UPA-5 or XPA-5 for Polk Monitor 70/30 setup?

[abominax]

I am seriously considering getting an Emotiva 5 channel amp and just use my existing AVR as a pre-amp since it has pre-outs on it but I really don't know how far I should go.

I have a 5.1 system in a room in my basement (22 feet x 11 feet) with a pair of Polk Monitor 70s up front (270 watts), a Polk CS2 (175 watts) for center channel and a pair of Polk Monitor 30s (100 watts) hanging out on the back wall. I also have a PSW108 subwoofer in the corner which I just can't get sounding quite right but I have yet to crawl aound on the floor to find the sweetspot so I can't really complain about that.

My speakers are currently being powered (perhaps even underpowered?) by a Harman kardon AVR 254 (50 watts RMS) and I don't think the AVR is really doing my speakers justice. The speakers sound OK, they just somewhat more distant/muted than my previous speakers (Aconti towers) that were connected to the same AVR.

Will the UPA-5 be good enough for my speaker/room combo or should I go for the XPA-5? Any insight into which 5 channel amp I should invest in would be much appreciated.

[geebo]

The UPA should be fine. I called and talked with Vince before buying my EMO and at the time I had TSI500's (pretty much the same as M70's) and he looked up the efficiency and told me the UPA would be fine. That being said, I still opted for the XPA and glad I did. I just upgraded to the RTi A7's which are a little less efficient. I'm not so sure the UPA wouldn't have been a good match for them though as well. I would say if you can swing the extra cash, go for the XPA but rest assured a UPA will work fine for you now.

George

[abominax]

Aug 24, 2010 12:32:48 GMT -5 geebo said:

The UPA should be fine. I called and talked with Vince before buying my EMO and at the time I had TSI500's (pretty much the same as M70's) and he looked up the efficiency and told me the UPA would be fine. That being said, I still opted for the XPA and glad I did. I just upgraded to the RTi A7's which are a little less efficient. I'm not so sure the UPA wouldn't have been a good match for them though as well. I would say if you can swing the extra cash, go for the XPA but rest assured a UPA will work fine for you now.

George

Thanks, George. I appreciate the feedback.

[Deleted]

The extra $250 for the XPA-5 is a no-brainer IMO. Many folks upgrade their speakers long before they change amps. This is in no way meant to be negative about your speakers, although the sub is strictly a low end entry level sub. I am a firm believer in having as much power as you can afford. Doing a simple numbers match with the power per channel of an amp and the speakers published max power rating is a very rough guess at the best. Much more important is the sensitivity (efficiency) rating of the speaker, the size and sound deadening in your room and your taste for high volumes and dynamic music and soundtracks. Many speakers can handle far in excess of the max rating for instantaneous peak demands. The extra power of the XPA-5 might be nice to have especially if your next set of speakers require more power.

I would try setting the crossover in your HK to 80Hz for all 5 speakers. This means that all speakers would be designated as "small" and all low bass and LFE signals below 80Hz would be re-directed to the sub. Forget what the specs show. This might clean up the perceived tightness and definition of your system especially if you now have the L&R speakers set to "large" (full range). Hopefully that corner you have the sub in is one of the front corners. One other way too clean up the low bass sound is to move the sub slightly away from the corner, several inches or more. This could make an audible improvement without a big move of the sub.

You should hear an audible improvement in the performance of your speakers with 125/185 (UPA-5) or 200/300 (XPA-5) watts per channel versus the honest 40-50 watts you now have. Those Polk speakers are probably more likely in the 6 ohm range.

In the future as you have the bucks, I would then consider a sub upgrade (can be any brand .... the Emo Ultra 12 or 10 would be a great choice). Having all 5 speakers voice/timbre matched from the same brand/series (like you now have) is an excellent idea.

[NorthStar]

^ I agree with Chuckie's above post, but ...

Perhaps an upgrade of speakers would be more a priority. ...Like some Canadian Paradigm Reference speakers for example. ...For a fellow Canadian like you!
...And then the Emotiva XPA-5 to power them. ...SVS sub? ...Or a Paradigm one? Or the Emotiva ones offer real good value.

Just my 2 Canadian cents (sense?).

* And a warm Welcome to the Lounge!

[mole]

get the XPA-5. the M70s will love the extra power