NAD 955 vs Emotiva XPA-5


Both these 5-ch amps are the same price (Emotiva gives military discount, so they are actually cheaper for me) with the NAD being 100wpc and the Emotiva 200wpc. I have heard the 955 paired with Totem Sttaf and it sounded great. So I am pretty confident with the NAD. Yet, the Emotiva has twice the power and has also been well review.

So, who has heard either? I will be pushing Axiom M22 mkII so power is not a problem (both will do) but, when I do upgrade, probably to Totem, I do not want to get a new amp. I listen to 50/50 HT/2-ch Music, and of the music, about 50% is vinyl.

Would love to hear what anyone with experience with one of these amps thinks.

Thanks.
affejunge

Showing 1 response by rcrerar

Sound quality differences not withstanding, considering the likely future upgrade to Totem speakers I would tend towards the higher powered amplifier, as some Totem speakers can be a little power hungry. One thing to remember though is that even an amp with twice the output rating will only deliver a volume increase of 3db. What that extra power may get you though is an increase in headroom which will allow your system to produce short transients of higher output. The more relevant stats when it comes to power amps instead of output ratings expressed in watts is current output, which is expressed in amperes.