What brought you to Emotiva?

[Topend]

Jun 15, 2012 22:37:53 GMT -5 roadrunner said:

I discovered Emotiva while researching everything I could find out about the Marantz SR-8001 receiver. I was on the cusp of purchasing the Marantz when I came across several forums where people were talking about using the SR-8001 as a pre/pro with Emotiva power amps. This lead me to reading everything on the Internet about Emotiva's products. The more I read the more enticed I became.

I then called Emotiva and Big Dan answered the phone. We spent well over an hour discussing Emotiva's product line, their business philosophy and a number of their upcoming products. A couple of days later I called Emotiva again and this time talked with Lonnie. Lonnie and I talked for close to two hours during my first call to him. We talked circuit designs, current products and upcoming products and their expansion plans.

Over the next couple of weeks I called and spoke with Dan and Lonnie several more times before I made my first purchase, the MMC-1 processor and a LPA-1 power amp. During all these calls to Emotiva I was treated like their best customer and Dan and Lonnie patiently answered all my questions and I had yet to spend a single dollar on their products.

Since then Emotiva has found ways to keep their hands in my wallet. ;D I now have a rack full of Emotiva gear in my main system and other Emo gear in my bedroom system. I am on disability and have a modest fixed income. Emotiva's pricing for high quality equipment has allowed me to enjoy high-end sound quality at budget prices..

Now all I have to do is figure out how to pay for the XMC-1, XSP-1 and the XDA-2. Once I have them in my system I may be set for years to come. The only other Emo gear I would be enticed by are the ERS sub woofers and the Emo magnetic drive turntable... or maybe the Emo heavy duty equipment shelf system.

Who knows, by then Lonnie will come up with another irresistible piece of superior sounding gear with a price that even I can afford. Send me your spare nickles and dimes to help a "poor, handicapped senior citizen" continue to enjoy listening to great music. ;D ;D ;D

Is it any wonder why Emo are always late with their most anticipated products, their spending so much time on the phone with Roadrunner and not working on the XMC/XSP.

Dave.

[wpm]

I resisted Emotiva like a child resists the dentist! Sure, I had heard of them before; who hadn't, what with all the buzz going around the Internet, but you know how that goes. Then a couple of my friends both bought XPA-2's and were blown away. Still, I resisted. I was unwilling to believe that any product that offered so much, and sold for so little, could be worth a darn.

Well, with a little coaxing from my friends, and the continued buzz on the Internet, I decided to take the plunge. I purchased a pair of UPA-1 monos and an XDA-1 and have never looked back.

Like Roadrunner, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the new XSP-1 and XDA-2, wondering which one is going to slide into my system. It's been many years since I have been excited about the release of new audio products but, somehow, Emotiva has found a way to get under my skin and I like it!

BTW, RPA-1 Man, that RPA-1 is a beautiful amp, and quite a collector piece!

Attachments:

[indyscammer]

I had a Yamaha receiver and wanted to jump to separates. Was eyeing Outlaw 990 but could not leap to a $2000 amp. Was trolling "The Saloon" and someone posted comparing Emotiva to Outlaw. Found the website and "The Lounge" and a UPA-7 and UMC-1 later.....I am really jonesing for a pair of ERT8.3's for half price (less than my Klipsch's cost). ;D

[Black Sabbath]

For me it was an add in home theater magazine. I had always wanted to get into seperates.,The price was right,what can i say the rest is history.

[red5ive]

Well I haven't posted here in a while, but I thought I'd share my Emo experience.

Believe it or not, I learned about Emotiva from Buy More Best Buy. I'm not a stranger to separates and had my share of 2-channel amps back in the 90s, but when the Yamaha DSP-A1 came out I was so impressed with it that I sold all my gear in favor of HT.

Circa 2007, I was looking to get back into separates as the Yammy wasn't quite cutting it for music (I had "moved up" to another Yamaha flagship, the RX-Z1, by that time). So, I wandered into my local Buy More Best Buy "Magnolia" one day as I had never visited a Magnolia store, and with the Magnolia name I figured I'd check at least and see if they offered any amps. I was disappointed not to find any, but I started talking shop with a salesman there who REALLY knew his stuff. He's the kind of guy you respect in the audiophile community as he really loves EVEREYTHING audio, including "budget" separates. I nevertheless became a regular visitor, and it was maybe about a year later that he mentioned Emotiva to me. I checked out their website and when I saw the $499 price on an LPA-1 I was like, "YEAH, RIGHT!". There wasn't much info/reviews on Emo gear on the web so I at first shunned it, believing in the "you get what you pay for" idea. I even started to question my friend's opinion on audio gear. Well, after a few more visits he continued to encourage me to give them a try, and that I only had the cost of shipping to lose. It took me maybe about a month to finally pull the trigger, and like the majority of Emo owners, boy was I glad I did. I picked up an LPA-1 early 2008, and then ordered a second one to biamp before it was discontinued. I have since owned an XPA-5, XPA-2, RPA-2, ERC-1 (x 2), USP-1, UMC-1, XDA-1, 5 x ERM-1 monitors, and 5 x XLRs.

As long as Emo continues to do what they do, they will continue to get my business.

[Deleted]

Stumbled upon it online. Wow it's been a crazy journey. Pretty much everything Emo i have modified in some way.

What i have owned:
UMC-1 (past)
XPA-2 twice (past)
UPA-1 pairs twice (past)
UPA-2 (past)
XPA-5 (past)
XDA-1 3 times 2 at one time (1 currently)
USP-1 (current)
Xref 10 (past)
XRM 6.1 (past)

[dcg44s]

One of their UMC-1 ads over at AVS was my start.I was at AVS researching TVs and when I saw the ad. I thought that looks kick a$$ so I checked it out.
I loved the look and it seemed to offer a lot of features for a great price but I also found an awful lot of negative comments both about the UMC-1 and about how things were being handled here at the Emotiva Lounge.It made me back off.
But as I looked at other options I just couldn't get the UMC-1 out of my head so I kept checking back.I knew that they were working on fixes via firmware updates and I was hoping to hear that they had gotten everything fixed.
Along the way I figured out that while there were some legit complaints about the UMC-1 other companies had some issues as well.I learned that some of those posters at AVS seemed to have a grudge against Emotiva for some reason and when I started lurking at the lounge looking for info I did not see the kinds of things that others had been popping off about.
I started off my Emotiva buying by taking them up on one of their Ultra 10 subs.That was a good experience and so I started looking at other stuff and the rest as they say is history.

[fdzombiedawg]

For myself, I heard about them on AVS.

But I found Emotiva stands for everything Bose isn't

Everytime someone mention's Bose, I need to sit down.

[ottaone]

I believe it was a link from another forum. Then discovered Emo's good value products in 2008 and haven't stopped buying since.

[bobcel]

Gosh. Just looked at my profile, member since Dec 07. Saw this ad for what I think was "Sweet Emotions". May have been on AVS...not sure. My first foray into seperates. Treated myself to a MMC-1 / IPS-1 combo for christmas. Sure glad i did...been enjoying myself ever since.

[clearear]

Price + Reviews.

[klinemj]

My story starts with me finishing my basement, so I could re-establish a great 2-channel room - like I had in my old house. My basement evolved into "why don't I build a HT room down there", and I ended up with a Denon 3806 AVR, a Denon 2930 DVD player, Paradigm speakers all around (7.1). I liked it, but the 3806 struggled for power.

More power, I said. So, I brought down my trusty old Rotel amp to try the pre-outs off the 3806. Pretty good, I said. I thought...hmmm...if I buy 2 used Rotel's that I know I like, I could run each bridged to a front speaker and really rock, and put my other Rotel back powering by central system.

I went to various on-line sites looking for used Rotels just like mine. I found a few and learned that they were still selling for ~$300 a piece. But, there was a buzz about Emotiva.

So, I checked it out...went to Emotiva.com, called them, was leary of buying without hearing them, joined the Lounge and asked some questions. Some guys named BigRed (Steve), Judd, Artie, Rather, chuckie(nut), animo, and others gave me some good tips. And, I noticed I could buy an XPA-5 for the price of 2 old used Rotels...so I took the plunge with an XPA-5 to power all but my rear surrounds.

STEP CHANGE over my 3806 or the 3806 with the Rotel. So, I wondered about an XPA-2...

Short of cash from building a house, finishing the basement, putting boatloads of $ into new A/V equipment, and being a father of 2 with the oldest being 9-ish...I sought a used XPA-2. I found one from Fernando who had moved up from XPA-2 to XPA-1's. Instead of paying shipping and worrying about buying sight-unseen, we met 1/2 between me and him in E-town Kentucky. the amp was as promised - so I bought it (and spent less in gas than shipping would have cost!)

STEP CHANGE!!! Then, I went to my first Emofest...came home with a USP-1. STEP CHANGE! Anxiously awaited the UMC-1 to get the latest in format handling. STEP CHANGE!

So...here I am...waiting to see/hear the XSP, XMC, XDA-2...

Yeah, I'm a junkie...but this junkie is not "like a setting sun..."



Mark

[071863]

I came across Emotiva when I was looking for a processor to replace my Parasound C2. I was on another forum in Canada asking about a NAD processor which was about $2000 when I received a message from one of the people on the forum saying you should look at Emotiva. I looked at the forum, joined shortly after and never looked back. As long as Emotiva releases products this good at these prices I will continue to buy them.

I would also like to thank all the people on the Emotiva forum for all of information that they share with anybody who asks. I have learned a lot more than I ever knew about audio and I will continue to learn.

Thank You

[txtman]

I had just bought a new Mac Mini and while I loved the computer everything I was playing sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher. I did some research and found out what I needed was an external DAC and after spending a lot of time comparing value for money I decided to buy an XDA-1 and connect it to a pair of 8" KRK monitors and a 10" KRK sub. I was so impressed that my old Bose 321 system hit Craigslist shortly thereafter and became the proud owner of another XDA-1, a USP-1 and an XPA-2. I'm running that setup into a pair of Paradigm Studio 100's and an SVS PC-13 Ultra for both music and my TV. Emotiva is a great company and I'm very glad to have found them. No more cheesy equipment for me.

[dust770]

Spent some time as an active member on bluray.com started seeing all the cool Emo stuff there.

[selkec]

I stumbled onto Emotiva when off for surgery. I got the bug to buy something. I resisted for 3 years then I could resist no more. Now I have owned 7 total Emo amps and will have more in the future.

Great product at great prices plus awesome customer service. What else could one want!!!
I tell everyone I know about Emotiva.

[saysay]

I was drawn towards Emotiva after reading a review on ERC-2 on stereophile. Timing of this review was apt, as I was looking for mono's. Considering the price and import duty required to for owing mono's, Emotiva was right fit for my purse.

Apart from the price aspect, successive positive reviews written by members of the Emotiva lounge, persuaded to make the purchase.

[creimes]

Was browsing Canuck Audio Mart one day after hearing of the site from a fello co-worker, seen a guy had an UPA-7 for sale so looked up Emotiva on the net and was like WOW...real power...I like, but by the time I checked back into the ad it had been sold......so I purchased 2 UPA-1's and now my system looks like this.....

[doc1963]

For me, it all started with my USP-1. I was looking for a way to obtain superior "stereo" performance from my analog, 2 channel, sources.

At the time, I owned an Outlaw 990 pre/pro and, for my analog sources, it wasn't cutting it for me. So, my system remained "split" using my 990 for HT and my old reliable NAD 1300 preamp and 2200 power amp for music.

I had read reviews of the few analog preamps which utilized a new (at the time) feature called "HT Bypass". This was exactly what I was looking for.

So, with tongue in cheek, I decided to audition both the Emotiva USP-1 and the Parasound 2100. After many hours of critical listening, I decided the USP-1 was the one for "me".

Finally, one system to rule them all..... ;D

Well, it didn't stop there. A few months later, after reading MANY fabulous reviews of the XPA-2, I decided "well, if the preamp was that good...". So, in came an XPA-2 and XPA-3 (I split the 5 channels for obvious reasons). Man oh man.... It didn't take this duo long to permanently unseat my Outlaw 755 power amp.

Next came the long wait for the UMC-1 (bumpy ride and all.. ;D) which now, is "rock solid" in my system.

Along the way, I decided to audition a pair of ERM 6.1s to see how they compared to my (modified) Polk Audio LSi 9s. No contest. Unfortunately, the 6.1s went back...

Last year, during the "2011 Summer Sale", I decided to give the ERM-6.2s and 6.3s a go to, again compare to my LSi 9s. This time around, the results were totally different. The 6.2s compared very well, but not good enough. Pretty much, a wash...

On the other hand, the 6.3s outperformed the LSi 9s (and 6.2s to some degree) in every respect. Imaging, detail, "fullness" and accuracy of midrange (without being "forward") is all there. The "complete" package...

The accurate (to my ear) reproduction of music has always been first, and foremost, for me. So next, was my quest for an accurate, musical subwoofer. As a consideration, they also had to perform "admirably" for HT duty.

My Epik Valors had severed me well for several years, but a change of marital status and eventual "downsizing" of available living space made the (fairly large) Valors impractical.

The X-Ref 10 and 12 were getting very positive reviews, so, during the last "Holiday Sale", I decided to audition a pair. They were, and are, EXACTLY what I was looking for. Keep in mind, these are NOT house moving HT subwoofers. What they ARE is dynamic, fast, powerful and small, but (most of all) extremely musical and "good enough" for a pleasing HT experience.

Lastly, thanks to the thoughtfulness of my fiancé, along came my ERC-2 as a Christmas gift. At the same time, I auditioned an Oppo BDP-95. After many hours of critical listening... well, you can see that I have a BDP-"93" in my sig and the ERC-2 is also there... ;D

So, that's "my" story folks. An "all Emotiva system"... Sure, why not?

It hasn't always been that way for me (and, at nearly 50 years old, I've auditioned a LOT of gear over the years), but, to put it quite simply, they make GREAT gear, regardless of price (not "for the price"). I'll take that....

What's "next"...? Well, an XMC-1 and (possibly) XSP-1.

David

[yeeeha17]

It was time for me to upgrade my Yamaha RX-Z1 because of the new true-hd formats and hdmi connectivity. I love the sound of the RX-Z1 so I was looking for another Yamaha flagship receiver but stumble on Emotiva and Outlaw for pre/pro for a price of a flag ship receiver. Did extentsive homework on both and decided to get XPA-5 and UMC-1 in May 2012 to test out and fell in love with them. Few months later purchased 2 XPA-1 and I will not be returning to a receiver again. Waiting for XMC and new amps from Emotiva so I can move UMC and XPA-5 to bedroom to replace my Pioneer Elite receiver