Post by drod on Apr 26, 2014 4:47:19 GMT -5
So I took the plunge and purchased a UPA-500 to replace my first Emotiva amp - the mini-x. I absolutely love everything about the mini-x, it’s an amazing “little” amp but wanted something a little more versatile. I’ve been intrigued about bi-amping with active crossovers and the UPA-500 seemed like the perfect candidate for the job. My setup is a pair of DIY’s with Hi-Vi woofers and Vifa XT25 tweeters, XDA-2 and a 2x4 miniDSP for the crossovers.
It was at first a little frightening ditching the mini-x and passive crossovers for what I had hoped to be a much improved system. After a few days of dialing in the miniDSP software it was finally time to unleash the UPA-500 so I queued up some of my favorite tracks and let my speakers have it. Wow! This amp delivered in a big way. Every note is crystal clear, most notably the bass comes through much fuller and tighter, so much so I haven’t been using my powered sub except for movies. The vocals sound extremely natural and the clarity of the higher frequencies have definitely improved. Obviously I give the miniDSP some credit along with the UPA-500 but let it be known, this amp has some serious chops. I’ve been trying my best to push it and even after a few hours of play time it’s hardly warm to the touch.
Now I’m surely no expert, nor pretending to be, but what I do know is for $400 the UPA-500 is worth every single penny. I could not be happier with it on all fronts. It looks great, its built rock solid, it sounds great and it’s wattage to dollar ratio is undeniably good – it has everything I’m looking for in an amplifier. There’s just this great feeling that doesn’t go away knowing your dollars have been spent on a solid piece of equipment that performs well beyond its price range. If you’re someone who is looking at purchasing your first set of separates or want to upgrade an amp without breaking the bank I would strongly consider the UPA-500, I highly recommend it!
It was at first a little frightening ditching the mini-x and passive crossovers for what I had hoped to be a much improved system. After a few days of dialing in the miniDSP software it was finally time to unleash the UPA-500 so I queued up some of my favorite tracks and let my speakers have it. Wow! This amp delivered in a big way. Every note is crystal clear, most notably the bass comes through much fuller and tighter, so much so I haven’t been using my powered sub except for movies. The vocals sound extremely natural and the clarity of the higher frequencies have definitely improved. Obviously I give the miniDSP some credit along with the UPA-500 but let it be known, this amp has some serious chops. I’ve been trying my best to push it and even after a few hours of play time it’s hardly warm to the touch.
Now I’m surely no expert, nor pretending to be, but what I do know is for $400 the UPA-500 is worth every single penny. I could not be happier with it on all fronts. It looks great, its built rock solid, it sounds great and it’s wattage to dollar ratio is undeniably good – it has everything I’m looking for in an amplifier. There’s just this great feeling that doesn’t go away knowing your dollars have been spent on a solid piece of equipment that performs well beyond its price range. If you’re someone who is looking at purchasing your first set of separates or want to upgrade an amp without breaking the bank I would strongly consider the UPA-500, I highly recommend it!