Secrets' Emotiva XPA-1 review

[mmadden28]

In case anybody is interested, a review (http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/amplifier-reviews/power-amplifier/emotiva-xpa-1-monoblock-power-amplifier.html)of Emotiva's Differential Reference Monoblock amplifier, the XPA-1 (http://emotiva.com/xpa1.shtm), has just been posted at Secret's of Home Theatre and High Fidelity.

http://emotiva.com/xpa1/xpa1_close_script.jpg
https://secure.emotiva.com/shop/secure/images/products/173.jpg
http://emotiva.com/xpa1/xpa1_topless.jpg
http://emotiva.com/xpa1/xpa1-back.jpg[/QUOTE]

[bigred7078]

sa-sa-sa-seeeeeexy :)

[leroyjr1]

MMadden28, the xpa1 mono's must be in your future.

[bigred7078]

^ hm the future must be now... hehe

[mantis]

This company builds beautiful gear. Even if it didn't sound good, I would be interested in looking at it

[Emlyn]

An excellent and balanced review!

[SolidSqual]

Emotiva is great, but if you have really sensitive speakers like me, the high gain will raise your noise floor and become a nuisance if you are sensitive to that kind of thing.

I never owned the XPA-1, but I have owned the XPA-2. The dynamics were the best my system had ever seen at the time.

[kuntasensei]

I gotta stop reading stuff about Emotiva. That UPA-7 keeps calling my name!

[mmadden28]

MMadden28, the xpa1 mono's must be in your future.

Already got a pair on New Years Eve :cool:;)

And No I haven't really had a chance to play with them yet :( but I did get them out of the box :D:rolleyes:, well OK one is still in the plastic :o

[mmadden28]

An excellent and balanced review!

Yeah, I only wish he was able to do a comparison with the XPA-2. I think he compared mostly with the RPA-1 IIRC.

[heiney9]

One line I got a huge kick out of.....................

Unlike some “statement” amps by other manufacturers that are mostly empty inside, the XPA-1’s chassis is absolutely crammed with components.

What a stupid thing to say. Crammed with components doesn't mean anything except it's has lots of parts in the signal path and is complicated, not that it plays or sounds better.

The one cool thing is the "differential" part of the design rather than just using the 2 half's of the amp in a typical "bridged" output type of design.

Kudos for the price point and the apparent build quality. I am suspect that perhaps this reviewer (as he stated in the first paragraph) is a fanboy. Still if it sounds 1/2 as good as he states it looks like a very good piece and great price.

H9

[Face]

I still can't get over those binding posts.

[heiney9]

I still can't get over those binding posts.

Yeah..............those would be a HUGE PITA!!

[RutgersFTW]

That's madness.

[Hawkeye]

I would think if a person is going to drop 2K the LED/meters not being in cal would not pass it off as ok. Only for show? Come on give me break.

I'm not sure what Wireworld Speaker cables he is using but I'd be upset to have to send in a 1K+ cable to be reterminated at my cost.

Gordon

[brettw22]

Price-wise, I've been thinking about getting the XPA-5 and XPA-3 as well as the UMC-1 (releasing soon). I really like the look of them, but I am a bit hesitant to purchase sight unseen/sound unheard.....

[leroyjr1]

Already got a pair on New Years Eve :cool:;)

And No I haven't really had a chance to play with them yet :( but I did get them out of the box :D:rolleyes:, well OK one is still in the plastic :o



What kind of speakers are you going to run with those mono blocks?

[bigred7078]

This company builds beautiful gear. Even if it didn't sound good, I would be interested in looking at it

haha thats funny :D

[SEH]

I'm not sure what Wireworld Speaker cables he is using but I'd be upset to have to send in a 1K+ cable to be reterminated at my cost.


You could probably bi-wire using the existing terminations. Run -- on one wire and ++ on the other... and remember to pair the leads correctly when you get to the speaker.

Of course, then you'd have $2k+ cable coming from your $999 amp...

[Midnite Mick]

I still can't get over those binding posts.

Why would they do that? You have to pretty much use lamp cord wire....weird.

[SolidSqual]

Why would they do that? You have to pretty much use lamp cord wire....weird.

Or custom wire . . . which most any high-end or custom wire manufacturer can do. Perhaps they just assumed people who would be interested in their reference amp would be running custom wire.

[heiney9]

Or custom wire . . . which most any high-end or custom wire manufacturer can do. Perhaps they just assumed people who would be interested in their reference amp would be running custom wire.

Hi end amp....................where, not in this thread. I know of many many other higher end amps that have std speaker terminal width, so I'd say probably not the case of having "custom" speaker cables made.

I'd call it an oddity.

[Face]

What if you already have fancy custom wire?

IMO, that was a huge mistake on their part.

[Midnite Mick]

Maybe they plan on introducing their own custom speaker cables.

[dkg999]

You can build a neat binding post extension out of coat hanger wire and duct tape! That'll solve the problem.

[mmadden28]

What kind of speakers are you going to run with those mono blocks?

For now? The LSi9's. I might try them out on the RTi12's though. Who knows what the future holds for speakers-at least I'll be ready ;):D My guess though is that I probably won't be able to discern a difference between the XPA-2 and the XPA-1's at this point. We'll see.

You can build a neat binding post extension out of coat hanger wire and duct tape! That'll solve the problem.
That's my plan :p:rolleyes:

[leroyjr1]

For now? The LSi9's. I might try them out on the RTi12's though. Who knows what the future holds for speakers-at least I'll be ready ;):D My guess though is that I probably won't be able to discern a difference between the XPA-2 and the XPA-1's at this point. We'll see.


That's my plan :p:rolleyes:



Have you thought about some SDA's?

[mmadden28]

Have you thought about some SDA's?

Have I thought about SDA's...(he said, with repeated sarcasm) ;)

Of course, and I've never even heard them. The opportunities just keep slipping past me. I'm in deep caca right now anyway for getting the amps. I even stayed home to sign for them. Little did I know my Mother-in-Law would be there. I overslept and she signed for them, then blabbered to my wife that I bought more stuff.:mad::mad::mad:. Ya know she never would ave known :rolleyes:.

Yeah I can't be bringing any behemoths in here right now. Of course if the right opportunity came along...;):rolleyes:

[brody05]

I dont mind some lights but too many is a bit on the gimmicky side for me, I did look at these before deciding on the Verastarr and a lot of it came down to the lights, fussy.......probably but aren't we all a bit fussy with regard to our 'little affair' with our systems.

[brettw22]

Except that you can turn the lights completely off and make them disappear.........simple.

[brody05]

Except that you can turn the lights completely off and make them disappear.........simple.

I would like to have clipping lights just incase though but yeah, fair call.

[bigred7078]

I would like to have clipping lights just incase though but yeah, fair call.

lol i doubt you'll clip the XPA-1...

[brody05]

lol i doubt you'll clip the XPA-1...

Anything can be clipped, they have their limits like anything, throw a low ohm load on it such as subs and crank it and hey presto, limits reached.

[Face]

MMadden has a clipping problem with his Emo amp and LSi9's, so anything is possible.

[Ricardo]

Haven't read the whole thread so not sure if already mentioned, but why would they put the + & - posts so far apart????? Many speaker wires won't work there without some modification. Stupid IMO.

Ok; after reading I see it has been mentioned more than once :o

[heiney9]

Let's try to keep up Ricardo :p

[mmadden28]

I would like to have clipping lights just incase though but yeah, fair call.

I believe it might show clipping.
here's a link (http://emotivalounge.proboards54.com/index.cgi?board=amps&action=display&thread=3230&page=1#43546) to a post about the XPA-2 at Emotivalounge.
On the other end of the spectrum, Lonnie told me that the first red LED is a warning that clipping is near, the second is at the onset of clipping (not dangerous to your speakers,) the third is 1% clipping, the 4th 10%.

Although it doesn't appear that there are any red LEDs in the pic of the XPA-1. I'll have to ask about that.

[mmadden28]

I'd much rather (maybe?) see these meters from the RPA-2 on the XPA series.
http://emotiva.com/rpa2/rpa2_meters_sm.jpg