Alternative for Emotiva XPA-2 Amp

[TheHills44060]

Emotiva amps are comical pieces of junk. That's been my experience. The pro route jinjuku offered is interesting as Crown amps are practically indestructible but I've never tried one in a home setting. Only ever used them to power guitar cabinets. You can try Parasound, Rotel, Marantz, ATI, NAD and the usual sort. You may like them all you may not like any. I would definitely recommend going used to maximize your buck.

 

[ImcLoud]

Emotiva amps are comical pieces of junk. That's been my experience. The pro route jinjuku offered is interesting as Crown amps are practically indestructible but I've never tried one in a home setting. Only ever used them to power guitar cabinets. You can try Parasound, Rotel, Marantz, ATI, NAD and the usual sort. You may like them all you may not like any. I would definitely recommend going used to maximize your buck.

Wow "comical pieces of junk" you put some thought into that one, have you ever owned one or even heard one?

 

[TheHills44060]

Wow "comical pieces of junk" you put some thought into that one, have you ever owned one or even heard one?

Of course I have. We're talking about audio equipment so having first hand experience listening to the piece in question is paramount. The thread starter is asking for alternatives to Emotiva so why don't you help him/her out and give suggestions of amps you like instead of posting things that have no value.

 

[ImcLoud]

Of course I have. We're talking about audio equipment so having first hand experience listening to the piece in question is paramount. The thread starter is asking for alternatives to Emotiva so why don't you help him/her out and give suggestions of amps you like instead of posting things that have no value.

Read the posts I gave suggestions, stop trolling for a reaction and get a life, take the advice you gave me in the rep message... You never heard an emo amp in your life, your a joke, and the sad part is even your mother is laughing...

 

[ematthews]

What is funny about this whole Emotiva trip... I questioned everything when I first got it all. I asked the guys over at Emo why my HK3490 Integrated amp sounded better than my Emotiva USP-1 and XPA-2? Or at least better to me... Most said you are finding out you like a warmer sound instead of a very neutral amp.... From the above suggestions...
Is the Nad and Parasound gear warm sounding?

 

[ImcLoud]

I hate to say this, but an amp is an amp, most amps are going to sound the same {some tube and class t's sound different} for the most part. A difference that a humans ears will notice, I have yet to see it, now if its is eq'ing or handling anything that changes the sound, sure it will sound different, but a straight short signal path given equal levels - you can not hear a difference... That is a placebo effect... In my opinion of course...

Now if the emo is breaking, that is another story, by all means replace it with something that will not break.... But if expect a different or "better" sound, then I don't know where to send you because I have yet to hear an amp that made a speaker sound better or worse when ran in its comfort zone and not clipping...

 

[ematthews]

I hate to say this, but an amp is an amp, most amps are going to sound the same {some tube and class t's sound different} for the most part. A difference that a humans ears will notice, I have yet to see it, now if its is eq'ing or handling anything that changes the sound, sure it will sound different, but a straight short signal path given equal levels - you can not hear a difference... That is a placebo effect... In my opinion of course...

Now if the emo is breaking, that is another story, by all means replace it with something that will not break.... But if expect a different or "better" sound, then I don't know where to send you because I have yet to hear an amp that made a speaker sound better or worse when ran in its comfort zone and not clipping...

Fair enough.. I do know that my HK and Marantz gear sounded different than my Emotiva. Something makes it sound different.

 

[Alex2507]

One break coming right up....

Make it two.

 

[sharkman]

The NAD gear will sound warm compared to the sterile, bright sound of the Emo gear. They will measure much the same, but NAD or Parasound just do a better job with the highs.

 

[crossedover]

The NAD gear will sound warm compared to the sterile, bright sound of the Emo gear. They will measure much the same, but NAD or Parasound just do a better job with the highs.

How does a manufacturer do a better job with the highs? Do they some how reshape the wave form they are amplifing? What happens when the warm sound of an NAD meets an overly bright speaker? Does the NAD increase its warmth to compensate? All questions that should be pondered in the "placebo effect" world

 

[ImcLoud]

The NAD gear will sound warm compared to the sterile, bright sound of the Emo gear. They will measure much the same, but NAD or Parasound just do a better job with the highs.

Do you know how silly that sounds? One amp of the same class does a better job with the highs?

 

[PENG]

Fair enough.. I do know that my HK and Marantz gear sounded different than my Emotiva. Something makes it sound different.

Agree, but that something is not likely to be the amp themselves, but something else. Do the HK and Marantz sound similar, in pure direct?

 

[PENG]

I hate to say this, but an amp is an amp, most amps are going to sound the same {some tube and class t's sound different} for the most part. A difference that a humans ears will notice, I have yet to see it, now if its is eq'ing or handling anything that changes the sound, sure it will sound different, but a straight short signal path given equal levels - you can not hear a difference... That is a placebo effect... In my opinion of course...

Now if the emo is breaking, that is another story, by all means replace it with something that will not break.... But if expect a different or "better" sound, then I don't know where to send you because I have yet to hear an amp that made a speaker sound better or worse when ran in its comfort zone and not clipping...

Well said..

 

[ematthews]

So with all this said, one should just get the cheapest amp they can find since they only thing that makes a difference is the speakers. Am I correct?

 

[PENG]

The NAD gear will sound warm compared to the sterile, bright sound of the Emo gear. They will measure much the same, but NAD or Parasound just do a better job with the highs.

I don't have NAD but I have listened to a few of them, and I do own a Parasound. They sound just as neutral as my Denon, Marantz and Yamaha AVRs and separates. I don't own any EMO, too costly to ship and too heavy for no good reason imho, but I highly doubt they would not sound neutral base on published specs and measurements. Bottom line, is, if NAD and Parasound design their amp to sound not neutral, I wouldn't touch them.

 

[PENG]

So with all this said, one should just get the cheapest amp they can find since they only thing that makes a difference is the speakers. Am I correct?

There are other factors such as their look, weight, size, perceived reliability, warranty, build quality, operating temperature, connectivity, published specs that are verifiable and other features. Other than that long list of other factors, yes to your question. Trust the engineers who design them, this is a science/engineering product, not art, nothing abstract about them. I have never heard an EMO, but I do trust the reviews done on this site. Ask Gene if he thinks the XPA and XPRs sound neutral or not and I am sure he will tell you something.

If the amp is neutral, you can do things to it to suit your taste, or you may leave it alone if you find it sounding similar to what you hear "live". If they are designed to sound warm or bright, then it will be much harder to tweak them to your taste other than by luck you hit the sweet spot, even then it is only great if you don't change things up. As soon as you change speakers, or their placement, or move to a different room, house then everything change again.

 

[j_garcia]

Fair enough.. I do know that my HK and Marantz gear sounded different than my Emotiva. Something makes it sound different.

DACs and implementation of circuitry IMO, since you are comparing the whole chain. I went from a Marantz AVR to the UMC-200 and the UMC sounds a bit brighter when set to flat, but comparatively, also provides more detail. If you were to take a Marantz amp alone, things would sound more similar than not. I've also owned a few Marantz monos and I don't feel they were any warmer than any of my other amps. I've owned a LOT of Marantz AVRs too and they do tend to be on the warmer side, which I like though I have no complaints about the sound of the UMC-200.

 

[TheHills44060]

Read the posts I gave suggestions, stop trolling for a reaction and get a life, take the advice you gave me in the rep message... You never heard an emo amp in your life, your a joke, and the sad part is even your mother is laughing...

Haha you get so upset...you must have problems at home. Not sure what your problem is but this is an audio forum where people post their opinions about gear and ask for others opinions so get used to it. I have heard numerous Emotiva amps. What i have not heard is their speakers and some of their other gear. How in the world could you know what someone has/hasn't heard when you don't even know them, are you Jesus? If so i figured you'd be a much more patient fellow, hmmmm. By the way, be a man and sign your reps.

.... From the above suggestions...
Is the Nad and Parasound gear warm sounding?

That's going to be hard to say indefinitely. Ideally you should hook each one up to your speakers and see how they interact. Turn it up and listen for awhile with music you know well then make your decision. In general i happen to like both manufacturers although the Halos are pretty sweet.

 

[jinjuku]

The NAD gear will sound warm compared to the sterile, bright sound of the Emo gear. They will measure much the same, but NAD or Parasound just do a better job with the highs.

I'll find some frequency measurements where the Parasound and Emo are ruler flat at 20Khz.

 

[sharkman]

So with all this said, one should just get the cheapest amp they can find since they only thing that makes a difference is the speakers. Am I correct?

This is the bottom line for the all electronics sound the same crowd. I've seen people recommend a $50 dvd player for someone asking for a mid level priced cd player, because everything sounds the same.

Personally I believed amps sound the same and ignored the bright highs coming from the system I bought for years. Then I got fed up and started trying things. Swapped out my XDA-1(as pre amp) and put in my old Denon 3803 running an XPA-3(using 2 channels only for stereo set up). The Denon sounded better and not as bright. Then I bought an Oppo 95 to replace an Emotiva ERC-1. Better soundstage, but still on the bright side, running the Oppo straight to the XPA-3, with Paradigm Signature S6 speakers.

Upon further experimentation, I found certain good quality but brighter tracks that would produce actual sibilance, or distortion at high frequencies above 82db. It was repeatable, and I wondered if my speakers were crap, and they retail for over $6000. I Read more and was fed up enough to try a different amp. Bought a Parasound Halo A21 and replaced the XPA-3. With the exact same system, same room, same volume levels, same tracks, the distortion was gone.(System at this point was the Paradigm speakers, Oppo 95 as pre and A21) Swapped the XPA-3 back into the system, and the distortion was back. Now this was distortion only at certain points of the songs but it was repeatable and that is when I finally realized that all amps do not sound the same. There was nothing wrong with the XPA-3, it was operating fine otherwise. The A21 had better imaging and the silky midrange made my jaw drop. These XPA amps are good for the money, but that's not saying much.

So, believe what you will, I don't mind. I don't know how the Parasound doesn't lose control of the tweeters like the XPA amp did. Some have suggested that they are not quite flat at the top end of the spectrum, I'm not sure. But if you find things somewhat bright, you can either change your speakers, or like someone in my position, I would rather replace the $600 amp than the $6000 speakers. I have no idea if Emotiva XPR amps are harsh at higher volumes. The USP-1 has been described as harsh by some who didn't like it. But no idea on the XSP-1 pre. I read a poster who claimed to know a former Emotiva employee who said Emotiva tunes their amps to be a bit hotter on the top because it sounds better in the home theater application. Again, no idea if that's true.

At the end of the day, I think when you bring products to market at such a low price point, compromises have to be made.