Emotiva equipmet, how good is it?

Interesting how some people find the Emotive XDA-1 bright, but I never did. I would say it was brighter sounding than the XDA-2 but never harsh or too bright. I cannot stand a bright sound or any speakers with a harsh high end. For instance Klipsch speakers come to mind. Several of my friends have them and I cannot listen to them for a long period of time before fatigue sets in. In fact many speakers with a metal dome tweeter, I find to be too bright for me. 

I did audition a couple of the Schitt DACs a while back but I preferred the Emotiva XDA-2.

By the way the XDA-2 does have a lossless volume control so it can be used as a preamp but the XDA-1 does not and should never be used as a preamp.  

FYI to the OP, the XDA-2 is long out of production. Their current dac may be better.

LJG, you must understand, when Emotiva was selling the XDA-1, they were calling it a digital preamp, and marketing it as such. Doesn’t that seem just a little wrong headed??  Also, you dismiss Schiit Audio but have obviously not tried more than one or two models or versions of their DACs,  or else you would have at least mentioned one such model.

they currently offer 7 separate models.  The multibit stuff they have is amazing to me.   When I tried the entry level Modi Uber, I immediately realized it was superior to the XDA dac.  So I upgraded to the Bifrost Multibit and the detail it gives with warmth is something Emotiva could never achieve.  Ymmv.

I realize the XDA-2 is out of production, besides the OP was asking about Emotiva amps. I only stated my experience with an Emotiva product because he was curious about quality of their products. 

I did not dismiss Schitt DACs, I only said I tried a couple a while ago and heard no better sound quality with them. The XDA-2 and the Schitt DACs were very similar in sound quality. I never said they were bad. I only tried them because my son was auditioning different DACs and asked me if I wanted to compare them to my DAC before he sends them back. I really don't remember the models, I would have to ask my son.     

When I purchased the XDA-1 they cautioned me that the volume should be kept at maximum, I believe, and only use a preamp for volume control or sound quality would be degraded. I believe it said that in the manual. I did not realize they were marketing it as a preamp also. Maybe that was before I bought mine. However,  the XDA-2 can be used as a preamp because it uses a resistive ladder volume control, which does not degrade the sound quality.

Anyway, I just wanted to describe my experience with one of their products.

I had a pair of XPA 1L trying to power my Maggie 1.7 speakers after about 7 returns to the factory for service I switched to a Parasound integrated it was a dramatic improvement in quality, and musicality and never a problem.

Yamaha is so underrated. The integrateds are great, the 801 especially. Check accessories4less, they often have them refurb on sale.