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Post by garbulky on Aug 12, 2020 13:28:22 GMT -5
I wrote to Emo. Here their answer: Danilo, The unit was our longest running product and we thought it was time to end the life. We are working on a replacement unit but that won't be available for a while. Nick Mandara Content Manager It's about time for an XSP-2. Currently this preamp is no longer competitive with the best, but it certainly provides more features than some of the best. I hope they use the same excellent designer and wish them luck to bringing out an excellent unit. Hopefully it takes them less than two years because... that's when I'm going to be in the market!  |
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Post by garbulky on Aug 12, 2020 13:32:08 GMT -5
If they've actually discontinued it, I'm hoping they replace it with a new model offering the following: Calibrated crossover frequencies (both low & high pass) Discreet R & L channels for the subwoofers XLR outputs for the subwoofers Built-in DAC with the usual inputs plus Ethernet & HDMI (this could be an optional module) Roon and MQA ready DAC chip Processor loops for equalizers and room correction devices A silver faceplate option in addition to the usual butt-ugly black one Better sound quality than the original XSP-1 that sounded kind of constipated compared to the best preamps on the market Kick-Boo-Tay headphone amplifier built in An XSP-2 "Special Edition" with better parts quality But of course, everyone else wants something different... I want Sound quality and measurements that compete with the Schiit Freya S. Fully balanced everything, every option including subwoofers Calibrated crossover frequencies (both low & high pass) Discreet R & L channels for the subwoofers (YES!) XLR outputs for the subwoofers Kick-Boo-Tay headphone amplifier built in ...and by that I mean the class A XLR balanced headphone amp they plan on releasing integrated in to this. Optional: Balanced XLR and unbalanced phono input Optional: separate power supplies for left and right channels .... oh yeah! |
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Post by DavidR on Aug 12, 2020 13:32:37 GMT -5
Hopefully they have been working on a replacement for a while now so that there is not a big lag time between models.
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 12, 2020 14:19:38 GMT -5
It looks like Emotiva is killing the “high end” 2ch part of the business. I hope you're wrong, brutiarti - That part of their business is what made the company. Hopefully they have been working on a replacement for a while now so that there is not a big lag time between models. I fear you're wrong, DavidR - My suspicion is that Emotiva is spending SO much of their time, budget, and engineering skill on trying to compete in the AV market that little is left for "just stereo" pursuits. I made the comment when Emotiva got into AV that their choice had the potential to sink the entire company. After all - in the stereo world, there's less competition, but in the AV world, Emotiva is the latecomer to the party and is fighting for market share against the titans of the industry. The AV competition has many times the overall budget and specifically, development budget that Emotiva has, the competition has many times the sales base that Emotiva has (making their "break-even margin" lower for each product), and the competition doesn't have to put up with repeated bug fixes and "not ready for prime time" software updates. The competition fixes their products BEFORE they go to market. Emotiva doesn't have that luxury. How amateur is Emotiva at AV? Compare the top of the line Emotiva processor to an equivalently-priced AV RECEIVER from any of the major corporations. Which has more bugs? Which has more "software updates" that don't properly work? Which product has the most loyal customers who will buy that brand again? By any metric except sound quality, Emotiva is repeatedly beaten. And I'd contend that the latest products from Yamaha, Sony, Onkyo, etc. are rapidly closing that last gap. Emotiva may yet prevail and become a major AV vendor. But they're not there yet. And if they ultimately fail, then the stereo side of the company goes down with the "AV-ship." I certainly hope that Emotiva succeeds in the long run with their AV products, but I still have my doubts. Boomzilla |
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Post by mgbpuff on Aug 12, 2020 15:53:14 GMT -5
I think the problem is that the XPS-1 was manufactured in China. This, due to the recent tensions is becoming more and more problematic. If so, look for problems with lots of other products. Yes, I am guessing - shame on me!
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Post by DavidR on Aug 12, 2020 15:59:21 GMT -5
I think the problem is that the XPS-1 was manufactured in China. This, due to the recent tensions is becoming more and more problematic. If so, look for problems with lots of other products. Yes, I am guessing - shame on me! I thought this was one of the products that they began making in TN.
@boom, tough competition with deep pockets. I'm hoping they can pull it off.
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Post by audiobill on Aug 12, 2020 18:05:39 GMT -5
It looks like Emotiva is killing the “high end” 2ch part of the business. Agree- -No preamps -No dac -No streamers -No Tt, cartridge -No tubes Plenty of troubled multichannel HT products w/ overly complicated digital circuitry that haven’t held value. recommend they scrap these offerings and get back to their roots of high power, high value Chinese made power amps. And watch sales soar. |
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Post by DavidR on Aug 12, 2020 18:19:02 GMT -5
No China, please
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Post by audiobill on Aug 12, 2020 18:19:06 GMT -5
I think the problem is that the XPS-1 was manufactured in China. This, due to the recent tensions is becoming more and more problematic. If so, look for problems with lots of other products. Yes, I am guessing - shame on me! Mgb, do you mean the xps-1, xsp-1 or both? |
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Post by DavidR on Aug 12, 2020 18:22:32 GMT -5
Then forget about the brand...... anyway, China does fine in electronics. Not for everyone, but can be passable short-term value They now are operating out of the great State of Tennessee. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 12, 2020 18:31:36 GMT -5
... -No preamps -No dac -No streamers -No Tt, cartridge -No tubes Plenty of troubled multichannel HT products w/ overly complicated digital circuitry that haven’t held value. recommend they scrap these offerings and get back to their roots of high power, high value Chinese made power amps. And watch sales soar. Were I in Big Dan's shoes, I'd look somewhere OTHER than China right now... |
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Post by mgbpuff on Aug 12, 2020 18:35:06 GMT -5
I think the problem is that the XPS-1 was manufactured in China. This, due to the recent tensions is becoming more and more problematic. If so, look for problems with lots of other products. Yes, I am guessing - shame on me! Mgb, do you mean the xps-1, xsp-1 or both? I meant the subject XSP-1 (I can never keep these straight.). I'm pretty sure the XSP-1 Gen 1 was made in China because I read a review that implied that. Maybe when they went to the surface mount boards with the Gen 2, they changed to Tennessee manufacture. I really don't know. Who cares now; a very nice product is no longer available. |
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Post by novisnick on Aug 12, 2020 19:30:42 GMT -5
... -No preamps -No dac -No streamers -No Tt, cartridge -No tubes Plenty of troubled multichannel HT products w/ overly complicated digital circuitry that haven’t held value. recommend they scrap these offerings and get back to their roots of high power, high value Chinese made power amps. And watch sales soar. Were I in Big Dan's shoes, I'd look somewhere OTHER than China right now... I hear Japan on e made some pretty good stuff! 😏 In today’s world the better less expensive alternative would be Korea and South Vietnam. 🤔 |
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stiehl11
Emo VIPs 
Give me available light!
Posts: 7,269
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Post by stiehl11 on Aug 13, 2020 6:50:43 GMT -5
Mgb, do you mean the xps-1, xsp-1 or both? I meant the subject XSP-1 (I can never keep these straight.). I'm pretty sure the XSP-1 Gen 1 was made in China because I read a review that implied that. Maybe when they went to the surface mount boards with the Gen 2, they changed to Tennessee manufacture. I really don't know. Who cares now; a very nice product is no longer available. Only assembly (parts go in box, burned in, tested) goes on in 10-OC. Boards are fabbed elsewhere (last I heard, California). |
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Post by vcautokid on Aug 13, 2020 7:40:00 GMT -5
It is one of those products if you really wanted and kept looking and didn't buy it. It would be gone before you knew it. It is one of Emotiva's legendary products. The best 2 channel Preamplifier they ever made. I remember watching Lonnie's video on it, and you know how proud Emotiva was about it. So now it is over. you're going have to wait to see what Emotiva makes next. I hope they keep the purity of the XSP-1 alive in the next one. If I know Emotiva, it will be a long time, but if they put in the work like the XSP-1. The wait would have been worth it. Time will tell.
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Post by vcautokid on Aug 13, 2020 7:50:54 GMT -5
There is a truth of focus here. Multi-channel audio. Like it or not, the catalog is packed with it. 2 channel has been absorbed into it. You have one 2 channel Preamplifier and that is it folks. There really isn't another Preamplifier out there that did what the XSP-1 at the price. I am hoping 2 channel is not dead. But it is not my call. I keep my options open and never am beholden to just one. It is not an easy road 2 channel. You see they are not smooth, it is expensive, and rare, and have to look hard for it. Sure it is out there, but not like in the days past. But if Emotiva walks away from 2 channel entirely, I would not be surprised. Been doing this too long to surprised anymore.
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Post by 405x5 on Aug 13, 2020 8:58:57 GMT -5
Hey, I don’t loose any sleep 💤 over this, but it’s been clear to me (for a long time) that EMOTIVA has had the goal of being the world leader in having too many channels.
Can you have both?.....don’t know.
I’ve been jaundiced ever since my XMC fell victim also to the multi channel brigade.....and that’s a 7 channel.
Bill
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Post by Hair Nick on Aug 13, 2020 9:17:31 GMT -5
Not to let imaginations run wild here:
We are working on an XSP-2. It will stay pure analog and exceed the capabilities and performance of the previous unit.
Nothing nefarious going on here. We got to the end of our commitment of the XSP-1 G2 and instead of renewing it, we decided it was time to take a step back and find ways to improve it in every aspect.
We don't have any sort of timing on when this will be ready.
Note: We aren't running away from two-channel audio. We are very much aware of our glaring hole that is DACs at the moment. We are working on that too.
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Post by vcautokid on Aug 13, 2020 9:39:44 GMT -5
Okay Hair Nick you have placed your bet on the table. We are waiting for the cards. Hopefully the 2 Channel shuffle will be here for all to play in soon.
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Post by DavidR on Aug 13, 2020 10:15:15 GMT -5
Not to let imaginations run wild here: We are working on an XSP-2. It will stay pure analog and exceed the capabilities and performance of the previous unit. Nothing nefarious going on here. We got to the end of our commitment of the XSP-1 G2 and instead of renewing it, we decided it was time to take a step back and find ways to improve it in every aspect. We don't have any sort of timing on when this will be ready. Note: We aren't running away from two-channel audio. We are very much aware of our glaring hole that is DACs at the moment. We are working on that too. You, or others, need to address these types of issues that come up on the forum more often. It was good to read your post. |
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