Emo for a new enthusiast??

[thetawave2]

Since I bought Tannoy D100 speakers and a Yaqin MC-100B integrated tube amp, my Onkyo home theater receiver and Polk Monitor 40s have been used by my younger brother, who is just starting to get into this whole audio thing. Unfortunately, one of the channels on the Onkyo is starting to cut out intermittently. Fortunately, this is a great opportunity to give the guy a (not-so-) little nudge towards a serious 2-channel setup. Budget is around $500 bucks. I've got him starting to read some amp reviews on Stereophile and elsewhere. So far the frontrunner seems to be the Marantz PM5003 (http://www.stereophile.com/integratedamps/marantz_pm5003_integrated_amplifier/index.html), but there's a long way to go and a lot of reading on his plate before I'll let him pull the trigger (what a good big brother I am! :cheesygrin:)

Anyway, I'm under the impression that Emotiva is somewhat controversial around these parts. Since I just saw a banner proclaiming a summer sale on their website, I thought I'd finally take a moment to find out just why some Polkies love them and why some don't. Since it looks like their power amps are on clearance (and fairly inexpensive besides!), I figured an Emo power amp and a tubed preamp would be an interesting idea to play with. (Though my brother probably wouldn't go for a tubed power stage, some of my enthusiasm for tubes has rubbed off on him.)

Any thoughts regarding Emotiva, Marantz (especially the amp mentioned or others like it), or other manufacturers for a somewhat beginner-level rig are more than welcome.

Eventually I'll get him to sign up here and do some more of the legwork himself, but for now I figured I'd help him out!

[marvda1]

how about a yaqin 10l or 20l ?

[thetawave2]

how about a yaqin 10l or 20l ?

I'd definitely have him consider Yaqin, but he seems to be leaning more towards solid state at the moment. I'm very happy with my MC-100B and it's a name we'll be keeping in mind.

[tonyb]

Is he looking for an integrated...an amp, or a receiver ? 2 channel or surround ? Since you said his Onkyo is on the way out, I assume he wants surround sound too ?

[AsSiMiLaTeD]

It's not that Emotiva are bad amps, its just that IMO there are better options in that price range if you're willing to go used. There are a few Parasound amps in that $500 price range that will sound significantly better the the Emotiva models and IMO it's not even close.

[heiney9]

All you have to do is spend a little time researching EMO and Emotiva on CP to find out where and why everyone stands. Let's not start yet another "what's wrong with Emotiva" thread. It has been beaten to death.

Tonyb brings up a couple of good questions. Also if you go tubes be sure and add some $$$ to your budget for some decent tubes other than what is shipped with the unit as they are generally a step above junk. Proper tubes make a huge difference even in a modest rig.

H9

[thetawave2]

(to tonyb and others:) Just to clarify my original post, he's looking for 2-channel, most likely an integrated amp (possibly pre/power combo if the price is right). We only had the Onkyo receiver because it was given to us after our uncle upgraded his home theater. The Onkyo has been, like its successor will be, used mainly for 2-channel listening.

(to AsSiMiLaTeD) Parasound is not a name I'm particularly familiar with, so we'll do a little digging in that direction! Thanks for the suggestion. The used market is not out of the question.

(to H9) I have seen some flashes of the arguments here and there, but sometimes those multi-page threads are a bit tough to follow! The more I look at it though, the less confidence Emotiva inspires in me. I'm sure some people really enjoy their Emotiva amps, but I might just steer clear of the whole thing.
I think part of the beauty of tubes is exactly what you're talking about; that putting some money and effort towards the right tubes can really pay off. Also nice is the fact that the amp can be purchased now and better tubes might be had later. Since we're both college kids with little to no income, spreading out the purchases that way can be helpful haha

[DSkip]

If I were you, I'd bring the Yaqin over and let him have a listen in his setup. I wasn't entirely sold on tubes until I heard them in my own setup. It might not convince him to look into tubes, but it at least makes him a more informed consumer.

[cbow8]

If you want new and a 30 day trial emo seems like a good choice. If you are ok with used gear you can probably do better soundwise. Also accessories for less has onkyo amps.if your powering monitor 40 an onkyo amp would be sufficient. Audio options are endless. ;)