Refined Yet Powerful
Written: Oct 15 '09 (Updated Oct 15 '09)
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Pros: High resolution sound, great sound stage, price.
Cons: Very weighty if you decide to move it.
The Bottom Line: A product with solid build quality with great sound and price but you don't care about having a boutique name, you need to audition the XPA-5.
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| slbenz's Full Review: Emotiva Audio XPA-5 Five Channel Audio Power Ampl... |
As an A/V fan looking to enhance my music and theater experience, I was intrigued when I found out about a company called Emotiva when I was searching through the audio/video forums on the Internet. Emotiva is an Internet only company where they do not use brick and mortar locations to sell their products thus bypassing the middleman and other expenses necessary to keep a storefront open. Their products are designed in the USA but are manufactured overseas in China. This in turn, Emotiva passes the savings onto the consumer so that we can enjoy high-quality products at down-to-earth prices. You will find on the Internet, many satisfied customers of Emotiva products while at the same time you will find many skeptics that feel you get what you pay for. But these skeptics probably haven't tried the Emotiva products to clearly substantiate their claims of Emotiva's products are cheap and low quality due to their low price and overseas manufacturing. So I ordered the XPA-5 and Emotiva quickly sent me a new amp via FedEx Ground with tracking number, charging me $25.00 for shipping.
Background:I will be using the Emotiva XPA-5 in a bi-amped configuration with my Magnepan IIIa front main speakers. This will ensure that I obtain the maximum resolution possible out of my speakers. I will also have for comparison my Parasound HCA-1205A amp to compare it with which I reviewed here: Parasound HCA-1205A also bi-amped as well. It has been my reference power amp for over eight years and seen several speaker system changes in that time period.
Results:
The first recording I used was the SACD by Telarc Jazz of Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown, "The Very Tall Band", recorded live at the Blue Note in 1998. This recording was done in SACD stereo only and really shows the advantages that a SACD recording has over a standard CD recording. I listened to the second track called, "SKJ", where there are a multitude of sounds happening at the same time. Immediately, the Emotiva threw a much wider sound stage, lower noise floor and more extended highs than the Parasound. This in turn help me to hear much more into the recording like never before. I felt that I was a participate because of the additional audience noise I never clearly heard before plus the added sound stage. Also, decay and attack of instruments were more believable. You can hear it in the bass notes to the brushes stroking the cymbals. The Emotiva gave me more that sense of "feel" to the notes just like in a live performance over the Parasound. Lastly, the Emotiva was able to handle the dynamic swings with this recording better than the Parasound. From the sounds of hand clapping to the cymbal crashes in this recording, the Emotiva was able to better render these sounds more true.
The second recording I used was the SACD disc by Pink Floyd's, "Dark Side of the Moon" and used the first track,"Speak To Me". I always felt that the Parasound was a bit thin on the bass side and my suspicions were substantiated when I tried the Emotiva. Immediately, that initial heart beat you hear in the recording is clearly presented with authority against again a much wider, deeper and clearer background. In surround mode, voices and instruments were clearly past the width of my speakers. Also, that initial crescendo of instruments in the track after the heart beat was dynamic and powerful. Again, instruments and voices were rendered very true.
The third and final recording I used was the CD by Norah Jones titled, "Come Away With Me", and used the eighth track called, "Lonestar". One of the primary reasons I used this track was to hear how well the Emotiva could resolve Norah Jones and her backup singer as two separate voices rather than on lesser equipment sounding like Norah with a slight echo. I was surprised that the Emotiva not only separate the two signers voices but also gave me a sense of depth to where the backup singer was in relation to Norah. I was always able to discern the two singer's voices on my Parasound but not with a depth perspective. The Emotiva really presents in a three-dimension space more than the Parasound. On this track, the Emotiva presents Norah closer to you but without losing any depth to the recording. Again, because of the lower noise floor and wider sound stage, you feel more engaged into the recording. Lastly, the guitarist playing the solo in this track, the Emotiva really gives you a sense of his fingers plucking and stoking the strings of his guitar.
Build Quality:
It is first rate. The Emotiva XPA-5 has a thick aluminum billet front face that has 5 blue LEDs when on. They blink briefly a red color upon initial start up to check each channel. There is also a large on/off button on the front panel that goes from an amber color in standby to blue color when the amp is on. Overall, the Emotiva amp doesn't look as utilitarian as the Parasound. One thing you better be prepared for is the weight of this amp. It is approximately 75lbs. vs. the Parasound at 46lbs. So make sure your A/V shelf can handle the weight.
Features:
Emotiva advertises this amp as a Class A/B amp that runs quiet and cool. They are absolutely correct. Even after hours of use, the Emotiva is only slightly warm to the touch. My Parasound in comparison because it is a Class A, A/B amp, is warm or very warm to the touch for the same time period. Neither amp uses a fan so give them room in your shelves to breath.
Other features included with the XPA-5 include:
XLR and RCA connections with switches on each channel
5-way audiophile binding posts
Master on/off switch on the back
On/off switch on back to control front panel LEDs
Delay start upon power up
Included trigger and detachable three-prong power cable
Owner's Manual
Specs:
From manufacturer's website-
Number of Channels: 5
Topology: Fully Discrete, Dual Differential, High Current, Short Signal Path Class A/B
Power output (all channels driven):
300 watts RMS @ 4 ohm (0.1% THD)
200 watts RMS @ 8 ohm (0.1% THD)
Power Band Response: 20 Hz to 20 KHz with less than .05db deviation at rated power
Broadband Frequency Response (-3db), referenced to 1/8 power: 5 Hz to 150 KHz
Amplifier Gain: 32db
Signal to Noise Ratio (S/N) (20KHz bandwidth, A-weighting), referenced to full output: 111db
Input Impedance:
Unbalanced - 47KOhms
Balanced - 51KOhms
Transformer Size: 1200VA
Secondary capacitance: 60,000uF
• Fully protected from all fault conditions
• Soft start circuitry
• External trigger turn on
• Soft touch power switch
• 5RU chassis w/ solid milled aluminum faceplate
• IEC power inlet, 120/230 VAC configurable
• Output design: Triple Darlington with On output stages
• Differential Drive: Dual Differential input
• Types of inputs: Balanced (XLR) and Un-balanced (RCA)
• Type of outputs: Audiophile quality 5 way binding post
• Display type: Digital status indicators
• 17” W x 7.75” H x 19” D
Warranty:
5 years from date of purchase and is transferable to next owner if you decide to sell the amp.
Trial Period:
Because Emotiva doesn't have a storefront, they provide you with a 30 day trial period for you try their products in your home. If you are not satisfied, you can return the product and get your money back.
Customer Support:
On the Internet, the Emotiva Customer Support Department has many positive reviews, so I decided to call them on two different occasions to see if this feedback was justified. I can say I was completely satisfied. They answered the phone within 1-2 rings and when I had a technical question, I was immediately connected to one of their experts to answer my questions about the XPA-5. Emotiva also has a forum where many Emotiva customers share their expertise and experiences with each other. Many of your questions can be answered there.
Conclusions:
As you can tell by now, I was very impressed with the whole Emotiva experience. The XPA-5 has a more forward presentation but with a lower noise floor, wider sound stage. This in turn helped me to hear more into the recording to hear and feel more detail. I thought the Parasound was a neutral sounding amp but having heard the Emotiva these few weeks, it is even more neutral but brings more authority to handle dynamic swings better while bringing out the bass in recordings more clearly. Like computers, Emotiva found a solution to bring us higher quality sound at low prices. When my Parasound was new, it was more than twice as expensive than what I purchased the Emotiva for.
Like some of the skeptics, I was wondering if I was "only" getting what I paid for. Happily, I can say you definitely get what you paid for and much more. The Emotiva XPA-5 has now become my new reference amp and replaced my Parasound that I have used the past eight years. Hi-fi sound with almost a low-fi price. Very highly recommended!
Manufacturer's Website:
www.emotiva.com
Associated Test Equipment:
Emotiva XPA-5 multichannel amp
Parasound HCA-1205A multichannel amp
Pioneer VSX-74TXVi AV receiver used as preamp
Marantz DV-9600 DVD player as source
Magnepan IIIa main and surround speakers
Eminent Technology LFT-XII center channel
Velodyne HGS-12 Series II subwoofer
Yaqin and Musical Fidelity Tube Buffers
Mapleshade Double Golden Helix speaker cables
Audioquest Black Mamba interconnects
Signal Cable Power Cords
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 799
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Epinions.com ID:
slbenz
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Location: Fremont, CA, USA
Reviews written: 102
Trusted by: 41 members
About Me:
Business consultant and volunteer mountain bike patrol officer.
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