Rotel v. Emotiva ITCHY TRIGGER FINGER

[GlocksRock]

No such thing as too much power.

Exactly, amplifier power, and ammunition are similar in that you can never have too much of either, there is only enough, and not enough.

 

[cbraver]

It's more dangerous to underpower than overpower.

Exactly, amplifier power, and ammunition are similar in that you can never have too much of either, there is only enough, and not enough.

Haha, and power is getting cheaper than ammunition! Damn, I bought a few boxes of .45 the other day.... prices are through the roof!

 

[cfrizz]

There is no such thing as overkill. You will have that amp through all other upgrades and never have to worry about having enough power to run ANY speakers.

It's better to have it and not need it than to find out that you didn't get it when you had the chance & now need it in the worse way. But now you're out of money! And stuck with something that's not quite getting the job done the way YOU want it to! Then you end up like Davemcc!

I appreciate all the responses... one more question....
Is 200w of power overkill? More specifically, does 120w vs. 200w make a difference in sound quality? I'm looking for more detail and tighter bass. Would there be a sound quality difference between the Emotiva XPA-5 vs. LPA-1.

 

[Soundman]

I have also had good results with the entry level Emotiva LPA-1 amp. The LPA-1 and XPA-5 are similar in that they are both class A/B and have a single toroid transformer for all channels but that is where the similarities end. The XPA series amps can deliver significantly more power and include balanced inputs. The monoblock style amps like the DMC-1/2 are class H.

For the OP's high end Paradigm studio system, you might hold out for the Emotiva XMC-1 pre-pro which will have a better Audio and video quality than the UMC and will include balanced outputs.

Hey there Panny,
Can you please explain what you mean by balanced outputs?

 

[PENG]

I appreciate all the responses... one more question....
Is 200w of power overkill? More specifically, does 120w vs. 200w make a difference in sound quality? I'm looking for more detail and tighter bass. Would there be a sound quality difference between the Emotiva XPA-5 vs. LPA-1.

No it is not overkill, but I (with friends who have keen ears) had heard the Studio 100 V3 A/B with a lowly Yamaha RX-V2400 and an Anthem preamp/power amp and absolutely could not tell any difference. Still, everything else being equal, more power is always better.

 

[Davemcc]

"Discrete, dual differential class AB amplifier topology with active current sources"

From Emotiva's LPA-1 page. I admit, I'm not too familiar with differences in amp classes so this might mean class H in some way.

I guess I was confusing the LPA with the MPS-2, which is class H.

 

[jcPanny]

Hey there Panny,
Can you please explain what you mean by balanced outputs?

A fully balanced system would include a pre-pro with balanced audio outs and an amp with balanced audio inputs, as opposed to the "unbalanced" RCA style connections. Balanced connections are common on pro-audio gear to reduce interference over long runs.

The Emotiva DMC-1 and RSP-1 for example included balanced audio outputs:
http://www.emotiva.com/dmc1.html

 

[Soundman]

A fully balanced system would include a pre-pro with balanced audio outs and an amp with balanced audio inputs, as opposed to the "unbalanced" RCA style connections. Balanced connections are common on pro-audio gear to reduce interference over long runs.

The Emotiva DMC-1 and RSP-1 for example included balanced audio outputs:
http://www.emotiva.com/dmc1.html

OK, but this shouldn't be a big deal for most living room type setups since the runs wouldn't typically be very long, correct?

 

[tomd51]

Assuming you keep your pre/pro in relatively close proximity of your amplifier (less than 10 ft., IIRC), it shouldn't be an issue.

If you're going to locate you amp further away than this, you may want to consider using balanced connections, when available. There should absolutely no difference in sound quality (assuming there's no interference) in using balanced and unbalanced... -TD

 

[Soundman]

Assuming you keep your pre/pro in relatively close proximity of your amplifier (less than 10 ft., IIRC), it shouldn't be an issue.

If you're going to locate you amp further away than this, you may want to consider using balanced connections, when available. There should absolutely no difference in sound quality (assuming there's no interference) in using balanced and unbalanced... -TD

OK, that's what I thought. They are stacked right on top of each other, so no issue here.

 

[tomd51]

I think folks that own/do custom HT installations may have more use for this option in order to hide any equipment that doesn't need direct interaction like a pre/pro or CD/DVD player.

Yep, you should be good... -TD

 

[Paul_A/V]

I have the MPS-2 and can tell you that its sound is clean with a deep sound stage. I can discern the acoustic space around each instrument. Unfortunately I have not heard the XPA-5 but check out the Emotiva forums for people who have it at www dot emotivalounge dot com.

Respectfully,

Paul