Emotiva equipmet, how good is it?


I don’t have a big budget but need to start making a decent listening system. I have a couple of options open to me for some equipment. All used since I seem to be able to get a better bang for my buck. Wanted to know what people thought, but of course I know opinions don’t matter as much as my ears so just let me know if you have used or heard either of these pieces. Or if you think something is similar toss it out there.
XPA-100. I have a chance to get 2 for just over $500PT-100. Around $200
Someone also suggested I simplify and just buy a new Yamaha A-S801 Integrated Amplifier
Looking at using my current speakers which are Dali Ikon6 and I also have Totem Dreamcatchers. Oh and the room is about a 11 x 16. And yes I saw the opps in the title but it won’t let me fix the spelling of Equipment.

Thanks for your thoughts.
schwantner
If Emotiva stuck the exact same amp as their differential balanced amp in a fancy Dagostino chassis and marked it up 10x, people would be loving it.

Actually, scratch that...the ripoff Dagostino broke on the test bench 2 times in a Stereophile review.  I think the Emotiva would fair even better.

Very few amps are worth more than $5k and when you pay more than $5k, it's mainly for the chassis and heatsinks not actual parts.  Plus, half the markup is due to the distributor and another half for the dealer. 

They also add a premium to trigger people's perception that high cost equals high performance...something that Payless Shoes just exposed in a recent test where they simply marked up their normal shoes 10x and fooled everyone.

Unless you are getting something revolutionary like the Berning amps that nobody else can make (albeit still overpriced), I would recommend Emotiva for virtually any budget if you are buying brand new.

And yes..I have heard/owned many of the other major amps ARC, McIntosh, Parasound, etc and tons of others over the years.

My ultimate favorite for best performance and price is a modified McCormack, but that's off subject.
This is why Odyssey is still the best value around.

 It IS symphonic line in a budget package. 
 It is hard to beat Klaus’s builds.
top tier at a descent cost.

 I have a. Pair of old Stratos amps, 15+ years old, low rating at 150wpc, they sound better than the Emotiva 500w monos. 

Go figure......
  
@arctikdeth . Where have you been ? Haven’t seen you post in the last year . You still using the Carver Sunfire amp ? Whats your current setup ?
I got rid of my Odyssey and replaced with a Van Alstine  450 which sounds better and he has FAR better service .
I had an Emotiva XDA dac.  It was the brightest and thinness sounding piece of crap I ever heard.  You get what you pay for.  The worst were the very bright and ugly led’s. It could burn holes in your eyeballs.  Never again, I got conned