Emotiva or Parasound? Center channel Amp Home theater
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- In this video I talk about a few of my takeaways about using the Emotiva XPA 2 gen 2 and the Parasound A21 for my center channel Amplifier. I use them both in bridge mode. Thanks for watching.
Nobody needs 1000 watts of power, except when running Emotiva amps. You have to have tons of headroom with these amps because the sound quite literally falls apart when you approach their limits. Ive owned several Emotiva amps and they become distorted and wildly fatiguing when pushed.
Im currently running Parasound and 100% do not experience any of those same issues.
My sound system consists of 6 SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers (2 for the mains, 2 for the side channels, and 2 for the rears), an SVS Ultra Center speaker, 4 SVS Prime Elevation speakers ceiling mounted for Dolby Atmos and 2 SVS SB-3000 Subwoofers. The system is powered by a Parasound Halo A52+ 5 channel amplifier and a Yamaha Aventage RX-A8A 11 channel AVR with dual AC Infinity AIRCOM T9's keeping them cool, and all are connected to a Panamax M5400-PM Power Conditioner.
Nice system my guy. I bet it sounds amazing. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for watching
Have always wondered what the difference was. Have a Parasound A52, and always wondered what emotiva was like. Was thinking of getting a emotive just for the atmos.
Hope I was able to shed some light on this comparison for you. As I said in the video I feel the older Emotiva models were made at a higher quality compared to the new models. The new models are good and very cost effective but they definitely are not built the same. The Parasound has a more realistic sound with a warmer touch. Emotiva packs good power with a good higher pitch sound. But if you were going to add the emotiva for high channels or other surrounds imo they are great for that. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching
@@Audiolympian sort of curious on the cheaper line but have heard they don't have a good noise floor. I've been very happy with Parasound though so far.
@@theoracleprodigy Parasounds noise floor is certainly better but emotiva still has a very good noise floor as well. But I also think there are other components to consider in a system that will contribute to the noise floor of an amp.
Emotiva XPA Gen 3 is Class H / Class AB (SMPS power switching design) not Class D at all.
The 3 channel XPA-DR Differential Reference Power Amplifier is more powerful and controls the BW speakers very well at higher levels. Truly full balanced design. 450 watts 8ohm all 3 channels driven is incredible.
I’ve heard it was class H. I read on a blog it was class D so I wasn’t sure. But I did hear the differential reference amps was amazing. The only reason I didn’t get one is because I read you need a 20 amp line to get its full potential and I don’t have one. Thanks for watching
@@Audiolympian wow where did you read that?
@@chebrubin it was an audiogon forum
@@Audiolympian That was a much older amp that Emotiva only made for a few months. That was a beast. The XPA-DR2 & 3 can run off a 15 amp circuit without issue. They are class A/B to a point, then move to H. I just ordered the DR2.
@@michaelwright1602 yeah. I’ve always wanted to hear the DR series. Those are monsters.
You have the P1's or the P1+? Also have you moved away from the Goldenears? Or are you using both pairs in the 2 ch set up?
Just the 1’s. Oh no I’m using both, goldenear and paradigm. 👍. Thanks for watching
@@Audiolympian You still have both pairs of Tritons then, in 2 channel system.
@@esylsten I don’t have both of them in operation. I have them set up differently. My one.r are connected to my tube amp and my paradigms are connected to my jc1’s. And I moved my trefs back in my theater.
Incredible you can get a emotiva xpa 2 in holiday specials for $699 those days are over.
Those day certainly are gone. Thanks for watching
I have a basx A3 for the fronts ,is ok for music and cinema ,and i expect the xpa dr3 to be better in every way , in truth 450 rms is plenty for most speakers,i learned that in these things, know one is on the same page, some say that sounds better the other say the other amp is better, Andrew Robinson said that the a2 is better than the parasound 2 channel similar specs, that cost 1000 $ more,who is right i don't know
Right. Everyone’s room and set ups are different so is everybody’s specific preferences. So I say as long as you’re happy with your setups it doesn’t matter what you have, let’s just enjoy it. Thanks for watching
Jesus Christ, what is the impedance of that center channel, how loud are you pushing it and at what distance? 😅😳
Haha. It runs at 4 ohms but is operable at 8 ohms. And from my front seat it’s about 12 feet away. And I push it at 750 watts, oh yeah 👍. Thanks for watching
The newer emotiva BasX amplifiers are all Class A-B.
They maybe but they still sound different. Not like the gen 1 and 2
@pt265 What did you end up with?
If I pay $4,000 for an amp it better smoke the Emotiva at $2,000. That's kinda comparing apples and oranges don't ya think?
Yes and no. Yes because the more expensive should destroy a lesser expensive item. But when the emotiva’s first came out they definitely punched above their weight class. They packed a lot in their amps so they easily could have been priced at a much higher price point. If you were to look at the insides of each the designs are equally complex and solid but I think Parasound used higher quality components and materials this the better sound. Thanks for watching and commenting
@@Audiolympian I forgot about the fact that Emotiva doesn't have a middleman and a dealer jacking up the price. That would bring them close to even price wise. Which makes my comment a moot point. But if the Parasound has better caps, resistors...etc, that's definitely what you're hearing. It's true for crossovers so I imagine the same goes for amps also.
@@Hi-FiChess you got it. 👍
The amount of shielding around the transfer is irrelevant because power is filtered before it even gets to the transformer
Had an a21 with my goldenear t1. Then got a bryston 4b st. The bryston is in another league. A21 sounds off and dirty compared.
You have me intrigued. 🤔 Thanks for commenting and watching
Are you still using the Bryston?
It's all in your head
I know your electric bill is extremely high. All those amplifiers will cost you about $30 in electricity to play a 2hr movie. Absolutely ridiculous
Not really our electric bill is pretty much the same. However I don’t run my system high or for very long. Thanks for watching
You must walk around with a flashlight in your house .
you need new equipment racks.
Haha. You’re not the only one to tell me that. I do have some new salamander shelves on order. I needed something strong that wasn’t going to break the bank. Thanks for watching.
Have you ever tried an old school power amp like the Adcom 555i ? You might be surprised what a High Current Amp with half the power of your mono blocks can do.
I have but it was a while ago. I didn’t care for the sound back then but my ears are totally different today. I think I’ll check them out again. Thanks for the tip and for watching
@@Audiolympian looking forward to your feedback when you try them. Thx 😊
@@ben23a31 you’re welcome
Those paradigms are extremely efficient if I'm not mistaken. I would think an a23+ would be plenty of clean power for them. I'm thinking about pairing the 23+ with my paradigm prestige 75f.
Yes they are. The 23+ is well more than enough power. Thanks for watching
Cool vid. The thing that stuck out to me is that you are bridging all of the LCR speakers. From what I ready, bridging should only be done with 8-ohm nominal speakers and the Founders are not 8-ohm. Paradigm states that they are "compatible with 8-ohm" but all measurements show dips below 4-ohm with a nominal closer to 4-ohm. My question to you is, have you noticed any issues with thermals, distortion, or instability with either the Emotiva or Parasound amps when pushing them a bit? I've been afraid to bridge my center as I've heard horror stories of doing so with lower impedance speakers.
Good question have the same feelings at first. But no I’ve never had a problem with my speakers or amp bridging them. However I don’t listen very long, usually just the length of a movie but I do like it loud. But no problems. Thanks for watching
Man I don't really know what you trying to do over there they way you trying to rate amplifier power in a movie settings kind ah lost me if all you amps have more than plenty head room and all your speakers level match and system calibrated how the hell u know what amp lacking bro
I get what you’re saying. Think of it this way, take your car, your in it everyday, you drive it, you’re used to it. You know if it’s the same as yesterday or if something changed. That’s how it is in my room as I’m sure you know your set up very well. However I appreciate your feedback, thanks for watching and commenting
How many amplifiers do you need to set up a home cinema. I thought one would do all, sounds like you have one for centre speakers alone so what runs altogether others could you explain 🤔
Hey Monkeyman,
Good question. Technically you only need a receiver for a home theater set up. Amplifiers are for extra power, volume and sound definition. I use multiple amplifiers in my set up which is not typical I just really wanted to try to reach my speakers full potential. So I use individual amps on my front left, front right and center channel speakers. And a few more amps for my surround speakers. Because of my setup I don’t use a receiver I use a processor hope that clears things up. Thanks for watching
Thanks for the video! I currently have an Emotiva DR3. I kinda cheaped out with the amplification in comparison to everything else I have pieced for my HT / Music ssetup. I have a pair of B&W 803d3's and an HTM2d3 center. I have some B&W surrounds and in ceilings as well to complete the atmos setup. However, I am considering the Parasound amps now that I can get some of them on sale. Would I expect a big difference in sound quality? I've always found the Emotiva sounded decent, loud sure, but I don't always hear super loud, especially music, and I feel they are bit "noisy" or flat-like?
You’ll definitely hear a difference on music a little less on movies but it still has a warmer tone. However the Parasounds always have plenty of head room. Go very loud with no distortion. They are better quality with a nice richness the emotivas lack. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching
@pt265 you got me intrigued. I’m going to look into it thanks
From Emotiva to parasound is a downgrade. Even if the parasound is pushing double the RMS wattage. Emotiva has cleaner power.
Awesome. I’d like to know how the Parasound works for you when you get it. Thanks for watching
Having gone from Emotiva, to an Anthem Statement A5 to a Parasound A21+ I really cannot agree! Parasound is a keeper.
@@jerrywilliams4506 I agree, that’s why I kept mine 😉 and I use a Parasound for my center channel amplifier now. It’s amazing
Sounds like someone low on funds
My experience suggests otherwise in a huge way. I've owned Emotiva XPA, BasX, and their monoblocks. They were all painfully fatiguing to listen to. Honestly, the BasX had the most agreeable sound of the Emotivas I've owned. I still own it, actually. I use the BasX to power a pair of Definative Technology outdoor speakers and it does a very fine job.
Currently, I'm running a Parasound JC5 and it is so much better than the Emotivas that I'm not sure where to even begin the comparison. I also own the cheaper Parasound A21+ and it too is FAR better than any Emotiva I've ever heard.
Hello buddy, greetings from Mexico.
Hello. How are things in Mexico? Thanks for watching! And commenting. Appreciate the support