Power Amp: Emotiva or Marantz

Mongo
Mongo Posts: 52
edited November 2011 in Electronics
Hi all,

Well, after some weeks of research on a power amp, it looks like I am getting close to the point of pulling the trigger.

Now I am in between two choices:

1) Marantz MM7055 + MM7025 with my mains RTiA9`s bi-amped.

Pros: I'd stick to the "Marantz quality", as my AVR is a SR6006, and plenty of power to my mains (140 W + 140 W)
Cons: expensive, and these MM series look very light, I expect amps to be heavy

2) Emo XPA-5

Pros: cheaper, it looks more robust than the MM`s;
Cons: no "Marantz" tonality, but I don`t know up to which point the amp would affect the sound.

Question: would the 200 wpc of the Emo possibly damage my 150 W rated FXiA6 ?

Thanks a lot,

Mongo
Receiver: Marantz - SR6006
Main: RTi A9's (powered by 2 Emotiva XPA-1`s, bi-amp)
Center: CSi A6
Surrounds: RTiA5's
(center and surrounds powered by Emotiva XPA-5)
Subwoofer: Infinity PS312
TV Sharp 70"
Post edited by Mongo on
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Comments

  • codyc1ark
    codyc1ark Posts: 2,533
    edited November 2011
    I can't comment on the sound of either amp, only that emo isnt highly touted here. I can however tell you that you'll be fine running that kind of power. As long as it's clean power, I doubt you'll ever drive it at it's max, so you'll be fine.
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2011
    Here's a multichannel amp that sounds good and would cost as much as your Marantz combo. http://www.wyred4sound.com/webapps/p/74030/117839/339143

    I'm currently using it with a Marantz AV-7005 for HT and gaming, and a Wyred 4 Sound preamp and DAC-2 for music, it does a great job all around.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,672
    edited November 2011
    1) Marantz MM7055 + MM7025 with my mains RTiA9`s bi-amped.

    Unless you use an external active crossover you are not bi-amping regardless of what you may have heard or read.
    Cons: no "Marantz" tonality, but I don`t know up to which point the amp would affect the sound.

    That point would be the first watt and if that first watt sucks, why bother.
    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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  • zane77
    zane77 Posts: 1,696
    edited November 2011
    Mongo, I know a few of the others on this site don't care for Emotiva but I have the XPA-5 and love it, maybe my tastes aren't as refined as some of the others or maybe I listened to too much loud music when I was younger and it messed with my hearing (we all loose some frequencies as we age anyway). You can always order the XPA-5 and give it a try for 30 days, they pay for shipping both ways if you don't like it.
    Home Theater
    Onkyo PR-SC5508 Sharp LC-70LE847U
    Emotiva XPA-5 Emotiva XPA-2 Emotiva UPA-2
    Front RTi-A9 Wide RTi-A7 Center CSi-A6 Surround FXi-A6 Rear RTi-A3 Sub 2x PSW505
    Sony BDP-S790 Dishnetwork Hopper/Joey Logitech Harmony One Apple TV
    Two Channel
    Oppo 105D BAT VK-500 w/BatPack SDA SRS 2.3 Dreadnought Squeezebox Touch Apple TV
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  • Mongo
    Mongo Posts: 52
    edited November 2011
    F1nut wrote: »
    Unless you use an external active crossover you are not bi-amping regardless of what you may have heard or read.

    Sure, the only advantage would be to feed the double power (140 W + 140 W) into the "hungry" RTiA9`s.

    Thanks to everybody that have been replying,

    Mongo
    Receiver: Marantz - SR6006
    Main: RTi A9's (powered by 2 Emotiva XPA-1`s, bi-amp)
    Center: CSi A6
    Surrounds: RTiA5's
    (center and surrounds powered by Emotiva XPA-5)
    Subwoofer: Infinity PS312
    TV Sharp 70"
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  • Mongo
    Mongo Posts: 52
    edited November 2011
    zane77 wrote: »
    Mongo, I know a few of the others on this site don't care for Emotiva but I have the XPA-5 and love it, maybe my tastes aren't as refined as some of the others or maybe I listened to too much loud music when I was younger and it messed with my hearing (we all loose some frequencies as we age anyway). You can always order the XPA-5 and give it a try for 30 days, they pay for shipping both ways if you don't like it.

    Thanks, I am very tempted to give it a try;

    Mongo
    Receiver: Marantz - SR6006
    Main: RTi A9's (powered by 2 Emotiva XPA-1`s, bi-amp)
    Center: CSi A6
    Surrounds: RTiA5's
    (center and surrounds powered by Emotiva XPA-5)
    Subwoofer: Infinity PS312
    TV Sharp 70"
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  • Mongo
    Mongo Posts: 52
    edited November 2011
    Please, considering the the FXiA6 is rated 150 W, and the XPA-5 feeds 200 watts, am I in the risk of **** them up ?
    Receiver: Marantz - SR6006
    Main: RTi A9's (powered by 2 Emotiva XPA-1`s, bi-amp)
    Center: CSi A6
    Surrounds: RTiA5's
    (center and surrounds powered by Emotiva XPA-5)
    Subwoofer: Infinity PS312
    TV Sharp 70"
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited November 2011
    Mongo wrote: »
    Please, considering the the FXiA6 is rated 150 W, and the XPA-5 feeds 200 watts, am I in the risk of **** them up ?

    No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act.

    Marantz or Emotiva? Who cares, buy what fits your pocket unless you want to get much cooler and much better in the long run and consider Faces' reco. EMO will get zero retail back, keep that in mind and the Marantz just won't make anyone care for the most part. Their amps don't intimidate ppl and vintage have the scores for this brand unless you're talking CDP's. The W4S suggestion has solid buzz and will get he most payback if you ditch it within a year. Learn your own way I guess....school is out.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 51,672
    edited November 2011
    Mongo wrote: »
    Sure, the only advantage would be to feed the double power (140 W + 140 W) into the "hungry" RTiA9`s.

    I suggest you research what bi-amping really is because your idea isn't it.
    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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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    Mongo wrote: »
    Sure, the only advantage would be to feed the double power (140 W + 140 W) into the "hungry" RTiA9`s.
    Correct the only advantage of passive bi amping is the potential for a few extra DB of power headroom.
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 29,384
    edited November 2011
    dorokusai wrote: »
    No, that's silly talk. Dude, you can't possibly be this audio dumb so quit the act.

    Ah, that made the sig
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited November 2011
    Vr3MxStyler2k3 wrote: »
    Ah, that made the sig

    I'd like to thank the Arts Academy...my **** and the dark lord Satan. Thank you....and I'll be sleeping on the couch if you need me. Peace!
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Mongo
    Mongo Posts: 52
    edited November 2011
    FTGV wrote: »
    Correct the only advantage of passive bi amping is the potential for a few extra DB of power headroom.

    Thanks for the positive words,

    To the other guy, I certainly know exactly what I'll possibly be doing...

    Mongo
    Receiver: Marantz - SR6006
    Main: RTi A9's (powered by 2 Emotiva XPA-1`s, bi-amp)
    Center: CSi A6
    Surrounds: RTiA5's
    (center and surrounds powered by Emotiva XPA-5)
    Subwoofer: Infinity PS312
    TV Sharp 70"
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    Well don't take my words as a strong endorsement ,as IMO the benifit of a few extra DB will be mildly perceptable at best.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,576
    edited November 2011
    Negligible is a better word. Your efforts are best served elsewhere if this is a driving factor for you.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited November 2011
    You will be fine with that much power. The speakers will only take what they need to operate to their full potential. What's important is to make sure that the power is there for them to draw on when needed. It's when the power isn't there that trouble arises.
    Mongo wrote: »
    Please, considering the the FXiA6 is rated 150 W, and the XPA-5 feeds 200 watts, am I in the risk of **** them up ?
    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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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited November 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    The speakers will only take what they need to operate to their full potential.
    That's not really how speakers work.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    edited November 2011
    zane77 wrote: »
    You can always order the XPA-5 and give it a try for 30 days, they pay for shipping both ways if you don't like it.
    They will refund your purchase price. The customer is responsible for paying for the return shipping.
    dorokusai wrote: »
    EMO will get zero retail back, keep that in mind
    Believe it or not, the resale market for used Emo amps is pretty good, IMO. I sold mine for 90% of what I paid for them, after having them for a little more than a year, and the buyers covered shipping!
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited November 2011
    Oh good grief, in most normal situations it is. It only gets funky if you go crazy with the volume.
    Face wrote: »
    That's not really how speakers work.
    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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  • cstmar01
    cstmar01 Posts: 4,424
    edited November 2011
    the Emo won't hurt your speakers.

    IMO there are also good options out there on the used market for amps as well. Just because it's new doesn't make it better than a used one. Watts are not everything.

    If you have to get new then also check out outlaw to see what they got.

    If you want some more ideas check out Audiogon and look up: Rotel, Adcom, Parasound, Anthem, Wyred for Sound, etc as if your looking in the 800-1K range there are a lot out there.
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  • FTGV
    FTGV Posts: 3,650
    edited November 2011
    cfrizz wrote: »
    You will be fine with that much power. The speakers will only take what they need to operate to their full potential. What's important is to make sure that the power is there for them to draw on when needed. It's when the power isn't there that trouble arises.
    Cool, good to know.Thanks.
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