Post by tieftoener on Feb 6, 2012 15:39:59 GMT -5
While new to Emotiva owners club, I'm not unfamiliar with the products. Obviously, I don't post here much 
. Two good friends (and fellow audiophiles) are avid fans and owners, including ERC-1, UMC-1, Pair of XPA-1s, and XDA-1s in their collections, with an XMC-1 on preorder since years ago. Luckily, I get lots of face time with their equipment to take advantage of their investments (don't worry, I bring wine and steaks to compensate). I felt compelled to share my experience with the XDA-1 out of appreciation for Emotiva's efforts and out of the respect I have for them and this DAC/preamp.
I first heard the XDA-1 (stock) on:
System 1:
- DIY 2way speakers: Scan Speak Revelator 5" + Morel MDT-30
- ATI-1506 amp (bridged 4 of the channels into two)
- Oppo 973 DVD player transport
- Dell XPS16 laptop w/ M2Tech HiFace USB-to-SPDIF transport
We then swapped to...
System 2:
- same as System 1 except swapped amps to
- Emotiva XPA-1's (comparing both unbalanced and balanced)
With both Systems 1 & 2, the XDA-1 was compared against a bone stock Outlaw 950 HT pre/pro in stereo mode.
Impressions w/ Systems 1 & 2:
Since this is about the XDA-1, I will refrain from amplifier and source comparisons. The components are listed merely for reference. I would, however, like to compare it to the Outlaw 950 as it is a very popular and well-known piece of hardware.
Because I've used the Outlaw 950 as my primary pre/pro since ~2003, I'm very familiar with its characteristics and sound. I immediately noticed a vast improvement, both width and height, in the sound stage when switching to the XDA-1. Bass was noticeably tighter and more defined. Highs were less veiled and more extended. The XDA-1 provided heeps of improved midrange clarity. In fact, it was a bit too much - too forward for my tastes. So much so, that I found myself "turning it down" to compensate for what seemed to be analogous to an EQ adjustment across the entire midrange band. Subtleties in background ambient noise became much more clear and identifiable. After some time, the midrange clarity grew on me, and I certainly preferred the XDA-1 over the Outlaw. But, over long periods of listening, it was a bit fatiguing to my aural palate. Turning down the volume helped, but I felt as though I missed some subsequent bass clarity and punch in turning down the volume. More on that later. Nonetheless, the XDA-1 was a clear winner.
A little background.
My 2ch Critical Listening Setup:
- DIY high-bias, Class-A, MOSFET analog preamp - think Nelson Pass.
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified) - using upgraded analog output
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creak D28 tweeter
My "Normal" Setup:
- Outlaw 950 Preamp (Modified)
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified)
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- Parasound HCA-855 for center and surrounds
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creek D28 tweeter
- DIY 2way MTM Center: Scan Speak 7" Revelator, Scan Speak 9700 tweeter
- DIY 2way Rears: Scan Speak 5" Revelator, Scan Speak 9500 tweeter
I'm an active DIY speaker builder and audio electronics mod guru. It all started when I saw under the hood of a "high-end" $2000 source, noting that it used the same junk that the $120 mass-market changer used in the analog output stages. It infuriated me. I prefer to let the fancy high end sources layout and setup the digital interfaces ... and then I fix the analog outputs so I can send them to a good analog preamp for volume control. This approach always "blew the Outlaw out of the water," no matter what modified player/source I used.
Out of frustration of having to swap out components in my rack all the time for music listening, I got a bug up my butt to upgrade my Outlaw 950. Fortunately, I picked one up used very cheap to perform mods to so I could have a clear A/B comparison and not have any down time during the mod. I replaced over 30 opamps in the Outlaw, cleaned up/removed/replaced output capacitors and resistors, and replaced power supply components with better ones, and was also able to fix the "SPDIF unlock" bug that plagues so many of the Outlaw units. I upgraded ALL inputs and all output channels - I wanted it to be a great upgrade for home theater, not just better two channel.
The upgraded outlaw provided a noticeable sound stage improvement, tighter/cleaner bass, more extended (perception) bass, vastly smoother highs and more clear mids.
Then comes the XDA-1 for $250 on closeout. What a deal! Aforementioned friend and my wife went in on an XDA-1 for my birthday present - I'm a very blessed man. ;D
System 3:
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified) - using upgraded analog output
- Dell XPS16 laptop w/ M2Tech HiFace USB-to-SPDIF transport
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creak D28 tweeter
System 3 was used to compare the stock Outlaw 950, the upgraded Outlaw, and the stock XDA-1.
Basically, the upgraded Outlaw is a very appropriate "middle ground" between the stock 950 and the XDA-1. The bass on the upgraded Outlaw I think had slightly better definition than the stock XDA-1; I attribute this to the opamps used in the mod'd Outlaw. But, the stock XDA-1's advanced preamp output stage clearly brought more authority to the bass than the mod'd Outlaw. Highs were sweeter/smoother on the mod'd Outlaw, but the XDA-1 brought more clarity and precision in the highs - not piercingly critical... just more clear.
The delta-impressions between the stock 950 and XDA-1 were identical across all of Systems 1 thru 3, including the very forward midrange presentation. That said, there were also noticeable differences in amplifiers, but that's for another review. Luckily, I was able to compare multiple sources on each amplifier; the consistent results impressed me.
In short, these are the changes to the Modified XDA-1:
- added new dedicated +/-12V power supply rails for new opamps
- replaced opamp I-V converters after DAC with Analog Devices AD8620 (stock is Burr Brown OPA2134)
- improved power supply for better regulation of DC-bias offsets in the analog stage, digital power supply rail for DAC, and analog power supply rail for DAC
Note: I loathe RoHS and it's stupid lead-free solder!
Impressions between stock and modified XDA-1:
Again, soundstage was the initial smack to the face: there was another large leap in sound stage width, some height, and a large leap in depth. The delta was almost as significant as the improvement between the stock Outlaw and the stock XDA-1. I did not expect that much of an improvement. The next thing that I feel changed the most was the quietness and absence of background noise. It was like going from a standard carpeted bedroom in your home to a heavily treated semi-anechoic room in a sound studio (not quite that drastic, but of that effect). It was an eerie sensation. It brought a new level of dynamics and subtlety to the music. The overly-forward midrange disappeared into a perfectly blended balance of lows, mids, and highs. Don't misinterpret "disappear" - they are perfectly clear and prominent... however now they now seamlessly blend into the full-range of music. The bass tightened up significantly and declared every passage with ultimate control and authority. Commonly, the bass can appear "thin" in this transformation, but I did not get that impression - things were more controlled and perceived to be better balanced with the mids and highs... it did not seem "thin" at all. It was as if the speakers themselves were amended with an improved motor & suspension system - that's saying something with Scan Speak drivers...
The relatively clean and detailed bass of the stock XDA now seemed bloated, muddy, and uncontrolled. I imagine that that is hard to imagine for you current XDA-1 owners out there. The highs again became more clear and precise, not smoothed over, not piercing or harsh... just better. In essence, the modified XDA-1 is better in every way.
I want to note one major clarification - CD's just don't cut it with this level of performance. Do yourself a favor and find a way to export high-res audio files to your XDA-1. Check out HDtracks and 2L for some great sources of high-res music. You won't look back.
Disclaimer: I will NOT be held responsible for you damaging your XDA-1 (or any other equipment for that matter), should you choose to perform some "modifications." Also, please, note that these modifications negate Emotiva's warranty - you're on your own. Don't you dare perform modifications if you don't understand electricity! I am not (and Emotiva is not) responsible of you get hurt! There are lethal voltage levels under the hood of these components, akin to jamming your finger in a light socket
! Do NOT try this at home; these mods were performed by a professional.
. Two good friends (and fellow audiophiles) are avid fans and owners, including ERC-1, UMC-1, Pair of XPA-1s, and XDA-1s in their collections, with an XMC-1 on preorder since years ago. Luckily, I get lots of face time with their equipment to take advantage of their investments (don't worry, I bring wine and steaks to compensate). I felt compelled to share my experience with the XDA-1 out of appreciation for Emotiva's efforts and out of the respect I have for them and this DAC/preamp. I first heard the XDA-1 (stock) on:
System 1:
- DIY 2way speakers: Scan Speak Revelator 5" + Morel MDT-30
- ATI-1506 amp (bridged 4 of the channels into two)
- Oppo 973 DVD player transport
- Dell XPS16 laptop w/ M2Tech HiFace USB-to-SPDIF transport
We then swapped to...
System 2:
- same as System 1 except swapped amps to
- Emotiva XPA-1's (comparing both unbalanced and balanced)
With both Systems 1 & 2, the XDA-1 was compared against a bone stock Outlaw 950 HT pre/pro in stereo mode.
Impressions w/ Systems 1 & 2:
Since this is about the XDA-1, I will refrain from amplifier and source comparisons. The components are listed merely for reference. I would, however, like to compare it to the Outlaw 950 as it is a very popular and well-known piece of hardware.
Because I've used the Outlaw 950 as my primary pre/pro since ~2003, I'm very familiar with its characteristics and sound. I immediately noticed a vast improvement, both width and height, in the sound stage when switching to the XDA-1. Bass was noticeably tighter and more defined. Highs were less veiled and more extended. The XDA-1 provided heeps of improved midrange clarity. In fact, it was a bit too much - too forward for my tastes. So much so, that I found myself "turning it down" to compensate for what seemed to be analogous to an EQ adjustment across the entire midrange band. Subtleties in background ambient noise became much more clear and identifiable. After some time, the midrange clarity grew on me, and I certainly preferred the XDA-1 over the Outlaw. But, over long periods of listening, it was a bit fatiguing to my aural palate. Turning down the volume helped, but I felt as though I missed some subsequent bass clarity and punch in turning down the volume. More on that later. Nonetheless, the XDA-1 was a clear winner.
A little background.
My 2ch Critical Listening Setup:
- DIY high-bias, Class-A, MOSFET analog preamp - think Nelson Pass.
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified) - using upgraded analog output
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creak D28 tweeter
My "Normal" Setup:
- Outlaw 950 Preamp (Modified)
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified)
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- Parasound HCA-855 for center and surrounds
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creek D28 tweeter
- DIY 2way MTM Center: Scan Speak 7" Revelator, Scan Speak 9700 tweeter
- DIY 2way Rears: Scan Speak 5" Revelator, Scan Speak 9500 tweeter
I'm an active DIY speaker builder and audio electronics mod guru. It all started when I saw under the hood of a "high-end" $2000 source, noting that it used the same junk that the $120 mass-market changer used in the analog output stages. It infuriated me. I prefer to let the fancy high end sources layout and setup the digital interfaces ... and then I fix the analog outputs so I can send them to a good analog preamp for volume control. This approach always "blew the Outlaw out of the water," no matter what modified player/source I used.
Out of frustration of having to swap out components in my rack all the time for music listening, I got a bug up my butt to upgrade my Outlaw 950. Fortunately, I picked one up used very cheap to perform mods to so I could have a clear A/B comparison and not have any down time during the mod. I replaced over 30 opamps in the Outlaw, cleaned up/removed/replaced output capacitors and resistors, and replaced power supply components with better ones, and was also able to fix the "SPDIF unlock" bug that plagues so many of the Outlaw units. I upgraded ALL inputs and all output channels - I wanted it to be a great upgrade for home theater, not just better two channel.
The upgraded outlaw provided a noticeable sound stage improvement, tighter/cleaner bass, more extended (perception) bass, vastly smoother highs and more clear mids.
Then comes the XDA-1 for $250 on closeout. What a deal! Aforementioned friend and my wife went in on an XDA-1 for my birthday present - I'm a very blessed man. ;D
System 3:
- Denon DVD-2900 (Modified) - using upgraded analog output
- Dell XPS16 laptop w/ M2Tech HiFace USB-to-SPDIF transport
- (2) Parasound HCA-1500A bridged
- DIY 3way towers: Scan Speak 10", Scan Speak 5" Revelator, North Creak D28 tweeter
System 3 was used to compare the stock Outlaw 950, the upgraded Outlaw, and the stock XDA-1.
Basically, the upgraded Outlaw is a very appropriate "middle ground" between the stock 950 and the XDA-1. The bass on the upgraded Outlaw I think had slightly better definition than the stock XDA-1; I attribute this to the opamps used in the mod'd Outlaw. But, the stock XDA-1's advanced preamp output stage clearly brought more authority to the bass than the mod'd Outlaw. Highs were sweeter/smoother on the mod'd Outlaw, but the XDA-1 brought more clarity and precision in the highs - not piercingly critical... just more clear.
The delta-impressions between the stock 950 and XDA-1 were identical across all of Systems 1 thru 3, including the very forward midrange presentation. That said, there were also noticeable differences in amplifiers, but that's for another review. Luckily, I was able to compare multiple sources on each amplifier; the consistent results impressed me.
In short, these are the changes to the Modified XDA-1:
- added new dedicated +/-12V power supply rails for new opamps
- replaced opamp I-V converters after DAC with Analog Devices AD8620 (stock is Burr Brown OPA2134)
- improved power supply for better regulation of DC-bias offsets in the analog stage, digital power supply rail for DAC, and analog power supply rail for DAC
Note: I loathe RoHS and it's stupid lead-free solder!
Impressions between stock and modified XDA-1:
Again, soundstage was the initial smack to the face: there was another large leap in sound stage width, some height, and a large leap in depth. The delta was almost as significant as the improvement between the stock Outlaw and the stock XDA-1. I did not expect that much of an improvement. The next thing that I feel changed the most was the quietness and absence of background noise. It was like going from a standard carpeted bedroom in your home to a heavily treated semi-anechoic room in a sound studio (not quite that drastic, but of that effect). It was an eerie sensation. It brought a new level of dynamics and subtlety to the music. The overly-forward midrange disappeared into a perfectly blended balance of lows, mids, and highs. Don't misinterpret "disappear" - they are perfectly clear and prominent... however now they now seamlessly blend into the full-range of music. The bass tightened up significantly and declared every passage with ultimate control and authority. Commonly, the bass can appear "thin" in this transformation, but I did not get that impression - things were more controlled and perceived to be better balanced with the mids and highs... it did not seem "thin" at all. It was as if the speakers themselves were amended with an improved motor & suspension system - that's saying something with Scan Speak drivers...
The relatively clean and detailed bass of the stock XDA now seemed bloated, muddy, and uncontrolled. I imagine that that is hard to imagine for you current XDA-1 owners out there. The highs again became more clear and precise, not smoothed over, not piercing or harsh... just better. In essence, the modified XDA-1 is better in every way. I want to note one major clarification - CD's just don't cut it with this level of performance. Do yourself a favor and find a way to export high-res audio files to your XDA-1. Check out HDtracks and 2L for some great sources of high-res music. You won't look back.
Disclaimer: I will NOT be held responsible for you damaging your XDA-1 (or any other equipment for that matter), should you choose to perform some "modifications." Also, please, note that these modifications negate Emotiva's warranty - you're on your own. Don't you dare perform modifications if you don't understand electricity! I am not (and Emotiva is not) responsible of you get hurt! There are lethal voltage levels under the hood of these components, akin to jamming your finger in a light socket
! Do NOT try this at home; these mods were performed by a professional.
