Post by fantom on May 12, 2010 18:41:58 GMT -5
My setup:
Speakers (L/C/R): Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1
Speakers (LS/RS): Ascend Acoustics HTM-200SE
Subwoofer: Rhythmik F15 (370PEQ)
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR705
Source: PS3 (60gig w/SACD support)
You may have seen my rambling posts around the forum, but until now, I did not own a single piece of Emotiva equipment. Rest assured though, this post will also get long. I became interested in the brand quite some time ago (way back before the first release date for the UMC-1 was being mentioned). The countless reviews and discussions on this forum helped me to finally make a decision.
I was looking for an upgrade from my Sierras up front. For awhile, I was looking at the UPA-5, figuring it would be enough power and allow me to upgrade to a processor in the future. However, various reviews and the price similarity pushed me toward the XPA-3. I listen to a lot of music, so I wanted the 2 channel upgrade, but also watch movies enough to want a solid center channel. Plus, I am currently leaning toward a pair of UPA-1s for the front pair (allowing XPA-3 to drive center and surrounds). But that is for another time. For now, on to the XPA-3 review.
I purchased the amp off the Emoporium (about 1yr used). It arrived today in great condition. The delivery man simply said, "This sucker is heavy." I smiled, signed for it, and remembered to lift with my legs. It was in the 40s outside here in Wisconsin, so the amp was a bit cold. I let it sit for awhile.
When I couldn't wait any longer, I turned everything off and began disconnecting my LCR speaker wires from the Onkyo, which had run them for 2.5 years now. The Onkyo is rated at 100watts into 8ohms 2 channels driven. I'm very familiar with the sound as well as the level at which listening became fatiguing.
I connected speaker wires to the XPA-3 and interconnects from the Onkyo pre-outs. I then plugged everything in, putting the Onkyo on an audio section plug on my power condition, now giving the High Current spot to my sub. The XPA-3 went directly to a wall outlet.
Powered up the XPA-3. Red-red-red-off (I had turned off the status LEDs already). Turned on the rest of my equipment (I need a wallwart for automatic power on as the Onkyo's trigger is for zone2 only). I heard the PS3 startup noise. So far so good. The first thing I did was go into the level setup on my Onkyo. Whipped out the trusty SPL meter, and found that I had to turn each of my LCR down 2dB. Okay, that's done. Now to set a decent volume and fire up some music...
First impression: harsh. Extremely harsh actually, and while the image was wide, it lacked definition (the Sierras are known for their imaging, which was always phenomenal with the Onkyo).
At first I thought, perhaps the EQ settings I had dialed in with the Onkyo were not correct for this amp. So, I turned off the EQ all together. Listened to some more songs. Not a huge difference.. wait.. maybe? Hrm, I turned the EQ back on and ran through some test tones. No, all the test tones are playing flat. My EQ setup from before is still correct.
I decided to test with a video clip. I found that vocals cut through better than before without being overly done. I had read that the X series amps were forward. The harshness, however, was still a bit present with surround material.
I picked some different music to test with. Some jazz this time that was more laid back. Miles Davis. This was definitely sounding less harsh, as I would expect. Cymbals, while still a bit harsh, sounded more live than they ever had with my Onkyo. I had always felt this was lacking in my system and wondered if my speakers were to blame. At least the XPA-3 was bringing this out. The music certainly sounded more forward than I was accustomed to. At first this seemed bad and less dynamic. As I listened though, each instrument seemed to hold its own in its own space more than with the Onkyo. Perhaps a bit forward, but without stepping on each other.
Then I began to notice subtle details in the recording. It's not that I hadn't ever heard them before, but they were only ever present at extreme volumes and then masked behind the layers of everything else going on in the music. I got lost in the music for a bit. Then I began to think how you get this effect from most headphones: The music sounds more compressed. While that brings out subtle details, it loses dynamics and I have really never preferred that sound. But wait... these details were not at all in my face. They were surely present and easy to pick out if desired, but they in no way detracted from the rhythm or melody. In fact, the music in general was sounding more dynamic. And it seemed the soundstage and imaging were back, though it seemed bigger than the Onkyo with perhaps some depth.
I switched back to some more complex music, the Them Crooked Vultures album that nearly caused my ears to bleed upon first listen with this amp. If you know the album, you know it is cringe-worthy on poor setups. Good equipment with proper setup is really necessary if you want to enjoy the details of this album. Well, this sounds pretty good now. What did I change? Well, I turned the EQ off.. but then back on, and I didn't change any settings. There was at least as much control over the music as I had remembered, but now with a wider soundstage, a bit of depth, and more of a live feel due to the presence of the instruments and less-muffled cymbals (without sounding harsh).
I put on some Diana Krall. The bass lines sounded punchier than I recalled, though this was not due to volume, since everything was EQed flat. There certainly was a more pronounced bassline though. I wasn't sure if my sub was making my mains sound better or the other way around. I guess they were just working together better than ever before. I liked it but started to fear that this might overpower the rest of the recording. Then Diana's voice came in and effortlessly soared above the rest of the music. Woa. Where did this come from? And how had I gone so long without ever hearing the song this way?!
Once I finally got past that and started to focus again, I wondered about the imaging again. Diana's voice was airy, but not precisely focused. Them Crooked Vultures also isn't mixed as the most focused album. So I put on something I knew also had punchy bass and female vocals, but more on the processed side of things, Ben Folds with Regina Spektor performing You Don't Know Me. Yup, the bass was punchy, as I expected after the Diana Krall basslines. When the vocals came in, both Ben and Regina's voices were precisely placed. They also seemed to have some separation from each other. More so than I remember. So yes, the imaging was there while making the overall soundstage a bit wider and deeper. At this point, I just began to enjoy the music again. Later in the song, during a crescendo, Regina hits a high note. Once again, this soared above the rest of the music like never before. Another woa.
I then put on a track from Nightmare Revisted, which is various artists covering songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I put on Sally's Song, sung by Amy Lee. Her voice always sounded beautiful on that track and I wondered how the music would sound as it built toward the end of the track. With the XPA-3 her voice sounded sweet and smooth. I turned up the volume a bit. Glancing at the SPL meter, I was beyond the point where music generally sounded harsh to me before, but it sounded great. This would also be interesting as it got louder toward the end. Would everything hold up? I closed my eyes and just listened. Just the piano and vocals, it was already loud, but extremely smooth and engaging. The piano sounded more real than it had with the Onkyo. At first I was anticipating the build up later, but then got lost in the music and forgot completely about anything but the moment. Then it came. My speakers never sounded so alive. The music simply flowed. I felt almost as though I were in the room with the band, and I could see Amy and the other musicians playing. Everything was precise, but also filled my room like never before. I had goosebumps.
So what happened? Well, it's certainly not break in since the amp is used. But I guess the amp was just too cold when I started it up. I'm sure there's always at least a bit of time after power up before it reaches full potential, but having been on a truck in 40 degree weather for awhile made things that much worse to start and take that much longer to settle in. Once warmed up, the XPA-3 has incredible control of my Sierras. Vocals, instruments, and background noises are all a bit more forward, but certainly not in a bad way. Everything is present and engaging without being overbearing or in the way. Everything has its place. The imaging is just as incredible as it always had been with these speakers, but rather than just occupying a point, instruments seem to have more weight and space to them. Likewise, the soundstage is wider and has a bit of depth to it. Music definitely fills the room better, even when SPL readings are the same. Bass is extremely tight, again without an SPL increase. Basslines and drums are well defined and my mains and subwoofer have never blended so seamlessly together. Finally, while all vocals are more present and well defined, female vocals just seem to soar through and over the rest of the music in a way that puts a smile on my face.
Yea, I know, short review. Maybe I'll add to this once I get some movie watching in.
Speakers (L/C/R): Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1
Speakers (LS/RS): Ascend Acoustics HTM-200SE
Subwoofer: Rhythmik F15 (370PEQ)
Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR705
Source: PS3 (60gig w/SACD support)
You may have seen my rambling posts around the forum, but until now, I did not own a single piece of Emotiva equipment. Rest assured though, this post will also get long. I became interested in the brand quite some time ago (way back before the first release date for the UMC-1 was being mentioned). The countless reviews and discussions on this forum helped me to finally make a decision.
I was looking for an upgrade from my Sierras up front. For awhile, I was looking at the UPA-5, figuring it would be enough power and allow me to upgrade to a processor in the future. However, various reviews and the price similarity pushed me toward the XPA-3. I listen to a lot of music, so I wanted the 2 channel upgrade, but also watch movies enough to want a solid center channel. Plus, I am currently leaning toward a pair of UPA-1s for the front pair (allowing XPA-3 to drive center and surrounds). But that is for another time. For now, on to the XPA-3 review.
I purchased the amp off the Emoporium (about 1yr used). It arrived today in great condition. The delivery man simply said, "This sucker is heavy." I smiled, signed for it, and remembered to lift with my legs. It was in the 40s outside here in Wisconsin, so the amp was a bit cold. I let it sit for awhile.
When I couldn't wait any longer, I turned everything off and began disconnecting my LCR speaker wires from the Onkyo, which had run them for 2.5 years now. The Onkyo is rated at 100watts into 8ohms 2 channels driven. I'm very familiar with the sound as well as the level at which listening became fatiguing.
I connected speaker wires to the XPA-3 and interconnects from the Onkyo pre-outs. I then plugged everything in, putting the Onkyo on an audio section plug on my power condition, now giving the High Current spot to my sub. The XPA-3 went directly to a wall outlet.
Powered up the XPA-3. Red-red-red-off (I had turned off the status LEDs already). Turned on the rest of my equipment (I need a wallwart for automatic power on as the Onkyo's trigger is for zone2 only). I heard the PS3 startup noise. So far so good. The first thing I did was go into the level setup on my Onkyo. Whipped out the trusty SPL meter, and found that I had to turn each of my LCR down 2dB. Okay, that's done. Now to set a decent volume and fire up some music...
First impression: harsh. Extremely harsh actually, and while the image was wide, it lacked definition (the Sierras are known for their imaging, which was always phenomenal with the Onkyo).
At first I thought, perhaps the EQ settings I had dialed in with the Onkyo were not correct for this amp. So, I turned off the EQ all together. Listened to some more songs. Not a huge difference.. wait.. maybe? Hrm, I turned the EQ back on and ran through some test tones. No, all the test tones are playing flat. My EQ setup from before is still correct.
I decided to test with a video clip. I found that vocals cut through better than before without being overly done. I had read that the X series amps were forward. The harshness, however, was still a bit present with surround material.
I picked some different music to test with. Some jazz this time that was more laid back. Miles Davis. This was definitely sounding less harsh, as I would expect. Cymbals, while still a bit harsh, sounded more live than they ever had with my Onkyo. I had always felt this was lacking in my system and wondered if my speakers were to blame. At least the XPA-3 was bringing this out. The music certainly sounded more forward than I was accustomed to. At first this seemed bad and less dynamic. As I listened though, each instrument seemed to hold its own in its own space more than with the Onkyo. Perhaps a bit forward, but without stepping on each other.
Then I began to notice subtle details in the recording. It's not that I hadn't ever heard them before, but they were only ever present at extreme volumes and then masked behind the layers of everything else going on in the music. I got lost in the music for a bit. Then I began to think how you get this effect from most headphones: The music sounds more compressed. While that brings out subtle details, it loses dynamics and I have really never preferred that sound. But wait... these details were not at all in my face. They were surely present and easy to pick out if desired, but they in no way detracted from the rhythm or melody. In fact, the music in general was sounding more dynamic. And it seemed the soundstage and imaging were back, though it seemed bigger than the Onkyo with perhaps some depth.
I switched back to some more complex music, the Them Crooked Vultures album that nearly caused my ears to bleed upon first listen with this amp. If you know the album, you know it is cringe-worthy on poor setups. Good equipment with proper setup is really necessary if you want to enjoy the details of this album. Well, this sounds pretty good now. What did I change? Well, I turned the EQ off.. but then back on, and I didn't change any settings. There was at least as much control over the music as I had remembered, but now with a wider soundstage, a bit of depth, and more of a live feel due to the presence of the instruments and less-muffled cymbals (without sounding harsh).
I put on some Diana Krall. The bass lines sounded punchier than I recalled, though this was not due to volume, since everything was EQed flat. There certainly was a more pronounced bassline though. I wasn't sure if my sub was making my mains sound better or the other way around. I guess they were just working together better than ever before. I liked it but started to fear that this might overpower the rest of the recording. Then Diana's voice came in and effortlessly soared above the rest of the music. Woa. Where did this come from? And how had I gone so long without ever hearing the song this way?!
Once I finally got past that and started to focus again, I wondered about the imaging again. Diana's voice was airy, but not precisely focused. Them Crooked Vultures also isn't mixed as the most focused album. So I put on something I knew also had punchy bass and female vocals, but more on the processed side of things, Ben Folds with Regina Spektor performing You Don't Know Me. Yup, the bass was punchy, as I expected after the Diana Krall basslines. When the vocals came in, both Ben and Regina's voices were precisely placed. They also seemed to have some separation from each other. More so than I remember. So yes, the imaging was there while making the overall soundstage a bit wider and deeper. At this point, I just began to enjoy the music again. Later in the song, during a crescendo, Regina hits a high note. Once again, this soared above the rest of the music like never before. Another woa.
I then put on a track from Nightmare Revisted, which is various artists covering songs from The Nightmare Before Christmas. I put on Sally's Song, sung by Amy Lee. Her voice always sounded beautiful on that track and I wondered how the music would sound as it built toward the end of the track. With the XPA-3 her voice sounded sweet and smooth. I turned up the volume a bit. Glancing at the SPL meter, I was beyond the point where music generally sounded harsh to me before, but it sounded great. This would also be interesting as it got louder toward the end. Would everything hold up? I closed my eyes and just listened. Just the piano and vocals, it was already loud, but extremely smooth and engaging. The piano sounded more real than it had with the Onkyo. At first I was anticipating the build up later, but then got lost in the music and forgot completely about anything but the moment. Then it came. My speakers never sounded so alive. The music simply flowed. I felt almost as though I were in the room with the band, and I could see Amy and the other musicians playing. Everything was precise, but also filled my room like never before. I had goosebumps.
So what happened? Well, it's certainly not break in since the amp is used. But I guess the amp was just too cold when I started it up. I'm sure there's always at least a bit of time after power up before it reaches full potential, but having been on a truck in 40 degree weather for awhile made things that much worse to start and take that much longer to settle in. Once warmed up, the XPA-3 has incredible control of my Sierras. Vocals, instruments, and background noises are all a bit more forward, but certainly not in a bad way. Everything is present and engaging without being overbearing or in the way. Everything has its place. The imaging is just as incredible as it always had been with these speakers, but rather than just occupying a point, instruments seem to have more weight and space to them. Likewise, the soundstage is wider and has a bit of depth to it. Music definitely fills the room better, even when SPL readings are the same. Bass is extremely tight, again without an SPL increase. Basslines and drums are well defined and my mains and subwoofer have never blended so seamlessly together. Finally, while all vocals are more present and well defined, female vocals just seem to soar through and over the rest of the music in a way that puts a smile on my face.
Yea, I know, short review. Maybe I'll add to this once I get some movie watching in.
