Post by boscobear on Apr 15, 2014 9:05:52 GMT -5
Took two weeks after I received the XPR-5, to finally power it up. Lots of delays, audio stand, running dedicated 20 amp service line. I have spent the last three days, not including today, front and center listening to my B&W 803D's. I have owned the speakers for 5 years, previously powered by a pair of bridged Aragon 8004 Duel Mono amps. Have been running through as many CD's, Vinyl records, as I can, even playing cassettes in my Nakamichi RX-505 , which I still use to record radio broadcast, mainly live concerts. I have not purchased the side speakers, yet for the home theater, nor have I looked into a sub-woofer. I have not used the center speaker, I just purchased. Well, I do not have the pre-amp , XMC-1, after reading about this piece of equipment, which is the reason I took this initiative to upgrade to home theater audio.
I began listening, and was not very impressed, MY FAULT the Adcom GFP-715 pre-amp had the mono button pushed in. Just placed all equipment in its new location. duh . So I began again, this time with the new Beatles, the big black box set, and chose Abby Road. I have listened to these remastered CD's many times. With the new XPR-5, first thing that jumped right out at me was the bass, it was really alive. Not only the bass guitar, but Ringo's foot petal bass drum. How do I describe it, fast , I could hear the foot operated mallet hitting the bass drum skin. It is now separated from the other percussion sounds in the drum kit. Blond on Blond vinyl record, played on my B&O 3404 turntable. Not the fault of any thing but the pure shallow consecrated sounds of that age of vinyl recording, but tonal clarity without exception, a pure rich voice, almost a touchable vocal recording.
I thank the Emotiva developers of this fine piece of equipment, and I thank myself for winning the mental fight, to buy it, or not to buy it. Great choice by me ! In just a couple days of listening pleasure, no regrets, at all. Money well spent. Oh, and what a sight it is too, especially in the dark, a color mate of the ERC-1 , my first Emotiva daring venture.
Did Emotiva change my ears, no, but they did make my two 25 year old Aragon amps Passé , to be very nice to my old friends.
OK , I have cash in hand for the XMC-1 bring her to me, so I can start the home theater. I wonder how it can get any better? Will this new pre-amp pump it up a notch? Will there be a noticeable sonic difference in the sound from the Adcom, which is used in tonal bypass mode, a slave to switch sources. Hope I find the answer by May,or June.
I began listening, and was not very impressed, MY FAULT the Adcom GFP-715 pre-amp had the mono button pushed in. Just placed all equipment in its new location. duh . So I began again, this time with the new Beatles, the big black box set, and chose Abby Road. I have listened to these remastered CD's many times. With the new XPR-5, first thing that jumped right out at me was the bass, it was really alive. Not only the bass guitar, but Ringo's foot petal bass drum. How do I describe it, fast , I could hear the foot operated mallet hitting the bass drum skin. It is now separated from the other percussion sounds in the drum kit. Blond on Blond vinyl record, played on my B&O 3404 turntable. Not the fault of any thing but the pure shallow consecrated sounds of that age of vinyl recording, but tonal clarity without exception, a pure rich voice, almost a touchable vocal recording.
I thank the Emotiva developers of this fine piece of equipment, and I thank myself for winning the mental fight, to buy it, or not to buy it. Great choice by me ! In just a couple days of listening pleasure, no regrets, at all. Money well spent. Oh, and what a sight it is too, especially in the dark, a color mate of the ERC-1 , my first Emotiva daring venture.
Did Emotiva change my ears, no, but they did make my two 25 year old Aragon amps Passé , to be very nice to my old friends.
OK , I have cash in hand for the XMC-1 bring her to me, so I can start the home theater. I wonder how it can get any better? Will this new pre-amp pump it up a notch? Will there be a noticeable sonic difference in the sound from the Adcom, which is used in tonal bypass mode, a slave to switch sources. Hope I find the answer by May,or June.