After months of thorough research about making my first power amp purchase, i've pretty much consolidated my decision to go with an XPR-5. Here's some of my reasoning:
-Level matched, solid state power amps will sound more alike than different, so i'm basing my decision on other factors, stated below.
-Emotiva is known to provide excellent customer service and this thing has a 5 year warranty on it. There's a likelihood that they'll be around for a while (impossible to predict, but right now they're looking good as a company)
-High resale value. If you buy one of their amps on sale, you can sell them for nearly as much as you bought them during a period when they're not on sale. The warranty is user transferrable, which helps. There's also a 30 day money back guarantee if I immediately decide I hate it.
-Though probably not as refined in terms of circuitry and other components contained in a Parasound Halo or other well regarded amp, the XPR-5 provides very comparable specifications for the money. Speaking of money...
-Brand new, it's significantly cheaper than other options with similar specs, which is a huge plus for me, having a strict budget. This is a benefit of being internet direct. The downside is that they're made and assembled in China (a minor gripe for me -- other products like the Parasound are also China sourced.) These things seem to be solidly built and the enclosure looks to be made out of good quality material, not overbuilt to the extent of a Krell or Bryston, but for the price, I wasn't expecting it to be.
-400WPC is probably overkill for my situation and most others, but more power is never a bad thing and can provide for additional benefits such as extra headroom if I need it. My speakers aren't hard to drive, but they're not an easy load either. 4 ohms and okay sensitivity in the middle 80s. My room is very large and open, so I believe i'll benefit from a power amp of some sort at louder volumes.
-I have the space for a huge amp and personally think it looks very sleek. It matches the decor of my home theater. If I feel i'm being drowned by the blue lights, I have the option to dim or turn them off completely. If my house gets broken into, this amp is staying on it's rack due to its weight and bulk.
My concerns include:
-It's a brand new product and first waves of any electronic product can provide for quality control issues. This point is mitigated by the warranty and responsive customer service from Emotiva, so i've heard. In the case that something goes wrong with the amp, i'm hoping I don't have to pay return shipping.
-There's virtually no reviews of the product out there yet, so i'm taking a risk.
-Emotiva hasn't been around for as long as other companies, so no one really knows if their amps will last 10, 15, 20 years down the road.
I will let users in this thread know my thoughts when it arrives. I'm not expecting it to drastically change the sound of my set-up and on the contrary, i'm hoping it'll be more transparent than anything. As long as there's no noticeable hiss produced through my speakers from a distance, I think I will be happy with my decision.
