Power Amp: Emotiva vs Outlaw

[tn001d]

I was looking at inexpensive power amps, and my seached ended with Emotiva and Outlaw audio. Both have 7 channel power amps for less $1k. Emotiva is updating all there equipment in the next month, and outlaw has some price reductions going on right now.

Both companies build good quality components from what i can tell from there product literature, i just dont know which sounds better.

I think emotiva is a little tacky looking, and outlaw amps arent really black.

Has anyone reseached to see which one uses better parts/build? Any tonal differences between the two? Overheating??

Thanks

PS I dont think there is any other manfacturer that can compete at this price, if there is please feel free to let me know.

 

[darien87]

I can only comment on Emotiva, as I have no experience with Outlaw.

Build quality is phenomenal. The LPA-1 weighs 75lbs!!!

The sound is great. I went from an Acurus 200 watt per channel amp to the LPA-1 and the Emotiva is just as good.

As far as overheating, I've never had an issue with my LPA-1 and I have it in an enclosed cabinet. The thing BARELY even gets warm.

As far as it's looks, I happen to really like the look of the all black chassis with the 2 brushed aluminum accents. But if you wanted it to be all black, youo could just take the accents off. They're just held on by allen screws. I thought about doing this myself, but I grew to really like the silver sides.

 

[Nomo]

My LPA-1 has my DVD player sitting right on top of it. It still runs cool.
I can't slight the Outlaws, I'm sure they make a good product, but I can't say.

I seriously doubt you will here a difference in sound.
that brings it down to money and appearance.

I feel that dollar for dollar, nobody beats Emotiva.

My opinion.

 

[rnatalli]

Both excellent. Emotiva is made in China, Outlaw in the US if that matters to you. Emotiva weights a ton and is tough to fit on racks, Outlaw a little easier. Dollar-for-dollar, Emotiva is king, but really can't go wrong either way.

Why not go with a 5.1 setup and pick up an XPA-5 from Emotiva? 200W/Channel into 8 Ohms. Ouch!

 

[rcw]

+1 Though I am new to this forum, my read is that the comments made on this venue are excellent and well informed. I just purchased XPA 5 and MMC-1
(couldn't wait for the new UMC-1) and am most pleased w/ quality and sound.
As a bonus, Emotiva will give you a 40% discount on the next generation
processor and that UMC-1 will be a very nice addition for my new project in the kitchen. You are on the right track. One more thing, just received an e-mail from Barbara @ emotiva and the new speakers will ship next monday.

 

[Nomo]

As a bonus, Emotiva will give you a 40% discount on the next generation

Just to be clear, the 40% deal is for processors only. It is not good on amps.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I have never tried the Outlaw amps, but I have tried their flagship pre-pro. I currently own the Emotiva MPS-2.

My impression is that both Outlaw and Emotiva are very high quality. They will sound the same. I doubt that anybody will be able to tell the difference when they compare the same power-rating amps (200 watts vs 200 watts).

You cannot go wrong with either one. In the end, it comes down to aesthetics, price, and availability.

I picked Emotiva mainly because I thought the Outlaws looked ugly and costed more, which is never a good combination.

But as far as build quality and sound quality, I believe they are equal.

 

[surveyor]

I have an Outlaw Audio Amp and Processor. I am very pleased with them.
With the current pricing of the Emotiva XPA series, I would purchase them.
They both have many attributes.

 

[tn001d]

I am starting to even wonder if an amplifier is even necessary. I read somewhere that most of the power from an amplifier goes to reproducting bass. If my subwoofer is doing everything below 80Hz than my receiver should have plenty of power for the satellites. Most receivers today being at least 100 watts x 7, and most being able to give at least 80 with all channels driven, is it still necessary to have an extra amplifier ?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

...is it still necessary to have an extra amplifier?

Usually not.

If your speaker has a nominal impedance of 6 - 8 ohms, sensitivity of > 88dB, and your subwoofer is doing all the < 80 Hz action, I just don't see the need for that extra amp.

Example, if your speaker has a sensitivity of 90dB w/m and you sit 2 meters away, then it would take only 2 watts of power to achieve that 90dB sound level!

 

[fmw]

The answer is they will sound the same since both are competently designed. You don't want an amp to have a sound. You want it to amplify the signal without changing the shape of the waveforms. Both brands will do this. Which to choose depends on the reason for wanting the amp in the first place. If you believe your receiver isn't powerful enough drive your speakers (usually a poor reason) then it doesn't matter which one you choose. Get whatever makes you believe it will solve whatever problem you feel you have.

I have heard from the Outlaw CEO that his amps are designed to deal with any impedance. If your reason for buying the amp in the first place is to deal with low impedance speaker systems then this is an important attribute. The same might be true of Emotiva. I just don't know.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The answer is they will sound the same since both are competently designed. You don't want an amp to have a sound. You want it to amplify the signal without changing the shape of the waveforms. Both brands will do this. Which to choose depends on the reason for wanting the amp in the first place. If you believe your receiver isn't powerful enough drive your speakers (usually a poor reason) then it doesn't matter which one you choose. Get whatever makes you believe it will solve whatever problem you feel you have.

I have heard from the Outlaw CEO that his amps are designed to deal with any impedance. If your reason for buying the amp in the first place is to deal with low impedance speaker systems then this is an important attribute. The same might be true of Emotiva. I just don't know.

The Emotiva is also rated for 2 ohms impedance.

 

[tn001d]

I spoke with Emotiva today. There not expecting their new processors (UMC/XMC) until the end of summer or early fall. There new amplifiers will be out sooner though.

 

[furrycute]

I read somewhere that some of these amps are class H amps. Is that true?

How does class H affect sound quality?

 

[Soundman]

Heat issue

I just wanted to comment on the heat issue the OP asked about. This should not be an issue at all from a good quality amp which both of these manufacturers produce. Let me give you an example. I have tested my Emotiva amp using a real world scenario. I closed my HT stand door. In this setup there is little space for air to escape. if an amp is going to overheat, it will probably happen with this kind of a setup vs an AV rack where it is open to the air, allowing heat to escape much more effectively. I cranked up the volume and let it play for about an hour to see how it did. Then I opened the stand door and felt around to see how hot it was. Well, nothing felt hot. I then placed my hand on the amp directly, and to my surprise, the amp actually felt cold when i touched it! This is a good amp and a couldn't recommend it more.

 

[furrycute]

Actually, some indication of heat is a good thing.

Most audiophiles prefer amps to run in class A mode. Audiophiles believe that class A mode gives them the best sound quality. The problem with class A mode is that it generates a LOT of heat (scorching hot).

There is also something called class B mode. Running in class B generates little heat. But the problem is that class B doesn't sound good.

So, a compromise is reached with something called class A/B. Most modern amps are class A/B design. In class A/B design, at low power outpout, the amp is running in class A mode (generates lots of heat). At higher power output, the amp is running in class B mode (generates less heat). Different manufacturers bias the amp either more towards the class A mode or more towards the class B mode. Biasing more towards class A mode generally gives you better sound.


So you like your amp to give you heat. Otherwise, the amp might be biased too much toward the class B mode.

I then placed my hand on the amp directly, and to my surprise, the amp actually felt cold when i touched it! This is a good amp and a couldn't recommend it more.

 

[Soundman]

Actually, some indication of heat is a good thing.

Most audiophiles prefer amps to run in class A mode. Audiophiles believe that class A mode gives them the best sound quality. The problem with class A mode is that it generates a LOT of heat (scorching hot).

There is also something called class B mode. Running in class B generates little heat. But the problem is that class B doesn't sound good.

So, a compromise is reached with something called class A/B. Most modern amps are class A/B design. In class A/B design, at low power outpout, the amp is running in class A mode (generates lots of heat). At higher power output, the amp is running in class B mode (generates less heat). Different manufacturers bias the amp either more towards the class A mode or more towards the class B mode. Biasing more towards class A mode generally gives you better sound.


So you like your amp to give you heat. Otherwise, the amp might be biased too much toward the class B mode.

ok, but I think I still prefer that my electronics not be able to double as a George Forman grill!

 

[sharkman]

I was on the Emotiva site, and noticed the 7 channel amp I was looking at had reduced wattage for the rear 2 channels, only 50 watts each. That would reduce the volume of those channels and you would not be hearing the movie as it was recorded. The amp was pretty cheap, however, and I hope they'll address this design in their upcoming products. I'd be willing to pay more for 7 equal channels of power.

 

[Nomo]

I was on the Emotiva site, and noticed the 7 channel amp I was looking at had reduced wattage for the rear 2 channels, only 50 watts each. That would reduce the volume of those channels and you would not be hearing the movie as it was recorded. The amp was pretty cheap, however, and I hope they'll address this design in their upcoming products. I'd be willing to pay more for 7 equal channels of power.

What you were looking at was the LPA-1
Those two channels are also bridgeable int one 125 watt channel.

Realistically it's doubful that you would ever need the full 125 watts into the rear surrounds anyway. But I know what you're saying. I let my receiver do the 6th and 7th channels in a 7.1 configuration.

 

[tn001d]

I was on the Emotiva site, and noticed the 7 channel amp I was looking at had reduced wattage for the rear 2 channels, only 50 watts each. That would reduce the volume of those channels and you would not be hearing the movie as it was recorded. The amp was pretty cheap, however, and I hope they'll address this design in their upcoming products. I'd be willing to pay more for 7 equal channels of power.

Just think about as being a 6 channel amp with an option of splitting the last channel into 2 for 7 channels.

The replacement model which should be do out soon will have equal 7 channels.