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Any ideas on the Emotiva Xpa 1 Gen 2 vs other Mono or 2 channel amps?

Hey, I am still looking for a good Mono set or 2 Channel amp in the $2500-3500 range.I am looking at the XPA 1 Gen2 to start with,any other ideas? I have never had this much trouble searching for a good Amp. Thanks Guys.
mancub1
yogiboy's avatar
yogiboy
5,450 posts
 
Check these out!
http://odysseyaudio.com/products-stratos-mono.html
213runnin
914 posts
 
Mancub, for the best in helpful advice, it is essential to also list what speakers you will be driving, and the room size as well.

That said, if Emotiva has any faults, it would be that they can get bright/harsh sounding with some program material, depending on the speakers.  The looks are also kind of plain.

Another option to put on the short list is the Vidar from Schiit Audio. If you employ two as monoblocks, they need XLR inputs.  The RCA jacks are only for 2 channel mode.  This amp was released last January and comes in silver or black.  

In monoblock form, it has 400 watts on tap, and the price per amp is $699.
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

Be aware that stereo amps that can be run bridge/mono will usually not be able to support speakers with lower impedance.  The Schiit Vidar can be bridged mono, but it is only safe with an 8 ohm speaker in this mode.  For 6 or 4 ohm speakers, the amp will likely over-run and shut itself down.

@mancub - I don't know that you will get any more value from this thread versus your last thread.  The Emotiva amps are great for the money, but use cheap components.  If you got the XPA-1 Gen 2, I would put Isoclean fuses in them to take the edge off the bright/harsh character.  However, the XPA-1 will be fine running down to 3-4 ohms.

Is Parasound A21 not in your consideration?

Those Odyssey Stratos monoblocks look very nice!  They do not have a trigger input, so you'll have to manually turn them on/off for listening.

213runnin
914 posts
 
No, that is not true, auxinput. First of all, what you are describing is true of almost any 2 channel amp that is bridgeable.  For instance, the  A21 Parasound amp you recommended states that in monoblock operation, the A21 should only be connected to a speaker that is not less than 8 ohms.  That's straight from the manual, and I owned the A21 for several years.

 You need to read up some more on the Vidar. They’ve torture tested it in monoblock form recently with Magnepan speakers, which are 4 ohms. The amps never shut down.  They are designed to be  fine at higher temps, but do have a shutdown function should they get too hot.  It's just another option, that's all.

Still, it would be good to know the room size and speakers being employed.
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