Upgrade to XPA-5?

[ocezam]

Please do not add XPA-1's or any XPR amps into this discussion. I know they are outstanding amps. They are also beyond my reach.

I have an XPA-5 powering my home theater. My mains are Magnepan 1.6's. I'm starting to get upgrade fever and am wondering if another amp may bring out more in my speakers. I listen 50/50 music/movies. I'm completely satisfied with the movie part. Frankly, I'm also very satisfied with the music part but am wondering if there is more to be had.

My system will go louder than I need it to by a pretty wide margin. Magnepans in addition to being 4 ohm and having low sensitivity, are very revealing speakers. I'm wondering if either an XPA-2 with 66% more power, or two UPA-1's with only 16% more power (into four ohms) but mono block design would net me any sonic improvement?

I don't need more volume, but the XPA-2 might give better control at the same volume? Or the UPA-1's may give a cleaner signal, no cross talk? I've also read (from Lonnie as well as others) that UPA-1's are slightly more warm than the XPA amps. If anything my system is slightly bright so this might be an advantage?

The only person on this board, that I know of, with maggies is strindl, he has had many combinations on his Magnepans, but I believe never UPA-1's.

I realize that this question or a similar one has been asked before, I've read as many of them as possible, but sometimes a question worded differently or posed at a different time, might get responses that work better for the poster.

In any event, thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[broncsrule21]

I never owned Maggies, but I can vouche for the UPA-1s. I believe they would be an improvement for your two channel listening. They were for me. And not just a little!

[ocezam]

Oct 7, 2010 2:39:01 GMT -5 broncsrule21 said:

I never owned Maggies, but I can vouche for the UPA-1s. I believe they would be an improvement for your two channel listening. They were for me. And not just a little!

Thanks for the reply. The UPA-1's were an improvement over what?

Broncos fan? I'm in Colo Spgs...you?

[carlp336]

what would you do with XPA5 move it the 5 channel duty (assuming you have 7).

i like your train of thought, although backwards from mine slightly. i have the XPA5 powering my front 5 (Ls-6's, xvoce, erd'd) and a upa2 for rear duty on the UAC8.2s..

i think id go with the upa1 for cleaner dedicated channel output.

one thing to consider also would be resale value, you have the upgrade buzz now and prolly will again, think about which one you may get the most return out of if you sell later. (surely they both would sell)

[strindl]

Oct 6, 2010 11:05:24 GMT -5 ocezam said:

Please do not add XPA-1's or any XPR amps into this discussion. I know they are outstanding amps. They are also beyond my reach.

I have an XPA-5 powering my home theater. My mains are Magnepan 1.6's. I'm starting to get upgrade fever and am wondering if another amp may bring out more in my speakers. I listen 50/50 music/movies. I'm completely satisfied with the movie part. Frankly, I'm also very satisfied with the music part but am wondering if there is more to be had.

My system will go louder than I need it to by a pretty wide margin. Magnepans in addition to being 4 ohm and having low sensitivity, are very revealing speakers. I'm wondering if either an XPA-2 with 66% more power, or two UPA-1's with only 16% more power (into four ohms) but mono block design would net me any sonic improvement?

I don't need more volume, but the XPA-2 might give better control at the same volume? Or the UPA-1's may give a cleaner signal, no cross talk? I've also read (from Lonnie as well as others) that UPA-1's are slightly more warm than the XPA amps. If anything my system is slightly bright so this might be an advantage?

The only person on this board, that I know of, with maggies is strindl, he has had many combinations on his Magnepans, but I believe never UPA-1's.

I realize that this question or a similar one has been asked before, I've read as many of them as possible, but sometimes a question worded differently or posed at a different time, might get responses that work better for the poster.

In any event, thanks in advance for your thoughts.

I do have experience with some of the amps you have and are considering with various magnepans..including the 1.6's. The first product I bought from Emotiva was an XPA-5 that I was planning on using in my main home theater system to power my surrounds and center channel. When I first had it delivered though, I had to hook it up to my Magnepan 1.6's for a few days to see how it sounded on a set of main speakers.

I normally used a far more expensive vintage Threshold S500e on those speakers that is rated at 250 watts per channel at 8 ohm and 500 per side at 4 ohm,

The XPA-5 acquitted itself quite well driving the 1.6's. It has gobs of power which those maggies crave, and the sound was very much like that expensive Threshold. I would have no qualms with using an XPA-5 to run my 1.6's.

That being said, I kept to plan and that XPA-5 is in my main system driving the centers and surrounds now. I moved the 1.6's to my bedroom system and replaced them in my living room with a pair of 1.7's. I use the Threshold on those 1.7's.

My bedroom system is two channel only and I bought an XPA-2 for the 1.6's there. As good as they sounded with the XPA-5, they do sound better with an XPA-2 driving them. I've never had the chance to hear a pair of UPA-1's, but I'd go for the added power capabilities that the XPA-2 offers over the mono block configuration of the UPA-1's. The magnepans can make use of that added clean power.

If you have the upgrade bug...and we all get that from time to time, the XPA-2 would make a fine upgrade for your setup.

[NorthStar]

Another vote for the XPA-2.