gilbertma

I know this isn't the same thing but I've had a Belkin PF60 for a year now and it has worked pretty good, even small power surges due to storms will trip the internal breaker and (maybe) save what is plugged into it. I have my video stuff and media players plugged into it, my Emotiva amps are plugged straight into the wall since they have their own protection built in. My PF60 has never failed to reset so far, it sounds like the PF30 is using some inferior components in this area. The PF60 has thirteen outlets, 12 on the back and one on the front.

Oh yea, the EMG test, I didn't mention that since I was trying to keep my answer short. The day I had that test done was an incredible experience of both good and bad stuff. Of course the test was a bummer since I had no idea going in that they were going to stick needles in me and basically shock the begeesus out of me repeatedly, first the bad arm and then the good arm for comparison. The doctor told me this is one of the ways they diagnose diseases like MS and MD, a testing of the human electrical system so to speak. When I was in the waiting room though, I saw and talked to a lot of people who were much worse off than I was, people with cervical and lumbar disc problems that weren't ever going to get better. I felt ashamed of the ways I had been feeling sorry for myself and it helped me get my act together for moving forward and getting better.

Hi BigStewMan. I'm almost 50 now but just after I turned 40 I woke up one morning with what felt like a golf ball shoved under my left shoulder blade. The muscles were spasming and soon after my index and middle finger started tingling. Many doc visits and MRI's later I was diagnosed with C5,C6, and C7 herniation in the neck. My doctor prescribed physical therapy and some meds (anti-inflamatory, not vicodin), I used alcohol when necessary for the pain. It was one of the scariest times since I was semi-built from weightlifting and the signal loss to my left arm caused my arm muscles to shrink to half the size of the right. Surgery was discussed but my doctor said that in 50% of the cases he knew about the patient ended up worse/no change than before. So I stuck with the physical therapy and read everything I could about what was going on with my condition. One thing I learned about was TOS or thorasic outlet syndrome, where the nerves coming out of the neck are pinched off going to the arm by the thorasic muscle bundles(near the collar bone). It was a viscious cycle in my case where the discs were causing my nerves to spasm in my neck and back causing the TOS which was in turn keeping the muscles in my neck tight and thus keeping the discs herniated. The physical therapy eventually caused the muscles to relax and eliminate the TOS, the discs could then relax and after three months I had started to get back to normal. It took about a year to get my muscles on that left side back to where they were before.

Seeing my room on the Epik site was pretty cool, they saw my pics on AVS forum and asked if they could use them. My equipment is still not finalized yet and I'm still working on hiding cables, etc. It's a mancave so if it's a little rough around the edges, I can't feel too bad about it. The "price is no object" was exactly the opposite direction I intended to go since I was tapping my home equity and the room cost $55,000 to build so there was a limited amount left over for the HT budget. This is where Emotiva and Epik come into the story. You can't ignore what you get for the money although some may have doubts about their longevity. Same story with the Klipsch RF-7/RC-7reference speakers, although discontinued they are still a tremendous value. I saved enough money to have another RF/C set in the living room to build a 3.1 system which will also have Emotiva and Epik products.

I got mine online through Musicians Friend, if you do some google searches you may find some place better.

That's a Raxxess 20 space economy rack that I got for around $90, Mid Atlantic makes one that's almost identical. I didn't realize when I bought it that the Emo amps were going to stick out the back 3" so I should have got the upgrade rack that has thicker sides and 20" deep but so far this one is working fine. The Emo amps don't get hot so you can stack them without worry. When my gear gets finalized I will blank off the empty spaces sometime this year. I tried to get something that was going to be about the same height as my sub at around 36".

I've had my Conquest for nine months now and it's been rock solid so far, I'm very confident in the longevity of this subwoofer. Everything is overbuilt in this monster, the amp is 1000 watts but the driver is spec'd to run off of a 3000 watt amp. It also has excellent protection built into the amp, if you exceed it's limits it will shut down. From looking at the new subs and the changes that were made, it does look like Epik had problems getting Bash amps and the fact that they were able to revamp their line, including what appears to be a downsizing effort (for WAF), is a testament to their continued efforts to stay afloat and get back into the game with minimal down time. As is the case with Emotiva, these internet only audio companies like Epik are very exciting to me and I will continue to follow them even though they are not perceived to be as rock solid as Klipsch, we'll see how everything plays out. This economy that we have right now will be a good test, I hope both of the aforementioned co's succeed and the strength of their products will be a huge factor, I'm sure.

Once you discover the power of the XPA series through Klipsch Reference speakers, a good subwoofer can take over your bottom end below 50 hz and really bring everything together for great music and movie enjoyment. I'm using a 1000 watt Epik Conquest with my setup (3 x XPA-2) and there is equal amounts of power for both highs and lows, your ears will give out before you reach the limits of what these devices can do. I've actually experienced vertigo from some of the low frequencies (at high volume) that the Conquest can put out !!!!!

" wow, i wouldn't think the xpa2 (250w) would out do the xpa3 (250w with only 2 channels). " Someone tried to explain this on the Emo site, it has to do with the way the two amps are built/designed, they are very different internally and the performance differences aren't that great but they are noticeable. " so in the end you would also suggest getting the xpa3, instead of the xpa5 (using 3 channels only)? " This is a tough question, there are so many choices. There are people talking about getting two XPA-5's and doing a bunch of bi-amping to get the results they want. I'm glad I decided hi power 5.1 was going to do it for me, it made my decision a little easier (wait a minute, maybe two XPA-1's would be better for the mains [*-)] )

Hi inventor, sorry I'm late to your thread. In the beginning (July 08) I bought the XPA-2 and XPA-3 to run 5.1 separates with RF and KLF speakers. I tested the RF's with the XPA-2 and XPA-3(two channels driven) and came away feeling that the -2 outmuscled the -3 in every way possible. Bass was tighter, highs were better and just more presence since the RF's reveal everything your pros/amps/sources are doing. If you investigate the way these amps are built, you will see similar construction between the XPA's -1 and -2 and a different architecture for the -3 and -5. That being said, I'm running a 3.1 system in a separate room with another set of RF/C-7 and the XPA-3 and I'm very happy with the way it performs. In my HT it's three XPA-2's driving 5.1 with the RC-7 getting it's own -2 in a passive bi-amp setup. Yes it is overkill for this sensitive of speaker but I feel that at lower listening levels the -2 still brings improvements over it's lesser brothers and the ability to handle dynamic extremes is improved also. Emotiva has been cautioning prospective RF owners that the -2 may not work for them (possible horn/noise/hiss issues?) but I have not experienced this. They have an excellent return policy and their CS is well regarded so no worries if someone experiences bad results, so that a good selling point. When their UMC pre/pro comes out I will move the LMC that I bought as a bridge and put that in the 3.1 room replacing a Denon AVR.

I like Dr. Whos first suggestion because it's very similar to what I did. I have similar dimensions of 12.5' wide by 24' long with an adjoining 16' long garage. You're going to want to spread those RF-7's as far apart as possible so that bookcase will have to be moved. I have a massive subwoofer so my placement options were very limited and I tend to like my sub drivers in line with the front stage. People have commented (online) about the sub and rack blocking my mains/center but I think it just looks that way, I get really good performance out of my speakers and the 2500 watts (potential) that is on tap. My couch positioning is flexible too, many positions available in under a minute (sliders on couches).

I ordered a Conquest last summer got it in Aug 08 after a three week wait. Incredible sub, it will change the way you experience your sound system in the 16 hz- 60 hz range and really enhance your movie watching experiences. I think the word got out about them and they're having growing pains trying to keep up. My Conquest is the star of my home theater and continues to amaze everyone that experiences it.

tommyboy- another vote for Emotiva, very well designed stuff and the price is awesome! I started out with XPA-2/-3 for 5.1 sound and liked the XPA-2 so much I decided to get two more to replace the XPA-3 (they were on sale for $100 off at the time). I used the fact that I was going to move the XPA-3 into the wifes living room for 3.1 to get her to agree. Go and look at the Emo website and you'll see there are differences in the way the XPA-1/-2 are constructed vs the XPA-3/-5, which are very fine amps in their own right. So I ended up paying $2197 for 1500 watts(XPA-2 x3) to drive my Klipsch reference speakers and during a movie the dynamics of the soundstage is exhilirating and mind blowing at times. When I listen to music in stereo I just turn on one XPA-2 and the other two get to rest.

This sub does everything you want for HT including impact and room shaking brute force. For music it was a little bit of a struggle getting it right (for me), some people have reported that room placement makes a big difference. I discovered that getting the cone close to the floor gets the best results so I turned it on it's head and now it's great for music with tight kick drum reproduction. At the time I ordered (July 08) they were advertising 3 weeks and it took around 26 days. The shipping cost is a pain due to the 200 lb+ weight but it is crated up very well so you get what you pay for (just over $1800 total cost). I just looked at their website and the Conquest is the only sub available, all the others are out of stock. I guess size is an issue for most people. The size of the Conquest rewards you with great results though, two thumbs up ... high.

I love my Epik Conquest! It runs really well with my RF front stage and with my mancave only being 12.5' wide there is plenty of room gain (subwoofer wind tunnel?). I haven't done any measurements but have run test tones in the 14 hz - 30 hz range and this sub just eats those up and delivers as advertised (Nousaine's measurements seem right to me, at least by the seat of my pants). All you have to do is get over the size thing, it's a little too big for most peoples living rooms.

I know it's hard to tell but I have the RF's about 6" off the wall, maybe I should go 12". The Conquest and the RF's do seem to blend very well, it starts to take over where they leave off and they stay out of each others way. If you could see the Conquest going through the test tones (like in the 20 hz and below range) the excursion of that big cone is just unbelievable, like a bodybuilder flexing it's muscles. It just builds a deep low foundation for the RF's to sit on top of and it's a beautiful thing to experience.

Hi InVeNtOR, the tv is an LG 60PG60 that I got this summer for around 3K. I had been looking at the 60" Pioneers but the price was a little high for me. The LG was bought for the purpose of watching Bluray movies in a HT setting and has been great for that. Regular tv programs and watered down satellite HD doesn't look as good when it is blown up to 60" so I have a 50" NEC plasma in the living room for that. I really love what the Emotiva amps do for my RF's and the XPA-2 is an awesome amp. Be advised that the XPA line is not just replicants of each other in different channel configurations, The XPA -1/-2 are definitely a step above the XPA -3/-5.

"Does that mean that your sub doesn't play anything above 50 hz? I looked at those Conquests, they seem pretty powerful. I still like my SVS, but if I ever feel like an "upgrade", I might got that route. Also, congrats on all that emo gear. My XPA-5 is 'Out for Delivery' as I write this!!!! " I think I have the Conquest crossover set at around 100 hz but I seem to remember seeing a frequency response chart that showed it starting to fall off just as it passed through 60 hz, that's why I chose 50 hz on my processor for the high pass on the RF-7's. The Conquest has really good output between 16 hz- 25 hz as seen on Tom Nousaine's Sub chart at this address- http://home.comcast.net/~frank_carter/Nousaine.htm , and I have found that the upper range is improved (tighter) if I turn it upside down and put the driver nearer the floor. Some people also lay them on their side.

I have my mains, center, and surrounds cut off at 50 hz, like someone said, the RF's are vary capable down low. My Conquest does all the heavy lifting below 50 .......

I'm a huge Emotiva fan and have recently restructured my sound systems. I had XPA-2, XPA-3 for 5.1 in my HT and wanted to put a decent 3.1 in the living room for the occasional movie. So I sent the XPA-3 to the living room and replaced it with two XPA-2's, they are on sale now with free shipping. So I'm running 5.1 with three XPA-2's, bi-amping the RC-7 to make use of the extra channel. This gives me 1500 watts to feed five RF series speakers, definitely overkill but the headroom is as high as a cathedral ceiling .... . For those not familiar with Emotiva's XPA line, the XPA-2 is closer to the flagship XPA-1 monoblock than the XPA-3/-5, there are differences between them.

I put an Epik Conquest in my man cave since WAF was not a factor. It goes low, gets loud, and works very well with my RF-7's and Emotiva amps. My cave is 40' x 12' x 10'.

I have two pairs of RF-7's and have discovered that audio bliss is achievable and affordable now that the discontinued towers are about half price from new. Throw lots of power at them with the XPA line of amps from Emotiva (great price point!) and they will match the performance of systems costing many, many times more.

I've had my Conquest for almost two weeks now and have experimented some with placement/ set up issues. From the get go it killed as far as HT apps and shook the house like nothing else I've ever owned. I was a little disappointed on how it sounded in 2.1 mode with my RF-7's at first. I had read that placement and room conditions make huge differences with how the Conquest performs and I agree. First off, this beast is only in my living room for a short time and my options for placement are very few. I had heard that laying it on it's side helped some people, but I only have one place I can put this sub and that is not an option because it would block access to another room. So I turned it upside down and had the driver nearer to the floor with the ports on top. Bingo- that made a huge difference in 2.1 sound, the bass tightened up and started blending with the mains better. I also noticed I didn't have to crank the volume knob on the sub amp as high to get the same volume levels as before. I think break in could be a factor with this sub also. I recorded some sub bass test tones from the Realm of Excursion website and played them over and over in the 14hz - 40hz range in steps at various volumes. In the 20hz - 30hz range this sub has incredible power, my windows in my house must be tuned to about 30hz and shook violently, I think the glass was flexing. I had the sub sitting on a tile floor and at one frequency in that range at high volume- IT STARTED WALKING ACROSS THE FLOOR- UNASSISTED! And this thing weighs 200+ lbs. I'm very impressed with how this sub works now, and with the RF-7's and Emotiva amps this is a mind blowing 5.1 AND 2.1 system.

Hi spaldirl, the search for the right sub is difficult because of all the various qualifiers that come into play. I also have RF-7's and chose the Conquest because I'm a huge believer in headroom and I wanted something that could run with the 7's and not get winded when playing near the maximums.The Conquest is not going to fit well in a lot of living rooms though because it is huge, it is literally the size of a mini fridge (or larger). I'm saying this because my Conquest is temporarily sitting in my living room while my dedicated theater is being built (man cave), and my wife has already made comments about how she is glad "that thing" is not going to be there permanently. She was impressed though when we were watching War of the Worlds and it was shaking the house, it definitely will give you that movie theater experience and then some. For playing music in the 30 hz and up range there are smaller subs that do well (klipsch, martin logan, sunfire) but for earthquake quality sub performance you're going to need something bigger. The Conquest excels in the 30-10 hz range because of it's size and tuning and there are others by elemental designs, svs, and jl audio. It's hard to beat Epik subs at their price point when compared to some of the others out there and that was also a factor for me. If you go to the AVS forum you'll see that some people are doing dual Epiks in the smaller sizes but then there are some who are doing dual Conquests too! I would fear for my plaster with that setup and where are you going to put two of those?

Hi damonrpayne, I'm a new guy around here and have been following your P-39 threads because it would be cool as hell to own a set of speakers of this magnitude. I've been running my RF-7's off an Emotiva XPA-2 and at 8 ohms they get 250 watts/channel and run at top form, better than I ever could have hoped for. This amp is a brand new offering from Emotiva and just came out 4 weeks ago, I got one out of the first batch. At 4 ohms they are rated at 500 watts/channel and would make those Palladiums sing without breaking a sweat. Their website quotes the THD number at .007, http://emotiva.com/xpa2.html.. The price is $799 and I know that it seems ridiculous to run $30,000 speakers off such a low priced amp but I would be very curious to see what the results would be. Since they are an internet company they have a 30 day trial policy but I won't have any use for it, I'm a believer.