|
|
Post by atto127 on Apr 26, 2016 20:15:20 GMT -5
There is a local seller of a used fusion 8100 receiver. I am interested in it primarily as a preamp as I already own an xpa 200 amp and an oppo dac. Wondering if the amp in the fusion is comparable to the xpa 200. I have 4 ohm custom bookshelves speakers which have around 88 Db sensitivity. Love my spa 200 but like to streamline my overall system.
Any thoughts, fellow emotiva loungers?
|
|
|
|
Post by MusicHead on Apr 26, 2016 20:41:42 GMT -5
I have the Fusion 8100, but I am not familiar with the XPA 200, other than having seen the specs and read a review.
As far as I know, the power amps in the 8100 are closely related to the UPA series, if that tells you anything.
In fact, it is often said that the 8100 is a combination of Emotiva's UMC-200 and UPA-700, with a smaller transformer.
In my case, the 8100 combined with my L12 Rythmyk sub in a 5.1 system has plenty of power in my 18x14x8 room. My mains are 6 Ohm, while all other speakers are 8 Ohm.
|
|
|
|
Post by The History Kid on Apr 26, 2016 23:24:14 GMT -5
With lower sensitivity on your speakers...the Fusion may not be right for you, depending on the room. The Fusion cranks out 65 WPC, which is fine, if you have speakers rated at 100 Watts and a small/moderate sized room and are fairly sensitive. I use mine with UPA amps, and that seems to work nicely, but even the UPA's are double the power.
Then again, with bookshelf speakers, you may be okay. My two cents worth anyway. The XPA line seems to be much more beefy.
That being said...you could still certainly use it as a pre-amp. I'd put surround speakers on it, if I were you and had to use an outboard amp. It handles surrounds seamlessly. Worst case scenario is you buy it, don't like it, and sell it for what you paid for. It's value isn't going anywhere.
|
|
|
|
Post by kauai82 on Apr 27, 2016 1:31:38 GMT -5
I own both a Fusion 8100 and the XPA-200. In fact they are in the same room and system. I use the Fusion for my home theater surround and center channels and the XPA-200 powers the front speakers. I have a XSP-1 preamp that I use for stereo 2.1 listening. The Fusion in stereo mode puts out 110 watts per channel and with all channels being run 65 watts per channel. The Fusion weights about 25 pounds and the XPA-200 close to forty. The beefier transformer and power should make the XPA-200 a better performer in the bass dept. and in dynamic quick transitions in volume. Depends on how loud you like to listen to your music and the type of music you listen to. My suggestion is to listen to both with the same music and volume and see what system you like best. My thinking is that the Fusion as a preamp with the XPA-200 driving your speakers will sound better by a small margin overall than the Fusion alone. Let us know which setup you like after you compare the two.
|
|
|
|
Post by atto127 on Apr 27, 2016 5:49:44 GMT -5
Will do the comparison over the weekend and get back to this forum.
That being said how is the preamp section?
When comparing the fusions preamp to the xsp-1 what differences to you perceive?
I have a subwoofer (outlaw audio lfm-1) and would like to use the preamp for bass management.
I listen to around 70% music and 30% movies. In my current setup I have no intention to add surrounds - it's going to stay 2.1 for the foreseeable future.
|
|
|
|
Post by kauai82 on Apr 27, 2016 11:36:11 GMT -5
Will do the comparison over the weekend and get back to this forum. That being said how is the preamp section? When comparing the fusions preamp to the xsp-1 what differences to you perceive? I have a subwoofer (outlaw audio lfm-1) and would like to use the preamp for bass management. I listen to around 70% music and 30% movies. In my current setup I have no intention to add surrounds - it's going to stay 2.1 for the foreseeable future. I have not done an A/B comparison between the XSP-1 and the Fusion 8100. I do use the Fusion as a preamp for my SACD multitrack playback and some two channel. It sounds great. I still prefer the XSP-1 for critical listening. It is a little more smooth in the midrange. Remember the Fusion is a $500 receiver that plays way out of its price point. The XSP-1 (its a gen 1) is a $1000 preamp that is one of the best ones in it's price point. Depending on what you listen to music style and your speakers capability for reproduction you should be very happy with Fusion as a preamp. It will do a great job with your sub, Just a note on the Fusion. When you set it up you will need it hooked up to a TV so you can set the speaker setup and the crossover frequencies for the sub. It would not hurt to run the EMO Q to see if that makes the sound Quality better. For me I didn't like the EMO Q settings and manually dialed it in. If possible I would suggest that you get a center channel for your movies. It makes the dialogue much clearer and seamless during action scenes. You don't need to spend a ton of money for one. I got a discontinued nice Polk one for $100. Looking forward to your comparison in the future. Keep us posted. Matt |
|
|
|
Post by atto127 on May 2, 2016 14:42:54 GMT -5
I have quick question for this thread. What settings are ideal for the 2.1 system. Direct or Stereo or all stereo. I have bought the fusion and am in the process of integrating it into my system.
|
|
|
|
Post by unsound on May 2, 2016 18:04:14 GMT -5
For a 2.1 system you would use Direct or Stereo. Stereo will incorporate your EmoQ settings whereas direct will not. What is ideal between the 2 is what sounds best to you in a given situation (speakers, room, content). For instance, you may like Stereo for TV/Movies and Direct for music.
|
|
|
|
Post by MusicHead on May 2, 2016 20:59:17 GMT -5
If I am not mistaken Direct also bypasses bass management, therefore the sub would not be used in that mode. I believe that the volume control is the only one active in Direct mode.
In my room Stereo with AutoEQ sounds the best even in 2.1 for music (my system is 5.1) with my Rythmyk L12 sub.
The Fusion is very flexible with EQ. It has one memory to store the auto calibrated settings, three more for Manual EQ and a "Flat" option, which is sort of like Direct but with bass management.
|
|
|
|
Post by The History Kid on May 2, 2016 22:59:55 GMT -5
If I am not mistaken Direct also bypasses bass management, therefore the sub would not be used in that mode. I believe that the volume control is the only one active in Direct mode. Direct is a straight decode of the signal being received from the source. That is, if it is a 2.0, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, or 7.1 signal, Direct mode will spit it out accordingly - in whatever encoded format is being sent by the source. It's basically an "Auto" or "Straight" mode that switches the format to the sources specifications. If listening in analog, it will always revert to 2.0. Spoiler alert: I perpetually use Direct mode in ALL formats other than with my DAC. |
|
|
|
Post by atto127 on May 5, 2016 16:31:21 GMT -5
I concur about the direct mode taking out all processing and reducing all analog sources to 2.0.
|
|
|
|
Post by The History Kid on May 5, 2016 17:05:20 GMT -5
I concur about the direct mode taking out all processing and reducing all analog sources to 2.0. How are you enjoying the receiver otherwise? Always interested to see if others have similar experiences as I do. |
|
|
|
Post by atto127 on May 5, 2016 23:19:00 GMT -5
My review of Emotiva Fusion 8100 Receiver: first cut
As an analog preamp it is an excellent option. It does great bass management. I would say its internal dac is excellent. I have the bifrost uber USB dac currently running in comparison. The differences are subtle. I also own an oppo ha-1 - which is being returned tomorrow from servicing after a potentiometer problem fix. I am waiting for its return to do a more critical listen.
Some clear cut findings- again this is in my imho- I have critical ears, my wife will call the emperor naked if need be - but take everything with a pinch of salt-
A) amplifier - xpa 200 wins hands down.
B) bass management - excellent - could not ask for more
C) analog preamp- excellent - can't find many faults - have put in a comment at the bottom on a little tweak.
D) volume - feels lossless - no loss of dynamic punch in lower volumes.
E) internal dac - excellent - comparable to bifrost, though I think there are some subtle differences. Need to validate if this is taste, or true value!
F) parametric equalizer - need to test this against my Dirac (running off Mac mini) equalizing. Dirac is very smooth, but is very careful in picking what it wants to equalize and what it wants to leave be. I might use Rew or the auto eq to do this test. Brute force vs Scandinavian subtlety!
Some suggested mods - add a tube preamp - I use a Vali 2 ( love schiit products as well as emotiva products) in between the fusion and the amp to soften the treble glare a bit. Makes it a bit sweeter!
|
|
|
|
Post by kauai82 on May 6, 2016 11:47:42 GMT -5
Thanks for the review. Shows how good the Fusion is as a AVR. Let's hope that its replacement is as good and does not cost a ton more dollar wise.
|
|
|
|
Post by MusicHead on May 6, 2016 18:53:09 GMT -5
Thanks for the review. Shows how good the Fusion is as a AVR. Let's hope that its replacement is as good and does not cost a ton more dollar wise. Got this link from another thread: www.twice.com/emotiva-prepares-big-year/61364See comment about an upcoming Emersa Series AVR. My bet is that they will merge all or part of the EMP-1 pre/pro with their 7-ch Class-D amp in one enclosure about the same size of the Fusion 8100. That would be quite appealing to me. One of the reasons I got the 8100 is the low profile. |
|
