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Post by leonski on Oct 8, 2021 21:39:55 GMT -5
Ok, I am finally breaking down and writing on this thread. I treated myself to a pair of PA-1s just before the emobucks bonanza, as one of my XPA-1Ls went down and I shipped it to Emotiva to be fixed. I first hooked them into my system and started streaming some music casually to warm them up for a few hours to get going without trying to figure out how they sound. At relatively low volume I was still pulled into the music and I remember remarking to my son about this. Fast forward a little and I sold 3 XPA-100s and a 200, for a set of five! With emobucks I actually made money. They were great in my TV room until I found an SA-250 locally that I had to try. That is a great sounding amp for sure. I’m using a PA-1 for the center and rears and it’s great. This has allowed me to move the XPA-1Ls and 2 PA-1s to another room, where I can compare them with some Magnepan .7s and Era D14s. The D14 is effectively a Peachtree product that was briefly made in the later 2000s I think. It is a pretty big three-way, four driver and silk tweeter design. Now I have to say, A-Bing speakers and amps is hard work! I think it really depends on the music selections, which have to have unusual aspects that you listen for. Andrew Robinson has a recent video that I am working through doing just that, listening for the things he talks about. What’s fun about this setup is it’s actually two separate systems. I have two DC-1s now and I have them set up side by side connected to their respective amps. It’s hard to say which amp or which speaker is better there, and in fact, I think the answer is it depends on what you are listening to and how you are listening i.e, loud, relaxed, concentrating or not etc. Anyway, the PA-1s are so cool! They are small, light, efficient and paired to the DC-1, you have an awesome sounding stack that is strong and fast. I think I have some of the greatest stuff Emotiva has made and I love it all so much! I can hardly wait for your report when you sell the .7 maggies and go for the LRS.......Said to be killer...... I don't know if that's an 'upgrade' or not, next step up would be the 1.7i or go preowned for some 1.6s.......bargains these days and VERY DIY friendly. My personal goal would be to find some 3.6 available which have the TRUE ribbon, one of the fine pieces of its type/// |
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Post by jra on Oct 8, 2021 22:06:51 GMT -5
I'm currently using my new to me (second hand :-) PA-1's with my Onix Reference 2 speakers in the playroom. When the second pair of second hand PA-1's turn up I'm going to try driving my Focal Sopra 3's in the main listening room. Right now I'm driving them with 2 XPA-1 gen 2 monoblocks so it's going to be a really good test to see if they can match the current amps (which I really love) !
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Post by novisnick on Oct 8, 2021 23:33:05 GMT -5
I'm currently using my new to me (second hand :-) PA-1's with my Onix Reference 2 speakers in the playroom. When the second pair of second hand PA-1's turn up I'm going to try driving my Focal Sopra 3's in the main listening room. Right now I'm driving them with 2 XPA-1 gen 2 monoblocks so it's going to be a really good test to see if they can match the current amps (which I really love) !
Shhhhh! Don’t mention this to anybody as it really doesn’t exist. 🤫 |
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 9, 2021 6:34:19 GMT -5
The PA-1s don't get good press because they're discontinued. They get raves the old fashioned way - they've earned them. After the Generation 2 XPA-1 amplifiers, these are the best sounding amps that Emotiva has ever sold. Period. (and yes, I include the XPR series amplifiers in that statement as well - I've owned them too). If you haven't heard the PA-1s then you are just blowing air. Yes, the PA-1 amplifiers DO need to warm up for about 20 minutes before they sound their best, but their best is just awesome.
Boom
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Post by novisnick on Oct 9, 2021 11:40:29 GMT -5
The PA-1s don't get good press because they're discontinued. They get raves the old fashioned way - they've earned them. After the Generation 2 XPA-1 amplifiers, these are the best sounding amps that Emotiva has ever sold. Period. (and yes, I include the XPR series amplifiers in that statement as well - I've owned them too). If you haven't heard the PA-1s then you are just blowing air. Yes, the PA-1 amplifiers DO need to warm up for about 20 minutes before they sound their best, but their best is just awesome. Boom Surly I would remember you posting about a purchase and review of a set of XPR-1’s in your home. I must be getting old if I don’t recall that event. 😳 |
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 9, 2021 13:54:54 GMT -5
Surly I would remember you posting about a purchase and review of a set of XPR-1’s in your home. I must be getting old if I don’t recall that event. 😳 I had the XPR-2. |
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Post by novisnick on Oct 9, 2021 14:21:02 GMT -5
Surly I would remember you posting about a purchase and review of a set of XPR-1’s in your home. I must be getting old if I don’t recall that event. 😳 I had the XPR-2. That my friend is NOT a pair of XPR-1s, I promise you! The XPR-2 I remember. When you heard my pair of XPR-1’s you can not claim to have really heard them as you were in an unfamiliar room with unfamiliar gear. To actually hear them you would have to have put them through the riggers of your usually thorough review. Only then can you claim to have heard them. I do believe you’ll agree.  + does not =  |
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Post by Boomzilla on Oct 9, 2021 15:01:28 GMT -5
You're right, novisnick - I'm basing my entire XPR experience on the XPR-2 that I owned. At the time, I remember thinking that I much preferred the liveliness and dynamics of the XPA-2 to the XPR-2. YMMV |
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Post by brutiarti on Oct 9, 2021 15:39:27 GMT -5
I had a pair of PA-1’s for a short period of time. I didn’t think that they were that great. They were Ok, something was missing though. I sold them because of the auto power on thing that needed a good amount of gain to turn on and I didn’t want to leave them on all the time or add an extra power strip.
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Post by novisnick on Oct 9, 2021 16:12:22 GMT -5
You're right, novisnick - I'm basing my entire XPR experience on the XPR-2 that I owned. At the time, I remember thinking that I much preferred the liveliness and dynamics of the XPA-2 to the XPR-2. YMMV I would have really enjoyed a review of the XPR-2 powered via 220, not sure how much difference there would be. It would have been nice though. When you move and when your ready to review gear from there I think having a 220 line in your room would be nice. Notice I stated “when” you start reviewing vs “if”. LOL |
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klinemj
Emo VIPs 
Official Emofest Scribe
Posts: 15,101
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Post by klinemj on Oct 13, 2021 6:58:10 GMT -5
Using wood on the Hypex case makes a huge diiference. Gives it a more neutral and earthy sound. Might add a bit of grain, though. Marks amps have the wood grain running parallel to the direction of the speaker terminals as to not affect the sound quality in a detrimental way. Chad In my extensive experimentation, I found poplar resulted in the best overall sound. Oak resulted in a dense sound, and pine was light on bass. Poplar allowed a very open sound with strong, tight bass. Mark |
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Post by leonski on Oct 15, 2021 22:19:20 GMT -5
And Douglas Fir is TERMITE prone......
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Post by creimes on Nov 1, 2021 10:42:01 GMT -5
I think I seen the PA-1's you bought, the guy had them for $620 plus shipping which is more than new which I myself could not do as there are too many options out there these days to buy used amps for more than they sold new with little to no warranty remaining, heck I seen a XPA-5 Gen 2 sell for $1400 a province over from me, a nice amp but my Outlaw 7000X can be had for cheaper and it's new with 7 channels and 5 years of warranty so I'm not sure if people don't know what's out there or what ?? Chad Yes, those were the ones. Remember, things are worth what people are willing to pay. I'd bought a pair of PA-1's for $500 off ebay, and loved them so much I was willing to pay more than new to get them. I'd have loved to have given that money to Emotiva, but they're not selling them now :-(. I see another pair of PA-1's on US Audio Mart  |
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Post by jra on Nov 1, 2021 18:41:12 GMT -5
Yes, those were the ones. Remember, things are worth what people are willing to pay. I'd bought a pair of PA-1's for $500 off ebay, and loved them so much I was willing to pay more than new to get them. I'd have loved to have given that money to Emotiva, but they're not selling them now :-(. I see another pair of PA-1's on US Audio Mart Already bought them :-). Thanks ! |
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Post by creimes on Nov 1, 2021 22:07:14 GMT -5
I see another pair of PA-1's on US Audio Mart Already bought them :-). Thanks ! Your crazy man haha |
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Post by jra on Nov 2, 2021 14:08:14 GMT -5
Already bought them :-). Thanks ! Your crazy man haha Nah, not crazy. I have a nephew who will be graduating from college soon. I have a spare pair of Focal 1027be speakers in a closet for him and I need the PA-1's as amplifiers for them to make a great graduation gift :-). He's already starting off in his audiophile career nicely :-). |
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Post by creimes on Nov 3, 2021 12:42:32 GMT -5
Nah, not crazy. I have a nephew who will be graduating from college soon. I have a spare pair of Focal 1027be speakers in a closet for him and I need the PA-1's as amplifiers for them to make a great graduation gift :-). He's already starting off in his audiophile career nicely :-). And here I thought you were hoarding all the PA-1's across the USA lol, that's a pretty sweet gift, kudos on the giving of audio bliss  Chad |
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Post by leonski on Nov 3, 2021 16:47:37 GMT -5
Still need a source AND perhaps some kind of PRE......
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Post by jra on Nov 4, 2021 14:32:56 GMT -5
Still need a source AND perhaps some kind of PRE...... He has a Shiit Fulla attached to his PC already. www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2I currently gave him a spare pair of Emotiva Airmotiv 5s's for his dorm room. That'll still work plugged into the PA-1's via an RCA -> XLR adapter cable. So I think he's good. |
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Post by AudioHTIT on Nov 4, 2021 15:54:44 GMT -5
Still need a source AND perhaps some kind of PRE...... He has a Shiit Fulla attached to his PC already. www.schiit.com/products/fulla-2I currently gave him a spare pair of Emotiva Airmotiv 5s's for his dorm room. That'll still work plugged into the PA-1's via an RCA -> XLR adapter cable. So I think he's good. The AirMotiv 5's are powered monitors, so you wouldn't use PA-1s with them, they're driven directly from a preamp, or source with volume (the Schiit I assume). |
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