri79 wrote: »

I don't think you can go really wrong either way. Good luck in your search.
On ebay buyer beware though. I've had good experiences on ebay but not everyone has.

I also recommend checking the videogon and audiogon websites for amps or any other audio equipment.

xcapri79,

Thanks for the advice. I have looked at audigon and will return there. I had not considered videogon.

LessisNevermore · May 2010

Kex wrote: »

Don't know why I even bother making a comment about this, nor whether or not H9 gave the Emotiva an "honest chance" or otherwise, but this type of knee jerk reaction to open discussion is why Emotiva threads go down in flames so frequently.

I did a blind listening test myself, and I still end up not even mentioning it most of the time, because these type of "excuses" are frequently used in an attempt to discredit my findings ... and I'm the one with an axe to grind?!

Like xcapri said, it's part of the journey and nobody would be making any big mistakes with any of the choices discussed. I'm just glad that the presence of Emotiva and Outlaw in the online retail world drives down prices of the used gear I want to own. Everyone should explore the Emotiva option if they feel so inclined (as long as they are aware of the return shipping costs for heavy amplifiers) but nobody should be fooled into thinking they are better than anything else that doesn't have at least 200w/ch, and everyone should still be aware that they might not see the expected improvement in their system - depending on a whole slew of different factors.

The fact that it isn't a well established brand name doesn't automatically make it the bargain of the century IMO. JMO.

It wasn't a knee-jerk reaction, and I'm not sure where you got the idea from. I was in the room when Brock heard the amp, so I'm not sure why you're commenting on a scenario which you were not privy to. Sorry to put such a blunt point on it, but it is what it is. I wasn't picking a fight with Brock, and I made sure he knows that...and it's all good.

See this post.

Brock also understands that synergy exists, which is why I was surprised by his post, considering the limited listening time.

Many fine folks here suggest listening to a new piece of gear for quite a bit of time, before forming their final opinion of it. That's good advice, and that's all I had asked of him. Are you picking up what I'm laying down? Something upstream of the amp was a bad match. (none of it was my gear except the amp, It was at an RAS meet up) You can call that an excuse if you want, it sounds way different in my rig. It sounds like you came to a different conclusion, cool by me.

Synergy's an ugly **** sometimes.

Change around a couple things, and she could become something beautiful.

You'd have to look long and hard to find me in a pissing match over this, or any audio gear. We all like what we like, and take pride in finding pieces that work well together. Enjoy.

ADCOM 7705 vs. Emotiva XPA5

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