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Post by dac0964 on Jul 18, 2013 13:16:53 GMT -5
So what is the difference/adv/disadv between these two? How does one make an informed decision which amp is best for one's need or system? I'm looking at the XPA-1Ls for future upgrade but this Gen2 XPA-2 looks impressive as well.
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Post by pedrocols on Jul 18, 2013 13:21:04 GMT -5
Well, the XPA-2 I guess is A/B only amp and the XPA-1L has (according to emotiva product page) 35 watts of pure class A power.
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Post by deltadube on Jul 18, 2013 13:24:30 GMT -5
its mono block vs stereo.. quad differential vs dual differential..
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 18, 2013 15:00:16 GMT -5
Yeah, I get that the 1L is mono/class A/quad differential but i guess my question really is will I be happy enough with the XPA-2 and save me some money and not regret that I didn't go for the 1Ls? Plus I really like the look of the new Gen 2.
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Post by Ben Lamberson on Jul 18, 2013 15:18:21 GMT -5
I just got the XPA-2 Gen 2 to power my Polk LSiM 707's. Wow what a difference! I initially was powering with a RX A3020 (Yamaha's "Flagship" Receiver) but always thought something was missing. The detail and bass are now amazing. Made me fall back in love with my speakers!
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Post by garbulky on Jul 18, 2013 15:47:22 GMT -5
If yo are thinking this thought already. Then eventually you will regret not going monoblocks. XPA-1 L's bring something else to the table and that's full balanced architecture plus more capacitance. But you won't be dissapointed with the XPA-2. I'm just saying, that you will always wonder  |
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Post by pedrocols on Jul 18, 2013 16:07:21 GMT -5
To me one advantage of the XPA-1L is the size. The XPA-2 is nice but at almost 80 pounds....I am not an old guy but I hated when I had to move my previous speakers at 80 pounds each
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 18, 2013 18:58:27 GMT -5
If yo are thinking this thought already. Then eventually you will regret not going monoblocks. XPA-1 L's bring something else to the table and that's full balanced architecture plus more capacitance. But you won't be dissapointed with the XPA-2. I'm just saying, that you will always wonder Yeah, exactly my thoughts... I almost regretted my post immediately after I asked the question here because at the back of my head I already know the answer. |
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Post by novisnick on Jul 18, 2013 23:33:19 GMT -5
I just got the XPA-2 Gen 2 to power my Polk LSiM 707's. Wow what a difference! I initially was powering with a RX A3020 (Yamaha's "Flagship" Receiver) but always thought something was missing. The detail and bass are now amazing. Made me fall back in love with my speakers! I have the same Yamaha 3020 and am looking at the XPA-2 next Gen or a pair of XPA-1 mono 500. Any thoughts from anyone? |
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Post by taxman2 on Jul 19, 2013 2:27:55 GMT -5
For me XPA-1L is the best amp Emotiva has ever built. Despite the size and weight performance is what every audiophile would ever dream of. Using mono blocks helps a lot for channel separation not to mention the punch you get even listening in low volume. Do not hesitate - go for XPA-1L and you will not regret.
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 19, 2013 11:37:46 GMT -5
Thanks. That just sealed the deal for me as far as my amp upgrade plan. |
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 19, 2013 11:41:22 GMT -5
BTW Taxman, are you running your XDA-2 through the XSP? If so do you notice any change in the SQ (better/same)? I heard the XDA is better direct to the amp, which is why mine is such. I'm also looking at the XSP in the future.
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Post by deltadube on Jul 19, 2013 12:01:22 GMT -5
BTW Taxman, are you running your XDA-2 through the XSP? If so do you notice any change in the SQ (better/same)? I heard the XDA is better direct to the amp, which is why mine is such. I'm also looking at the XSP in the future. the xsp 1 made a great improvement in the sound of my cds all i use.. vs a denon with a cheap sony cd player.. mark and ronny are right its a great product to upgrade too.. ive only had it 2 days.. takes the system to another level.. with the xsp 1 u want the xpa 1l , xpa 1 or xpr 1.. fully balanced all the way.. for the money i like the xpa 1.. more power never know what speakers will come in the future.. cheers |
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Post by johnrice on Jul 19, 2013 12:23:05 GMT -5
So what is the difference/adv/disadv between these two? How does one make an informed decision which amp is best for one's need or system? I'm looking at the XPA-1Ls for future upgrade but this Gen2 XPA-2 looks impressive as well. You need to consider your speakers and listening/music habits. As it appears from the specs, your speakers place similar demands on an amp that mine (Thiel CS 3.6) do. both are 4 Ohm (probably lower) with somewhat low sensitivity of 90 dB for your and 87 for mine. For years I used an Aragon 4004II amp, which is a dual mono (essentially mono blocks in a single housing, and it really is, with dual power supplies and so on) and runs Class A to 50 watts, as opposed to the 35 of the Emotiva. The reality with my speakers is, it didn't spend that much time in Class A. Plus, after upgrading to an XPA-2 (1st Gen) I have to say the Emotiva out performs the Aragon pretty much across the board. I'm just saying that, depending on how hard you drive them, the whole Class A biasing of the 1L may not pay off that much vs. XPA-1s. Maybe not even compared to an XPA-2, for the price. I'm realizing how much people around here fall in love with tech concepts like fully differential, but I can say even the XPA-2 WITHOUT using the balanced input (I have an XSP-1 and Marantz SA8004 SACD player and didn't have balanced cables for the first few days) out resolves the Aragon. There is a point, I think, where lack of noise and increased resolution stop paying returns. Raw power, however, always seems to pay benefits. Also, I'm thinking the imaging of the XPA-2 pretty much equals the (dual mono) Aragon 4004II. That is my general impression after having my current setup for a couple weeks now. |
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 19, 2013 14:23:24 GMT -5
BTW Taxman, are you running your XDA-2 through the XSP? If so do you notice any change in the SQ (better/same)? I heard the XDA is better direct to the amp, which is why mine is such. I'm also looking at the XSP in the future. the xsp 1 made a great improvement in the sound of my cds all i use.. vs a denon with a cheap sony cd player.. mark and ronny are right its a great product to upgrade too.. ive only had it 2 days.. takes the system to another level.. with the xsp 1 u want the xpa 1l , xpa 1 or xpr 1.. fully balanced all the way.. for the money i like the xpa 1.. more power never know what speakers will come in the future.. cheers Almost every night, I dream of XSP... maybe one day |
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Post by dac0964 on Jul 19, 2013 14:32:42 GMT -5
So what is the difference/adv/disadv between these two? How does one make an informed decision which amp is best for one's need or system? I'm looking at the XPA-1Ls for future upgrade but this Gen2 XPA-2 looks impressive as well. You need to consider your speakers and listening/music habits. As it appears from the specs, your speakers place similar demands on an amp that mine (Thiel CS 3.6) do. both are 4 Ohm (probably lower) with somewhat low sensitivity of 90 dB for your and 87 for mine. For years I used an Aragon 4004II amp, which is a dual mono (essentially mono blocks in a single housing, and it really is, with dual power supplies and so on) and runs Class A to 50 watts, as opposed to the 35 of the Emotiva. The reality with my speakers is, it didn't spend that much time in Class A. Plus, after upgrading to an XPA-2 (1st Gen) I have to say the Emotiva out performs the Aragon pretty much across the board. I'm just saying that, depending on how hard you drive them, the whole Class A biasing of the 1L may not pay off that much vs. XPA-1s. Maybe not even compared to an XPA-2, for the price. I'm realizing how much people around here fall in love with tech concepts like fully differential, but I can say even the XPA-2 WITHOUT using the balanced input (I have an XSP-1 and Marantz SA8004 SACD player and didn't have balanced cables for the first few days) out resolves the Aragon. There is a point, I think, where lack of noise and increased resolution stop paying returns. Raw power, however, always seems to pay benefits. Also, I'm thinking the imaging of the XPA-2 pretty much equals the (dual mono) Aragon 4004II. That is my general impression after having my current setup for a couple weeks now. Thanks for advice and sharing your experience with the XPA-2, I really appreciate it. I don't drive my speakers too hard most of the time (-35dB to -25dB on my XDA-2)cause I live in an apartment, but on some days (weekends usually) I do. I play mostly jazz although sometimes pop/rock too. Plus, I don't have the rack space for a couple of XPA-1s. May what I'll do is order them both and do an A/B with my system, then keep the one I like. |
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Post by deltadube on Jul 19, 2013 15:09:42 GMT -5
the xsp 1 made a great improvement in the sound of my cds all i use.. vs a denon with a cheap sony cd player.. mark and ronny are right its a great product to upgrade too.. ive only had it 2 days.. takes the system to another level.. with the xsp 1 u want the xpa 1l , xpa 1 or xpr 1.. fully balanced all the way.. for the money i like the xpa 1.. more power never know what speakers will come in the future.. cheers Almost every night, I dream of XSP... maybe one day guess you will have one in your rack one day soon you can see it there eh! as for not enough room in your rack for xpa 1s build a new rack or place on floor near speakers.. with the heat of the xpa 1ls i would think they could take more room for ventilation... im dreaming of xpr 1s now xmc 1 erc 3 this game is endless eh.. cheers.. |
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Post by Golden Ear on Jul 19, 2013 15:23:12 GMT -5
the xsp 1 made a great improvement in the sound of my cds all i use.. vs a denon with a cheap sony cd player.. mark and ronny are right its a great product to upgrade too.. ive only had it 2 days.. takes the system to another level.. with the xsp 1 u want the xpa 1l , xpa 1 or xpr 1.. fully balanced all the way.. for the money i like the xpa 1.. more power never know what speakers will come in the future.. cheers Almost every night, I dream of XSP... maybe one day I just got my XDA-2 not too long ago and now DC-1 is out. I dream of DC-1 but you know what instead of looking for better gear it would be wise to enjoy what you have and listen to them. Not only smart thing to do but enjoying your hard earn money on what you invest. I heard esoteric gear before that cost almost like buying a car but the performance is not light years ahead. |
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Post by Calvin on Jul 21, 2013 0:55:34 GMT -5
Can someone tell me whether the input gain of XPA version 2 is still as high as the version 1 or emotiva has decide to go to a lower gain ( better ).
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Post by chaosrv on Jul 21, 2013 1:30:15 GMT -5
Can someone tell me whether the input gain of XPA version 2 is still as high as the version 1 or emotiva has decide to go to a lower gain ( better ). According to the product page for the gen 2 XPA 2 on Emotiva's website, the gain for the amplifier is 29 db, the same as all of Emotiva's newer amps. |
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