Upgrade - Emo A-500 to XPA-5 G3.

[Ex_Vintage]

So, here are the first impressions I have after upgrading from an Emotiva A-500 to an XPA-5 G3. Let me start by saying that I was well pleased with the A-500. Coupled with the MC-700 and a pair of Elac UF5 speakers, the sound was very well defined and exhibited good sound stage. The reason I "upgraded" is that the Elac speakers are low sensitivity (86 db) and fairly low impedance (as low as 3.4 ohms) and I was curious if more power would enhance the definition to the sound. The XPA has a noticeable difference in the lower mid to lower frequencies where the speakers have a well defined crisp punch to the lower frequencies where I did not get that impression with the A-500. I listen in a 15x18 room, so sound level is not an issue with either amp, however the difference with the XPA is noticeable.  Unfortunately, this follows the law of diminishing returns where a 3x increase in cost yields a modest improvement in sound. Next up, replacing some well aged (oxidized) 14ga speaker wire with some fresh copper.

[leonski]

Should have replaced the speaker wire FIRST.
Easy thing to do and if it made a noticeable improvement?

Can you ReInstall the A500 or is that gone?

[vcautokid]

A true law of audio is that more is not always more. Cable is probably a good place to start. It is almost free. Then A/B level matched the XPA and the A Amplifiers and hear for yourself which is the one. They are both excellent amplifiers and you may not find a clear winner, or you might. Dynamics wise the XPA will have what it takes. The A500 is by no means a sloach. You just have to A/B them, that is all. Let your ears be your guide.

[Ex_Vintage]

I did the cable change. Went from oxidized 14ga to 12ga Kord Cable. The difference in sound due to cable were negligible. The amp however did make a significant difference in low to mid definition. I believe the low impedance and low sensitivity of the Elac speakers was a significant factor in the impact of the amp.

[musicfan]

if your interested in selling the a-500 let me know

[Ex_Vintage]

The A-500 is presently on Craigslist for $400. The A-500 is a fine amp (the XPA is a 3x cost for a minor sound improvement IMHO) Let me know if you are interested.

[leonski]

Those ELAC UF5 speakers are fairly low sensitivity. Not an awful load, however, which is good news.

how about a 5-pack of the PA-1 ??

[Ex_Vintage]

So far, I am very pleased with the XPA-5. An area of exploration is the source material I am using from my PC. Per Boomzillas recommendation, I am comparing the ALAC files vs .wav for digital playback. Not sure if I will dive into a dedicated music server (that would stretch my current budget). Just looking for minor improvements I can make.

[leonski]

Shouldn't be any difference between ALAC and WAV. Either compared to MP3, even higher bit rate versions should go in favor of ALAC or WAV.

You don't need a 'megabuck' server for music. My 9 year old iMac does fine. And I have the 'remote' app so I don't have to move to change tunes......
I can do anything from my phone.

FLAC will be about the same, again, as ALAC and WAV.

WAV is Uncompressed. That's the problem. Both WAV and either Lossless format, above, can be used to reconstruct a Bit Accurate copy of the original.
ALAC /FLAC use less space on the drive. One may have an advantage for YOU, based on 'tags' and 'metadata'. I get most album art thru the iTunes store for free.......


As a test? I used a volunteer teenager. And a good set of headphones. 100$ worth of Grado did fine. I played either a ALAC or MP3 track and asked about preference.
In ALL tests the preference was for the ALAC version of the same track.
My procedure was to make an ALAC copy from the CD. Than convert the ALAC to MP3-160. I use the MP3 files on my phone and play 'em in the car. ALAC to the stereo thru
a decent DAC.