just got my UPA-2

[tooskinny]

Decided to order my first Emo amp to see how well it sounds in my system. First I'm glad that these amps are double boxed and packed in foam because fed-x sure did a number on the box. One end was smashed like it was dropped. When I opened it up the inner box and foam had been crushed too. No damage at all to the amp. ;D

So I have this hooked up to my H/K 247 running Rocket 760's and a MFW for 2 channel listening. I didn't listen to long but all I can say is wow........ I always read the Rockets like power and they really opened up with more power. I kept hearing that adding a UPA-2 to a receiver would not make any noticeable difference due to a slight increase in +dB. I can notice a difference so that's all that matters to me. I'm sure it will sound even better once I get some hours on the amp

[bfisher]

UPA-2 is a great little amp. Can't go wrong with it!

[pitbullmike]

Damn imagine what you would have thought with an XPA-2 I got goosebumps just thinkin about it

[tooskinny]

Nov 16, 2009 20:49:10 GMT -5 pitbullmike said:

Damn imagine what you would have thought with an XPA-2 I got goosebumps just thinkin about it

If I wouldn't of just bought the 760's I would have bought the XPA-5. Maybe when tax refund time comes around.

[valkilm]

Hi tooskinny,

Greetings from the Azores islands.

I have ordered one too and still waiting for it. But mine is coming by ship all the way from USA to Portugal and then to the Azores. Hope it arrives safe.

Please let us have now your more indepth review of the UPA-2

[tooskinny]

Nov 18, 2009 16:46:01 GMT -5 valkilm said:

Hi tooskinny,

Greetings from the Azores islands.

I have ordered one too and still waiting for it. But mine is coming by ship all the way from USA to Portugal and then to the Azores. Hope it arrives safe.

Please let us have now your more indepth review of the UPA-2

Hello to you from far away.

So far I really like the extra oomph the UPA-2 gives me. Before I could max out the volume on the AVR now I haven't even tried too, it just gets too loud. Overall it's been a good investment for starting out with a separate amp. Gave me the extra power I wanted that is clean and good bass extension. I'm sure you will be happy when you add it to your system.

[valkilm]

Nov 18, 2009 17:46:56 GMT -5 tooskinny said:

Nov 18, 2009 16:46:01 GMT -5 valkilm said:

Hi tooskinny,

Greetings from the Azores islands.

I have ordered one too and still waiting for it. But mine is coming by ship all the way from USA to Portugal and then to the Azores. Hope it arrives safe.

Please let us have now your more indepth review of the UPA-2

Hello to you from far away.

So far I really like the extra oomph the UPA-2 gives me. Before I could max out the volume on the AVR now I haven't even tried too, it just gets too loud. Overall it's been a good investment for starting out with a separate amp. Gave me the extra power I wanted that is clean and good bass extension. I'm sure you will be happy when you add it to your system.

Hi

Please let us have a more detailed review on the UPA-2 amp!!

[tooskinny]

What type of details are you looking for ?

[valkilm]

Hello again,

Let us have your opinion on how the UPA-2 sounds on 2 channel stereo sound, some aspects like:

Bass extension: if it's deep or boomy, if it's controled, round or kind of "dry" etc

Midrange: if it's crisp and clear, if voices are evident or "behind" instruments, if acoustic sounds are like you were there etc

Treble: if hights are extensive but not bright, if they are kind of sweet or dry, if well integrated with midarange and low frequencies etc

If the sound gets hard when you turn the volume up or it keeps the imaging, composture like at average volume settings

How it's the soundstage: wide to to all sites, or without tridimensionally

At low volumes how is the sound, does it has bass extension or only when you turn up the volume, normally a good amplifier sounds very good at low volumes, not only at high volumes

How does the amplifier "commands" the speakers, if he is in charge or on the other way, it sounds weaker and has no grip at all

Well hope this helps.

[tooskinny]

Well let me see if I can answer some of your questions.

As far as bass goes I am listening to two channel with a sub so there is plenty of bass. This goes for both low and high volumes. Most of this is going to depend on your speakers and your room. Right now I do not have any room treatments, but just ordered supplies to make two bass traps.

With your other questions it's going to depend on your speakers. I have 760's which are kind of laid back so no harsh highs and no fatigue when listening for long periods.

I was just looking for more power than my AVR to help open my speakers and the UPA-2 did that exactly. I can tell the difference in bass and vocals from the speakers since I added the amp.

[valkilm]

Hello,

Thank you for the quick response.

In fact adding a sub will encrease low frequencies, but for me I don't think a 2 channel stereo system needs it, the less components the better.

I have B&W 684 floorstanders speakers which deliveries real good low frequencies that sometimes seems to be a sub, but a sub will always add more low frequencies than the recording has or it was intented to be.

My integrated amp NAD C355BEE has bass and treble controls that are all the time in the bypass position or at zero position, for me the less interference in the signal path the best. Sometimes there is a song that has almost no bass at all and people think it's the system fault, but right after I insert another cd with plenty of low frequencies and there they are and people realise that there is no fault at all, it just the way the music was recorded and that's what I like to hear, the closest possible to the way the music was made.

And you are right, there are many things that makes a system sound different, the room is one of them, I took my system once to my brothers apartment and sounded different, and there are many other small and subtle things that makes a slight difference in sound, like a curtain, a carpet etc etc

[tooskinny]

I agree with you about using a sub. My 760's will go quit low and hit hard at certain ranges, but adding the sub takes some strain off the mains. I have found out you don't know what a song sounds like until you listen to it on a good system. I have listen to some songs in my Jeep and didn't realize how much low bass was in the song until I listened to it on my home system.

Do you plan on replacing your NAD with the UPA-2 or is this going into a different system?

[valkilm]

Nov 22, 2009 9:52:53 GMT -5 tooskinny said:

I agree with you about using a sub. My 760's will go quit low and hit hard at certain ranges, but adding the sub takes some strain off the mains. I have found out you don't know what a song sounds like until you listen to it on a good system. I have listen to some songs in my Jeep and didn't realize how much low bass was in the song until I listened to it on my home system.

Do you plan on replacing your NAD with the UPA-2 or is this going into a different system?

Hello,

Yes, maybe you are right about certain low frequencies that are there and are not transmited through a normal speaker...

I'm not planing on replacing the NAD by the Emotiva, I will use the NAD as a pre-amplifier connected to the UPA-2, because my NAD has 2 preouts and I don't have a dedicated pre amplifer.

I'm curious to see if the UPA-2 sounds better or not than the NAD.
My NAD sounds fabulous and I find it hard to be bettered by the UPA-2...lets see if I'm wrong, what you say?

[Mike Ronesia]

Nov 23, 2009 18:00:07 GMT -5 valkilm said:

I'm curious to see if the UPA-2 sounds better or not than the NAD.
My NAD sounds fabulous and I find it hard to be bettered by the UPA-2...lets see if I'm wrong, what you say?

Make sure you let us know what you think. I just ordered one for my outdoor speakers and it will be on a boat as well so I won't get it until next year.

[valkilm]

Hello,

With luck next week it will be over here!

I was afraid because before yesterday a cargo ship run ashore and I thought the Emotiva could be there, but today the tugs took the ship from there and all cargo is being delivered...

So I guess that mine will be arriving next week, a complete review will be posted here...

[Mike Ronesia]

part of me wishes I'd paid for air freight but with the money saved on the UPA-2 and the ERC-1 I was able to get my wife something nice and have it shipped as well.

[valkilm]

Today I received a call from the forwarder saying that the UPA-2 arrived, well she said it was a small box I asked her if it was written Emotiva on the outside and she said it seems nothing is written, but then again she didn't really looked, but also said it was king of light weight considering the aclaimed 30 lbs...lets see tomorrow when I'll receive it...can't wait!!

Now the customs are handling it

[cgolf]

Dec 9, 2009 0:04:40 GMT -5 Mike Ronesia said:

part of me wishes I'd paid for air freight but with the money saved on the UPA-2 and the ERC-1 I was able to get my wife something nice and have it shipped as well.

Very good move, especially at Christmas!!!! ;D ;D

[valkilm]

The UPA-2 is still on the burn in period, the only thing it could be improved is the bass, that could deliver deeper bass notes, while the NAD being only 80 w delivers

But the NAD has a more round and warm sound, while the Emotiva is more neutral, which makes it more flat on all frequencies...