Emotiva XPR-5 Five-Channel Reference Power Amplifier Preview

[PENG]

emotiva has lowered cost through the use of a trick power supply that enables them to get away with a smaller transformer bryston 4b 250 watts x 2 has 2 transformers each of which is larger than the transformer in the xpr-5.

I think you have your facts wrong. The XPR-5, according to the Emo website (use link below):

XPR-5 | 400W x 5 | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and monoblock amplifier

Emo has the follow to say about the power supply:

"...Five high efficiency Optimized Class H™ power amplifier modules are powered by a huge 3.3 kVA toroidal power supply ..............."
By "toroidal power supply" I am quite sure they meant toroidal power transformer as there is no such thing as a toroidal power supply. Regardless, 3.3 kVA is pretty big, I am sure the transformers in the Bryston 4B you mentioned would be much smaller.

 

[ImcLoud]

I think you have your facts wrong. The XPR-5, according to the Emo website (use link below):

XPR-5 | 400W x 5 | Emotiva Audio | High-end audio components for audiophiles and videophiles, spanning 2-channel music systems, as well as 5.1 and 7.1 home theaters. Products include multichannel amplifiers, stereo amplifiers, and monoblock amplifier

Emo has the follow to say about the power supply:

"...Five high efficiency Optimized Class H™ power amplifier modules are powered by a huge 3.3 kVA toroidal power supply ..............."
By "toroidal power supply" I am quite sure they meant toroidal power transformer as there is no such thing as a toroidal power supply. Regardless, 3.3 kVA is pretty big, I am sure the transformers in the Bryston 4B you mentioned would be much smaller.

Not to mention...
The brystons are $5K for a 2x300 so you would need 3 of them at $15K to get close to the same power as the $2000 xpr5.... Apples and apples plated in gold here...

 

[gene]

i have my doubts as to a 20 amp service being able to provide 2000 watts (400x5) 20 amps squared x 8 ohms= 3200 watts. max power transfer 50% leaves you with 1600 watts at best. emotiva has lowered cost through the use of a trick power supply that enables them to get away with a smaller transformer bryston 4b 250 watts x 2 has 2 transformers each of which is larger than the transformer in the xpr-5. my understanding is that power supplies that switch rail voltages can be problematic in both performance and reliability. are they using ic chips at output stage to further reduce cost. (power transistors are required for audiophile performance) in general i would have to say i have my doubts as to it being able to deliver on the claimed specifications or to it being of reference quality. im sounding fairly negative but at this price point 5 year transferable warranty and 30 days to check it out i would order one if i didnt live in canada

The XPR-5 has a 3.3kVA power transformer. That's about the biggest transformer I've seen in any power amp regardless of price. The Bryston model uses significantly smaller power transformers in comparison not larger as you claim.

The XPR-5 is capable of working on 220V and with a 220V/20A line, thats 4,400 watts. Since its a rail switcher, it will be more efficient than a typical Class AB topology. So let's say its 60% efficient, that's still over 2600 watts / 5 = 528wpc easily meeting its 400wpc x 5 spec. We don't use continuous tones for all channels driven with real music. That means this amp is one dynamic beast not to be trifled with. I have no doubts this baby can dump over 1kwatt of power into 1CH into a low impedance load if needed.

It's good to have a healthy dose of skepticism about everything in life but the math and the parts under the hood should leave you with little doubt that the XPR-5 offers some of the highest amplification power per dollar compared to any other multi channel consumer amp.

 

[PENG]

The XPR-5 has a 3.3kVA power transformer. That's about the biggest transformer I've seen in any power amp regardless of price. The Bryston model uses significantly smaller power transformers in comparison not larger as you claim.

The XPR-5 is capable of working on 220V and with a 220V/20A line, thats 4,400 watts. Since its a rail switcher, it will be more efficient than a typical Class AB topology. So let's say its 60% efficient, that's still over 2600 watts / 5 = 528wpc easily meeting its 400wpc x 5 spec. We don't use continuous tones for all channels driven with real music. That means this amp is one dynamic beast not to be trifled with. I have no doubts this baby can dump over 1kwatt of power into 1CH into a low impedance load if needed.

It's good to have a healthy dose of skepticism about everything in life but the math and the parts under the hood should leave you with little doubt that the XPR-5 offers some of the highest amplification power per dollar compared to any other multi channel consumer amp.

He certainly picked on the wrong guy (i.e. the big bad boy XPR-5). If he had picked on the XPA-5, I might have gone alone with it. In fact, the XPR-5 would have trouble getting CSA approval unless EMO specifies a thick enough power cord and a dedicated 220V/20A (120V/30A may not meet the code) line.

 

[gene]

He certainly picked on the wrong guy (i.e. the big bad boy XPR-5). If he had picked on the XPA-5, I might have gone alone with it. In fact, the XPR-5 would have trouble getting CSA approval unless EMO specifies a thick enough power cord and a dedicated 220V/20A (120V/30A may not meet the code) line.

I was actually wrong. According to Dan at Emotiva, in 220V, the XPR-5 is capable of drawing 40amps of current. WOW!

You can also check their website for full disclosure of power measurements:

http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpr5/xpr5_8ohms.pdf
http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpr5/xpr5_4ohms.pdf

 

[PENG]

I was actually wrong. According to Dan at Emotiva, in 220V, the XPR-5 is capable of drawing 40amps of current. WOW!

You can also check their website for full disclosure of power measurements:

http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpr5/xpr5_8ohms.pdf
http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpr5/xpr5_4ohms.pdf

I still wonder how it can pass NEC without specifying a feed circuit larger than 220V/20A that I believe they suggested in the manual? From what I can remember, NEC and CSA/CEC are very similar for the most part.

 

[gene]

I still wonder how it can pass NEC without specifying a feed circuit larger than 220V/20A that I believe they suggested in the manual? From what I can remember, NEC and CSA/CEC are very similar for the most part.

Not sure but its something that can be asked for an eventual article on regulatory testing i was planning anyways. I know all their amps meet CE which encompasses and sometimes surpasses much of the other safety & regulatory testing agencies.

 

[majorloser]

So how would you connect this amp to a 220V circuit?
What type of cord? plug? outlet?

I assume it will be something like this where the blades are the two hots and the pin is neutral:

 

[TheWarrior]

Ever replaced an electric oven? Theres a giant powercord and plug, kind of similar to a dryer.

The cost of copper right now is going to play into the overall cost of this installation. Best scenario is to have a closet for your component rack and hope that its as close to your service line. A 50 ft run of 12 ga 4(?) wire not gonna be cheap, not to mention the outlet and breaker.

DIY for $200 (assuming you have a drill and drywall patch tools) or $500+ for a pro to run for you.

 

[jinjuku]

Ever replaced an electric oven? Theres a giant powercord and plug, kind of similar to a dryer.

The cost of copper right now is going to play into the overall cost of this installation. Best scenario is to have a closet for your component rack and hope that its as close to your service line. A 50 ft run of 12 ga 4(?) wire not gonna be cheap, not to mention the outlet and breaker.

DIY for $200 (assuming you have a drill and drywall patch tools) or $500+ for a pro to run for you.

Get the pro. If your house burns down and they find a hacked 220 line guess what...

 

[edoggrc51]

Lots of talk of watts and amps here lately.

FWIW, I have my XPR-5 running off a 15amp circuit thats shared with my AVR, Oppo, CDP, and SMS-1. I have absolutely no problem running the amp well past reference levels with ZERO problems. I suppose if you had 5 power hungry 4ohm speakers things might be different, so as always YMMV.

 

[majorloser]

I actually have two (2) 220V 20A circuits run into my component closet. The hots on each circuit have been split to separate duplex outlets inside a quad box and they share the neutral. So I have two(2) quad boxes that each have two(2) 120V 20A duplex outlets.

What I'd like to do is change one of the boxes back to a 220V 20A recepticle. I would assume I'd need to buy a replacement cord similar to what I showed above for the above amp.

Like this

 

[Irvrobinson]

Ever replaced an electric oven? Theres a giant powercord and plug, kind of similar to a dryer.

The cost of copper right now is going to play into the overall cost of this installation. Best scenario is to have a closet for your component rack and hope that its as close to your service line. A 50 ft run of 12 ga 4(?) wire not gonna be cheap, not to mention the outlet and breaker.

DIY for $200 (assuming you have a drill and drywall patch tools) or $500+ for a pro to run for you.

You mean 10 gauge. 50ft of 10ga Romex is about $100. A 30 amp outlet rated for 250v is about $10. A good circuit breaker is about $30. You'll need a proper power cord and plug, which will be $30-40. So let's say about $180 total. Proper installation and getting it inspected to ensure you meet the local building code - priceless.

Personally, I wouldn't bother with 220v unless I had a *very* large room. I know someone who ran 220v lines to his Levinson amps. I suspect he was using an average of about 5 watts.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I actually have two (2) 220V 20A circuits run into my component closet. The hots on each circuit have been split to separate duplex outlets inside a quad box and they share the neutral. So I have two(2) quad boxes that each have two(2) 120V 20A duplex outlets.

What I'd like to do is change one of the boxes back to a 220V 20A recepticle. I would assume I'd need to buy a replacement cord similar to what I showed above for the above amp.

Like this

Very nice. Probably overkill, like using a 640hp Viper to go to the supermarket, but nice anyway.

 

[majorloser]

So, would I not use the neutral or not use the ground?
Just seems strange that I'd not be connecting all four wires.

A cord like this?

 

[edoggrc51]

like using a 640hp Viper to go to the supermarket.

You take a peak at my last dyno run?

 

[Irvrobinson]

So, would I not use the neutral or not use the ground?
Just seems strange that I'd not be connecting all four wires.

A cord like this?

I'm sorry, I didn't answer your question. You need a plug and a corresponding outlet like this.

 

[Irvrobinson]

This is the 30 amp / 240v outlet in my garage for a lift. I don't really know what you're looking for, because the electronics have to be configured for a specific connection, but this might be closer: Leviton 4-prong 250v/30amp outlet

As Jinjuku recommended, you really need a licensed electrician. What is the equipment you plan to connect to these outlets? Unless they come from the factory that way you'll need them reconfigured with a new captive power cord. IEC connectors in the US are only good for 120v.

 

[mtrycrafts]

So how would you connect this amp to a 220V circuit?
What type of cord? plug? outlet?

I assume it will be something like this where the blades are the two hots and the pin is neutral:

That, I think is a 120V 20A plug as 20A outlest have that 90 degree prong capability. 220V may have both prongs in the same direction.

 

[Irvrobinson]

That, I think is a 120V 20A plug as 20A outlest have that 90 degree prong capability. 220V may have both prongs in the same direction.

You are correct about the pictured plug. It's 120v / 20 amps. My ATI AT3000 amp has one like that. Plugs with both blades horizontal are 120v / 30 amps.