Post by kauai82 on May 16, 2017 15:35:28 GMT -5
I have recently upgrading my family room system. I started by moving my Niles DSP-1 from the office system to the family room. The DSP-1 for those who do not know is a small box with a selector switch that allows you to run two sets of amplification to one set of speakers. I wanted to keep My Fusion 8100 receiver solely for movies and TV sound and wanted to add a separate 2.1 stereo system to the mix. I originally got the Adcom 535 amp, 60w a channel and hooked it up with a small Chinese tube preamp that for the price did an incredible job of SQ. I was happy with the sound for the most part but wanted to cut down on the number of the components in the entertainment center. I had a XDA-2 as a DAC in that configuration and knew that if I bought the PT-100 I could sell the XDA-2 and replace the tube preamp.
I have owned most of the separate preamps that Emotiva has made in the last few years. I currently own a XSP-1 gen. 1 in the music room that I love. I have also owned a USP-1 and a Sherbourn Pre-1 in the past. I was a little hesitant to get the PT-100 because I was not sure that it would sound that much better than what I had. I decided that the 30 day free trial period would come in handy so I went ahead and ordered it.
I got the unit and unpacked it and was surprised how light in weight the unit was. It did not feel cheap or look it. Just a little lighter than I had expected. The unit looks good in the entertainment rack. I like the minimalist front panel and because of the previous reviews of the unit on the forum I knew that the remote was plastic. I also knew that the menu system on the PT-100 was different than what I was use too. It took just a couple of minutes to get it up and running. At first I had trouble getting the hang of the menu/remote interaction. Kept hitting the mute button thinking it was the enter button. Since I don't use the turner section I did not have the problem of selecting and storing the FM stations as others have reported. After about a day or two I am now use to the PT-100 interface and it is not a problem. If you have been turned off by the user interface from other forum reviews I would not make it a deal killer. Especially if you are not going to use the turner/FM section of the PT-100.
The sound quality of the PT-100 is exceptionally good for the price considering that you get a DAC in one package. I have owned the XDA-2 DAC for almost four years and loved it. I hooked up the XDA-2 and ran it through the PT-100 and did not use the internal DAC. Then I ran the same music through the PT-100 using the internal DAC and although it is not scientific A/B blind comparison, I was satisfied that the PT-100 internal DAC is as good as the XDA-2. I could not hear much if any difference between the two. The PT-100 has a very smooth detailed sound to it. It is very smooth through out the whole spectrum of frequencies. It is not what I call bright but it is detailed in the mids and the treble and the bass is still solid. I am very pleased with the unit.
In comparison to the other Emotiva preamps I have used I believe that the PT-100 is almost as good as the XSP-1 Gen. 1 that I have in another room. I have not yet done A/B comparison on the same speakers, but the PT-100 has the same smooth sound through out the range of frequencies. Very balanced like the XSP-1. I have not used the PT-100 phono section so I can't speak to how good it is. In comparison to the USP 1, I think that the PT-100 is better sounding. Of course YMMV, but I always thought that the USP-1 was a little bright on the high end. I also did not like the remote volume control on the USP-1. I could not get the volume set the way I wanted it by the remote control. For the Sherbourn Pre-1 preamp the units are pretty close in SQ from what I can remember. I like the front panel much better on the PT-100 then the Pre-1. Also it is much easier to hook up a sub on the PT-100 than the Sherbourn unit. Kudos to Emotiva a very nice piece of equipment for a very competitive price ! Matt
I have owned most of the separate preamps that Emotiva has made in the last few years. I currently own a XSP-1 gen. 1 in the music room that I love. I have also owned a USP-1 and a Sherbourn Pre-1 in the past. I was a little hesitant to get the PT-100 because I was not sure that it would sound that much better than what I had. I decided that the 30 day free trial period would come in handy so I went ahead and ordered it.
I got the unit and unpacked it and was surprised how light in weight the unit was. It did not feel cheap or look it. Just a little lighter than I had expected. The unit looks good in the entertainment rack. I like the minimalist front panel and because of the previous reviews of the unit on the forum I knew that the remote was plastic. I also knew that the menu system on the PT-100 was different than what I was use too. It took just a couple of minutes to get it up and running. At first I had trouble getting the hang of the menu/remote interaction. Kept hitting the mute button thinking it was the enter button. Since I don't use the turner section I did not have the problem of selecting and storing the FM stations as others have reported. After about a day or two I am now use to the PT-100 interface and it is not a problem. If you have been turned off by the user interface from other forum reviews I would not make it a deal killer. Especially if you are not going to use the turner/FM section of the PT-100.
The sound quality of the PT-100 is exceptionally good for the price considering that you get a DAC in one package. I have owned the XDA-2 DAC for almost four years and loved it. I hooked up the XDA-2 and ran it through the PT-100 and did not use the internal DAC. Then I ran the same music through the PT-100 using the internal DAC and although it is not scientific A/B blind comparison, I was satisfied that the PT-100 internal DAC is as good as the XDA-2. I could not hear much if any difference between the two. The PT-100 has a very smooth detailed sound to it. It is very smooth through out the whole spectrum of frequencies. It is not what I call bright but it is detailed in the mids and the treble and the bass is still solid. I am very pleased with the unit.
In comparison to the other Emotiva preamps I have used I believe that the PT-100 is almost as good as the XSP-1 Gen. 1 that I have in another room. I have not yet done A/B comparison on the same speakers, but the PT-100 has the same smooth sound through out the range of frequencies. Very balanced like the XSP-1. I have not used the PT-100 phono section so I can't speak to how good it is. In comparison to the USP 1, I think that the PT-100 is better sounding. Of course YMMV, but I always thought that the USP-1 was a little bright on the high end. I also did not like the remote volume control on the USP-1. I could not get the volume set the way I wanted it by the remote control. For the Sherbourn Pre-1 preamp the units are pretty close in SQ from what I can remember. I like the front panel much better on the PT-100 then the Pre-1. Also it is much easier to hook up a sub on the PT-100 than the Sherbourn unit. Kudos to Emotiva a very nice piece of equipment for a very competitive price ! Matt
