Which Emotiva amp is my best option?

B

BrianC

Junior Audioholic
I've got Ascend Sierra-1's. Can get a brand spanking new XPA-200 for $340 or a used (2007) LPA-1 FOR around $400.

XPA is 2 channel, 150wpc. LPA is 7 channel, 125wpc. Both will receive sound from Yamaha receiver pre pro. I do have center and 2 surrounds, but it seems my Yamaha is probably adequate for those, as my adiophiliac cares are 80/20 for 2-channel music listening in my medium/large room.

Any thoughts on the obvious amp I should be considering most?

Thanks
 
G

GIEGAR

Full Audioholic
Hi Brian

Your choice of amp, if necessary, will depend on a several factors that affect what your likely peak power needs are. These factors are:
  • The broadband sensitivity of the speakers (Ascend Sierra-1's: 86dB/1W/1m)
  • The distance from the main speakers to the listening seats (12 - 14ft?)
  • Your preferred maximum master volume settings (in relative dB; for movies and music)
  • The acoustic properties of the room and furniture (a general description of the room is fine)
  • Whether or not you run a sub could also be relevant.
If you can supply this information, we can have a crack at working out your what your likely peak power needs are and give you an idea if a power amp would be worthwhile, and if so, which one.

The only way either of the Emotiva's will make a real difference is if your Yamaha is not capable of cleanly driving your Sierra's to your preferred maximum volume levels. The Emotiva's will allow you to play your speakers a couple of decibels louder. (The difference between 90W and 150W is 2.2dB.) If you are looking to make to make a noticeable improvements to the general sound quality simply by adding an a power amp, you will be disappointed (confirmation bias aside). ;)

On the other hand, significant improvements to overall sound quality can be realised with (say) a perfectly matched centre channel speaker, a good quality sub (or two) and paying some attention to proper speaker positioning. Do you have the Sierra-1 Center? Did you get around to replacing the Klipsch Synergy sub?

Also Brian, do you realise that your Yamaha RX-V673 only has preamp outputs for the subs and not for the speaker channels? To run an external amp from an AVR that lacks multichannel preouts requires the insertion of a speaker-level to line-level adapters (~30dB attenuation) between the AVR and the power amp. This can be done, but it defeats the purpose of the external power amp because the AVR is still required to perform the amplification and the power output to the speakers remains governed by the capability of the AVR's amps.
 
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H

herbu

Audioholic Samurai
Also Brian, do you realise that your Yamaha RX-V673 only has preamp outputs for the subs and not for the speaker channels?
BrianC, you owe GIEGAR a debt of gratitude. It's a good thing you didn't post: "I have an RX-V673 and just bought an XPA-200, but can't figure out how to hook it up." Slow down. As hard as it may be, let your money sit under the mattress and continue your research for a while. There is a lot to learn, a lifetime to go, lots of money to spend, and even more mistakes to be made. You're on the right track. Learn first, then spend. ;)
 
G

GIEGAR

Full Audioholic
^ Thanks for the words of support herbu!

Hope I didn't scare Brian off... :oops:
 
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