yet another Emo amp thread

[danger boy]

Ok.. this is a serious question at least.. but i'm thinking of replacing my mish-mash of amp's for the HT with Emotiva XPA-5 FIVE CHANNEL AUDIO POWER AMPLIFIER 200 watts RMS x 5 into 8 ohms | 350 watts RMS x 5 into 4 ohms

my question is.. how much amps do you think this thing will pull at low to moderate volume levels? All my speakers are easy to drive.. all 8ohm's.

Would it pull more/less/about the same at three mono blocks and one stereo amp on the same circuit? The last thing I want to do is get the Emo amp and keep tripping the breaker.

[leroyjr1]

Stop playing!!!!!!!!!

[Keiko]

yet another Emo amp thread

Uh oh

[SCompRacer]

Would it pull more/less/about the same at three mono blocks and one stereo amp on the same circuit? The last thing I want to do is get the Emo amp and keep tripping the breaker.

Al, looking at the manual I downloaded, the XPA-5 power requirement rating is 1500 watts @ 115VAC when driven into 8 Ohms. I would presume that is at or near max output. What are your current amps rated at? Get the specs and add them up. What is the amperage of the circuit you have all of your amps plugged into?

[heiney9]

Al, you'll be fine. These Emo's while heavy, etc don;t do anything unusual. It's just a normal amp and unless you run something like that at full power continuously you won't have any issues. I have friends running 5 channel Adcoms which are even beefier on a single circuit.............no issue whatsoever. Perhaps your buying into the hype just a little.

Now if you have ancient wiring in an old house then any amp this type *might* give you some trouble.

Emo boys will be chiming in puffing their chests trying to tell you these beasts draw so much power you'll need a dedicated circuit, etc....etc. You will be just fine w/a normal everyday outlet. With any multi-channel amp I would try and make sure not to overload the circuit the amp is on so keep other power robbing appliances/equipment off the same circuit if possible.

H9

[heiney9]

my question is.. how much amps do you think this thing will pull at low to moderate volume levels? All my speakers are easy to drive.. all 8ohm's.

An amp or two is what it will draw at normal to moderate levels and even rocking out I'd be surprised if it peaked much past 5 amps.

Now a cannon shot in a movie at high volume might pull 10 amps for a milli-second (less time than it takes to snap your finger) which will NOT affect your electrical circuit at all.

[mmadden28]

My whole HT setup (DVD, XPA-5, DLP RP, Onk 805) drew 9-11 amps max when pushing it with Master and Commander.
I did fair better with a dedicated circuit (and higher gauge wire) but that is likely because the outlet is about 100' away from the main panel (voltage drop and the heavy sharing of the line).
IIRC 5-6 amps is the normal avg draw. I don't recall what the amp measured by itself.

[LessisNevermore]

You'll be just fine.
I'm running a small integrated amp, AVR, DVR, and about 5 other components from a 15-amp breaker. I don't have everything on at once, of course.....but most of them, and no problems. Gotta go deflate my chest now.:p

[heiney9]

You'll be just fine.
I'm running a small integrated amp, AVR, DVR, and about 5 other components from a 15-amp breaker. I don't have everything on at once, of course.....but most of them, and no problems. Gotta go deflate my chest now.:p

Eh, your not a fan boy ;)

[speakergeek]

No problems with my XPA-5. I'm running it in 3ch mode (250 wpc @ 8 ohms), so it's no where near max current draw. I do notice the lights flicker when I power it on, but that's it. I have a 20 amp circuit though. I was worried since I also run dual Ultra and a receiver/plasma set, but even at moderate to high volumes, there have been no probelms.

[sucks2beme]

I think all av centers should have there own dedicated circuit.
But that's just my opinion. Between the sub, amp, and tv, it's
not a huge draw normally, but so many homes have way too
much on a circuit. If it can be done at a reasonable price, why not?
Here's a quiet day test for you. Flip your breakers and see just what's
on each one. Test every light and check all outlets either using a small
light or an outlet checker.(never a bad idea, you never know what's
wired wrong!). WRITE IT DOWN. I've found open grounds, reversed
hot and neutral, and miswired GFI.

[SCompRacer]

Al, while you most likely will be OK, I’d still do the math for everything on the circuit. If the old amps wattage requirements total the same or less, you’ll most likely be OK. Breakers usually pop at 80% or their rated amperage. Maybe less if it has been tripped before. Breakers are not rated sitting in a box where they run warmer than in open air. If you have a 15 amp circuit, 80% gives you 1440 watts or ~ 12 amps continuous on your 15 amp, 1800 watt circuit. A 20 amp circuit at 80% would be 1920 watts or 16 amps.

[dpowell]

Just had this conversation with my electrician on Monday. I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit for my RT3000 subs and another 20 amp circuit which powers the HT equipment (listed below). I'm closing up the wall and thought I might put in another dedicated circuit. After adding everything up and considering that even if it's full potential were realized, he said that I still wouldn't come close to hitting a 20 amp draw. He said he'd be surprised if I hit half of that.

[Face]

Sounds like you should fix your electrical problem before going out and buying anything else.

[heiney9]

Sounds like you should fix your electrical problem before going out and buying anything else.

What electrical problem? I think he's bought into all the hype surrounding the all "powerful" Emo amps. A regular home circuit is fine with any multi-channel amp unless you have some other power hungry things running on the same circuit, like a hair dryer, refrig, window A/C unit, higg consumption appliances, power tools, electric dryer, etc.....etc.

There are beefier amps out there than Emo that also run fine on a std 15A service. Obviously if one has a huge room, and wants to run it at or close to clipping for hours on end then there might be an issue.

H9

[unc2701]

It draws 1800 watts max... So if you're going full tilt on 4ohm speakers you'll either pop the fuse in it or pop a 15amp breaker.

So to answer your question, you'll probably be fine, but if you ever have to pull wires, go ahead and put in a 20amp one. I just put in a pair of 20amp lines to my new wiring closet for a B&K CT602 and a bunch of cable boxes/DVD players/network router/etc. Will I ever need that second line? Probably not, but it cost maybe $15 and took 20 minutes- once I close up the wall, it's a different story.

[Kex]

I have another example to add. Before moving to where we are now, we were renting a 1929 house with a fairly outdated electrical installation, although it had been updated at some point. When I bought the LMC-1 and LPA-1 "Ultra Theater Combo", I was worried about the same thing:

- All of the living room outlets, all of the dining room outlets, all of the office outlets, and all of the lighting for those three rooms, the stairwell and hallway on one, single, 15A circuit.
- Emotiva state, for the LPA-1 alone: Power Requirements (All Channels Driven into 8 ohms): 1500 watts @ 120 volts AC, 60hz input.

So, I was quite worried. I didn't have a watt meter, but I tried to measure current draw by counting the revolutions on the meter over a one minute period. First with the amp off, secondly with the amp on at the loudest setting I would ever use (knowing my listening habits, probably around 85-90dBA). Result: with this crude method, I could not measure any discernable difference in current draw. Not one single extra revolution of the meter (maybe a half turn, but the method was not precise enough to be sure about this).

I would also point out that I noticed no dimming of lights or any other sign of inherent problems. Only the a/c (cycling on or off) and using the waste disposal would cause this. Just to verify the methodology, I did the same test with the clothes dryer on: there was a very significant increase in power usage ... obviously.

Disclaimer: Now, damn it all, this is NOT a slur or criticism of Emotiva in any way, shape or form. I am not suggesting Emotiva overstated the output of the device, nor am I suggesting that the LPA-1 is just puny and that all Emotiva owners have teeny d!x. In short, this has nothing to do with Emotiva bashing.

[heiney9]

I used a Kilo-watt meter as well as my power center has a meter showing the draw in watts and amps. All my gear powered up, TV, etc. playing very loud and the draw never exceeded 4 amps. I forget the wattage .

You guys are over analyzing this.

Al, YOU WILL BE FINE

[jimmydep]

Dangerboy,
I have an XPA-5 hooked up to a Monster HTS-5100 power conditioner which gives me the amp draw of the system, after deducting the draw for the other components my XPA-5 driving 5 channels of LSI speakers at loud volume in a 20' x 40' room only pulls about 1.3 - 1.5 amps

Just so you have a comparison, my 50" plasma pulls as much as 1.6 amps.

Jimmy

[sucks2beme]

I used a Kilo-watt meter as well as my power center has a meter showing the draw in watts and amps. All my gear powered up, TV, etc. playing very loud and the draw never exceeded 4 amps. I forget the wattage .

You guys are over analyzing this.

Al, YOU WILL BE FINE

Yes. That's what we do.:D
But it's not an easy question to answer. That's why I'd CHECK what was on
the circuit in use. Over the years I've gotten waaay too many surprizes
when it comes to power. And don't assume a newer house is better for this than an older house.

[cfrizz]

You will be just fine Al. Get it, consolidate & enjoy.

[danger boy]

Just had this conversation with my electrician on Monday. I have a dedicated 20 amp circuit for my RT3000 subs and another 20 amp circuit which powers the HT equipment (listed below). I'm closing up the wall and thought I might put in another dedicated circuit. After adding everything up and considering that even if it's full potential were realized, he said that I still wouldn't come close to hitting a 20 amp draw. He said he'd be surprised if I hit half of that.

he doesn't know you that well I guess ;) :p

I'll check tonight... but I think my breaker is 15amps. In just the past month I've trimmed down the equipment for the home theater. taking out components I don't need in there.. so on that circuit breaker.. there should't be much more than the LCD TV, pre amp, 4 amps, BD, HD DVD and a few lights.

a couple big power tools, fridge, washer, dryer, stove :p :p :p

[danger boy]

my friends system pulls 4.0 to 6.0 amps when on, running moderate levels. His tube TV, pre amp, 7 ch amp, DVD, HD DVD, CD, Laser disc player, cable box, power conditioner, power stabilizer.

[megasat16]

If I may, it's a good idea not to share Powered Subwoofer with the Big Screen Plasma / LCD with multi-channel amp on the same circuit.

[hearingimpared]

If I may, it's a good idea not to share Powered Subwoofer with the Big Screen Plasma / LCD with multi-channel amp on the same circuit.

magasat could you elaborate a little as I've my powered subs, LCD, and mutli-channel amp on the same circuit and have yet to have a problem.

[polkie4life]

I always wondered why amp manufacturers recommend putting it on a 20amp curcuit. Why then would they put a 10amp iec on the back of the amp?

[BlueFox]

magasat could you elaborate a little as I've my powered subs, LCD, and mutli-channel amp on the same circuit and have yet to have a problem.

Ideally, a seperate circuit for everything is the way to go. However, I live in an older home and there is only one 15A circuit in my HT room, so I too have the 57" RPTV, sub, DVD, AVR(pre), AMP on the same circuit. So far no problems. I do have the TV and sub on their own power conditioner, and the AVR, DVD, and amp, on another power conditioner. The power conditioner shows the AVR, DVD, and amp (Sunfire TGA5400) together draw less than 2 amps in even the loudest setting.

Incidentally, this same 15A circuit continues into my home office, and then into the living room. So, if I wanted to I could have all the HT gear going, 3 computers, a 21" CRT monitor, a 32" TV, lamps, and the 2 channel rig (tuner, DAC, pre, 2 amps, SACD player, Wadia) all going at the same time. In fact I have, and there have not been any issues. YET!!!

[GV#27]

I always wondered why amp manufacturers recommend putting it on a 20amp curcuit. Why then would they put a 10amp iec on the back of the amp?

Really,I haven't encountered that.
Some companies will let you order 20amp versions of their most powerful model's(ie.Bryston's 14B,28B)and they will install the code correct 20amp AC inlet,breaker/fusing and power cord.

Im running 9 channels of amplification (Class A/B,and someClassD) on a dedicated 12AWG(20 amp) line with a 15 amp breaker with zero problem's with nuisance tripping.

[hearingimpared]

Ideally, a seperate circuit for everything is the way to go. However, I live in an older home and there is only one 15A circuit in my HT room, so I too have the 57" RPTV, sub, DVD, AVR(pre), AMP on the same circuit. So far no problems. I do have the TV and sub on their own power conditioner, and the AVR, DVD, and amp, on another power conditioner. The power conditioner shows the AVR, DVD, and amp (Sunfire TGA5400) together draw less than 2 amps in even the loudest setting.

Incidentally, this same 15A circuit continues into my home office, and then into the living room. So, if I wanted to I could have all the HT gear going, 3 computers, a 21" CRT monitor, a 32" TV, lamps, and the 2 channel rig (tuner, DAC, pre, 2 amps, SACD player, Wadia) all going at the same time. In fact I have, and there have not been any issues. YET!!!

My house and wiring is only 4 years old and I have two different rooms for HT & 2 channel. I guess I paid more attention to the electrical system in the dedicated 2 channel room as the HT is in the living room. As I said before I haven't had any problems with the HT rig as of yet. That's why I was curious.

[megasat16]

magasat could you elaborate a little as I've my powered subs, LCD, and mutli-channel amp on the same circuit and have yet to have a problem.

If your sub is rated around 300W, you may be OK. But if you have power hungry subs such as 500W and over, I am sure it'll draw a lot of currents during the Bass Heavy Scene. I had 2 A7s-450s subs and 1 Parasound AMP, 50" Plasma, and DVD player on a 15 amp circuit through Monster AVS2000 Signature Series conditioner and it normally draws around 800W-900W and hits as much as 1500W or more on the bass heavy movies. I've since removed the subs from the AVS2000 and ran through dedicated 4 x 20AMPs circuits. Bass is cleaner, tighter, Plasma screen plays without any flicker, and more to the point, Amps plays a lot a lot cleaner and a whole different sound.

I had my AVS2000 reset several times during heavy bass scene too so it's a bugger to have subs on the same line for me.

If you want to try, just ran a few extension cords from other circuits and try to see if you can have any benefits of running dedicated lines for amps and subs.

Ideally, a seperate circuit for everything is the way to go. However, I live in an older home and there is only one 15A circuit in my HT room, so I too have the 57" RPTV, sub, DVD, AVR(pre), AMP on the same circuit. So far no problems. I do have the TV and sub on their own power conditioner, and the AVR, DVD, and amp, on another power conditioner. The power conditioner shows the AVR, DVD, and amp (Sunfire TGA5400) together draw less than 2 amps in even the loudest setting.

Incidentally, this same 15A circuit continues into my home office, and then into the living room. So, if I wanted to I could have all the HT gear going, 3 computers, a 21" CRT monitor, a 32" TV, lamps, and the 2 channel rig (tuner, DAC, pre, 2 amps, SACD player, Wadia) all going at the same time. In fact I have, and there have not been any issues. YET!!!

Did you check how much current draw in the bass heavy scenes during movie?