McCormack gone.. what next ?

[santhosh]

With what speakers have you auditioned them ? In what ways was it better than the McCormack ?

I ask this because for the price, if it beats the Mc, it is an extreme VFM. Very very rare in hifi.

Just FYI, after owning Emotiva products, I would not be surprised at all. They are extreme VFM and usually compared with products 4 to 5 times their price.

Subhash on our forum recently bought two Emotiva monoblocks (XPA-1) and found them to be much better than the Vincent hybrid power amp that he earlier had. User reviews of the XPA-1s are often compared to high end Parasound and Krells.

 

[Dr.Bass]

Just FYI, after owning Emotiva products, I would not be surprised at all. They are extreme VFM and usually compared with products 4 to 5 times their price.

Subhash on our forum recently bought two Emotiva monoblocks (XPA-1) and found them to be much better than the Vincent hybrid power amp that he earlier had. User reviews of the XPA-1s are often compared to high end Parasound and Krells.

It is nice to hear we have some happy owners of the product. Is that enough to make a decision ? At least I would not encourage an approach like that. Since Spidey has confirmed emphatically that Emotiva is an upgrade over McCormack, I am assuming he has already auditioned them to his satisfaction. Hence my curiosity on what are the differences he heard between the two amps. What speakers were the Emotiva driving (it is a very important factor to consider) ? It will also allow us to understand what Spidey is looking for in the next amp.

BTW, here is one amplifier which does it all and would make your Dyns sing and dance:

OCTAVE Audio

Available with Sound of Music, Delhi.

 

[Spidey]

@Dr.Bass, I dont have the fortune of hearing many high end amps including Emotiva. XPA is an import from US and will be a blind buy based on reviews and user experiences ; so would be many others i may choose.
Users like santhol2 and subhash can give an expert answer as to the sound and hearing experience of Emotiva.

thanks

 

[Spidey]

The dynaudio audience 72 is one of the loudspeakers I had shortlisted along with the Linn Ninka some 6 years back after extensive auditions when I was looking for speakers to use with my Nad amp. I chose different.

Squarewave, can you post your views about Stratos as compared to amps being discussed here??

thanks

 

[subhash]

Hi All

Got this quote from ICC shop ; doorstep delivered. for XPA-3.

Check :
ICC World on eBay : XPA-3 order

Does it look good ?

XPA-3 shud cost you AProx 45K via borderlinx delivered to your door ,the ebay price @ 54K seems high

 

[subhash]

go for XPA-2 for your mains
and later for an XPA-3 for rest of channels
This combo wud be hard to be equalled at any cost

 

[Spidey]

XPA-2 / 5 are OUT of stock at Emotiva ..

 

[audiodelic]

XPA-2 / 5 are OUT of stock at Emotiva ..

then wait .... patience is key to good results.

I have read some reviews of people pairing dynaudio speakers with emo high current amplifiers. Most seem to be loving the combo do a search on emo forums

 

[subhash]

It is nice to hear we have some happy owners of the product. Is that enough to make a decision ? At least I would not encourage an approach like that. Since Spidey has confirmed emphatically that Emotiva is an upgrade over McCormack, I am assuming he has already auditioned them to his satisfaction. Hence my curiosity on what are the differences he heard between the two amps. What speakers were the Emotiva driving (it is a very important factor to consider) ? It will also allow us to understand what Spidey is looking for in the next amp.

BTW, here is one amplifier which does it all and would make your Dyns sing and dance:

OCTAVE Audio

Available with Sound of Music, Delhi.

hi DR Bass

i wish we cud audition the amps we want to buy ,which here in india is not a possibility

Emotiva are online sellers ,so audition is not possible ,but going by thier reputation and having experienced thier products i wud buy anything from them with closed eyes , have recently bought a pair of thier monoblocks XPA-1, these amps are compared to the Parasound monoblocks JC-1 and the performance being almost on par but the difference is the major price tags of the parasound (almost 4-5 times more)
I Will be definetly buying some more power blocks from emotiva

The emotiva Products are great Value for money ,with this kind of performance to price it scores over other big guys, if you go through the emotiva lounge u get to see a lot of people getting rid of thier setups having listened to the emotiva gear , i thought this to be a gimmick but the same has struck me too

About spkrs the X series emotiva power amps is capable of driving 2 ohm loads with ease

 

[santhosh]

This combo wud be hard to be equalled at any cost

Any cost ?

 

[Dr.Bass]

Going by amplifier topology, I would prefer a Odyssey over an Emotiva. Dual mono with some really souped up power supply and known for its neutrality and drive. Even I am saying this without listening to an Emotiva. There is a cleanliness and effortlessness to the sound when the amp is dual mono.

If you are in Bangalore, try to contact the Corrson guys. They have come up with a new Solid state monoblock design which does 200 watts per channel.
I have heard them and they are far superior to anything you can buy around a lakh.

 

[rikhav]

hi DR Bass

i wish we cud audition the amps we want to buy ,which here in india is not a possibility

Emotiva are online sellers ,so audition is not possible ,but going by thier reputation and having experienced thier products i wud buy anything from them with closed eyes , have recently bought a pair of thier monoblocks XPA-1, these amps are compared to the Parasound monoblocks JC-1 and the performance being almost on par but the difference is the major price tags of the parasound (almost 4-5 times more)
I Will be definetly buying some more power blocks from emotiva

The emotiva Products are great Value for money ,with this kind of performance to price it scores over other big guys, if you go through the emotiva lounge u get to see a lot of people getting rid of thier setups having listened to the emotiva gear , i thought this to be a gimmick but the same has struck me too

About spkrs the X series emotiva power amps is capable of driving 2 ohm loads with ease

Hi Subhash/Spidey/Dr. Bass and others

I have also not got the opportunity to listen to very hi-end systems till now, so excuse my comments if anyone feels offended by it

What Subhash says is right about Emotiva amps that they are extermely VFM and can be compared to amps costing 3 or 4 times.
But what i feel is that the synergy factor is more important here. Will the sound with Dynas paired with Emotiva amp will be to the liking of Spidey?

There is not much doubt if Emotiva amps can drive the speakers well or not. I am sure it will be good if not the best

So that way it will be like taking a risk, because if the sound is not to your liking, ultimately you wont feel staisfied listening to your music
My advice would be to look at the amps in your budget which are avialble in Mumbai and audition them with your setup if possible. Still, if you dont find anything worthwhile you can take the risk of making a blind buy

 

[subhash]

Any cost ?

three XPA-1, one each for L/C/R and an XPA-5 for the rest of the

channels wud be DYANMITE!!!!!! with an UMC-1/ XMC-1.

wonder what wud equal this??????????????? : and at what price

 

[subhash]

XPA-2 / 5 are OUT of stock at Emotiva ..

chk website i suppose its back on stock

 

[square_wave]

these amps are compared to the Parasound monoblocks JC-1 and the performance being almost on par

Hi Subash,

This is good news. Can you point me to the review please ? What kind of systems are these comparisons done ? Associated equipment ?

JC1 's are typically used by hardcore two channel audiophiles in extremely well setup systems.

I am assuming the discussion here is for a strict two channel application.

Thank you,
Square.

 

[pratimbayal]

Some basic questions:

- Budget ?
- Preference of sound ? What do you want more in your next amp ?
- Willingness to buy used, especially from Audiogon ?
- Willingness to buy from small boutique brands, Indian and Overseas ?

Having said that, ROC has sighted some great candidates for upgrade, all are expensive. One thing though, the Odyssey will sound better than your McCormack with your Dynes. It has the grunt and Open top end goes well with speakers like Dynes. However I cannot say if it is a all round upgrade.

If willing to buy from Audiogon , what needs to be considered apart from duty , shipping cost .

Pratim

 

[unleash_me]

Sellers reputation, clear/effective/prompt communication and finally your gut feeling

 

[pratimbayal]

Hi All

Got this quote from ICC shop ; doorstep delivered. for XPA-3.

Check :
ICC World on eBay : XPA-3 order

Does it look good ?

Mouth watering .:licklips:

Is it comparable with amps 3/4 times costly ?

How they sounds like specally the tone /clarity ?

Pratim

 

[square_wave]

Squarewave, can you post your views about Stratos as compared to amps being discussed here??

thanks

I have been following Odyssey amplifiers even before odyssey they came to India. In fact I was considering importing them and ARN systems came to the rescue. The amps are built in the USA based on designs from Symphonic line amplifiers designed by Rolf Germein in Germany. Klaus Bunge was the distributer for Symphonic line in the US and he has some kind of arrangement wherein he can build the amps in the US at minimal cost.

When buying blind, you need to know the credentials of the design (the designer and the design) and most importantly the type of audiophile group among whom the amplifier is popular with. The second parameter is extremely important to know to deduce if the device will work for you.

Odyssey seemed to fit in just fine with all the parameters. The designer and design is proven. The audiophile group among whom the amp is popular is strictly two channel. I stay clear of gear which is popular in Home theatre centric forums while shopping for gear for reproducing two channel music. The design criteria are completely different for both. Two channel guys are a very finicky lot and much harder to please. I do not mean to step on anyones shoes here, but horses for courses !


Among the amps in discussion I have not compared any of them my listening room. But I have heard one of the discussed amps with the same loudspeakers.

MC Cormack DNA 125 I liked the odyssey better. Clearer top end with no hint of grain. Extreme control of the low end. Meaning, I can hear cleaner detail as the standing bass goes lower and lower into the last two octaves. The mids seem a bit warmer on the MC Cormack. This is something which I do not like. Some others may like it that way. The odyssey is as warm as I can take; anything warmer is euphonic to me. Overall I found the MC Cormack a bit muted and muffled compared to the Odyssey. While playing western classical I can see layers into the performance with the odyssey. And far better slam. The bass will slice through you with the right kind of speakers.

There are four other amps to which I have compared the Odyssey in the same room with same speakers.

Plinius SA100 The odyssey came out better.

Plinius SA reference- The Plinius beat the odyssey The amp costs around 4.5 lakhs. It should sound better. But the odyssey came close to 90 percent of the performance.

NAD C 270 and some heavy weight Rotel amp a friend was considering The less said the better :sad:

The odyssey strikes a fine balance between warmth and neutrality. It strays a tiny bit into the warmth territory to avoid sounding clinical. One of the reasons why I preferred this amp to brystons. It works extremely well with hi-end scanspeak dome based loudspeakers.

 

[sidvee]

I tend to agree with square. Amps that are designed primarily for HT and related applications (such as 5 channel audio) will not necessarily perform well in 2 channel applications especially if one has revealing speakers. That being said parasound jc1 are in an entirely different league IMO. It is quite popular in budget equipment forums to compare nicely priced equipment to equipment 4-5 times their price and claim that they sound similar - maybe for movie tracks - which have foley effects, artificial induced sounds etc - but almost never for 2 channel music. Just my humble opinion.
Cheers
Sid