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Post by sounder on Mar 11, 2012 13:05:41 GMT -5
Wow". I didn't expect this kind of response. I have good gear, but if i listen to this advice I sell everything and buy a whole new setup! All I want is to take advantage of what these speakers can really offer. I think the best route is to use what I have and then try two UPA1s to see if there is improvement in bass control. I don't think there would be enough difference if I step up to the XPA.
For those who say there is no difference in the sound of amps you are wrong. I tested this myself yesterday. I listened to a set of B&W 805 diamonds. First with an onkyo 70 wpc two channel amp. Sounded great. Then swap in a 600 wpc Bryston. More open, cleaner, more forward midrange and much more controlled bass. Very different amps for sure. Very different sound too. There was no mistaking the difference. Not worth the $2k versus $10k price tags. But the point is that there was a difference in sound that came from the extra clean power and it was all from the amp.
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Mar 11, 2012 14:33:48 GMT -5
Bob Carver devised a test that could isolate the sonic signature in an amp. I have yet to see one of the "amps all sound the same" crowd post a study that replicates that but comes to a different conclusion. Instead they post piss-poor studies that a 3rd rate engineer can show don't support the outcome and when called on it get just as whiny as they say those that hold the opposing view point get.
805's are a very exacting speaker and will expose a sonic signature easier than, say, a $500 speaker will. My only qualm with them is that I think they're over priced. But, a darn fine speaker nonetheless. If you get a chance to audition a XPA-2 (or a couple XPA-1) you might like them. I won't guarantee that you'll hear a difference, but you might. And having an XPA-1/2 is not a requirement for 805s to sound good.
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Post by Porscheguy on Mar 11, 2012 18:59:41 GMT -5
Wow". I didn't expect this kind of response. I have good gear, but if i listen to this advice I sell everything and buy a whole new setup! All I want is to take advantage of what these speakers can really offer. I think the best route is to use what I have and then try two UPA1s to see if there is improvement in bass control. I don't think there would be enough difference if I step up to the XPA. For those who say there is no difference in the sound of amps you are wrong. I tested this myself yesterday. I listened to a set of B&W 805 diamonds. First with an onkyo 70 wpc two channel amp. Sounded great. Then swap in a 600 wpc Bryston. More open, cleaner, more forward midrange and much more controlled bass. Very different amps for sure. Very different sound too. There was no mistaking the difference. Not worth the $2k versus $10k price tags. But the point is that there was a difference in sound that came from the extra clean power and it was all from the amp. Thats a bit extreme. But if you take 4-5 150wpc amps and listen to them all you will have a hard time hearing much of a difference. The whole point is that all Emotiva amps do a fine job with mostly every speaker with rare exceptions. This whole industry is mostly based on the worst arbiter of all........... opinions... |
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Mar 11, 2012 21:26:56 GMT -5
And opinions are like faces; everyone has at least two of them. ;D
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Post by stads77 on Mar 12, 2012 9:30:26 GMT -5
I have a friend who has a pair of 805s' and he started with a marantz integrated amplifer at around 80 watts, then moved to an adcom 555 at 200 watts, now he has two 555's bridged for 600 watts per speaker. I can attest that having the bridged adcom 555's has truly "openned" up the speakers. I could tell the difference even at moderate listening levels. Good Luck with your decision and enjoy those beauty's. If it was me, I would buy an xpa-2. This would allow you to later get another xpa-2 and bridge them if you wanted even more out of your speakers.
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Post by bitsandbytes on Mar 12, 2012 10:30:14 GMT -5
I have a friend who has a pair of 805s' and he started with a marantz integrated amplifer at around 80 watts, then moved to an adcom 555 at 200 watts, now he has two 555's bridged for 600 watts per speaker. I can attest that having the bridged adcom 555's has truly "openned" up the speakers. I could tell the difference even at moderate listening levels. Good Luck with your decision and enjoy those beauty's. If it was me, I would buy an xpa-2. This would allow you to later get another xpa-2 and bridge them if you wanted even more out of your speakers. He hit it right on the money IMO. You need more power with the size of your listening area and this gives the best upgrade options. You are smart to try out your upa-2 first. If you decide to upgrade, you will appreciate your xpa-2 even more. Congrats on your new speakers! |
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Post by sounder on Mar 12, 2012 11:55:30 GMT -5
Thanks! Great advice!
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Post by sounder on Mar 12, 2012 13:19:57 GMT -5
By the way I'm not complaining about the discussion or any comments! I asked for opinions and got them! Fun discussion!
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Post by sounder on Mar 15, 2012 16:45:01 GMT -5
So, the new (to me) speakers arrived yesterday. I haven't spent enough time with them yet. I can say they are definitely more revealing than my CDM SE7s, so I have to spend more time cleaning records! But, with the UPA2, they sound awesome. The midrange is really balanced, good bass notes, and overall great sound from these little giants! And, I think they integrate well with my sub.
I do believe they would open up even more with a bit more punch. After this thread and reading other threads on UPA1 vs XPA2, I'm convinced that the difference would be subtle at most. But, I think the UPA1 is a more tonally balanced amp, not as much pushing the limits of what the XPA amp modules can do. The XPA seems more intended for punch and power than UPA, which seems like a more sophisticated sound. I think UPA would be better for these speakers, and perhaps XPA2 for the larger brothers like B&W 803 or 802.
I'm going to keep my eyes out for a sale on UPA1s or a nice pair of used ones. Anyone who's read this thread and been convinced to move from XPA2 to UPA1, please let me know! I'll take the UPAs off your hands!
Later I'll report back to the crowd on whether or not I can really hear any difference going from UPA2 to twin UPA1s.
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Mar 15, 2012 17:30:52 GMT -5
^Nice post!  |
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