Thank you for the reply. My preamp, schiit freya S is RMS 2 volts output. What would your recommendation be for roughly $2500 total? Monoblock ($1250 ea) or a good stereo power amplifier?
As I mentioned before, your Schiit gear are fine, all the others are overhyped, and/or overpriced products but that's just my opinion based on specs, measurements, and prices.
Any amps in the following chart ranked by SINAD on ASR are good candidates for your music setup, because they are transparent enough:
Buckeye 3 Channel Purifi Amp Review | Audio Science Review (ASR) Forum :
Or, for minimum spending, just grab another NC502MP ($750) from buckeyeamp, and call it a day.
2-channel Hypex NC502MP NCORE Amplifier — Buckeye Amps - Hypex NCORE and Purifi 1ET400A
The so call "warmth" of a power amp that has distortions well below the threshold of audibility such as the Emotiva amps, are bs, and will fail in properly conducted blind listening tests. Just ask Schiit if they could identify the FreyaS and Freya+ in their own double blind test better than even 75% of the time.
Even if you can truly hear a well spec'ed amp's "warmth", if would mean that the amp actually has high enough distortions that gave you that feeling, but then just to be sure it will be the kind of warmth that you like, you have to actually hear it,
amps, are bs, and will fail in properly conducted blind listening tests. Just ask Schiit if they could identify the FreyaS and Freya+ in their own double blind test better than even 75% of the time.
Even if you can truly hear a well spec'ed amp's "warmth", if would mean that the amp actually has high enough distortions that gave you that feeling, but then just to be sure it will be the kind of warmth that you like, you have to actually hear it, preferably compare it with another transparent amp in a controlled double blind listening test. Otherwise you risk spending the money, take it home and after a while you may be guessing if you actually heard the difference. Or you just buy it, use it and don't think anymore, just enjoy the music.
In my experience, you will gain a lot more by seeking out contents that are of the best recording/mastering, than to forever chasing electronics. That, of course, is only true if you already have electronics that are already transparent enough, and I think you are in that position already, except the XPA-5 may be the weak link under some conditions.
Those amps, Purifi or Hypex, will give you the warm sound anyway, if the recording/mastering was done to give that kind of sound. If not (recording/mastering), then you have to rely on preamps and/or power amps to color the sound with distortions, tone control, EQ etc., to do the same. That could work for you, or not, and is a hit or miss kind of deal.
