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Emotiva xpa 1 monos

Any love here for xpa 1 monos?While I didn't hear a (big) difference between my Xpa 2 and my xpa 1 mono amps,I'm happy with the price to performance of these amps.I had a McIntosh mc 205 that I sold for upgrade money for better speakers. I replaced it with a Xpa 5 amp.While the McIntosh might have sounded a hair better in bass control it didn't sound 5 grand better! I think Emo xpa 1 's  are  good value!
corvette01
corvette01 OP
99 posts
 
Yes,mid fi amps and high end speakers!Rock on!🤘
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

As I have said before, Emotiva gen 1/2 are very competitive amps for the money. They can be somewhat bright stock (hence some opinions above that a tube preamp mates better). This can be resolved by fuse upgrade - Isoclean if you want to lean towards a warmer signature or Furutech fuses if you want additional detail and resolution and transparency. Although, running in Class A mode will remove a lot of the brightness issue.

If you like running Class A then Gen 2 is a great choice. However, if you like Class AB instead, you’re better off obtaining a XPA-1 Gen 1. The Gen 2 circuit has waveform crossover distortion when run in Class AB mode (circuit design is a compromise between Class A / AB).

Obviously, you can get a better amp for a lot more money (i.e. Cambridge / Parasound). Emotiva’s charter is to make the best equipment at a low cost. This means using cheaper components (such as electrolytic and film caps, etc.). The circuit design and implementation is generally very good, however.

lcherepkai
277 posts
 
On the used market (here, for example) the Cambridge 840W actually usually sells for less :)
corvette01 OP
99 posts
 
I have noticed more of a difference changing preamps other  than amplifiers in my systems.Some things work together and some don't!When I used xpa 1 's with my Thiel 3.7's ,I had a few friends (with  real expensive systems)tell me they couldn't believe the sound I was achieving with the Emos!I cannot have the best of everything,or would I choose  too!I would recommend these amps and say buy the best speakers you can afford!
213runnin
914 posts
 
I've had moments like that as well, but such moments are in isolation from any real comparison.  Dealers sometimes depend on such "wow" moments to sell gear.

I had a 1st gen XAP amp and I thought it was amazing for the price.  But then over time, when swapping in other gear, I discovered weaknesses.  It might be better to not discover these, because if you're not careful you can get on a merry-go-round of continually upgrading.

But for me, sound quality is of utmost priority, and I have the budget to make improvements.  These XPA-3 amps sound great until you compare with better amps, and then you hear the inaccurate bass, the hot highs, the lack of complete imaging.  Not as critical with a home theater, but for music, not so much.  They are built to a price point, just like any other brand, and have compromises to reach those price points. 
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