|
|
Post by initforthemusic on Jan 3, 2013 6:38:01 GMT -5
Looking at purchasing an XPA-2. Would like to know if anyone has upgraded/modded this amp. What they have done and what improvements have you heard?
|
|
|
|
Post by jackfish on Jan 3, 2013 10:29:50 GMT -5
Why void a perfectly good warranty for what can be expected to be marginal improvement?
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2013 10:46:48 GMT -5
|
|
|
|
Post by audiofile on Jan 3, 2013 11:39:45 GMT -5
Yeah..I am wondering why you would mod this amp?
|
|
|
|
Post by repeetavx on Jan 3, 2013 12:07:20 GMT -5
Yes. An Aussie that goes by the screen name Erin on the diyaudio discussion boards, replaced the input caps and some other signal path caps and claims that it made a nice difference. He even posted some pictures.
I'm sure that this does void the warranty.
|
|
|
|
Post by initforthemusic on Jan 3, 2013 19:50:31 GMT -5
Thanks fellas, good points about warranty. I get nearly all my components upgraded. You'd be amazed at the improvements upgrading components, re-wiring, beefing up power supplies etc. by a good AE makes.
|
|
|
|
Post by initforthemusic on Jan 3, 2013 19:54:06 GMT -5
Yes. An Aussie that goes by the screen name Erin on the diyaudio discussion boards, replaced the input caps and some other signal path caps and claims that it made a nice difference. He even posted some pictures. I'm sure that this does void the warranty. Thanks repeetavx. Yes I'm an Aussie too. Do you have a link to Erin's thread? |
|
|
|
Post by geebo on Jan 3, 2013 20:28:30 GMT -5
I think those will give you a "darker" sound and a black noise floor. |
|
|
|
Post by iketremonti8 on Jan 3, 2013 21:00:22 GMT -5
Here's a cool and free mod: take the silver bars off of the front and simply replace the screws without the bars there. It looks awesome to my eye. Really modernizes them in my personal opinion.
|
|
budda
Minor Hero
Posts: 45
|
Post by budda on Jan 3, 2013 21:56:09 GMT -5
If nothing else, if you're hanging any sort of weighty interconnects off it, replace the RCAs. Pretty brutal PCB-mounted jobs. I'm not saying it will improve your sound, but you can get nice, solid chassis-mounted jacks, tiny bit of hook-up wire, and it will save some accidents with munched jacks suddenly hanging out the back if someone bumps into it from the front or something. This may or may not void the warranty, I cannot say... Certainly I believe that this sort of thing would not be encouraged by Emotiva, and they did not encourage me to do it. ;D
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 4, 2013 0:52:15 GMT -5
Yes. An Aussie that goes by the screen name Erin on the diyaudio discussion boards, replaced the input caps and some other signal path caps and claims that it made a nice difference. He even posted some pictures. I'm sure that this does void the warranty. Yeah, and I'm sure the folks that sold him the parts claim they make a nice difference too. Aftermarket upgrade mods is big business. We had an esteemed member here who spent lots of money upgrading his Emo speaker crossover. He was sure at first that he heard an improvement in sound until he did an A/B comparison with one he had not upgraded yet. Results, no difference. Out $160 or so. |
|
KeithL
Administrator 
Posts: 10,255
|
Post by KeithL on Jan 4, 2013 2:02:50 GMT -5
MOST mods WILL void your warranty. (Strictly speaking, if you ever need warranty service, and have modified anything, we get to make the determination.... If the mod had nothing whatsoever to do with the problem, and doesn't make it more difficult for us to service the amp, you might get away with it.  ) Beyond that, modifying electronic equipment requires knowledge and skill. For one thing, there is a lot of bad information floating around - especially about replacing components with "better" versions, and whether doing so will actually make an audible improvement in sound quality. Unfortunately, not all "modders" are qualified engineers with experience designing audio components; many simply replace parts willy nilly with parts presumed to "sound better" with no technical justification whatsoever. [You might trust your favorite mechanic to service your Jaguar, but would you trust him (or her) to redesign the engine? Maybe replacing those steel pistons with brass ones will make it run smoother: shall we find out?] For another thing, changing components without proper justification may actually make your equipment sound worse, or damage it or the other equipment connected to it, or even pose a risk of more serious consequences (like electrocuting you or burning down your house). And, finally, some modders are just plain hacks. I've seen pictures (and a few examples) of very nicely done mods with excellent soldering, and generally good construction skills throughout. I've also seen a lot more pictures of mods that people seemed very proud of with poor soldering, sloppy assembly, and generally construction quality that would get you a C- from any decent tech school. And we've occasionally gotten equipment back that was just plain butchered (yeah, their warranties were toast). I would advise anyone even considering having one of our amps modified to do a lot of research first; make sure that the proposed modifications at least make sense, that the person is qualified to do the work, and that they have some history of successfully doing similar projects. (Don't just settle for testimonials from one or two satisfied customers who are convinced that their equipment sounded better afterwards. Look for pictures of their work, and at least some sort of credentials that they are qualified to make design decisions.) Sometimes, more expensive parts are just.... more expensive. Yes. An Aussie that goes by the screen name Erin on the diyaudio discussion boards, replaced the input caps and some other signal path caps and claims that it made a nice difference. He even posted some pictures. I'm sure that this does void the warranty. Yeah, and I'm sure the folks that sold him the parts claim they make a nice difference too. Aftermarket upgrade mods is big business. We had an esteemed member here who spent lots of money upgrading his Emo speaker crossover. He was sure at first that he heard an improvement in sound until he did an A/B comparison with one he had not upgraded yet. Results, no difference. Out $160 or so. |
|
|
|
Post by ocezam on Jan 4, 2013 8:28:10 GMT -5
I think they look even better if they are completely off. Just put the silver screws back in. ... |
|
|
|
Post by repeetavx on Jan 4, 2013 15:55:06 GMT -5
initforthemusic
Check your personal messages.
Rob
repeetavx
|
|
|
|
Post by initforthemusic on Jan 5, 2013 7:17:50 GMT -5
initforthemusic Check your personal messages. Rob repeetavx Thanks Rob. Much appreciated. Very interesting read.  |
|
|
|
Post by initforthemusic on Jan 5, 2013 7:39:08 GMT -5
MOST mods WILL void your warranty. (Strictly speaking, if you ever need warranty service, and have modified anything, we get to make the determination.... If the mod had nothing whatsoever to do with the problem, and doesn't make it more difficult for us to service the amp, you might get away with it. ) Beyond that, modifying electronic equipment requires knowledge and skill. For one thing, there is a lot of bad information floating around - especially about replacing components with "better" versions, and whether doing so will actually make an audible improvement in sound quality. Unfortunately, not all "modders" are qualified engineers with experience designing audio components; many simply replace parts willy nilly with parts presumed to "sound better" with no technical justification whatsoever. [You might trust your favorite mechanic to service your Jaguar, but would you trust him (or her) to redesign the engine? Maybe replacing those steel pistons with brass ones will make it run smoother: shall we find out?] For another thing, changing components without proper justification may actually make your equipment sound worse, or damage it or the other equipment connected to it, or even pose a risk of more serious consequences (like electrocuting you or burning down your house). And, finally, some modders are just plain hacks. I've seen pictures (and a few examples) of very nicely done mods with excellent soldering, and generally good construction skills throughout. I've also seen a lot more pictures of mods that people seemed very proud of with poor soldering, sloppy assembly, and generally construction quality that would get you a C- from any decent tech school. And we've occasionally gotten equipment back that was just plain butchered (yeah, their warranties were toast). I would advise anyone even considering having one of our amps modified to do a lot of research first; make sure that the proposed modifications at least make sense, that the person is qualified to do the work, and that they have some history of successfully doing similar projects. (Don't just settle for testimonials from one or two satisfied customers who are convinced that their equipment sounded better afterwards. Look for pictures of their work, and at least some sort of credentials that they are qualified to make design decisions.) Sometimes, more expensive parts are just.... more expensive. Yeah, and I'm sure the folks that sold him the parts claim they make a nice difference too. Aftermarket upgrade mods is big business. We had an esteemed member here who spent lots of money upgrading his Emo speaker crossover. He was sure at first that he heard an improvement in sound until he did an A/B comparison with one he had not upgraded yet. Results, no difference. Out $160 or so. Thanks for the advice, but there's no need for concern. The AE I use is the best in the business, no chance in the world of him butchering anything. The work he has done previously has made some good products capable of competing with some seriously high-end gear, costing 3-4 times as much. The emo will be for a second system, be interesting to see what potential is there. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2013 13:13:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the advice, but there's no need for concern. The AE I use is the best in the business, no chance in the world of him butchering anything. The work he has done previously has made some good products capable of competing with some seriously high-end gear, costing 3-4 times as much. " The work he has done previously has made some good products capable of competing with some seriously high-end gear, costing 3-4 times as much." Wow, that's quite a testimonial. How about posting his name and business information so we can all try his magic. I know some folks here have said that their Emo amps (like my XPA amp) is comparable with amps from high end/B&M shops worth 3-4 times as much. I guess this guy's work would make some of the Emo amps worth then about 9-16 times as much. Let's see, my XPA-5 cost $800 and my friend who had been in high end audio for many years pulled the hood and said he thought it looked and sounded on par with the current Parasound 5 channel $2750 job. I've heard others say similar things about the Emo and Parasound's. With this guys upgrade then it might sound more like a $7200 - $12,800, 5 channel, Mark Kline amp! Wow this sounds like a big ass no-brainer to me! How do we get in touch with him? |
|
|
|
Post by Porscheguy on Jan 5, 2013 13:17:59 GMT -5
Looking at purchasing an XPA-2. Would like to know if anyone has upgraded/modded this amp. What they have done and what improvements have you heard? Why would you mod an amp that sounds fabulous??? |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Jan 5, 2013 13:29:26 GMT -5
Looking at purchasing an XPA-2. Would like to know if anyone has upgraded/modded this amp. What they have done and what improvements have you heard? Why would you mod an amp that sounds fabulous??? So it will sound even better and be worth almost $10,000! What's the matter with you? Didn't you read my post above? ( ) |
|
|
|
Post by monkumonku on Jan 5, 2013 14:11:28 GMT -5
Well my advice to those who do for whatever reason get their XPA-2 upgraded by the neighborhood techno-wiz: Make sure you ask for the old parts back. |
|
)
