Opinion about Emotiva XPA 2 gen 3 power amplifier.

[sunand777]

There's Schiit Vidar at 700usd, 100 wpc which I'm using. You can bridge as monoblocks to 400 wpc of course at 1400 usd. The issue will be getting it from USA and need to send back to US if you need service. Advantages will be, It uses less noisy El Core Power Supply, Class AB against Class H of Emotiva . For Boston A360 100wpc should be enough in my opinion, but higher amplifier power is mostly good and liberates you while planning future speaker upgrades. The preamp options from Schiit for Vidar are quite VFM as well. I went with Vidar because of the impression I got from listening at FMs place, my experience with schiit products and clear upgrade path which is in my budget.

Stereophile noted slight distortion in XPA Gen 3 according to this review, and was suggesting proper speaker matching for better performance. Most other reviews have been quite positive.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/emotiva-xpa-gen3-two-channel-power-amplifier-measurements
Always better to listen for yourself and decide, since these measurements don't necessarily translate into real world experience.

Another option is professional amps( Qsc & Crown), Class D in the budget, which will be much cheaper and provide the same or better amplification power. My listening of them is with professional speakers in a Party environment hasn't been pretty good from audiophile perspective ( there's bias against them which is not correct). I am looking forward to listen to one in my room environment with audiophile speakers.

You can go DIY route with experienced FMs like @Aniket or experienced people locally , who can design a pure Class A tailored to your power requirements,

First i need a good amp setup for near audiophile range and power within a good budget , i am planning to start with pre power combo for pure two channel music listening, then i will be upgrade my speakers.

which CLASS type (A,AB,H,D) is good for power and SQ ?

 

[tuff]

I would not compare an Emotiva to a PA amplifier. The former is engineered to a high degree and will sound leagues better.
.

I have been using the Crown XLS 1502 for almost a year now. It is NOT a typical PA amp. If you can, try and audition it. Too bad fm @celester340 moved out of mumbai, else i would have brought it over to him and played it in his system ,if nothing then just for a bit of fun comparison.

 

[sandeepmohan]

- It's not fair to compare a receiver's performance with a dedicated amplifier. Again Emotiva is not a bad amplifier, it is just that they don't have the finesse, in my opinion, that audiophiles expect in the high-end category.

When I spend Rs. 150k on a top of the line AV receiver, I expect it to deliver in spades and not rely on a out board power amplifier to drive my speakers. I have now understood how the whole home theater circuit works. Throw in a lot of bells and whistles but not a great power section, even when you buy the best. If you are spending big bucks, get a control processor instead of an AV Receiver where you won't end up using the amplifier section.

I am not sure what you mean by lack of finesse. I did not find anything that was amiss with Emotiva. Their amplifiers have got me thinking what the whole "Hi End" fuss is all about. Not that their stuff is super cheap but there is serious sound quality at a fraction of the cost of some so called "high end" gear. You cannot ignore that.

 

[drkrack]

Qsc has class AB , class H amplifiers.
Crown has class d, drive core etc

I actually meant other Class D from AE etc
Apart from Crown, now it makes sense to listen to Qsc also before buying another Vidar. Let's see

First i need a good amp setup for near audiophile range and power within a good budget ,

Its usually done the other way round, speakers impart a lot to sound signature. Anyway, if you end up liking the sound after power amp and A 360 combo, you may obviate the need for speaker upgrades.

which CLASS type (A,AB,H,D) is good for power and SQ ?

I can't actually be sure about how much of sonic difference the class of Amp makes for every individual, but whenever I've liked the sound blindly without knowing the components, it has turned out to be a Class A or AB amp & never class D. The refined class D may outperform poorly designed class A/AB etc. I own a Nad D3020 a class D amp, which I don't like for dedicated stereo music listening.
Class A tend to be heavy, run hotter, poor power efficiency but sound quite musical according to most listeners.
Since its for long-term upgrade for you, I'd suggest you to visit FMs and listen before buying.

 

[Aniket]

Hi Sunand,

Emotiva XPA 2 could be a good power amp if you are using it for high SPL application. but, for serious music listening, stay away from Class H, D. here we are not concerned about the efficiency or power output of any amplifier, rather it's outright performance and dynamics. if you can extend your budget, Hegel H190 or even H90 would surpass your expectations on sound quality. moreover these are integrated amps and you get a plethora of audio inputs and flexibility.
Or, if you really need good amount of power, have a look at Mackie M1400I, it can beat many high end amps on performance. Although it's discontinued, you can get one at a fraction of the price of Emotiva.

Regards,
Aniket

 

[sunand777]

Hi Sunand,

Emotiva XPA 2 could be a good power amp if you are using it for high SPL application. but, for serious music listening, stay away from Class H, D. here we are not concerned about the efficiency or power output of any amplifier, rather it's outright performance and dynamics. if you can extend your budget, Hegel H190 or even H90 would surpass your expectations on sound quality. moreover these are integrated amps and you get a plethora of audio inputs and flexibility.
Or, if you really need good amount of power, have a look at Mackie M1400I, it can beat many high end amps on performance. Although it's discontinued, you can get one at a fraction of the price of Emotiva.

Regards,
Aniket

Hi Aniket,
Whats your opinion about Parasound a21?

 

[Indranil Sen]

@sunand777- I am using Parasound Halo A-21 amplifier in my 2 channel stereo set up for the last 7-8 years and I love it. It has a Class A bias for the 1st 8 watts and if you don't listen to music in ear-bleeding volume this amplifier performs very well. It sounds neutral to warm and it's definitely worth an audition if you are willing to spend more on the amplifier.
Since I have both XPA-5 and Halo A-21 I can tell you that if you listen to Halo A-21 it would be hard to choose the Emotiva amplifier for listening to 2 channel music. But Parasound Halo A-21 is more expensive than Emotiva and it might not be a fair comparison between the two units.
I know the owner of the company Parasound, Richard Schram. He has a dealer in Mumbai who handles all Parasound products. If you want I can give you his telephone number. BTW I don't have any affiliation with Parasound and I am not trying to sell anything here.
Thanks.

 

[Aniket]

Hi Aniket,
Whats your opinion about Parasound a21?

Much better than Emotiva. I would still prefer Hegel over Parasound. but again, for that amount of money, a much better amp can be custom built.

Regards,
Aniket

 

[sunand777]

@Indranil Sen , what is your preamp section?

 

[Indranil Sen]

sunand777- I am using following pre-amplifiers in my system
1. Parasound Halo JC-2 for 2 channel music
2. Parasound Halo P7 for HT.
Thanks.

 

[sunand777]

sunand777- I am using following pre-amplifiers in my system
1. Parasound Halo JC-2 for 2 channel music
2. Parasound Halo P7 for HT.
Thanks.

Great setup..

 

[sandeepmohan]

Here is another option;

Outlaw Audio

 

[marsilians]

I used to own a XPA 2 Gen 1 a while back. No doubts on the power output and Emotiva rates their amps conservatively. Biggest call out is switched power supply vs linear in the older models. While not proven some say the life expectancy may be low for switched relays. One other thing that I noticed is that the company is now under new management Jade Design who also own the Sherbourn brand and while they still retain the employees, not sure how the management will take it forward.

 

[Indranil Sen]

Emotiva is a well established brand in the US and I don't have any specific concern about their existence at the moment. Besides they have added a set of new speakers including subwoofers in addition to upgrading their existing amplifiers in the recent past. So I wouldn't worry much about the company itself.
Outlaw is another good brand in the same price bracket. They all provide a very good value undoubtedly. It really comes down to your budget and rest of your speakers/electronics when deciding on the amplifier.
Thanks.

 

[pps73]

Hello members,
While searching on google I came to this thread.
Actually I am debating with myself on buying the Emotiva Xpa 3 gen 3 for my HT setup to power the LCR.
My receiver is marantz 7013 with B&W 603 as LR and HTM 6 as center. Surrounds are old yamaha bookshelf spks.
I am also eyeing the Yamaha MX-A5200 with bridge mode for the front two channels.
Any thoughts on these two choices will be really helpful.
Thanks,
Partha

 

[Vikram Singh]

Anyone using this amp ? It has no transformer power supply, it uses smps technology, but massive sound output..300w at 8 ohm per channel. How is the performance and sound quality of this amp? The missing toroidal transformer technology will make any degradation in soundquality?
No chance for audition..so please help.

Hi did u find any conclusions about emotiva amp. Pls share ur experience

 

[spirovious]

The 7055 is a really good amp (both for 2 channel as well as HT) but the XPA has even better dynamics and sound stage.

I had this amp few years ago. Its clean sounding amp, but when compared to Rotel, it sounded weak.