Need power? Look at the Emotiva XPA2 Gen3 Power Amp!
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- #hifi #amps #audiophile #Emotiva #stereo
Non-affiliated link to the Emotiva XPA2 Product Page:
emotiva.com/co...
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Speakers used in this evaluation:
Polk Audio LSIM 707
Silverline Sonata
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Preamp used in this evaluation:
Schiit Freya Preamp
Exasound E28 DAC / Preamp
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Emotiva has asked me if I would be interested in reviewing the XPA3 DR version (Higher-end model of this amp). I wanted to get you guys feedback before committing because each review takes a lot of my time and I want to make sure it is time well spent.
Any interest in the XPA HC-1?
@@mra.cortez3553 So you would prefer I go for the HC-1?
Yes please review it. Could also make a comparison to the edge amp? Most people will only buy one amp and comparisons are so important. Thank you, love your channel
Well I can tell you right away the XTZ Edge amp is smoother on the top end, more holographic but it sounds like a 'thin can' when you AB test it against this Emotiva when paired with a speaker that is difficult to drive.
Great review and thoughtful approach. I have read a few reviews with some upgrading from XPA to DR series, and singing praises for the improvements they've heard. So I'm sure many would love to get your impressions on that comparison. Perhaps the DR series has that refinement lacking in the XPA, and might be the budget approach to getting a fully differential balanced amp (which I don't see many of).
Funny story about Bob Carver, when he was starting out he went to a McIntosh clinic where young engineers could bring their designs and have them tested. He didn't have money for a enclosure for his amp. He built it in a coffee can, the rep is looking at this "Amp" he was afraid to test it. They asked him what the output was for the amp, 350 watts he said. They finally agreed to hook it up. Sure enough it put out the 350 watts. That became the Phase Linear 700. And the rest is history. Thought you'd enjoy that.
Yeah, it is a great story.
Ha ha - yeah, remember Bob Carver told the story in an hour long interview with Scott Wilkinson, TwitTV / Home Theater Geeks episode ?? Scott also had John Atkinson from Stereophile twice. BR, Per (Denmark)
I am the very happy owner of the Carver M500t power amp, 250W per channel. Have had it for around 30 years and still love it! :-)
The vocals sounded noticeably smoother with the Freya in the demo footage. Thanks for the review Thomas.
I think the harshness on the top end that you are hearing in the Emotiva is distortion.
yep rising distortion with rising frequency caused by the switch mode power supply. The older XPA Gen 2 used a linear power supply and at least to my ear a cleaner top end. I own an XPA gen2 and have heard a friends gen 3.
Thomas emotiva power amps the best bang for the buck even their $400 emotiva bass X a300 it's just a solid performer and I don't even miss my classe A amplifiers😀✌
I have heard complaints about noise and other issues being present in 300 but not going to lie, I’ve been thinking about a while to pull the trigger on buying bass X 300. I have Klipsch 8000fs.
I tested the following in order, for a week each on Magnepan 1.7i: BASX A300 & A5175, the DR2, and a Halo A21+. The A300 was intended for a pair of low Q factor diy sealed subs I designed specifically for use w/ the Maggies but I just had to test it out as a stereo amp first & it was ok but under powered & lifeless w/ these spkrs. The A5175 was really for surround duty and didn't hold up well for 2 channel. Then the DR2 arrived - this was to be THE main stereo amp and it sounded louder, more control, better imaging but lacked mid range details on good recordings. Then I found an open box A21+ for $300 off and when I turned it on I literally stood up - it sounded so sweet and full and lush and detailed & powerful too. I didn't want to like it (or pay for it), I had every intention of returning it after I got to demo it. But 3 seconds after powering on I knew I was keeping it. So the DR2 went back and now I'm very close to another personal dream rig - I still need to choose cabling that will help accentuate the highs & provide a little more detail and sparkle and then I'm done, promise ;) EDIT: I forgot to mention the best Class D amp I've heard has to be from Cherry and it was paired w/ a $3k dac + streamer to a pair of all beryllium Persona B spkrs. Very smooth & articulate.
Haha, thanks for sharing your story. I guess you will be shopping for silver cables? I personally use DIY litz copper cable with good results.
Interesting, I originally replaced an Emotiva XPA amp with the Parasound A21, it was no contest.
Awesome overview as always , One thing we share in common is Amps !
And Thomas since i was 13 years old An Amp has always been most important to me over speakers , and since i been reviewing i haven't mentioned this much cause everyone is like speakers are no1 spend 70 percent of your money on speakers
ok well if you have a 1k amp and 3k speakers guess what your lucky to get 50-60 percent of the speakers performace , But if you buy a 3k amp and pair it with a 1k speakers guess what your more than likely going to get 80-90 percent of performace out of the speaker, this all being 'On the Average'
To me the AMP is the 'foundation' of a system ! Espically now days that speakers on a budget have gotten so dam good ! I mean The gap in performace from a 1k amp compared to a 3k amp is pretty huge in my experiences.
The fullness the since of scale What
I like to call the 'torque' which is basically a big power supply with good internal audio parts transformer/ Filter caps/driver boards and output stage transitors And My 105 watt Yammy whoops the shit out of my amps that are rated at 100-120-150-165 watts yes amps can have Horsepower which is watts but does it have Torque Power? which to me is a good power supply !
With class A-Ab weight matters !
I truely wish the audio industries had to measure power by the same regulation and have a measurement on that low end grunt power.
Thanks Thomas you da Audio-Sensei or da audio Sifu 😆
Lol, thanks for the compliment. It is really cool how you put it, you are lucky to get 60% out of the performance of your speaker with a cheap amp.
@@ThomasAndStereo Thats true Thomas lucky to get 60 percent !
With me budget amps 1k and under, The Polk Lsim 703 were ok, but once I put my Pit-Bull on the 703 Wow the Gap is pretty large ! Thomas
i absuletly love the AS-1100 I can not get over the midrange tube bloom as i call it, the mosphetes really do have that sound character that you get from tubes ! Appricate all your hard work and dedication Thomas . 😃
Santana Feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth (High-Quality Audio)
ua-cam.com/video/KHWkvhkOgvY/v-deo.html
processed using NPDT Process
#santana
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Carver power amps were class H, switching power supply. High power cool running. Pissed off a lot of high end manufacturers. I have a Carver av705x, 125 watts a channel. Plenty to drive my system to levels 110db
Oh nice, did not know that.
Hi Thomas, I've read that Emotiva XPA HC-1 monoblock power amps drive Magnepan speakers very well. If possible I would love to see you do a review on a pair of Emotiva XPA HC-1 monoblocks with Maggie LRS (which you reviewed a while back). Cheers.
Great review, Thomas. It’s surprising how much the Freya seems to improve the overall sound. It just sounds more musical, the vocals seem more pleasant, and when the bass kicks in on that tune, you can hear that it’s become more forward and detailed.
Thanks, Thomas! 🎶🔊😁
Yeah, I was shock myself when I put it in.
@@ThomasAndStereo same here, when I add in the tube preamp as I said before , the sound changed a lot
I have the XPS from Emotiva and this is the amp that's meant to be paired with it. I think your review just solidified me into getting it
Love my XPA-DR2 gen 3
Without the Schiit Freya it seems very harsh in top end.
When I got mine I really liked it but I felt like something was missing. I couldn't put my finger on it as the amp is a very good value and a power house. The bass is amazing! It would make my RF7 IIs rock the house and it was more than adequate for the LRSs . Like I say though there was something missing. I think you nailed it, the top end refinement. I am going to add this amp to my home theater, might even get the third channel added (Emotiva will do this.)
Ah, thanks for sharing your experience. Yeah the bass is definitely amamzing and yup, just add a channel and use it in a HT environment.
Get a better DAC and speakers. Klipsch are NOT a good reference for high end refinement. I got rid of my Klipsch for that reason. Loud, but crude.
Im sure there is something to that with Emotiva, there is a reason others cost more with higher end refinement. But I agree with your other points.
@@scottlowell493
I run Maggies as my main speakers. I just enjoy my Klipsch and switch them in at times
@@ThomasAndStereo Got a question..If I decide to go with Def Tec, or SVS...the towers with the built in subs, will I still need to get a sub-woofer? If not, which speaker would best work with a sub? As you can guess, I'm completely a newby with a lot to learn.
Why watts are different is because of the ratio of how much of it is current and voltage. You can get a 100 watts tube amp using KT tubes and still will not get the drive-ability of 50 watts solid state amps, because most of it's watts are high voltages.
Same with different classes and designs of solid state amps. Also the output impedance play a major role on the bass quality.
An example of high current amps that have no problem driving 2 Ohm loads are the Halo line of Parasound amps. Those people test their amps to close to 1 Ohm loads lol. The high current amps have no problem delivering the juice.
Interesting comment! Goes contrary to the cliche about tube watts being more powerful.
Are there speakers which are more sympathetic to high voltage watts? A pair I used to own had minimum of 5W tube, 50W SS listed on its product page and I'm curious why.
@@ResilientME It's true that tubes watts feel more powerful. That's because of three reasons, (1) because their watts have more voltage as I mentioned in my OG comment, higher voltage -> higher loudness/gain. (2) they are far more linear than the typical class a/b amps. Class a/b amps are only linear in their class a range, then they restart their linearity again in class b. So tubes can get more dynamic and neutral in the mid and upper register because of this without the use of correction means (feedback correction). (3) they don't clip as bad as SS amps. You can clip them without noticing, so you feel that you still have headroom while in reality you're not.
Aside from the speaker sensitivity and impedance, the important thing about speakers while matching it to tube amps is the mass of the woofer/s. Light woofers like paper or plastics (TPE) don't need a lot of current to feed them or low output impedance to control them properly. That's why they like tubes.
Interesting review. I've looked at this, the DR version, and the Monoprice many times. They're all very tempting. I agree with you about power. It makes a difference for sure. And I'm just talking the difference between a 45 watt receiver, and a 125 watt one. Or a 150 watt AB amp. I can only imagine what a 300 watt (all@8ohms) amp will do. I know that even my 150 watt amp can easily change the sound of most of my speakers vs everything else I own, except my 125 watt receiver.
So I think the last time I commented was on your Crown XLS video, and was seriously going to try one, but I found a deal on an Audiophonics MPA-S250NC. Which is basically just a Hypex Ncore NC252MP module stuffed in a box with some connectors, and a power switch AFAIK. I just got it Saturday, and am going to hook it up later tonight when I have the time. And after I give my current amp (AVA Omega Star 250EX) one last listen for comparison sake. I'm jamming out to live Dead videos as I write this actually. 😉
I had ordered a pair of speakers too (JBL Stage A190), but after watching one of your videos where you suggested that one should only change one thing at a time in their system. And being unsure if they were maybe too big for my room anyway. I canceled the order (they were on backorder). I was also afraid they might be a step back from my current speakers anyway (Wharfedale Denton 80th). At least in separation, clarity, and bass definition.
But now I'm nervous after your comments on class D. Lol
J/K I've heard plenty of class D, and like it. This will be my first one with real power though (at home anyway, I've had them in my car). I'm hoping I like it, and hoping it has good synergy with my system. I'm a little nervous about my preamp (Holographic Audio Pre TwentyFive), because it's SS. Fortunately I have a couple of cheap tube preamps around here I can try if needed. I'm really interested in that new Freya+ though. You've really got me thinking that might be the ticket. I mean if the original is that good. The new one must be even better right? 😊
Sorry for the essay. Please wish me luck, and have a great week Thomas. God Bless. ✌️
Oh, please let me know about the Hypex! I am so curious. Class D, plenty of good one out there and hopefully you hit jackpot with yours. Love reading essays from you.
@@ThomasAndStereo LOL
Will do Thomas. My setup sounds really good when it's loud, but not so much when it's at low volume. And my top end is lacking sparkle. Not sure if this will fix it, or not, but it was a cheap way to aquire another quality amp. And one that sounds different then my current one does. So I had to snag it. They're only like $500 new. Which is amazing. So I paid less then that. I could have paid even less then I did too, but didn't have the heart to haggle over a few dollars while so many people are suffering right now.
It's basically brand new. He bought it in January. So I'm happy no matter what. But I've got my fingers crossed right now. I'm going to make a coffee, and a bite to eat. Then hook it up, and find out what I've got. I'm pretty excited about this one. I've been reading the hype about Hypex nCore for a long time. I'll leave my initial thoughts right here soon. But I'm sure it's going to take a while for me to get used to the new sound, and give you a real take on it. ✌️
@@ThomasAndStereo Well I hooked it up, and went to try it for a few songs. Ended up listening for at least 3 straight hours at 80-85db, or so. And had to pull myself away, because I was starving, but I wanted to keep listening. I was definitely hearing a lot of stuff I've never heard before. And noticing subtleties that I never knew were there. And I listened mostly to songs I've heard way too many times already. Very cool indeed. 😎
I'm way too tired to get into details. So I'll just say it's very, very good IMHO. I'm really glad I listened to Steve, about changing electronics, instead of speakers. And listened to you about changing one piece at a time. I almost didn't, just because I saw a good sale, but I never intended to. And I'm glad I backed away now. It would have been a mistake. The bass goes much deeper on this amp. And two 8's would have been a mess in my room.
I'll also add that while there's no such thing as a giant killer. There's such a thing as a smoking deal. This amp is a smoking deal IMO. I do think there's a Schiit Freya+ in my future though. Because I really think it will be a perfect match with this amp, and there is a tinge of SS glare at volume that gets a bit fatiguing w/ my Parasound Vdac. Not really with my Starting Point Systems DAC 3 though. But it's a NOS, battery buffered DAC. That uses the TDA1543 chip (R/2R I'm pretty sure too), and is very tube like. It's another screaming deal I got for $100. Again, not a giant killer, but they're fighting in the same weight class. 😉 ✌️
O
Thomas, please review the DR-2 or 3. Many of us are quite curious if the added cost is worth it over the regular XPA-2 and 3 and also if it compares favorably to amps in that higher price range.
The DR units are worth it if you run them in a fully balanced differential set up. I dont mean just XLRs but truely balanced. I run DR1 monoblocks and couldn't be happier. Remember, just because the XPA-2 GEN 3 has XLR inputs doesn't make it fully balanced.
Main thing I found is the DR1s are more neutral with out that high end crap and the bass is more neutral. Mid range is sweet!
I have the XSP-1 with the XPA DR-2 in balanced mode. Superb.
Just buy the Schiit Freya Preamp first, then get a Amp , the difference even going through my Apple Desktop audio is huge.The Emotiva sounded a bit harsh first.
Hey Thomas! Great looking amp, love the aesthetics. Plenty of power, and nice price tag. Love the Star Trek references. I am becoming a really big Emotiva fan. Great bang for the buck. Thanks for another great informative review. Have a great day!
Thanks, I might review their speaker, maybe the one you have.
@@ThomasAndStereo That would be cool!
Great review! Really appreciate how you test with different speakers and pre-amps to formulate a fair conclusion. 👏👏👏
I had Carver mt 1.5 class D I was very disappointed, I was pushing a pair of CV Dx9s, it worked abit better once i rotated in my much more efficient Klipsch chorus ii, eventually I sold just not enough solid wastage
DUDE you say efficiency , Class D has great effeciency but are swell but could be made by MATTEL! I think most class D Circuits are cheesy.. Class H.. even without a final stage AB class output..
I own a Pioneer sc-LX901 receiver (145W/ch) and I bought an EMOTIVA 6 channel XPA amplifier because some 140W/ch receiver onwers praised the Emotiva SPA amp. I had quite high expectations. However, after installing the amplifier and comparing them for more than 2 hours, (both bi-amping Front & center) there was no difference - dynamics, clarity, details, and volume except sound color. The Pioneer is a D3 amp, so it's a little more vivid and bright, and the Emotiva is an AB amp so it's warmer and smoother. Both have great sound. I preferred the D3 amp sound, so I returned the Emotiva.
I have RPA-16s from Rockville.. Very happy for $400 each! Class H.. Clean, to me... as the critics say no.. 1.4K per side..@ 4ohms..I'd say a mix of Class H, AB and D is the best with suitable speakers.. I prefer Class H if I only had 1 choice.. Maybe class A for a very fine HEAD amp. or pre-amp for a H class or a good D class amp.??
Wow! That was an amazing contrast... with Pre amp and without Pre Amp. Thank you Thomas.
Glad you liked it!
I have had this power amp for a year mogami cable and.interconnects Infinity kappa 8s tower speakers. There is nothing weak about this power amp.
Can’t dream of buying it here in India (here it is sold at twice the Price after applying the Dollar - Rupee exchange conversion !!! Its like it being sold for $2000 in the USA, at which Price it is no longer that attractive).
How true
I already tried it on my Maggie‘s note does not you want to power ramp that really works with Maggie do you want to look at Hagel probably more money than what you’re planning on spending but you get what you get when you buy high end motive is a great product for entry level entry level. OK it’s not clean enough to run Maggie. Maggie‘s are very revealing. I have them I know and many others have them so you might be very it’s I would look at a hotel 1582 for two grand yes1000 more but man it gives 350 W into floor homes and has over 3000 damping factor not that that’s important but it is with Maggie go look at and you’ll see what I’m saying
Thomas get real you’re UA-cam app is better than a motive motive happens to be a great entry-level 800 W how clean is 800 W give me a break you can’t compete with a lot of the high manufacturers a joke but in motive is a great way for someone to enter in to the entry level of high end audio. And I’ll put Rotella in the same entering price against the motive and will come out the winner. Japanese company been a business 50 years over and high-quality.
I have the dr2 and it’s pretty powerful. Pushes my old huge fishers. Heritage series. They are old and huge. The amp really pushes em to get the most outta them. Replaced and old pioneer with the dr2 I believe it’s 550 wpc
hello, do you think this amplifier makes a good pair with bowers & wilkins 603 s2.
Cables? LOL, i Heard the big mono blocks and they are amazing! Emotiva is kind of a black sheep,
I would LOVE to hear your impressions of a Monolith amp now that you’ve reviewed the Emotiva. Good review as always.
hello, this emotiva amplifier together with the bowers & wilkins 603 s2 fit, will it sound good?
Hearing this with high end headphones and upgraded braided silver wire over UA-cam certainly showed much more clarity with a Schiit hand off...
I bought emotiva amp before and it sucked. I wish you would review parrasound instead.
Watts are watts. However, on a lot of Class D amplifiers - the ratings are exaggerated or even inaccurate in some cases. There are also a ton of fakes/clones with class D amplifiers which is a very different issue.
A well designed class D amplifier has an amazing midrange, but the distortion from Class A or AB amplifiers can add some ‘warmth’ to the sound you may prefer. As I’ve said before, I would add a tubed preamp for this effect rather than get a colored power amplifier.
Nowadays, I see no reason to get a power amplifier like this. A good hypex amplifier would be similar in cost with much better performance and is more efficient.
Technical excellence is something all audiophiles should be pushing for so we can keep audio moving in the right direction.
I don't know enough about watts to comment on it. I noticed class D amps with good power supply usually does have more 'muscle'. I remember someone mentioned to me once. 2 cars with 300hp, yet, one can go faster than the other. It is because one has better aerodynamic design. If we just look at the 2 cars and 300hp, we would have concluded both should have same speed. Hp is Hp.
Emotiva XPA2 GEN3 is a good matching with Focal Aria 948?
Thomas it would be awsome if you could review the monolith amp as well I cannot find any reviews for it being used in a 2ch system.
Yeah, I wish they would reach out to me. Using in 2 channels is really different than in 5 channels. I noticed most youtubers reviewed it in a HT environment.
@Anthony Martino Nice, thanks for letting me know.
Thomas, great review, thank you. I cannot think of a better contender to test this Emotiva against the Krell 300 Trio XD (trio would give you 3 channels). They are both 300 wats and it would be a clear class H vs Class A (with iBias) test. The big question is, could Krell justify 10K premium.
The xpa dr3 ,there no review on that,I use basx A3,is cheep not bad though,but I want more!
I now own the XPA 2 Gen 3 . And i love it next i will be pair it up with tube preamp .
Possibly the shciit freya .
Great video Thomas. Been looking at Emotiva power amps since I got my hungry Elac Uni-fi UB5
Do I even consider these .. or do you have a better option? =)
Is this a good amp for klipsch rp8000f gen2
I just got mine. It's replacing a class D audio SDS-470C with enhanced power supply.
The difference? The XPA has a cleaner, more extended treble, and a more neutral character.
pair with a great DAC and pre-amp, it's got no weaknesses. The class H power supply is a back saver. Instead of 75-90lbs, it's 35lbs.
Yup, I am glad it is not that heavy. Congrats on your purchase and glad you are enjoying it.
Thomas, you need to check the
Sony TA1ES amplifier
Super HiRes audio Amplifier
That's totally rare
Sony SACD1 CD PLAYER
I really like the look of that amp, looks amazing.
Really want to get my hands on a Freya, XPA 2 Gen3, and 2 HC-1 Monoblocks. I think either of this setup at under 3k is a great system. I been using my NAD2200 and it has sounded so good for so many years.
Why don't you review The iotaVX multi-channel system the 7.1 4K processor and the 7 multi-channel amplifier, haven't really seen any reviews on this.
Yes amp output is important I'm afraid a lot of manufacturers don't state this! that's why a 70 Watt naim amplifier can drive hard to drive speakers like Maggie's. you should check out for budget the the audiolab 6000a 13 amps output, and the 8300a if I remember 19 amps output, and 8300xp power (8300mb monoblock 250w under £1,000 each) that's worth considering for 2 channel. That might be a Giant Killer close to it.
If you're into budget amplifier with a fantastic phono stage built in second-hand the audiolab 8000a about $150, can't go wrong best vintage integrated 80s 90s amplifier you can get
I think when reviewing 7 channels, it is different than 2 channels. 7 channels for me is for movies. In a movie, I don't really care about refinement. I care about clarity and power more. I was into HT before but I am kind of out of touch with it now. Yeah, many nice amps out there.
Hi Thomas, I have Focal 826 speakers with me, how Emotiva XPA2/3 will match ?
Well Focal are quite bright sounding speakers so I personally would go for warm sounding amps.
Can you please suggest few, warm sounding amplifier for Focal 826
Hey. At timestamp 3:03 what is that piece of kit with the tubes on top? Cheers
No xpa2 gen 3 is not heavy, my gen 2 is heavy
How does it compare to your Pioneer SC-99
How does this compare to an arcam pa720?
Great video Thomas, finally a company that cares about the customer, and provides a good product, maybe not 40 year good , but 10 year good before service is ok
So bad idea for 101db zu omen def? Lol
Hi Thomas… how much wattage for you to considering high power amp.? 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏…..
If it is voltage feedback design, 200w+
Why does he think Freya is shit? Lmao 🤣
My question surrounds the Emotiva XPA HC-1's pairing with Magnepan's and the Schiit Freya+. I currently have a factory fully refurbished MG-1c's (MMG's prior as my first purchase into this world) and will be looking in the near future purchase of the LRS+ and hopefully at some point, release date TBD, the Magnepan UBS. Fingers crossed, based on the reviews Magnepan will release the UBS. What are your thoughts and suggestions. I'm a new subscriber and have enjoyed listening to your reviews and commentary. Thank you
Let's hope they will release an affordable UBS same time as the top of the line one. I never tried the Emotiva Magnepan combo so I don't know.
I have had mine for three weeks and I love it. DR-2 that is.
With my earbuds I can hear what the freya is doing. Pretty much convinced me to get one.
You have to keep in mind I had the gen1 and NOS tubes. So not just the standard tubes that came with it.
Off topic question, but one I haven't been able to find an in-depth answer to: anyone have impressions of canton speakers? I recently completed a purchase of Canton Vento 826 bookshelf speakers (my first "real" speaker purchase) after many hours of research and questions for $600/pair on A4L (upgrading from sony cs5s that I purchased for $75 on sale, but during the process english reviews of these speakers (or cantons in general) were almost impossible to find (I did see thomas' video on the canton tower speakers, but he was speaking in moneyz outside my level of comprehension), but from what I have gathered from google translating german/french forum posts in english (and the occasional reddit and avforum post on cantons) they seem to be a high end speaker company in europe like kef/buchardt?
Well it depends cause you are comparing a $600 to higher end speakers in terms of price. The cheapest buchardt is $1k. Just by looking at it, seems ok.
@@ThomasAndStereo I only ask because the 826s apparently were $1500 usd at one point in Europe. It seems their vento lineup is the $1000+ with the chrono lineup being the under 1k lineup. It's been hard finding any information in english about this brand that makes even $20,000 speakers.
Dear Thomas , I would like to ask you for an advice reg Emotiva power amps as a experienced hifi reviewer. I have Focal 1028 Be II speakers with integrated digital amp Lyngdorf TDI 2170. Does it make sence to ad Emotiva power amps into this system ?
Would I get more dynamic sound and better seperation ?
I am afraid if that final sound will be harsh ...What is your opinion ?
Thank you in advance for your advice and time !!!
Pit
If you have 1028BE, you might be better off with higher-end amplification. The Emotiva probably will be more of a lateral move compared to your amp. Meaning it will do something better while the Lyndorf will do other things better. If you are going to upgrade, jump at least 2 levels.
Nice review, I received it about 2 weeks ago. Find it to reveal some tonality I haven’t heard in some tracks. Using Yamaha components and several Klipsch Heritage speakers ( so no need for huge power) but I am very pleased with it so far. The higher power does make a difference to me. My 85 watt Yamaha was more than enough but that’s why this is an expensive hobby.. thank you for your time reviewing the Emotiva
Thanks for sharing!
Still feel the same way?
I have a similar yamaha amp, vrx373, do you find the emotiva shouty or harsh compared to yamaha?
@@GoodVibesOnly1914 I recently paired it with a Schitt preamp with upgraded tubes. Unfortunately due to a car accident I haven’t been able to listen yet. Was so impressed with a cheap little Dayton hybrid amp I wanted to do what many seem to be using as reference. Tube pre / SS amp. So many combinations to try. Whew. But yes to answer your question. Just a little shoutty My hope is to smooth the edges if you will.
Thanks Thomas! I feel the same way in regards to A-B watts vs Class D watts. They are different. It's hard to beat high power Class A or A-B.
Totally agree!
Oh Mola Mola Class D Kaluga monoblock has more balls and heft than a freight train. The inventor of Class D Bruno Putzeys designed the best amp in my opinion ever. To beat Mola Mola monoblocks you are spending 150-250k for some insane A/B monoblocks. Come visit me in NJ you will hear mine. I just sold my Naim Uniti Star traded up getting a pair of YG Acoustics Carmel 2's.
Thomas, nice review first off. I have the previous model Gen 2 XDA power amplifier and indeed it is a beast in regards to power. It is also considerably heavier than the Gen 3, perhaps 30 pounds heavier. I'm guess it has to do with it's massive toroidal transformer. In any case I really love mine and can use it with either an older Adcom pre-amp tuner or my Emotiva XDA-2 DAC but I am currently using that at my desktop system. Emotiva makes some great gear for those of us with bigger aspirations than bank accounts! Again, nice review!
Yeah, I like massive toroidal trasnformer myself but getting old now so I play with class D cause it is way lighter.
Indeed, mine is heavy as hell and it will leave a mark if I drop it on my my foot!
The only reason why I started going towards class D amps is that they typically run cool. Some of my AB amps are like running a space heater. I've still not heard a class D that sounds as good as an AB within given similar price range, but they are getting good and apparently very popular, since most of the good ones under 3K, seem sold out much of the time. Also, the class D can be constructed in a small box and not need to waste a lot of internal space. It is nice that Emotiva and similar offering make it possible to take a big step up from AV receivers without a big price jump, except when you go to get an AV preamp/processor, you're out more than 3K for just the processor. This never made much sense to me since a decent AV receiver capable of decoding all the Atmos, dts, etc. formats can be had around 1K, but the same processor chips in an external unit causes the price to jump 3 fold, with no amp section.
Why you so concerned about heat?
You're not sitting close to it or in your lap or holding it. It's meant to heat up.
What's the big deal?
When you play intense heavy graphics games on highend smartphones , temperature reaches 40C , no one complaints though they are holding the phone and you are making s big issue about being hot?
What?
If that's the case. You need to buy hifi with separate power supply so does not interfere with main amp.
Here they are
Quad
Exposure
Linn
Naim
Musical fedility
Cyrus
And few others
Yeah, I have the same reason as to why I rather go with class D. For me it is mostly because of weight rather than heat. I almost bought a mcintosh 452 last week but changed my mind cause it was too heavy for me to bring in my house by myself and with COVID, I can't get anyone to help me.
@@ThomasAndStereo As you get older, much older, the lightness of class D appeals if you have to keep moving it around testing/swapping out other sources. Not to mention handling it for repairs/maintenance.
@@ThomasAndStereo I bought a five channel Monolith a few months back , which has two massive transformers. It weighs about 90 lbs so I put it on a metal frame console. That amp does sound fantastic both for music and movies. 200wpc in 8ohm and can easily drive 4ohm at 400wpc. It's actually 5 sperate amps in one unit, so the total output is capable of 2,000W on 4ohm. It is an amazingly clean and detailed sounding amp that probably could sell for three times the price. I think it's AB style amp with mods, because it doesn't run very warm unless you've been cranking it to ear splitting levels for an hour or more. But I definitely have AB amps that are down right nearing hot to touch just idling. I think the audiophile needs to be more open to technological advancements, some are. If you can get great sound and efficiency in a compact lightweight package, I'm all for it. I'll use my AB amps in the winter time to offset the need to run the heater in the house.
Made by ATI.
Hi Thomas, I own an Emotiva XPA 3 gen 2 mated to a Yamaha RXA 860 avr in a 5.1 system. Would incorporating a 2 channel source be worthwhile since I listen mostly to 2 channel music or is what I have good enough? Thx
There is always something better. The question is are you satisfy with what you have? What do you want more?
Thomas & Stereo Thx. Was trying to figure out if adding a Sprout 100 would be a worthwhile addition or go for something better or stand pat.
@@michaelkaiser5994 if you want to really upgrade jump 2 levels at least.
Thomas & Stereo How about Yamaha as 1200?
Hi Thomas: I'm looking at Emotiva HC 1(2) or 1 DR2 VS. Something from Parasound. maybe a 2350, or Halo a21+ of course the Halo is more but I can use the XLR's on my oppo. Your thoughts on the best sound quality please. Thank you.
I been using emotiva xpa since gen 1 for my home theater they are great.
I actually had the XPA5 gen 1 myself at one point. Crazy heavy.
Power corrupts!
Great review, Thomas! I love my XPA3 for home theater and two-channel (Denon X3600H Receiver and SMSL SU-8 DAC). Currently using with Elac Unifi UB5s and planning to combine with a Freya+/Bifrost soon.
Charlie how did you hook up the DAC to your receiver? I have an avr with it's own DAC, but I'm looking to get an external DAC. Love my XPA-3 as well.
@@eddiealvarez7584 I use line-level RCA out of the DAC into an analog input in the receiver, then pre-amp out to the XPA-3. I split the outputs to also run a left and right subwoofer. The Denon disconnects the circuit from the internal amp so it's basically acting like a stereo pre-amp (all analog in Direct mode). Another way to do this would be use the DAC for volume control and RCA or XLR directly into the XPA-3, bypassing the receiver.
You are doing better and better, tks Thomas!
Thanks for the encouragement.
Let me just say this first. I don't know anything about good/superior speakers and amp. Back in 2012, I brought Martin Login Vista and Stage for my theater room because they look beautiful. :-) Yes, I brought them for the look. I tested with my father-in-law's audio research vt60(tube) and adcom 545II and they sound like tiny computer speakers. I brought Emotiva XPA3 and that setup has been in my theater ever since. This combo has been working out for me. As I said, I don't know much about speaker gears. If anyone has a good Amp recommendation for my speakers, please please let me know. TIA
I still trouble deciding these PS Audio M700 (is not a modular design and has a toroidal) or Emotiva XPA-DR2 (Is a modular design doesn't have a toroidal) Help?
Will these go with Dynaudio Excite x34 speaker for music
Hi, I am new to the separates and have a question it might sound stupid and I'm sorry if it does 🙄I have denon 3311ci receiver and it does sounds very good and functions 100% still today. I wanted to get new 8k 4700h and catch up with the newest technology. But then I start to thinking about separates for extra power because recently I bought pair of b&W 606 anniversary speakers and seems like 3311ci won't sent enough power to them in low volumes.(money wise I have to do either 3311ci and emotiva combo or 4700h by itself) Then I discovered emotiva brand. It sounded like more power for less money. But then I heard about harshness and its a deal breaker for me. In the comments people says less harsh with Freya ( I guess it's a sound processor) so before Freya what was the source that made amplifier sound harsh? When I use it with 3311ci what is music going to sound like? Like denon or Emotiva or both? In the future can i add tube pre Amp and dac to denon and emottiva combo. Or using emotiva with different kind or brand audio receiver will effect or change sound of emotiva? Thank you very much in advance.
why is 300 watts on class D different from 300 watts on class AB? Efficiency?
I have no idea but usually when you find a class D amp with a good power supply, you will get more 'muscle'. So that is why I said once you move up the class D world, the gap is less because maybe those come with good power supplies? It is just soemthing I observed but don't know why.
In my experience, class AB has more distortion which is perceived as more muscular, where as class D has very low distortion and it's very refined, especially in the high and midrange region.
@@ThomasAndStereo How would you compare to the Crown XLS you had previously reviewed sound wise?
I have a class H amp. Kind of the best of both worlds( raw power of AB amps, but effeciency of class D amp). I learnt tht the difference is in the circuitry. Same power rating but AB amp power is readily available at all time with few components for conserving energy (almost none for class A hence the hight heat ). Class D have added circuit layers for energy efficiency. A step further for Class G and H ( using voltage rail switching and rail). So at one point these amps are on lower voltage rail with the same power amp. Am still learning.
You're right! My prejudice against class D amps is silly. The Mcintosh Ma252 amp driving the Sonus Faber's was the most beautiful sound I ever heard! Plus its McIntosh! their name MEANS quality!
Great review. I see you had an Adcom. I'm using an old Adcom 7500 5 channel amp. Is it worth it to jump to an Emotiva XPA-5? I'm using an Emotiva pre/pro with old Paradigm Studio 60's V2.
Captain Kirk- Scotty: Give more power, I need more power! Scotty-Captain Kirk: You should have bought 3 Crown XLS2502 like I told you to!
Got magnepan LRS this week and found out that an edge A2-300 300W class D amp doesn't drive these things. My 30 year old 50W kenwood does a much better job. I read a review that this emotiva can do the job : www.stereophile.com/content/emotiva-xpa-gen3-two-channel-power-amplifier
Hi Thomas, I would like to suggest a review of the Emotiva XPA HC-1 mono blocks with the Schiit Freya as the Pre-Amp. Pairing it with some Maggies for the review would be awesome and maybe a pair of Zulu Omen
This is a great review, Thomas...this amp sounds like a great deal and bargain for it's price...but I thought I heard you mention cables in there somewhere...nah...I must be hallucinating...lol. Aesthetically, it's also a very good looking amp. This power amp should satisfy many folks out there!
haha...cables..cables ...cables....😁😁😁
@@ThomasAndStereo rca cables or speaker cables?
The Eotiva is a nice solution for a cheap Bi-Amping Equipment! Since there are 2 Mono-Modules in One Amp, it would provide 4 Mono Modules for under 2,5K, what I call a great price! And if one can manage it to X-over the Signal before the Power-Amp, I would call this a real great Amplification Stage!
Hey Thomas. I just started my "hifi" and hometheater journey. I just bought my first speakers Kef 950. I really started to appreciate music like never before. Now i found my self eager to buy second system for only music listening. And i find myself fantasize about buchardt s400. Problem is that i really do not know what kind of amplifier i shoud consider with that. I have 3 different option that i can find in my nearby dealers or order from internet. 1. Xtz edge (2 pieces or 3 pieces for hometheater use also) 2. Emotiva xpa-3 gen2 (whitch i can use also in my hometheater setup) and 3. Yamaha r-n803d (plus side is that this one "has it all" for easy use) can you give me your opinion whitch i should buy or can you recomend something decent with the s400s?
I have a class D amp that drives my Maggie's lt weights a ton!
Makes my Maggie's come alive!
Even my Definitive Technology Mythos ST's that are very efficient
Any chance you can review some newer Technics stuff? I.e Technics Sug700 intergrated amp? Only one review of it that ive seen. Great vid.. Thanks!
Thomas, I have 2 of these amps running 4 ohm pushing 4 Rockville 15's and shaking everything off the walls!...LOTS OF POWER
Are the Emotiva good for classic rock, heavy metal?
Thomas, how u like the Classe CA-D200? i have the Parasound A21 amp and wondering it there would be a decent step up or not.
📣 "Giant killers not exist" 👏👏👏😎
There are better for you for the money and less good for you for the money.
i have a soundcraftsman 5002 amp its class H with veriportnal head room buffer love it had since 1983
Good sounding power amp match with my JBL Studio 590 and Anthem preamp!
Just got an anthem mca 20. Would love to hear your thoughts on the mca or a series from anthem.
I think Thomas may not have experience with Anthem?
I have the MCA 30 for over 10 years and I’ve been happy with it. But now I’m looking for something that may open up a bit in the top end. Perhaps I’ll turn to Class D.
Yeah never tried that. I don't think opening up the top end is class D strength, mostly in holographic sound stage and speed from my experience.
Thomas & Stereo thank you so much. That’s very helpful.
I was also thinking about trying different cables but I am not sure which cables will sound “bright” to help me achieve my goal.
After the lockdown, I will visit a HiFi store- hopefully the sales person might have some experience to help.
Thanks again for your videos and the way you present them- honest to your experience, insightful, but not imposing.
just hard to see how a comparably decently made switching power supply, ceteris parabis, can overcome its issues with noise, esp HF, slower transient, and lower reliability. If you can handle the weight and the heat, linear has in theory substantial advantages.
Why aren’t 3+ channel amps more popular? Seems 2 channel amps are so limiting. Just ordered a McIntosh MC255 which seemed a good idea.
fundamental philosophy that all electronics in the playback chain must ideally be neutral and not add or subtract anything from the recording, no matter how “attractive” such distortions may be. The Essence is by nature a product for the fortunate few who can afford such a statement, just as it is a product for the increasing number of audiophiles who seek purity in the reproduction of music, a product for music lovers who respect both the musicians and recording engineers enough to refrain from adding or subtracting anything in relation to the original intention of the recording.
Circuit topology