Post by bluemonkeyglider on Feb 21, 2009 13:19:15 GMT -5
A Skeptic's Revelation: The XPA-5 Delivers
« Thread Started Today at 11:51am »
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I posted this on the 'Speakers' forum in follow-up to a series of questions and feedback from Emotiva owners. I am cross-posting it, here, as my mini-review of the XPA-5:
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Thanks, everyone, for assisting with my research and decision to buy the Emotiva XPA-5. As you know, I have been seriously considering the McIntosh MX120 pre- and MA7000 amps or comparable gear by Classe and Krell. I decided to accept Emotiva's 30-day in home trial with the option to return it for a full refund; what did I have to lose? I ordered it on Wednesday and it arrived yesterday at my office; that's fast!
I saw the FedEx delivery van drive by and went over to meet him. He had just opened the back sliding door and I watched in horror as he lifted a large Emotiva box off the top shelf and carelessly tossed it onto the floor of the van with a loud thud! I told him, "That's mine and I hope you didn't break it!" I called Cathy and told her about it. She was not too alarmed, though, because of their double boxing and interior foam cushioning. She said if there was a problem to let her know and they'd send me another one!
I was going to wait a couple of weeks before posting my review in order to give the XPA-5 a fair chance to convince me that it's worth keeping. That wait was simply not necessary... I got it home, unpacked it, and began the set up which was a snap. I used my 10-year old Mid-Fi Yamaha HTR-5890 as pre/pro and connected the system to my B&W 803S speakers, surround sound speakers, center, and powered Klipsch sub. (These will be replaced with B&W's in a few weeks.) Note, the night before I played my new 803S speakers using only my Yamaha. My wife and I agreed that there was a noticeable improvement over the little Klipsch KSW 3.3 bookshelf speakers, as well there should be...but not the stellar sound we were looking for; no surprise, there.
After adding the XPA-5 into the mix, we put in concert BluRay's by Diana Krall-Live in Paris, K. D. Lang-Live in London, John Mayer-Live in L.A.: Where the Light Is, and David Gilmour-Remember That Night: Live at Royal Albert Hall. We watched on our 58" Panasonic PZ850U plasma and listened in superb 2 channel stereo, then in 5.1 surround. Oh, my God! The XPA-5 produced the richness, detail, clarity, and 3-dimensional soundstage we were hoping to hear! I immediately heard the difference compared to the Yamaha by itself and was instantly transformed from a skeptic to a believer...Emotiva matched my memory of the complex sound reproduction and warmth I heard when auditioning the B&W 803S speakers through a McIntosh MX 136 pre-amp and McIntosh MA 7000 amp! <from 3 sessions during the last 4 weeks> Granted, this was not a side-by-side A/B comparison, but I am confident that if I could do a blind side-by-side comparison I would not be able to tell Emotiva from McIntosh components; maybe someone else can, or thinks they can, but I cannot.
My wife is a concert violinist. This morning she sat enthralled as we listened to her favorite Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart recordings. She was amazed, as was I, to hear the full range of instrumental voices, texture, and subtlety of these masterpieces in a way we'd never before experienced; it was literally like hearing these familiar pieces for the first time, anew. I could not stop myself from laughing with sheer joy from what I was hearing.
I will add that I did not expect the XPA-5's simple blue LED's to look very good, but in this I was also wrong and pleasantly surprised. The XPA-5 simply sat there in our cabinet resolutely working its magic, looking cool and laid back. It would, though, be visually pleasing and informative to have analog meters on the units. Finally, there is practically no heat from the XPA-5, even with the volume cranked up. -20dB on the Yamaha volume indicator is as loud as my wife can stand it but I took it up to -15dB and there is no distortion, no hum, and no clipping. The XPA-5 took whatever I threw at it and never flinched.
Needless to say, we will be keeping the XPA-5 and adding a UMC-1 and an XPA-2 to our system so I can bi-amp the mains the right way. I am sure that with these additions we will hear even more improvements in our stereo and 5.1 HT listening. I actually wish I had ordered the XPA-7, though.
I am truly impressed and a happy owner of Emotiva gear. Buy it and try it.
Wow!
Keith
« Thread Started Today at 11:51am »
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I posted this on the 'Speakers' forum in follow-up to a series of questions and feedback from Emotiva owners. I am cross-posting it, here, as my mini-review of the XPA-5:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks, everyone, for assisting with my research and decision to buy the Emotiva XPA-5. As you know, I have been seriously considering the McIntosh MX120 pre- and MA7000 amps or comparable gear by Classe and Krell. I decided to accept Emotiva's 30-day in home trial with the option to return it for a full refund; what did I have to lose? I ordered it on Wednesday and it arrived yesterday at my office; that's fast!
I saw the FedEx delivery van drive by and went over to meet him. He had just opened the back sliding door and I watched in horror as he lifted a large Emotiva box off the top shelf and carelessly tossed it onto the floor of the van with a loud thud! I told him, "That's mine and I hope you didn't break it!" I called Cathy and told her about it. She was not too alarmed, though, because of their double boxing and interior foam cushioning. She said if there was a problem to let her know and they'd send me another one!
I was going to wait a couple of weeks before posting my review in order to give the XPA-5 a fair chance to convince me that it's worth keeping. That wait was simply not necessary... I got it home, unpacked it, and began the set up which was a snap. I used my 10-year old Mid-Fi Yamaha HTR-5890 as pre/pro and connected the system to my B&W 803S speakers, surround sound speakers, center, and powered Klipsch sub. (These will be replaced with B&W's in a few weeks.) Note, the night before I played my new 803S speakers using only my Yamaha. My wife and I agreed that there was a noticeable improvement over the little Klipsch KSW 3.3 bookshelf speakers, as well there should be...but not the stellar sound we were looking for; no surprise, there.
After adding the XPA-5 into the mix, we put in concert BluRay's by Diana Krall-Live in Paris, K. D. Lang-Live in London, John Mayer-Live in L.A.: Where the Light Is, and David Gilmour-Remember That Night: Live at Royal Albert Hall. We watched on our 58" Panasonic PZ850U plasma and listened in superb 2 channel stereo, then in 5.1 surround. Oh, my God! The XPA-5 produced the richness, detail, clarity, and 3-dimensional soundstage we were hoping to hear! I immediately heard the difference compared to the Yamaha by itself and was instantly transformed from a skeptic to a believer...Emotiva matched my memory of the complex sound reproduction and warmth I heard when auditioning the B&W 803S speakers through a McIntosh MX 136 pre-amp and McIntosh MA 7000 amp! <from 3 sessions during the last 4 weeks> Granted, this was not a side-by-side A/B comparison, but I am confident that if I could do a blind side-by-side comparison I would not be able to tell Emotiva from McIntosh components; maybe someone else can, or thinks they can, but I cannot.
My wife is a concert violinist. This morning she sat enthralled as we listened to her favorite Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart recordings. She was amazed, as was I, to hear the full range of instrumental voices, texture, and subtlety of these masterpieces in a way we'd never before experienced; it was literally like hearing these familiar pieces for the first time, anew. I could not stop myself from laughing with sheer joy from what I was hearing.
I will add that I did not expect the XPA-5's simple blue LED's to look very good, but in this I was also wrong and pleasantly surprised. The XPA-5 simply sat there in our cabinet resolutely working its magic, looking cool and laid back. It would, though, be visually pleasing and informative to have analog meters on the units. Finally, there is practically no heat from the XPA-5, even with the volume cranked up. -20dB on the Yamaha volume indicator is as loud as my wife can stand it but I took it up to -15dB and there is no distortion, no hum, and no clipping. The XPA-5 took whatever I threw at it and never flinched.
Needless to say, we will be keeping the XPA-5 and adding a UMC-1 and an XPA-2 to our system so I can bi-amp the mains the right way. I am sure that with these additions we will hear even more improvements in our stereo and 5.1 HT listening. I actually wish I had ordered the XPA-7, though.
I am truly impressed and a happy owner of Emotiva gear. Buy it and try it.
Wow!
Keith
