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Emotiva vs. some bigger boys

I have just ordered a Emotiva 3 channel amp after testing it against a few better known models. Here's the short story...

My recent gear....Manley Stingray II, Def Tech BP7004 speakers for theater, Magnepan 1.6, Odyssey Stratos, Rogue Metis pre, Rotel 1090, MJ Acoustics Sub, SVS sub...and so on! I typically spend 7-10K on a system and I like to call that the low end of high end....

My buddy bought my latest set of Magnepans 1.6's which were modded with better stands (I'm waiting for my new Merlin TSM-XMr's to mate with my new Stingray II) and he also has the Odyssey/Rogue combo, which he bought after he heard mine. Other speakers in the room: Revel M20's and an old pair of Proac floor standers-not sure of the model.

The amps were the XPA-3 and the XPA-2. Most of the listening was done with the Metis by Rogue.

I'll cut right to it. Both Emotiva amps had less than 100 hours on them and both sounded better than the Rotel 1090 for dynamics, detail and soundstage. Bass was stronger on the Emotiva, but we also thought the Rotel's bass was a bit more true and quick. Space around single instruments was superior on the Emotiva XP3, open and very lifelike. But on some recordings the Emotiva was a tad too bright and in those cases I may have chosen the Rotel for extended listening. Still, with a fine recording, such Lyle Lovett Pontiac, we both agreed the Emotiva was superior to the Rotel.
Next up was the Odyssey, which matches beautifully with the Rogue pre. This was a MUCH closer contest. The Odyssey is well broken in and has a dry accurate bass response that is very hard to beat, better than on some FAR more expensive amps in fact. The Emotiva had a slight edge in the upper midrange, but the Odyssey seemed to offer a smidge more resolution/detail. It was very close. On the Proacs we couldn't even hear much of a difference, but the Magnepans exposed the character of both amps more.
Just to be "complete" we tried my new Manley Stingray II, which is not broken in at under 60 hours. The Stingray could not control dynamics as well as the big amps, but vocals and single instruments were far more "real" and "in the room" sounding. We still felt that the Emotiva would not make music lovers unhappy, especially if mated with a nice tube preamp.
Pitting the 3 channel XP3 against it's more powerful 2 channel sister, we noted very little difference. The 2 channel version MIGHT have created a deeper soundstage, but we were getting sleepy and running out of ear power!

Summary:
I was seeking a used amp in the 2000 dollar range to run my theater, but I have ordered a XPA-3 instead. I will most probably add the 2 channel or monoblocks from Emotiva next. For home theater these are VERY serious amps that give up nothing or very little against pricier stuff. The bonus is that they can be quite musical. With their higher power they even will eclipse some gear that costs more. For example, I've listened to a lot of Bryston gear and I think the Emotiva amps are more musical...and that was with a very low cost Rogue preamp.

So that's my review and opinion. I will post a follow up review when I have the Merlins. I'm very curious to see how the Emotiva will sound on them vs. the far more expensive Stingray. I don't expect the Emotiva to ever be as sweet sounding, but I suspect it will be more dynamic and fun for certain recordings.

Cheers,

Rob
robbob
robbob OP
273 posts
 
I get a lot of heat for making comments...like the one I'm about to make, but....

I've had some far more expensive SS gear in my systems and heard quite a bit of the megabuck stuff. My previous system was Odyssey Stratos, Rogue Pre and Magnepan 1.6. No other amp impressed me the way my new Manley Stingray amp does. It created a soundstage and sense of tonal reality that the SS gear could not manage.
By comparison the SS gear, ranging from 1500-5000 dollars had improvements that were hardly absolute. Yet the 20 watts coming from this set of tubes does things I would never have believed.
So I built two systems. The theater system runs on tons of power, 6 amps, multiple subs and SPL to make a clock run backwards. But it's the small amp mated to a pair of Merlin speakers that tends to impress people the most.
If you really want to take a musical step forward in your system, try tubes.

Rob
jedinite24's avatar
jedinite24
1,503 posts
 
Thanks Rob for chiming in again. I've seen/read the heat and flack you have been taking on other threads yet you still keep posting. Good for you man. I swear your skin must be hardened steel by now. I know mine would.

Hotmailjbc I never thought if it that way that people selling their Emotiva gear were moving onto better gear and that Emo gear didn't perform. I have to be more positive.

Thanks again.
hotmailjbc
571 posts
 
no negatives meant at all. there are many options and combinations. i would love to have a nice tube integrated and some really detailed bookshelf speakers. with mmgs i just couldn,t make the budget work that way. if i could get into selling my gear like some people i would buy a new system with different types of technology every year or so. it's not that i am hard to please. just the opposite. i love music and the gear.
robbob OP
273 posts
 
It's funny that a thick skin is even needed, but there are some basic truths about audio that I've learned over the years.

1) People who spend more don't like to hear that they didn't have to.
2) People rarely get anywhere near the potential from their gear nor properly understand how it differs from the competition.
3) No speaker on the planet at ANY price sounds like live music.

Sheesh. People hate hearing that stuff! Quite recently there was a fellow who actually started e-mailing me "attacks" because I found my Merlin speakers superior to his. He just could not let it go and eventually started insulting everyone who didn't agree. He got banned! Then he started the same thing at another forum.
In the end the only thing that matters is this: Do YOU like your audio system? I don't care if it's Merlin or Bose or KLH; if it makes you happy and plays music that makes you smile....who really care what some guy with 200K worth of tube gear thinks? Chances are he's listening to GEAR and not music.

Listening to Billy Joel's stubby fingers dance across his piano is amazing on my boat stereo, car stereo or Ipod, and not more so on my expensive system. Know what I mean?

Cheers,

Rob
hotmailjbc
571 posts
 
i couldn,t agree with you more. i read and write opinions on audiogon to learn, have fun and communicate with enthusiasts because there are no opportunities here in the ozarks. i too have had people push buttons and then when they don,t like the answer email me personally and just carry on. i don,t always succeed but i try to be positive. just keep in mind that this hobby attracts many snobs. there,,i said it. snobs who want to put you down while elevating themselves and reinforceing their own prejudices. please stop.....this is a fun hobby and the music is great....breathe///relax. in a few years the wonderful gear you are so invested in will be gone and you will be on to more shilling about YOUR current precious choices . unbelievable....
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