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Post by brutiarti on Aug 13, 2020 12:00:59 GMT -5
The problem is that “we are working on” phrase has been used too much with little to show. Emersa line, powered monitors, DC-2, etc. I’m not complaining BTW, but for example I just to buy Emotiva stuff really often,. My last purchase was beginning of last year. Seeing Emo putting a lot of work and money to Dirac, that is not even owned by them It’s just painful.
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Post by mgbpuff on Aug 13, 2020 17:41:38 GMT -5
"We got to the end of our commitment of the XSP-1 G2" Yep, It's China!!!!
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 14, 2020 3:19:06 GMT -5
The problem is that “we are working on” phrase has been used too much with little to show. Emersa line, powered monitors, DC-2, etc. I’m not complaining BTW, but for example I just to buy Emotiva stuff really often,. My last purchase was beginning of last year. Seeing Emo putting a lot of work and money to Dirac, that is not even owned by them It’s just painful. WAIT! I've got to mention the world-class and great-value-for-the-dollar Emotiva products - the BasX line! The majority of the BasX line is not only stereo, but exceptionally good stereo (almost the equivalent of the X-series, but for a LOT less $$$). The TA-100 and PT-100, in particular, are (IMHO) AMAZING products. They may not offer the features or the balanced circuitry of the XSP-1, but their sound is knocking on the door. Where else can you buy a $399 integrated amplifier that can compete in many ways with a $4,000 reference system? The goodness and value of the BasX line gives me great hope for the next X-series. And in the meantime, I'm perfectly happy to "slum" with the BasX components. In fact, I'm currently running a BasX TA-100 with a $10,000 pair of speakers, and it doesn't embarrass itself at all. Yes, it is slightly weak in bass clarity, treble extension, and dynamics compared to my "reference" system, but its warm and articulate voicing goes a long way in making up for its (minor) deficiencies. If Emotiva can offer this level of performance for $399, what can they do with a X-series budget? The quality of sound from even "budget" components these days is soaring by leaps and bounds due to improvements in design and construction. This bodes well for us all. Said another way, you can now get the equivalent of older X-series performance at BasX prices. So what might we expect from currently-designed X-series design budgets? Enquiring minds want to know... I still think that maybe Emotiva's stereo development has taken a back seat to AV product development, but I'm sure that Emotiva's putting their money where they expect to sell the most products. So we just will have to wait for the "new generation" X-series stereo components. But I'm definitely expecting that the wait will pay off. And I'm NOT trying to "defend Emotiva" here, they don't want or need my defense anyway. I'm just expressing my own opinions. Feel free to disagree with me, and as always, I could be wrong. But I DO call them as I see them, and here's my take. Cordially - Boomzilla |
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Aug 14, 2020 6:59:43 GMT -5
"We got to the end of our commitment of the XSP-1 G2" Yep, It's China!!!! I'm not saying you're wrong, but adding to what you're saying. Any supplier has commitments made by the OEM for their product; whether this product is coming from China or California. We have a commitment with Nissan. If Nissan doesn't order enough of our product in a given time frame they owe us money. Same thing with Emotiva. They don't make their boards and sometimes the whole piece comes in pre-assembled. If they don't order enough product in a given time frame they owe their supplier the difference. |
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Post by brutiarti on Aug 14, 2020 9:06:39 GMT -5
The problem is that “we are working on” phrase has been used too much with little to show. Emersa line, powered monitors, DC-2, etc. I’m not complaining BTW, but for example I just to buy Emotiva stuff really often,. My last purchase was beginning of last year. Seeing Emo putting a lot of work and money to Dirac, that is not even owned by them It’s just painful. WAIT! I've got to mention the world-class and great-value-for-the-dollar Emotiva products - the BasX line! The majority of the BasX line is not only stereo, but exceptionally good stereo (almost the equivalent of the X-series, but for a LOT less $$$). The TA-100 and PT-100, in particular, are (IMHO) AMAZING products. They may not offer the features or the balanced circuitry of the XSP-1, but their sound is knocking on the door. Where else can you buy a $399 integrated amplifier that can compete in many ways with a $4,000 reference system? Cordially - Boomzilla I agree with you Boom. I personally have several Basx products and I think they are outstanding, But the issue is that there is no place to go from there. You know that we get the upgrade bug from time to time and Emo doesn't offer a path to upgrade. Look at schiit, you can start with a Fulla and in a couple of years you ended up with the Yggy. Emotiva said that tubes, turntables, headphone amps are not good business. Schiit is thriving selling those products and they are priced way more than the crappy stuff from china. |
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cawgijoe
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Post by cawgijoe on Aug 14, 2020 9:15:11 GMT -5
WAIT! I've got to mention the world-class and great-value-for-the-dollar Emotiva products - the BasX line! The majority of the BasX line is not only stereo, but exceptionally good stereo (almost the equivalent of the X-series, but for a LOT less $$$). The TA-100 and PT-100, in particular, are (IMHO) AMAZING products. They may not offer the features or the balanced circuitry of the XSP-1, but their sound is knocking on the door. Where else can you buy a $399 integrated amplifier that can compete in many ways with a $4,000 reference system? Cordially - Boomzilla I agree with you Boom. I personally have several Basx products and I think they are outstanding, But the issue is that there is no place to go from there. You know that we get the upgrade bug from time to time and Emo doesn't offer a path to upgrade. Look at schiit, you can start with a Fulla and in a couple of years you ended up with the Yggy. Emotiva said that tubes, turntables, headphone amps are not good business. Schiit is thriving selling those products and they are priced way more than the crappy stuff from china. They will have a new X product. We don't yet know when. |
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Post by Boomzilla on Aug 15, 2020 13:02:15 GMT -5
When Emotiva DOES bust a move with some new X-series stereo-products, I hope they take at least one lesson from their BasX sales - An integrated amplifier is a hot seller! The TA-100 not only gets great press, but sells like gangbusters, I bet? An X-series, dual-mono, balanced-circuitry, 300-WPC, tone-control, pre-out, main-in, bass-management, all-analog integrated-amplifier would be a SENSATION. I'd buy one!
Boom
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Post by novisnick on Aug 15, 2020 15:12:53 GMT -5
 Just build us an Autoformer and be done with it! Won’t be cheap but it’s the invisible preamp!
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Post by garbulky on Aug 16, 2020 0:58:43 GMT -5
The problem is that “we are working on” phrase has been used too much with little to show. Emersa line, powered monitors, DC-2, etc. I’m not complaining BTW, but for example I just to buy Emotiva stuff really often,. My last purchase was beginning of last year. Seeing Emo putting a lot of work and money to Dirac, that is not even owned by them It’s just painful. WAIT! I've got to mention the world-class and great-value-for-the-dollar Emotiva products - the BasX line! The majority of the BasX line is not only stereo, but exceptionally good stereo (almost the equivalent of the X-series, but for a LOT less $$$). The TA-100 and PT-100, in particular, are (IMHO) AMAZING products. They may not offer the features or the balanced circuitry of the XSP-1, but their sound is knocking on the door. Where else can you buy a $399 integrated amplifier that can compete in many ways with a $4,000 reference system? The goodness and value of the BasX line gives me great hope for the next X-series. And in the meantime, I'm perfectly happy to "slum" with the BasX components. In fact, I'm currently running a BasX TA-100 with a $10,000 pair of speakers, and it doesn't embarrass itself at all. Yes, it is slightly weak in bass clarity, treble extension, and dynamics compared to my "reference" system, but its warm and articulate voicing goes a long way in making up for its (minor) deficiencies. If Emotiva can offer this level of performance for $399, what can they do with a X-series budget? The quality of sound from even "budget" components these days is soaring by leaps and bounds due to improvements in design and construction. This bodes well for us all. Said another way, you can now get the equivalent of older X-series performance at BasX prices. So what might we expect from currently-designed X-series design budgets? Enquiring minds want to know... I still think that maybe Emotiva's stereo development has taken a back seat to AV product development, but I'm sure that Emotiva's putting their money where they expect to sell the most products. So we just will have to wait for the "new generation" X-series stereo components. But I'm definitely expecting that the wait will pay off. And I'm NOT trying to "defend Emotiva" here, they don't want or need my defense anyway. I'm just expressing my own opinions. Feel free to disagree with me, and as always, I could be wrong. But I DO call them as I see them, and here's my take. Cordially - Boomzilla I don’t think the basx series compares with the older x series at least in amps. The x series stuff was some of the best I’ve heard. The basx amps are more “does the job” than anything. The old x series were overbuilt overpreformers. The basx with their fans and single blade architecture are a far cry from the tanks that were the x series. Other than the a-100 which really is amazing as a headphone amp. |
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Post by vcautokid on Aug 16, 2020 3:42:24 GMT -5
Perspective folks. Emotiva has grown and is always looking for its core audience while still reaching out to some new frontiers. Yeah AV eats up allot of resources. If you think it's easy. Think again. All the compliance, all the research. It is not free to do. HDMI alone is the biggest Chinese Fire Drill I have ever seen for example, and as convenient as it is, I despise what it stands for. As for DIRAC. I wouldn't complain to much about that either. The fact Emotiva can get DIRAC at all is pretty herculean really. With DIRAC going after car audio and bigger customers than Emotiva, I think it is awesome Emotiva has DIRAC in their products. I get BAS-X too. It is not for everyone here. But for everyone else who does not want to spend large to get large at least for their ears. Emotiva needs no one defend or beat up on. Big Dan and team have hard choices. It is a business after all. They won't always do everything you want. Do you think Sony or Denon or Marantz and so on really listen to what you want? Emotiva is more open and transparent than any of those brands will be. Things change. Requirements change. We change. Wasn't long ago that HD was a pain to keep happy. Now it is 8K UHD and other pressures. You can buy a 12K Cinema camera and make your own stuff if you want and got the scratch. What I am saying is,choices have to be made that make business sense to keep the business going. Making it profitable. After all this. If they don't. You won't have this vehicle here to discuss and share what you want. Emotiva will make many very happy. They done so for a long time. Will they always make you happy? That is really up to you on that. I am glad they are still swinging for the fence in a time where doing audio and video is the most challenging I have ever seen. Your mileage may differ.
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Post by garbulky on Aug 16, 2020 4:06:38 GMT -5
vcautokid : You're right, I don't think Sony, Denon or Marantz listen to what I want.... I also don't buy them  Well I take that back. I have bought the Sony Blu ray players which do a fine job. Emotiva has treated me right over the years. I think their current workhorse offerings and flagships have left me uninterested. But still they have won me over with the PA-1 A-100, S-15, and T-2 speakers which are imo all slam dunks competing among the best. So I guess I am really surprised at the things that won me over. Just surprised it's their "sidelines" more than their X-series amps. Maybe I will hear the DR-1 someday and change my mind! Maybe later when I get in to surround, I will fall in love with the XMC-2 which if the XMC-1 was anything to go by would also win me over!
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Post by 405x5 on Aug 16, 2020 9:15:54 GMT -5
vcautokid : You're right, I don't think Sony, Denon or Marantz listen to what I want.... I also don't buy them Well I take that back. I have bought the Sony Blu ray players which do a fine job. Emotiva has treated me right over the years. I think their current workhorse offerings and flagships have left me uninterested. But still they have won me over with the PA-1 A-100, S-15, and T-2 speakers which are imo all slam dunks competing among the best. So I guess I am really surprised at the things that won me over. Just surprised it's their "sidelines" more than their X-series amps. Maybe I will hear the DR-1 someday and change my mind! Maybe later when I get in to surround, I will fall in love with the XMC-2 which if the XMC-1 was anything to go by would also win me over! Last week I revisited the Emo. Product page. I was so happy to see the refurbished XMC1 with the new board..... ready to go. In my opinion, unless you’re bent on object based audio. That “used” XMC1 right now, is the hottest ticket in the industry. Bill |
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Post by gentlejax on Aug 18, 2020 8:00:40 GMT -5
I think someone said this but it was what I was thinking.. Emo has a history of products with issues , bugs whatever . I have owned the majority of the preamps/processors except maybe the xmc-1 and none of mine had issues but I was lucky I think. I could be wrong but thats the impression I get when I scan the forums when thinking about making a change to a different emo product. However , they seem to make excellent 2 channel products such as the Stealth line and the PT/TA twins. I havnt owned any emo amps so cant comment on that. But since its proven they can sell the 2 channel stuff and do ..why not try to use that more? i have a preamp right now that cost close to $10k when it was new if you consider initial cost and then major upgrades that were done to it. but yet its a multi and I dont run multi speakers so I am about to put back in a PT-100. will it win ? dont know. going to find out. the only reason I am thinking of changing my pre is the age of it. sooner or later these things die. So, I think they could sell more 2 channel stuff like Schitt and Parasound do. Parasound now has 3 different 2 channel preamps at least , schitt has 4 i think
id like Emo to make a new version of the PT-100. i think it would sell just fine. lots of people have HT systems but lots of people dont. they have soundbars . yuk...but a simple 2 channel system can still do tv/movies enough and or play music when wanted. HT processors are a dime a dozen and they dont hold their value but good 2 channel preamps...they do and are always in demand. I can spend all day looking on ebay at HT AVR's and PReamps there are so many of them, |
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Aug 18, 2020 10:07:41 GMT -5
WAIT! I've got to mention the world-class and great-value-for-the-dollar Emotiva products - the BasX line! The majority of the BasX line is not only stereo, but exceptionally good stereo (almost the equivalent of the X-series, but for a LOT less $$$). The TA-100 and PT-100, in particular, are (IMHO) AMAZING products. They may not offer the features or the balanced circuitry of the XSP-1, but their sound is knocking on the door. Where else can you buy a $399 integrated amplifier that can compete in many ways with a $4,000 reference system? The goodness and value of the BasX line gives me great hope for the next X-series. And in the meantime, I'm perfectly happy to "slum" with the BasX components. In fact, I'm currently running a BasX TA-100 with a $10,000 pair of speakers, and it doesn't embarrass itself at all. Yes, it is slightly weak in bass clarity, treble extension, and dynamics compared to my "reference" system, but its warm and articulate voicing goes a long way in making up for its (minor) deficiencies. If Emotiva can offer this level of performance for $399, what can they do with a X-series budget? The quality of sound from even "budget" components these days is soaring by leaps and bounds due to improvements in design and construction. This bodes well for us all. Said another way, you can now get the equivalent of older X-series performance at BasX prices. So what might we expect from currently-designed X-series design budgets? Enquiring minds want to know... I still think that maybe Emotiva's stereo development has taken a back seat to AV product development, but I'm sure that Emotiva's putting their money where they expect to sell the most products. So we just will have to wait for the "new generation" X-series stereo components. But I'm definitely expecting that the wait will pay off. And I'm NOT trying to "defend Emotiva" here, they don't want or need my defense anyway. I'm just expressing my own opinions. Feel free to disagree with me, and as always, I could be wrong. But I DO call them as I see them, and here's my take. Cordially - Boomzilla I don’t think the basx series compares with the older x series at least in amps. The x series stuff was some of the best I’ve heard. The basx amps are more “does the job” than anything. The old x series were overbuilt overpreformers. The basx with their fans and single blade architecture are a far cry from the tanks that were the x series. Other than the a-100 which really is amazing as a headphone amp. The a-100 was a fair to middling headphone amp; had several high points, a few low points. In my own head-to-head comparison the a-300 surpassed the UPA-2/XPA-200 in every category. If weight is factor in choosing an audio product, I have some Beats headphones for you. And, if you're driving an a-300 hard enough to engage the fan, the music's so loud you won't hear it. Same with my a-500; driving my heights it never was driven hard enough to engage the fan. |
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Post by garbulky on Aug 18, 2020 10:41:41 GMT -5
I don’t think the basx series compares with the older x series at least in amps. The x series stuff was some of the best I’ve heard. The basx amps are more “does the job” than anything. The old x series were overbuilt overpreformers. The basx with their fans and single blade architecture are a far cry from the tanks that were the x series. Other than the a-100 which really is amazing as a headphone amp. The a-100 was a fair to middling headphone amp; had several high points, a few low points. In my own head-to-head comparison the a-300 surpassed the UPA-2/XPA-200 in every category. If weight is factor in choosing an audio product, I have some Beats headphones for you. And, if you're driving an a-300 hard enough to engage the fan, the music's so loud you won't hear it. Same with my a-500; driving my heights it never was driven hard enough to engage the fan. I've heard them as well, quite a bit. How did you find the differences in sound? I prefer the tone of the UPA-2 better, though I thought its main weakness was a little sluggishness in dynamics which granted the A-300 did better but lacked the more natural tone and couldn't quite match the bass extension. A heavy headphone is a pain because it sits on your head and has to be moved every time you wear it compared to an amp. Trivializing amp weight ignores what the weight actually represents. We are comparing two solid state class AB amps after all. The increased weight in the old u-series comes from heatsinks and separate amp blades per channel. The multichannel u-series had higher weight due to larger power supplies, greater capacitance, and greater output power compared to the bas-x series. Even Dan told us that the old u-series was too close to the x series and they cost a lot to make. The UPA-2 had two blades from the XPA-5. The A-300 has one blade for both channels ... same for the A-500, one blade, 5 channels. The A-500 replaced the very similar looking upa-500, which replaced the UPA-5. The UPA-5 had 5 blades from the XPA-5 amp and a bigger power supply than the A-300. Its power output is also significantly higher all channels driven. The UPA-5 had 125x5 8 ohms ACD and 185 Watts x 5 into 4 Ohms ACD. It has a 600VA transformer and 90,000 mf capacitance. The A-500 lists 80X5 ACD at 8 ohms and doesn't even give a 4 ohm figure, power supply specs or capacitance. Though the A-300 and A-500 are replacements, I wouldn't call them upgrades. Why do you say the A-100 is a fair to middling headphone amp? The main complaint I've heard, and it's a legitimate one, is that in direct drive mode there is hiss and it's not really suited for efficient headphones. Its real purpose is to drive high impedance headphones or headphones that need a lot of power imo. Have you tried the A-100 with headphones? I think it's one of Emotiva's best products on the market right now just for that function. |
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stiehl11
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Post by stiehl11 on Aug 18, 2020 14:58:18 GMT -5
The a-100 was a fair to middling headphone amp; had several high points, a few low points. In my own head-to-head comparison the a-300 surpassed the UPA-2/XPA-200 in every category. If weight is factor in choosing an audio product, I have some Beats headphones for you. And, if you're driving an a-300 hard enough to engage the fan, the music's so loud you won't hear it. Same with my a-500; driving my heights it never was driven hard enough to engage the fan. I've heard them as well, quite a bit. How did you find the differences in sound? I prefer the tone of the UPA-2 better, though I thought its main weakness was a little sluggishness in dynamics which granted the A-300 did better but lacked the more natural tone and couldn't quite match the bass extension. A heavy headphone is a pain because it sits on your head and has to be moved every time you wear it compared to an amp. Trivializing amp weight ignores what the weight actually represents. We are comparing two solid state class AB amps after all. The increased weight in the old u-series comes from heatsinks and separate amp blades per channel. The multichannel u-series had higher weight due to larger power supplies, greater capacitance, and greater output power compared to the bas-x series. Even Dan told us that the old u-series was too close to the x series and they cost a lot to make. The UPA-2 had two blades from the XPA-5. The A-300 has one blade for both channels ... same for the A-500, one blade, 5 channels. The A-500 replaced the very similar looking upa-500, which replaced the UPA-5. The UPA-5 had 5 blades from the XPA-5 amp and a bigger power supply than the A-300. Its power output is also significantly higher all channels driven. The UPA-5 had 125x5 8 ohms ACD and 185 Watts x 5 into 4 Ohms ACD. It has a 600VA transformer and 90,000 mf capacitance. The A-500 lists 80X5 ACD at 8 ohms and doesn't even give a 4 ohm figure, power supply specs or capacitance. Though the A-300 and A-500 are replacements, I wouldn't call them upgrades. Why do you say the A-100 is a fair to middling headphone amp? The main complaint I've heard, and it's a legitimate one, is that in direct drive mode there is hiss and it's not really suited for efficient headphones. Its real purpose is to drive high impedance headphones or headphones that need a lot of power imo. Have you tried the A-100 with headphones? I think it's one of Emotiva's best products on the market right now just for that function. I've owned both, UPA-2 for 8 years, a-300 for 2 (with several months overlap); so, yeah, I've spent some time with both as well, but maybe not as long as you. I thought I had mentioned how I found the differences in sound by saying that a-300 was an improvement in every category? Maybe I'm wrong. I should go back to my post and see if it's there. I see you missed my reference to the original Beats headphones that added weights to the ear pieces to make them feel heavier, and therefore (just as you have done with amps) give the impression that they are somehow better or otherwise worth the higher MSRP. The wife and I were having a discussion last week about how weight and tactile feel affects a consumer's judgement of quality with a different category of product. And, I was just talking to one of our design engineers about what the consumer's impression would be of the the 2021 Nissan Rogue's gear selector if it went into production with that design level. Tactile impressions play an important part in consumer's impression of quality. To play off an old saying, a restaurant patron who doesn't know what's in the sausage will always pick the heavier sausage as being better. Until you know what's in the sausage, it's hard to tell your brain whether or not the added weight is, indeed, better. It could be, as the case of the original Beats headphones, just filler. Until you get neck deep in the weeds of electrical engineering, it's all Plato's Allegory of the Cave when discussing design. And that takes us back to the allegory of the sausage; the patron usually only cares that the sausage is hot and delicious. So, let's take the a-300 as an example. Both use toroidal power supplies so there shouldn't be much difference in perceived quality there. I'm not sure why we jumped from comparing the a-300 power supply, which is very similar to the UPA-2/XPA-200 power supply to the UPA-5 power supply which had 3 additional channels, but at least it made sense to you. The power for the a-300 is 150 watts RMS per channel; 20 Hz – 20 kHz; THD < 0.1%; into 8 Ohms vs. 125 watts RMS @ 8 ohm (0.1% THD). Bandwidth response is virtually identical: 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+ / – 0.07 dB) vs. 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+ / – 0.05 dB) and same with SNA ratings. And there's only 4.8 lbs difference between the two. And, as you mentioned; it's likely the difference in heat sink size... and that's where the fan(s) come into play. To passively cool the circuit board you need a larger (i.e. heavier) heat sink. With a fan you can have a smaller heat sink (i.e. lighter) because more air will be moving over it. I prefer to look at it as a lateral move: roughly the same amp (in terms of specs) for roughly the same cost (when adjusted for inflation). When it comes down to SQ, it's my opinion that it sounds better in my set up. YMMV Now, I'm sure that when you were buying your 5-channel amp(s) back in 2010 like I was you saw that for not a lot more money than the UPA-5 you could get a little more in the XPA-5. There really wasn't much of a reason for the UPA-5 and hence as you mentioned, it was discontinued. Yes, the UPA-500 came in with less, but that's the way it was designed. It also cost less creating a more reasonable gap between the XPA-5 and the UPA-5(00). Currently the a-500 is half the cost of an XPA-2 whereas back in the day the UPA-5 was a little more than 80% of the cost of a XPA-2. To compare the UPA-500/a-500 to the UPA-5 is nonsensical at best. Now, if you're implying that you don't like an amp because of their design we're delving into how the sausage is made. And, with that I ask what amplifier designs you have done yourself; whether in college or as a hobby? Because, if you haven't designed amplifiers (or even bread boarded one) how can you realistically critique someone's design? Yes, I understand that you may like the look of a design over another but that's back to how the sausage tastes. You can you like this design over that design but that's aesthetics and can't be used to assign an opinion of SQ or function. As for the a-100, I've owned one since September of 2016. I specifically got it to go with my Sennheiser 650 HD headphones. Being that I'll be selling it shortly, I won't diss it here. The amp performed well, I just didn't care for it. While I know that I am likely in the minority with that opinion, it's what I thought about it. |
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Post by garbulky on Aug 18, 2020 15:50:47 GMT -5
I've heard them as well, quite a bit. How did you find the differences in sound? I prefer the tone of the UPA-2 better, though I thought its main weakness was a little sluggishness in dynamics which granted the A-300 did better but lacked the more natural tone and couldn't quite match the bass extension. A heavy headphone is a pain because it sits on your head and has to be moved every time you wear it compared to an amp. Trivializing amp weight ignores what the weight actually represents. We are comparing two solid state class AB amps after all. The increased weight in the old u-series comes from heatsinks and separate amp blades per channel. The multichannel u-series had higher weight due to larger power supplies, greater capacitance, and greater output power compared to the bas-x series. Even Dan told us that the old u-series was too close to the x series and they cost a lot to make. The UPA-2 had two blades from the XPA-5. The A-300 has one blade for both channels ... same for the A-500, one blade, 5 channels. The A-500 replaced the very similar looking upa-500, which replaced the UPA-5. The UPA-5 had 5 blades from the XPA-5 amp and a bigger power supply than the A-300. Its power output is also significantly higher all channels driven. The UPA-5 had 125x5 8 ohms ACD and 185 Watts x 5 into 4 Ohms ACD. It has a 600VA transformer and 90,000 mf capacitance. The A-500 lists 80X5 ACD at 8 ohms and doesn't even give a 4 ohm figure, power supply specs or capacitance. Though the A-300 and A-500 are replacements, I wouldn't call them upgrades. Why do you say the A-100 is a fair to middling headphone amp? The main complaint I've heard, and it's a legitimate one, is that in direct drive mode there is hiss and it's not really suited for efficient headphones. Its real purpose is to drive high impedance headphones or headphones that need a lot of power imo. Have you tried the A-100 with headphones? I think it's one of Emotiva's best products on the market right now just for that function. It's there, I wanted to hear more. Like better in what way? I did not. I suggest you re-read that section where I addressed it. Also what are you talking about? Are you referring to my built like tanks quote? It's a saying. No it's not an actual tank. This is understandable, tactile impressions, looks etc all can affect your experience with gear. Sometimes they can even make them sound better. In the case of the UPA amps, I don't touch them and I moved them once or twice in their life. Personally, I didn't think they were all that heavy, though I guess they were. They look about the same as the bas-x. The internals are also covered, and I can't see them. So I doubt that tactile and looks had much to do with it. This is why.... Cuz you bought up the a-500. The a-500 is the replacement to the upa-500 which is the replacement to the upa-5. Since we were talking about the upa-2 for the a-300, and you bought up the a-500, I thought it fair to bring up the upa-5 for build showing that build quality isn't the same. I agree. Thats why I'm interested. I hear it differently and won't argue with how you do, but I would like to hear what you think. Same with the A-100 and the headphone section. If you wish to PM me, please do. Completely disagree. The UPA-500 and A-500 were the replacement for the upa-5. It came with promises of shorter signal path and that the implciation that it was better, when it's not, at least in build and power output. (And in terms of my listening impressions fwiw). It absolutely was compared back then. It still is a valid comparison. If they hadn't downgraded like they did, we would still have excellent old UPA amps. This was when Emotiva turned a different path. They even tried to rate it a higher number to make it look more favorable to the UPA-5 at first by not mentioning this rating wasn't ACD like the UPA-5. After some people protested, they changed it to the correct ratings. None. No we're not delving in to sausage territory. We're talking about obvious build quality differences like a fan and a single amp blade versus separate amp blades per channel. Not withstanding the sausage talk, I will continue Now if it did sound better, then I probably wouldn't be doing so. For instance you don't see me critiquing the fleaweight PA-1 cuz it sounds great to me. Let me pose a question. Their x-series amps still use x-series blades, one per channel just like the old u-series. Yes, I know the design has changed a little bit. But...so why if that's so good for their x-series....does the bas-x use one blade for all their channels coupled with a fan? If they thought it was equivalent, why not make that change up the line. Instead of five xpa blades for an XPA-5 amp, just make two Bas-x blades with a fan. They didn't. They used XPA blades, one per channel for their best amps. I would like to hear more about it. Did you try bypassing the resistors? Did you have hiss issues? Did it not sound as good as another headphone amp? Not trying to say you didn't hear issues. I just don't hear people not liking it, so I'm interested. |
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Post by mauriceminor on Aug 18, 2020 18:27:02 GMT -5
Siegfried Linkwitz on the Emotiva UPA-500 circa 2014:
"The amplifier costs $350 and it's performance to price ratio is amazing"
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Post by Cogito on Aug 18, 2020 19:00:53 GMT -5
I have but one, not very significant question. 😏 At what price point were you calculating this unit to be? Hi novisnick - With increases in unit sales, and with decreases in parts cost, I would hope that the XSP-1 replacement would be somewhere between $1k and $1.5k. Price it any lower, and nobody will take it seriously; any higher, and there's too much competition. And DO NOT minimize the importance of your question - Pricing may be THE most critical factor in the success or failure of Emotiva's new preamp. Or not - I'm not a marketing analyst... Emotiva built it's reputation on providing high quality/high performance electronics at relatively low prices. Pricing the new preamp anywhere near $1500 puts it into the realm of Parasound's highly regarded P6, Cambridge Audio's Azur 851N Network player/Preamp (For an all digital setup), NAD's C 658 BluOS Streaming/DAC and Rotel's RC-1572. ALL reputable and established brands. Emotiva would have to offer something pretty amazing at a pretty amazing price. When I bought my XSP-1 Gen.2 I paid about under $800 (On sale and an E-Club member), it represented a tremendous deal. At it's latest price of $1199, it's not such a great deal. |
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ronf
Seeker Of Truth
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Post by ronf on Aug 26, 2020 13:36:26 GMT -5
I have been running my Emotiva XSP-1 G2 for about four years to date. Aside from a turn-on failure in late 2017 which required factory repair under warranty, I have been very happy with it. The performance/price ratio for this unit was spectacular, and if I had to begin shopping all over again today for a new preamp ... I don't know what I would do. During the pandemic I have been using my HiFi for up to 12 hours a day. The Emotiva setup I have has most certainly enhanced my quality of life during this time.
If an XSP-2 is in the works, I would like to make the following suggestions:
1. Keep the device completely analog as it was before, no digital doohickeys in the audio path.
2. Make the channel balance feature visibly accessible with a button on the front panel and allow adjustments in 0.5 dB steps. Allow the IR remote to adjust balance too, so I can tweak channel balance from my listening position.
3. Feature: source level matching in 0.5 dB steps. At a minimum I would like this for one balanced and one single-ended channel, so I can do A/B source comparisons. I found that I cannot do meaningful comparisons (such as DACs,) unless I can match volume levels.
4. Feature: I would like to be able to switch between primary output and the headphone jack without having to unplug the headphones, I would prefer to leave my headphones plugged into the preamp all the time. I guess this is going to require another button to do this and I am not happy about the idea of more buttons, but my desire to leave my headphones in place outweighs that.
5. Feature: less important, but it would be useful if I could set the threshold at which point the volume control switches over from 1.5 dB steps to 0.5 dB steps. Currently that happens at -30 dB, and I would prefer it to be at -40, even -50 dB. If this could be set in 10 dB steps - that would be excellent.
Again, as the XSP-1 stands, I cannot imagine getting something similar from another vendor today without spending 3X the price I paid originally, and I have become very cost-conscious at this point.
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Well I take that back. I have bought the Sony Blu ray players which do a fine job.
