Emotiva XDA-1 Fully Balanced DAC/Preamp

[Seth=L]

Doesn't this DAC's marketing sound too good to be true? All this balanced this and that, top notch DAC, etc and in the end the SNR is 105 db...
Now that is good for me BUT if all components are so good how come the specs are below DacMagic (which is also made in China) ?
I will wait to see a review and some measurements.
Any Emotiva gear owners could tell their impressions about Emotiva products and customer support? Do they understate their specs ?

Thank you

A product like this needs features, not top shelf specifications. Unfortunately I don't think they quite delivered with the features.

 

[FattyMcFatFat]

How would this DAC compare to the DACmagic?

 

[Boerd]

A product like this needs features, not top shelf specifications. Unfortunately I don't think they quite delivered with the features.

Thanks. Actually XDA-1 has all the features I am looking for (OK - one exception headphone out)

Do you have any experience with Emotiva? Do they deliver on:
1. specs / marketing claims?
2. customer service?

Thanks.

 

[Boerd]

How would this DAC compare to the DACmagic?

I am as interested as you are as I may/might buy a DAC this Christmas (wrote to Santa).
Somebody give us your opinions - don't hold back.
BTW - never owned DacMagic or any other DAC other than SqueezeBox V3

 

[GranteedEV]

Do you have any experience with Emotiva? Do they deliver on:
1. specs / marketing claims?
2. customer service?

They make some great stuff, and stand by it. Don't pay too much attention to specs... between weighting and other factors, they usually end up being inconsequential.

 

[Seth=L]

Thanks. Actually XDA-1 has all the features I am looking for (OK - one exception headphone out)

Do you have any experience with Emotiva? Do they deliver on:
1. specs / marketing claims?
2. customer service?

Thanks.

No, their products don't appeal to me.

 

[Boerd]

They make some great stuff, and stand by it. Don't pay too much attention to specs... between weighting and other factors, they usually end up being inconsequential.

I know most manufacturers give you false specs; if you know how pro specs are written (http://www.rane.com/note145.html) one understands that SNR 105 db means nothing.
Give me something like:
S/N = 105 dB re +4 dBu, 22 kHz BW, unity gain
That would mean something. Anyway - I sent Emotiva an email at the beginning of last week and they have not replied yet - don't like that. I had two simple questions about XDA1...
I resent the email yesterday - we'll see.
By comparison when I had a question about a parasound preamp (the P3 I have today) I got an almost instant reply from Richard Schram (president of Parasound).
I bought the Parasound P3 preamp and again I had a question about channel separation of P3 (about 5 months after I bought it) - got an email from the same guy (president of Parasound) who was asking one of their engineers to measure it for me in certain conditions and 3 days later they got back to me. I was very impressed. They just don't have any DACs ...

 

[KEW]

Thanks. Actually XDA-1 has all the features I am looking for (OK - one exception headphone out)

Do you have any experience with Emotiva? Do they deliver on:
1. specs / marketing claims?
2. customer service?

Thanks.

1) Specs and marketing claims - Gene does a nice treatment of analyzing their power claims here:
http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-upa-7/upa7-measurements
Personally, I think he is being a bit generous in accepting the 125 Watt X 7 claim, but he pretty well says as much in his discussion of power ratings. All in all, I'd still consider Emotiva to get close enough to their specs. They are not one of those companies that states a spec and actually beats it by 20%.

2) My experience with costumer service via phone has been good. Try calling them. Some companies live and breathe email, others phone calls...

I should say that my experience has been with amplifier and their basic USP-1 preamp. It may be that the DAC is not so well supported simply because it is new and "not an amplifier". I don't know if Lonnie (who is in-house at Emotiva and designs their amps) designed the DAC.

 

[KEW]

I resent the email yesterday - we'll see.

...It is best if you can forgive and free yourself from resentment.

 

[Boerd]

...It is best if you can forgive and free yourself from resentment.

No resentment my friend - I will call them too. I said I didn't like they didn't answer my email - that's all; a bit surprised because usually people say good words about Emotiva.

 

[GranteedEV]

No resentment my friend - I will call them too. I said I didn't like they didn't answer my email - that's all; a bit surprised because usually people say good words about Emotiva.

He was making a funny =(

 

[Boerd]

He was making a funny =(

Dude - I just paid attention to your signature - I am still laughing - very funny.
When I got to the part with GT-R and 8 pack abs I started laughing with tears ...
Very funny

 

[jinjuku]

I'm semi surprised it doesn't offer a dedicated subwoofer output let alone bass management given the device deals exclusively in digital connections. However, at this price it leaves me only semi surprised.

Neither does the DAC Magic.

Honestly I would look to go with a source that has volume control and run everything through a DCX2496 (assuming they have solved the 96Khz digital sampling error). You would get you DAC/EQ/Sub-woofer management.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Do they understate their specs ?

I don't think so.

I have not done any recent research, but the last time I checked, Emotiva does not seem to under-rate anything.

 

[jinjuku]

Also check out the Berhinger SRC2496 as a DAC.

It won't have all the flexibility of the DCX2496 (no EQ, no ability for bass management). But doesn't need impedance transformer for S/PDIF like the DCX.

If using a traditional mechanical transport (like CDP) will re-clock and remove jitter!

 

[Boerd]

XDA1 sold out

I reserved one 4 days ago - there is a backlog till end of January.
Are you f^&ing kidding me??? I want my toy!
Emotiva is not going bankrupt any time soon I guess (good for them)...

 

[Mike Ronesia]

I signed up on the pre-order list but haven't got a call so guess I'll be in the second batch.

 

[Boerd]

I signed up on the pre-order list but haven't got a call so guess I'll be in the second batch.

When I called 4 (maybe 5) days ago I was told that I am most likely in the 3rd batch (IF I get lucky I'd be in the second)

 

[jinjuku]

When I called 4 (maybe 5) days ago I was told that I am most likely in the 3rd batch (IF I get lucky I'd be in the second)

Or you could just get the Behringer SRC2496 for $170 and have a 2 channel DAC with headphone amp right away...

Just tossing it out there.

I would love to hear both A/B'd

 

[jinjuku]

I wonder if there could be a profitable business if I picked up the Behringer, the Emotiva, DacMagic, Benchmark DAC1 and one or two other DAC's and rented them out for evaluation (a/b/c...) purposes against each other.

Send out an entire care package with IC's etc...