Parasound Emotiva opinion

[slipperybidness]

The one thing I can tell you about Emotiva is it let's a middle class guys like my self listen to a good system that I can afford.. I like that. I have been into music since I was in grade school and have wanted a nice system since then too. AT 13 my parents got me a Sears rack system that I loved... I think RUSH played non stop on that. The first thing I ever financed was a entry level system from Circuit City to establish credit. 20 years later Emotiva allowed me to get into what I consider Hifi sound.. It may not be the best, but it's very very good.

Agreed. Emo isn't exactly the highest of the high end.

But, the build quality is certainly above any commodity receiver on the market.

 

[jinjuku]

I know. But Gene owns a Pass Labs amp. He could own Emotiva amps. But he does not. Money is not the issue.

It's like the Crown XLS 2500 amp. It would sound just as great as any Emotiva or Sherbourn amp.

So couple that with the fact that he compared them to the the XPA-1's and all things being equaled out a reasonable person can draw their own conclusions.

I'm certainly not knocking him having Pass or Classe. I used to own Carver, Parasound, Adcom now Crown.

I draw the conclusion that I can save $20K and not worry about any loss of performance. I can also draw from that conclusion there there may be a scenario where the XPA-1's are better (high current).

 

[ematthews]

Hey. I'm going to change the subject and ask about Balanced connections... I will now have the chance to run the Preamp and amp in full balanced. My current CD player does not have a balanced in or out. I am in the market for a CD player and wanted to know if it's best to have this option as well? CD side of things? Or does it only matter on pre and amp connection. It get's a bit hard to find a CD player with them for under a grand.
I know Emotiva has the ERC-3 and I am a little shy of it... Reason. My ERC-2 had some noisy disc spin... Not all the time but a lot. My Marantz has always been dead silent. Any suggestions? I have not ruled out the ERC-3.
Thanks.

 

[jinjuku]

Man, I'm not the right person to ask. I despise spinning disc of any polymer make up. If you want to look at options of putting together box you can rip your CD's to and go balanced then I'm your man.

 

[ematthews]

And I am a lover of spinning CD's.. I do not like my Imac to my DAC... Maybe it's all in my head.

 

[PENG]

Hey. I'm going to change the subject and ask about Balanced connections... I will now have the chance to run the Preamp and amp in full balanced. My current CD player does not have a balanced in or out. I am in the market for a CD player and wanted to know if it's best to have this option as well? CD side of things? Or does it only matter on pre and amp connection. It get's a bit hard to find a CD player with them for under a grand.
I know Emotiva has the ERC-3 and I am a little shy of it... Reason. My ERC-2 had some noisy disc spin... Not all the time but a lot. My Marantz has always been dead silent. Any suggestions? I have not ruled out the ERC-3.
Thanks.

You can just grab an Opp universal player that has balanced outputs.

 

[jinjuku]

And I am a lover of spinning CD's.. I do not like my Imac to my DAC... Maybe it's all in my head.

You shouldn't be able to tell the difference. Especially if you rip it full PCM.

At that point it doesn't matter if it's off of a plastic cd or a disc platter in a hard drive. I honestly believe you have something seriously wrong with your iMac to DAC configuration.

 

[ematthews]

OK Guys. I have the Emotiva XSP set up in unbalanced Direct mode until I get some balanced cables. I have been listening for about two hours now. My first impressions are normally right and don't change to often... This Preamp is very detailed. The mids sound a little more forward and the bass has a lot of presence. BUT......The highs seem very bright. I have my Sierra 2's set to full as well as the sub. This way none of the settings changed from my Marantz PM8004 when it was being used for the last few weeks...
I will tell you right now. If this thing calms down a little in the treble than it will be great. I don't want to trim the treble either. I like direct mode.. If not, time to pack it up and see about the Parasound. I have no idea if a preamp can even change a little after being used. I hear this in speakers but I don't think this is this case with components. Any thoughts?

 

[jinjuku]

OK Guys. I have the Emotiva XSP set up in unbalanced Direct mode until I get some balanced cables. I have been listening for about two hours now. My first impressions are normally right and don't change to often... This Preamp is very detailed. The mids sound a little more forward and the bass has a lot of presence. BUT......The highs seem very bright. I have my Sierra 2's set to full as well as the sub. This way none of the settings changed from my Marantz PM8004 when it was being used for the last few weeks...
I will tell you right now. If this thing calms down a little in the treble than it will be great. I don't want to trim the treble either. I like direct mode.. If not, time to pack it up and see about the Parasound. I have no idea if a preamp can even change a little after being used. I hear this in speakers but I don't think this is this case with components. Any thoughts?

I doubt Emotiva or Parasound is going to make a pre-amp that colors the sound that much. A pre by it's very nature is supposed to simply pass the signal from multiple sources along.

You may want to post a major city you live near and see if a member here can help you figure out what it going on.

 

[sharkman]

OK Guys. I have the Emotiva XSP set up in unbalanced Direct mode until I get some balanced cables. I have been listening for about two hours now. My first impressions are normally right and don't change to often... This Preamp is very detailed. The mids sound a little more forward and the bass has a lot of presence. BUT......The highs seem very bright. I have my Sierra 2's set to full as well as the sub. This way none of the settings changed from my Marantz PM8004 when it was being used for the last few weeks...
I will tell you right now. If this thing calms down a little in the treble than it will be great. I don't want to trim the treble either. I like direct mode.. If not, time to pack it up and see about the Parasound. I have no idea if a preamp can even change a little after being used. I hear this in speakers but I don't think this is this case with components. Any thoughts?

Do those Sierra 2's have some kind of ribbon tweeter? Those who don't prefer the USP-1 talk about it being too bright, but I've not heard much either way about the XSP. Being that it probably sells much less than the USP, there's probably fewer out there.

 

[ematthews]

Yes RAAL ribbon tweeters.

 

[PENG]

I doubt Emotiva or Parasound is going to make a pre-amp that colors the sound that much. A pre by it's very nature is supposed to simply pass the signal from multiple sources along.

You may want to post a major city you live near and see if a member here can help you figure out what it going on.

Agree, do they have published measurements that back up their advertised specs?

 

[ematthews]

Everything sounds nice and warm with the Marantz PM8004.....Swapped the Marantz to the XSP and XPA-2 and now it's very bright... Same settings, same connections, etc...
What I might be guessing is maybe the signature Emotiva sound is not for me. I am not sure. I read everywhere that pre's and amps should not change the sound... I understand this but the sound did change... I am not here to complain. Just updating my selection and saying that it's most likely going back.. Hate to do this, but they do have a no questions asked 30 day policy.
In any case. My search for the full warm sound continues. Maybe tubes are what I need. Maybe the Marantz is all I need and I can keep the money for other stuff.

 

[PENG]

I just read part of the 171 pages of test report and a magazine review of the XSP-1. If we can believe the magazine review's lab measurements then it will be hard to imagine how this preamp could color the sound that much. I still wonder if there are other hidden factors.

 

[ematthews]

I just read part of the 171 pages of test report and a magazine review of the XSP-1. If we can believe the magazine review's lab measurements then it will be hard to imagine how this preamp could color the sound that much. I still wonder if there are other hidden factors.

You know it could be that the Marantz has the colored sound and the Emo doesn't. I could be hearing this and thinking the Emo is bright.. Maybe the the Marantz just doesn't sparkle in the Treble... Like I said before or above... The XSP-1 is super detailed.

 

[jinjuku]

You know it could be that the Marantz has the colored sound and the Emo doesn't. I could be hearing this and thinking the Emo is bright.. Maybe the the Marantz just doesn't sparkle in the Treble... Like I said before or above... The XSP-1 is super detailed.

The point is that the Marantz sound should pass through unmolested. There IS something going on if you hear that sort of difference. It certainly has me curious.

I would love to at least mic one of your speakers with the pre in and out of chain.

A pre-amp CAN'T take your Marantz output and make it super detailed. If the sound coming straight from the Marantz isn't super detailed, then the pre can't produce something that isn't there.

 

[sharkman]

You know it could be that the Marantz has the colored sound and the Emo doesn't. I could be hearing this and thinking the Emo is bright.. Maybe the the Marantz just doesn't sparkle in the Treble... Like I said before or above... The XSP-1 is super detailed.

I have a NAD integrated that is warmer sounding as well. I have a track with some really high frequencies from cymbals or something, during the second verse. I can not hear the highest part of that cymbal sound with the NAD. With other components I can hear it, and I know it is what it is. Everybody says they have ruler flat frequency response, but obviously something is going on. I had the same impressions as you with some Emotiva gear I bought. Synergy with certain speakers and Emotiva is not so good, depending on one's tastes.

Was it you that previously had the USP-1? How does the XSP compare?

 

[ematthews]

The point is that the Marantz sound should pass through unmolested. There IS something going on if you hear that sort of difference. It certainly has me curious.

I would love to at least mic one of your speakers with the pre in and out of chain.

A pre-amp CAN'T take your Marantz output and make it super detailed. If the sound coming straight from the Marantz isn't super detailed, then the pre can't produce something that isn't there.

The XSP is being used with a new XPA 2 amp. The Marantz has been removed right now. Two different set ups.

 

[Irvrobinson]

A pre-amp CAN'T take your Marantz output and make it super detailed. If the sound coming straight from the Marantz isn't super detailed, then the pre can't produce something that isn't there.

Perhaps a pre-amp could increase the perception of detail by having a non-linear frequency response, where some area of emphasis or de-emphasis in the spectrum highlights some detail. Of course, other than some roll-offs in very deep bass or above 16KHz I don't remember ever seeing a test report of a pre-amp that had a significantly non-linear frequency response, since about 1980. Mostly what gets added is noise and distortion, not lack of linearity. One nice thing about pre-amps, they're a lot easier to measure than power amps, and the same circumstances that make that true also make pre-amps less likely IMO to differ in sound.

 

[ematthews]

Was it you that previously had the USP-1? How does the XSP compare?[/QUOTE]

Yes. The XSP is better. Hard to say how much, but the volume control is a big plus... What I don't get about the XSP either is the volume at mute is around -115. It takes turning up the volume close to -60 to even hear anything.... There is a lot left at +115 but still. Strange..