Is Emotiva Too Good To Be True?

[son-yah-tive]

I think your giving the Chinese too much credit. Most of the high quality gear out there is NOT being designed or conceived by them, they are just doing the grunt work. While the real innovators get wealthy (or try to) off the cheap labor.

What it all really comes done to is simple greed.

No kidding...Well, face it, almost everything you buy is in that category. You make it sound like I think the Chinese cornered the market on high end equipment. That's not what I said. Almost all components are built overseas. In this case Emotiva, and built in China is finally good news. Oh, forget about buying anymore tennis shoes if your conscience is an issue. And return that Wide screen TV.

 

[tonedeaf]

No kidding...Well, face it, almost everything you buy is in that category. You make it sound like I think the Chinese cornered the market on high end equipment. That's not what I said. Almost all components are built overseas. In this case Emotiva, and built in China is finally good news. Oh, forget about buying anymore tennis shoes if your conscience is an issue. And return that Wide screen TV.

Thats why our country is on the verge of financial collapse.
With all the Mfg. jobs being performed in China,our tax base has been devastatingly decimated.The ones who are still working are being hammered with an increasing tax load.
I could go on but we are getting off topic.

 

[jeffsg4mac]

Back in the late 80's and early to mid 90's it was NAD, Adcom, Parasound, Vector Research, and a few others that were making afordable amps and receivers that performed well above their price. I owned several early NAD's and Adcom integrated and dedicated amps,(I still have a 535II that works like a champ) and they really gave other companies a run for their money. Both NAD and Adcom are a shell of their former selves in that regard. It looks like Emotiva, Outlaw, and a few others have taken over that roll and ran with it. Unless someone convinces me otherwise, I am planning on getting that new outlaw processor(if it ever comes out) and the Emotiva XPA-5 to replace my current stack of Behringer A-500's and Yamaha RXV-2600.

 

[Cristofori]

Then it beggars one to ask: What sights have you been visiting that you haven't heard of the brands or sights I mentioned?

I can think of only a few other sites that I didn't mention (diy audio, tweakcity, avforums).

For the sake of an argument, let's just say that my A/V life has not revolved around my PC, which is the only way I could have known about some of this stuff.

Unfortunately, I'm being forced into that more & more, and I've realized I need to get out more in the world of audio, that is until I find a system I can be content with. Then I can concentrate back onto my music, etc.

 

[Cristofori]

Both NAD and Adcom are a shell of their former selves in that regard.

You can say that again! I was duped into buying NAD some years back when the C320BEE was so heavily touted in The Absolute Scam. I was embarrassed to find out that my friends beat up late 80's Sony integrated amp he got for next to nothing sounded better! I'd recommend to anyone considering buying a Mid-FI system to save your money for Rotel or something else a bit better.

Needless to say, my NAD stuff is now long gone, eagerly snatched up by other poor souls who fell for the same charade. The stuff is all around mediocre at best, not to mention being ugly as sin. The NAD debacle started me on a long slope of never being totally satisfied with my A/V gear, which continues to this day and which I hope to put an end to soon.

Emotiva may partially be the answer for me. This kind of stuff reminds me of the old Carver gear I used to have, along with my High-End Sony ES CD player, which were the best system components I ever had and which I'm very sorry I got rid of. Carver was a no nonsense A/V manufacturer that made serious gear at decent prices for the time, and they were made in the USA too. They are sorely missed!

 

[croseiv]

When it comes to their amps, they are the real deal (at least from my perpsective). I own an XPA-5, and it is a great amp, easily worth twice what I paid for it.

 

[jostenmeat]

You can say that again! I was duped into buying NAD some years back when the C320BEE was so heavily touted in The Absolute Scam. I was embarrassed to find out that my friends beat up late 80's Sony integrated amp he got for next to nothing sounded better! I'd recommend to anyone considering buying a Mid-FI system to save your money for Rotel or something else a bit better.

Needless to say, my NAD stuff is now long gone, eagerly snatched up by other poor souls who fell for the same charade. The stuff is all around mediocre at best, not to mention being ugly as sin. The NAD debacle started me on a long slope of never being totally satisfied with my A/V gear, which continues to this day and which I hope to put an end to soon.

Emotiva may partially be the answer for me. This kind of stuff reminds me of the old Carver gear I used to have, along with my High-End Sony ES CD player, which were the best system components I ever had and which I'm very sorry I got rid of. Carver was a no nonsense A/V manufacturer that made serious gear at decent prices for the time, and they were made in the USA too. They are sorely missed!

I have a NAD amp. It works great. I actually think it looks cool, too. However, I think their amps have a more reliable reputation than their upstream electronics.

Of course, I'd be happy with Rotel, Sunfire, or Outlaw too. In fact, if I did it all over again, I'd probably own pro amps, even if I don't need that much power.

I wouldn't buy Emotiva, due to the experiences that several members have had here. Just me, and my decision process.

These members, all four of the ones I can remember, I think are "page 1" members. They do not make it a habit of bad mouthing, but someone like me who's been around here long enough does remember. One was refused when desiring to send in the amp for either repair or replacement IIRC, and another one was wondering how far he could throw it off his roof. There really aren't that many members here who are regulars, checking in at least every week, and to me it just seems like a very high proportion. I still get tempted time to time, because the pricing is so hard to ignore at times.

So, I guess nothing is perfect. I personally don't think Emo amps are too good to be true. They are a high value product as long as it works, but then you can say that about a lot of products.

 

[Cristofori]

I have a NAD amp. It works great. I actually think it looks cool, too. However, I think their amps have a more reliable reputation than their upstream electronics.

When I criticize NAD by the way, I'm not talking about their High-End "Master Class" series, just the cheap olive drab boxes they put out by the boatloads, although I believe they are now greyish colored.

Of course, I'd be happy with Rotel, Sunfire, or Outlaw too. In fact, if I did it all over again, I'd probably own pro amps, even if I don't need that much power.

I remember going into a Rotel dealers show room years ago and they had an NAD amp opened to show how poorly it was constructed compared to the Rotel. This same dealer now caries NAD as well as Rotel, so I guess when all the NAD hype and monetary opportunities came along, their standards before had mysteriously changed.

I wouldn't buy Emotiva, due to the experiences that several members have had here. Just me, and my decision process.

Thanks for the opinion. I'm looking to hear both positive and negative info on Emotiva to help me make a decision.

These members, all four of the ones I can remember, I think are "page 1" members. They do not make it a habit of bad mouthing, but someone like me who's been around here long enough does remember. One was refused when desiring to send in the amp for either repair or replacement IIRC, and another one was wondering how far he could throw it off his roof. There really aren't that many members here who are regulars, checking in at least every week, and to me it just seems like a very high proportion. I still get tempted time to time, because the pricing is so hard to ignore at times.

Thanks, it wouldn't be of any surprise if Emotiva turns out to be yet another let down for me. I also wonder about what hassles, if any, with returns if I didn't like them.

So, I guess nothing is perfect. I personally don't think Emo amps are too good to be true. They are a high value product as long as it works, but then you can say that about a lot of products.

[/QUOTE]Maybe I ought to just pack it in and look for that old used gear in excellent condition, the stuff that used to be made in Japan or the USA that sounded great!

 

[son-yah-tive]

Thats why our country is on the verge of financial collapse.
With all the Mfg. jobs being performed in China,our tax base has been devastatingly decimated.The ones who are still working are being hammered with an increasing tax load.
I could go on but we are getting off topic.

I didn't take us there(off topic). We have no control over this new GLOBAL economy. We have no control over it. All I know is Emotiva is doing what it can for consumers who know high end products in the U.S are WAY out of reach for us lower wage workers, who need a break, and they doing a great job. So, KUDOS to Emotiva.

 

[GO-NAD!]

When I criticize NAD by the way, I'm not talking about their High-End "Master Class" series, just the cheap olive drab boxes they put out by the boatloads, although I believe they are now greyish colored.

I remember going into a Rotel dealers show room years ago and they had an NAD amp opened to show how poorly it was constructed compared to the Rotel. This same dealer now caries NAD as well as Rotel, so I guess when all the NAD hype and monetary opportunities came along, their standards before had mysteriously changed.

Thanks for the opinion. I'm looking to hear both positive and negative info on Emotiva to help me make a decision.

Thanks, it wouldn't be of any surprise if Emotiva turns out to be yet another let down for me. I also wonder about what hassles, if any, with returns if I didn't like them.

I'm a bit perplexed by your criticism of NAD products. I don't think their components look like "cheap olive drab boxes they put out by the boatloads". I would call the styling "restrained" or "conservative", but not cheap. As to the quality, my C372 and C425 perform brilliantly and I've never had any problems with them.

I do agree that they are no longer bargain buys. The replacement model for the C372, the C375BEE, is priced about 60% higher at my local dealer! That is not justifiable, IMHO.

 

[darien87]

I have owned 2 Emotiva amps, LPA-1 and now XPA-5, both were/are great amps. Very good bang for the buck.

I now have the UMC-1 and when it works, it's an outstanding pre-pro. It does have its issues that I hope will be quickly addressed, so I am not completely satisfied with it yet. But it is a new piece of equipment and Emotiva's most ambitious project to date, so I guess a few hiccups are to be expected.

I think Emotiva is a great company and they have gone above and beyond for me more than once. You can do a lot worse than to buy from Emotiva.

 

[GlocksRock]

I won't go into specifics again, but I love my IPS-1 amp, and have nothing but positive things to say about Emotiva, and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase from them again.

 

[3db]

You can say that again! I was duped into buying NAD some years back when the C320BEE was so heavily touted in The Absolute Scam. I was embarrassed to find out that my friends beat up late 80's Sony integrated amp he got for next to nothing sounded better! I'd recommend to anyone considering buying a Mid-FI system to save your money for Rotel or something else a bit better.

Needless to say, my NAD stuff is now long gone, eagerly snatched up by other poor souls who fell for the same charade. The stuff is all around mediocre at best, not to mention being ugly as sin. The NAD debacle started me on a long slope of never being totally satisfied with my A/V gear, which continues to this day and which I hope to put an end to soon.

Emotiva may partially be the answer for me. This kind of stuff reminds me of the old Carver gear I used to have, along with my High-End Sony ES CD player, which were the best system components I ever had and which I'm very sorry I got rid of. Carver was a no nonsense A/V manufacturer that made serious gear at decent prices for the time, and they were made in the USA too. They are sorely missed!

Not to be unfriendly sounding but if you did a DBT between the two, I doubt that you would be able to tell the difference between the NAD and Sony since both have ruler flat frequency response well past the range of hearing. Further more on power reserves alone, I would choose NAD over a Sony any day as they tend to underetimate their power output while Sony is very optimistic on their power output.

 

[walter duque]

I have never listened to Emovita but did have an experience with some low cost equipment. I once purchased an Atlantic Technology (rebadged Outlaw)Pre-Pro and power amp 120 X 7 for a friend of mine for $999.-- for both pieces, I have to admit I was a little hesitant myself. When we hooked it up I was surprised how that system sounded, actually it kind of blew me away, since my B&K pre-pro and my Cinepro poweramp come in at 10K. When listening to that 1K syste compared to my 10k pre-pro+poweramp my system did not sound 10x better. With out any hesitation I would go for Emovita, it's a matter of fact I just highly recommended it to a friend of mine. How can you go wrong for that price. I don't think any AVR can come close at just about any pricepoint for what you get.

 

[egreen1976]

I was a starter of an Emotiva/Audioholics post a few months back because /i had many of the same suspicions and couldn't find much about Emotiva from any other sites or sources.

I must say that the responses on this thread have been much tamer than what usually occurs when someone questions Emotiva on this site.

As for my own experience with Emotiva, I purchased an XPA-5 and was pleased. In my mind I never truly felt comfortable with the Emotiva's performance because it was not a "well known or reputable brand.". So I went out and purchased a Rotel RMB-1095 and owned both units for a few months. With some time to do side by side comparisons I must say that the Emotiva absolutely held it's own against the Rotel. Price/performance Emotiva amps are worth EVERY penny. However, I ended up keeping the Rotel for 2 reasons (1) I liked it's sound slightly better. Yes, amps should be neutral but in many cases I am able to hear difference (2) ironically Emotiva was a victim of it's own outstanding retail value. I was able to sell my XPA-5 for close to what I paid for it. I would have had to take a substantial loss selling the Rotel. However, in the future I would strongly consider buying Emotiva because their amps retain value so well.

The UMC-1 is a different story. This community seems VERY forgiving about it's bugginess. If any of the more well know brands released a processor with these issues I could only imagine the backlash. In this respect it seems Emotiva isn't a "mature" brand. The great price does come at a cost. While I may be fine performing firmware updates, many lesser technically minded consumers have issues updating their computers let alone their audio equipment. Still I debate buying the UMC-1 daily but this is mainly due to a complete lack of decent processors being offered in the industry. The new Rotel and many similar manufacturers are at OUTRAGEOUS prices, The Integra and Outlaw aren't here, I don't expect the XMC-1 until the fall and then you have to wait out the "buggy" period, etc. etc.

 

[Rickster71]

I was a starter of an Emotiva/Audioholics post a few months back because /i had many of the same suspicions and couldn't find much about Emotiva from any other sites or sources.

I must say that the responses on this thread have been much tamer than what usually occurs when someone questions Emotiva on this site.

That may have been due to the way you titled your thread:
"Emotiva & Audioholics, mutual admiration society?"

 

[egreen1976]

that's kind of my point.... the title was catchy but what I posted was a very fair question and evenly balance analysis. There were posters other than myself that expressed these same sentiments.


I would like to know what others thing about Emotiva and it's quality. Also, I would like to now what others think about the "forgiveness" Emotiva is getting with the UMC-1.

 

[3db]

that's kind of my point.... the title was catchy but what I posted was a very fair question and evenly balance analysis. There were posters other than myself that expressed these same sentiments.


I would like to know what others thing about Emotiva and it's quality. Also, I would like to now what others think about the "forgiveness" Emotiva is getting with the UMC-1.

It appears biased in favour for the UMC-1 for the time being but lets see how this rides out. Maybe after enough complaints, people may see that the UMC-1 is not really the deal as it first was made out to be.

From the users at avsforum there is a knwon bug with this unit;
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1218226&highlight=emotiva+umc


On the plus side, they appear to be customer service oriented which is a big plus in my book;

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1227284&highlight=emotiva+umc

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think Emotia offers great value and performance, but I don't consider them "TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE".

For one thing, I personally don't like the aesthetics of Emotiva very much. But that's just me.

 

[Rickster71]

that's kind of my point.... the title was catchy but what I posted was a very fair question and evenly balance analysis.

One man's "catchy title" could be construed as lumping all AH members into one group; especially by a new member with approximately 30 posts (at that time).

I agree that you've raised some good points.
IMO, the old thread sounded more like someone with an axe to grind, not just a new member expressing true curiosity.

I would like to know what others thing about Emotiva and it's quality. Also, I would like to now what others think about the "forgiveness" Emotiva is getting with the UMC-1.

No forgiveness from me. If the software isn't fixed when my name comes up on the waiting list, I simply won't buy it.