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Post by snacker on Apr 22, 2012 20:09:40 GMT -5
Just wondering from the Emotiva gang here. I read a thread on another forum someone describe Emo amps and Onkyo with Magnepans as nails on a chalkboard.
I have untrained ears for the most part so I was wondering if I'd be better off with a different combo. Most of my gear is less than a year old and sounds great to me. Could I do better with a different combo in the same price range? Thanks for any opinions.
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Post by monkumonku on Apr 22, 2012 20:23:38 GMT -5
Just wondering from the Emotiva gang here. I read a thread on another forum someone describe Emo amps and Onkyo with Magnepans as nails on a chalkboard. I have untrained ears for the most part so I was wondering if I'd be better off with a different combo. Most of my gear is less than a year old and sounds great to me. Could I do better with a different combo in the same price range? Thanks for any opinions. I don't have any planar speakers but I do own Emotiva equipment. I would say if you feel your system sounds great, then trust your own ears rather than the opinion of someone on another forum who may have some sort of hidden agenda to pursue. There are several Lounge members who use Emo equipment with their Magnepans and have nothing but good things to say about the combination. You can always find varying opinions on anything but in the end it is your own opinion about your own system that matters. If you listen to what other people have to say rather than follow your own course, you're never going to be happy. |
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Post by jackfish on Apr 22, 2012 20:32:47 GMT -5
I read a thread on another forum someone describe Emo amps and Onkyo with Magnepans as nails on a chalkboard. You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, including here. UPA-1s are wonderful with MMGs as far as I can tell, untrained ears or not. |
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Post by roadrunner on Apr 22, 2012 22:03:51 GMT -5
We have quite a few Lounge members who have planar speakers being driven by various Emotiva power amps. They have all given glowing reports about how well they drive their speakers. A couple of the user reviews stated that the speaker manufacturer recommended the Emotiva power amps when they called in to ask which amps to use.
Have you read any of the professional reviews written about the Emotiva amps? Several of those reviews specifically pointed out that they listened to Magnepan and Martin Logan planar speakers while performing listening tests on the power amps. All of these reviewers gave the Emotiva power amps their highest accolades. Check out the reviews by Audioholoics and Secrets of Home Theater and HiFi and read what they have to say about the XPA-2 and XPA-1 power amps from Emotiva.
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Post by snacker on Apr 22, 2012 22:14:48 GMT -5
Ok thanks. That's what I figured but I wasn't for sure. I only had Bose, Advent and Cerwin-vega before recently. Never had a separate amp till last Emo sale. I've always had the under powered receiver thing in my systems since college years.
My stuff sounds real good to me but I've always wanted to try a set of every speaker and amp combo.
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Post by essheil on Apr 22, 2012 22:18:48 GMT -5
I own magnepans, ohm's, acoustats, eminent techs, SLS, carver ribbons and ess heils. I have both carver/sunfire amps and emotiva amps including tube amps. It's not about the manufacturer, it's about whether the amp can drive a 4 ohm load that dips to 2 loads in which some of the amps like an onkyo are designed for 6 or 8 ohm loads. It's about the design and what the amp is capable of. Both the carver/sunfire and emotiva designs are more then sufficient, in fact very clean current these amps provide for both planar/electrostat and dynamic designed loudspeakers. For planar designs, it's better use separate amps then a receiver unless that receiver has dual purpose amps that can handle 4 and 8 ohm loads respectively.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2012 23:25:21 GMT -5
One of the occasional "hidden agenda" reasons along with just being plain stupid is that some forum members have a competitive reason to bash certain brands, Emotiva being a major one. I'm talking about forum members that are in or connected to the audio/HT business.
Emotiva owns their own manufacturing facility overseas and then sells direct on the Internet to the end user. This is an advantage in power amps that no other brand has. Most amps one buys in a high end store involve factory, wholesale, retail and commission costs and overhead that can increase the factory direct to end user price like from Emotiva 3 times or more. The similar power amp to an Emo XPA-2, $800 amp, for example, in a B&M store might run $2000-$3500 or more. Only one brand that I know of (Outlaw) offers good prices but they are no where near the low Emo price, since they sell re-badged amps Internet direct to the buyer. This extra step adds significant costs although is still much lower than the B&M price. Some folks who work for B&M stores, BB, Magnolia, Joe's Amazing Audiophile Boutique and also contract installers use untrue comments to combat the great prices, reputation and user reviews about Emotiva. They have no choice (other than being honest) to trash talk about Emotiva when their customers says in the store that they can get a power amp from Emo that has 300/500 watts per channel for 1/3-1/4 whats the dealer is asking.
The same goes for Emotiva's other products. The color and model choices are very limited with Emo but that is another reason the price is so low. That's part of their business model, to give you very high quality products with a 5 year transferable warranty, 30 day return and super customer service, which nobody can touch.
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flyhigh
Emo VIPs 
North Carolina
Posts: 524
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Post by flyhigh on Apr 23, 2012 12:00:06 GMT -5
Sounds like "Brand Bashing" to me.  There's WAAAAY too many happy EMO owners using Planar speakers in their systems to think otherwise. Planar speakers (and Electrostatic's like the MLs) can present challenges, but the EMO amps seem more than up to the challenge. Forget the naysayers! Your Maggies want clean power, and EMO can provide it. -Fly |
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Post by snacker on Apr 23, 2012 21:42:17 GMT -5
Great info guys. I love my Emo gear and I got a little mad when I read that post on the Polk forums. Thanks for the replys.
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sorbe
Sensei
"Don't cross the streams..."
Posts: 673
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Post by sorbe on Apr 24, 2012 3:04:27 GMT -5
Don't believe lies about Emotiva and Magnepan. Both are excellent brands and work particularly well together. I can attest to that personally... (11.2 worth).
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Post by jamscape on Apr 24, 2012 11:24:58 GMT -5
I can vouch for Maggies and Emo amps sounding great together. My XPA-2 / 1.6 combo sounds great to my ears. Plenty of power and dead silent when it should be. I've been nothing but thrilled since getting the XPA-2.
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Post by air1max on Apr 24, 2012 12:04:15 GMT -5
I was running my MMGs through an Onkyo 807 and thought it sounded pretty good compared to some NHTs that I had previously. I added an XPA-3 in the middle and it woke them up. I can't say there was that much of a change with movies except that it can go loud and I haven't maxed it out yet. But, I can really hear the difference with 2 channel music. I can crank it up and it is clean and clear. I play guitar, so I'm more into rock and jazz fusion, mostly the overdriven guitar stuff. I find myself listening to acoustic guitar and even some acoustic piano stuff now that it sounds so clear, like you're sitting in the lounge. I must say I am definitely happy with the amp, actually I will be adding more amps. ..and I too have no sound when the music is not playing. very quiet, I am not one of those who keeps their equipment on 24/7, so I've trained myself to look at my rack every time I leave the house. I did forget to turn it off a couple of times because it's dead quiet.
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bootman
Emo VIPs
Typing useless posts on internet forums....
Posts: 9,358
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Post by bootman on Apr 24, 2012 14:41:06 GMT -5
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Post by ludi on Apr 24, 2012 16:23:16 GMT -5
I use XPA-2 with the Magnepan 1.7: it works great. The endless power of the XPA-2 makes the 1.7 almost transparent, no matter the listening level. On lower listening level is it just the amount of detail, while on concert level listening level it feels almost better than the real thing.
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Post by Jean Genie on May 19, 2012 14:27:13 GMT -5
My Maggie 1.7, USP-1, XPA-2 combination plays so true and clear I can hear when Miles Davis' water valve needs clearing!
That's much better than nails on a chalkboard, right?
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Leon
Minor Hero
2 Channel Journey
Posts: 65
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Post by Leon on May 20, 2012 5:44:58 GMT -5
My UPA-1's are a perfect match for my Martin Logan's.
They really bring them to life.
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Post by audiohead on May 20, 2012 9:03:01 GMT -5
One of the occasional "hidden agenda" reasons along with just being plain stupid is that some forum members have a competitive reason to bash certain brands, Emotiva being a major one. I'm talking about forum members that are in or connected to the audio/HT business. Emotiva owns their own manufacturing facility overseas and then sells direct on the Internet to the end user. This is an advantage in power amps that no other brand has. Most amps one buys in a high end store involve factory, wholesale, retail and commission costs and overhead that can increase the factory direct to end user price like from Emotiva 3 times or more. The similar power amp to an Emo XPA-2, $800 amp, for example, in a B&M store might run $2000-$3500 or more. Only one brand that I know of (Outlaw) offers good prices but they are no where near the low Emo price, since they sell re-badged amps Internet direct to the buyer. This extra step adds significant costs although is still much lower than the B&M price. Some folks who work for B&M stores, BB, Magnolia, Joe's Amazing Audiophile Boutique and also contract installers use untrue comments to combat the great prices, reputation and user reviews about Emotiva. They have no choice (other than being honest) to trash talk about Emotiva when their customers says in the store that they can get a power amp from Emo that has 300/500 watts per channel for 1/3-1/4 whats the dealer is asking. The same goes for Emotiva's other products. The color and model choices are very limited with Emo but that is another reason the price is so low. That's part of their business model, to give you very high quality products with a 5 year transferable warranty, 30 day return and super customer service, which nobody can touch. Really good post Chuckienut!I have encountered the very same thing you just stated in your post about Emotiva's gear.Now i am not an expert on audio/video and have even seen post of Emo's gear by other people in other Forums saying Emo's amps have a "House"sound too them?House sound really?I would bet like you said the person who stated that about Emotiva's amps would almost have too be associated with a Pro Shop are a retailer.  |
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Post by slbenz on May 30, 2012 15:42:53 GMT -5
I used an XPA-5 with my Magnepan IIIa fronts and rears in a 5.1 system with no issues. Sounded better than the Parasound HCA-1205A that the XPA-5 replaced. Could it be using an Onkyo as a preamp is really the issue here? I use a Pioneer Elite VSX-74TXVi AVR as my preamp.
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Post by audiohead on May 30, 2012 17:29:55 GMT -5
@slbenz..I would have to agree with you on the Onkyo as being used a a pre-amp.When i first got my H/K3600 in my set up i pulled out the H/K3490 thinking the sound would be the same for 2.1 music it was not even close i notice a big difference.So back in went the H/K3490 it just has a much better DAC in it for music.So again i agree the Pre-Amp has a lot to do with on how your system will sound.Like the ole timers would say garbage in garbage out.It all starts with the source. |
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jamrock
Emo VIPs
Courtesy Costs Nothing. Give Generously!
Posts: 4,750
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Post by jamrock on May 30, 2012 17:41:06 GMT -5
A component without signal processing capabilities which affects the input signal, generally only makes the sound worse (or different from the original). Not better. A power amp was designed to only amplify the signal it receives to drive the speakers. The least the output signal departs from the input signal with the ability to drive that signal into copmplex loads, the better the amp. Input signal = a, Output signal = 20a = good amp. Input signal = a, Output signal = 20(+/-a) = bad amp. Simple!
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