Upgrade from XPA-5 to XPR-5

[usxplong]

Hello everyone,
I have XPA-5 gen 2 with paradigm Signature S6 v3 fronts, C3 v3 center and ADP surrounds.
While XPA-5 is an excellent amp, I am looking to upgrading the sound quality (not too much of power issues).
I am using my system 50/50 music & movies.
Is there a noticeable sound quality improvement especially in the lower end and mid range in XPR-5 comparing to XPA-5?
Again, I don't drive XPA-5 to the clipping edge and I am just looking to improve the sound quality.

Emo has the XPR-5's on sale and with Emo-club I can get it even cheaper and the other bonus is Emo buys back my XPA-5.

I appreciate everyone's input.

[Deleted]

since you will appreciate even my input, at the level you are at every one dollar you spend on room treatments will afford more improvement than every Benjamin spent on gear.

[thepcguy]

They will sound similar.
With the XPR-5, you will only gain +3db, meaning a little louder.

[garbulky]

The XPR-5 is a good amp. I wouldn't do it. Not enough of an improvement. What other equipment are you using?

[usxplong]

I am using XMC-1 and Oppo 103D BD player with PSA Triax subwoofer.

[Shaker]

your time and money is better spent elsewhere

[deltadube]

Oct 30, 2014 14:20:13 GMT -5 usxplong said:

I am using XMC-1 and Oppo 103D BD player with PSA Triax subwoofer.

trying to going to mono blocks xpa 1s should give a jump in sq over the xpa 5

tighter cleaner clearer .. I noticed going from xpa 3 to xpa 1.. for 2 channel anyways lot harder to hear difference for movies..

cheers..

[garbulky]

You have several options. The first being room treatments and speaker positioning. After that, if you like, you can try monoblocks for the front. But it's not really that essential.

[Gary Cook]

I'm with the other guys, I don't know that you'll get much improvement for movies going from an XPA-5 to an XPR-5. But I think we are all pretty confident that using a pair of XPA-1's will give a nice upgrade for stereo music.

The room acoustics are possibly the big question mark. You mention a desire for more "lower end and mid range" which the XPA -5 in my experience is really strong at. My uncle has a set of S8's so I'm fairly confident it's not a speaker issue. That leaves the room, so maybe a description of what it's like and/or pictures might help us with a directon to point you in.

Cheers
Gary

[usxplong]

Thank you all for your inputs.
My goal is to get tighter and deeper base with more headroom at volume with music & movies.
Reading other users input whom have moved from XPA-5 to XPR-5 in the lounge is different.
They claim a big improvement in sound quality.
Confused. ?:"{}@!!

[garbulky]

Oct 30, 2014 15:11:12 GMT -5 usxplong said:

Thank you all for your inputs.
My goal is to get tighter and deeper base with more headroom at volume with music & movies.
Reading other users input whom have moved from XPA-5 to XPR-5 in the lounge is different.
They claim a big improvement in sound quality.
Confused. ?:"{}@!!

It seems to me more of a setup issue than anything. Post a picture of your room from the position of your couch. We can help you
Your power sound subwoofer may need some adjustments to be dialed in better. Did you happen to set the subwoofer where there was room? Because that's a good indicator that you placed it wrong
You should be shaking the place and have more than enough headroom with things optimized (imo).

[Deleted]

"Reading other users input whom have moved from XPA-5 to XPR-5 in the lounge is different.
They claim a big improvement in sound quality."

of course, they are invested

[Deleted]

how much are you willing to spend to ship it back, how much time can you commit to a direct comparison. try it before sending the xpa back and becoming invested in it. trust your own ears rather than our assh er opinions.

[usxplong]

Thank you all for your comments.
I guess I'll stay with XPA-5 for now and see how Dirac might play with my setup.

[brand]

+1 on keeping the XPA 5 and treating/analyzing your room. If you still find the same element lacking I would start looking at different speakers or sub combos. I don't believe the jump from the XPA line to the XPR is going to give you what you need.

[usxplong]

There is no lack of quality in my setup especially having XMC-1 in the chain made a big difference.
I was reading some suggestions in the lounge that moving from XPA-5 to XPR-5 will have a big difference in mid range and base quality since these are different amps with different specs and different parts.
Basically XPR-5 is a reference amp from Emo comparing to a low grade amp XPA-5. Even Emo claims that XPR-5 is a higher quality amp on the description page.
I wanted to see some current users' input if worth the upgrade.

Thank you all again for your inputs.

[airwolf77]

Not quite a match to your predicament, but I do run an XPR2 with and XPA5. I have A/B's the sound from them at "moderately high" volume, with my Kef Q900's. The XPR's gain difference made that a little tricky get exact, but with 95% of material I can't tell the difference. The only time I could hear a very small difference was with music that had a lot of dynamic variance, music that went from very quite moments to very loud moments with a LOT of base, while playing in direct "pure" stereo. As soon as I set a crossover at even 40 Hz and used the subs with the Q900's the differences were gone. That could be a function of the the Kef speakers, I have wanted to try out the paradigms but have yet to actually listen to a pair other than in a store with totally difference acoustics / electronics. In HT application I really doubt any differences can be heard between the two amps, I never have been able to pick them up. But I don't drive electrostats or the like with very challenging loads.
Just my 2cents.

[garbulky]

I've heard the XPR-2 and it is a solid fine amp. One of the best I've heard. It ha a slightly different sonic signature to an XPA-2, XPA-5. A nice warm amp, with a laid back sound signature in the treble. Very similar to a UPA-2 unit (but better obviously). It's biggest stregnth is that it has a sort of 3d effect for instruments that I found interesting.
But the differences aren't MASSIVE. For instance if you are buying it to get that "impact" it's not going to do it. What IS going to do it, is positioning the speakers better (away from walls, toeing it in right, make it wide apart, etc), adjusting the subwoofer, figuring out proper placement for it and blending it right with the speakers well. That and room treatments. At least that's been my experience.
Sometimes two subwoofers in different locations will also help.

[guzz46]

Oct 30, 2014 21:48:48 GMT -5 garbulky said:

I've heard the XPR-2 and it is a solid fine amp. One of the best I've heard. It ha a slightly different sonic signature to an XPA-2, XPA-5. A nice warm amp, with a laid back sound signature in the treble. Very similar to a UPA-2 unit (but better obviously). It's biggest stregnth is that it has a sort of 3d effect for instruments that I found interesting.
But the differences aren't MASSIVE. For instance if you are buying it to get that "impact" it's not going to do it. What IS going to do it, is positioning the speakers better (away from walls, toeing it in right, make it wide apart, etc), adjusting the subwoofer, figuring out proper placement for it and blending it right with the speakers well. That and room treatments. At least that's been my experience.
Sometimes two subwoofers in different locations will also help.

I agree on speaker placement, even adjusting your listening position can have an affect, in my room (which is reasonably small) if I move my listening chair 150cm further away from my speakers I hear more bass and less treble.
I think the saying goes, the closer you sit to your speakers the more you hear of your speakers and the less you hear of you room.

[memotiva]

Unless you're passing the power limits of the XPA, you'll get nothing from the XPR-5. Inside of their linear operating limits, all amps sound the same. Since it doesn't sound like you're passing the limits of what the XPA can do, then you'd just be wasting money.