SWL Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I've had two Denon receivers and I never would have described them as lacking in clarity and detail......interesting. What would you be comparing to? Good power amps like the Bryston 3B-ST and QSC Powerlight running with a tube preamp -- I'm comparing the sound to things I've owned in the past. When I first brought the Denon home and hooked it up to some RB-5's for a test run I thought it sounded about as pedestrian as you can get. When I joined the forum, I had RB-5's being driven with a 200 wpc Luxman amp and Anthem tubed linestage -- I remember what that sounds like -- barely in the same ballpark with the Denon. It did open up a little after the first few days which stopped me from taking the thing back. Since my focus was on HT performance and not 2-channel critical listening, I was willing to live with it. O.K., if HT receivers aren't lacking in "clarity and detail" compared to the "better" set ups, then what are they lacking in when we compare them? I think most of the money goes into the front end of these units -- and then they tack on 7 power modules. Thanks Dean. So, are you gonna pair up one of these Emotiva amps with the Denon? I take it you're running the Denon by itself right now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InVeNtOr Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 called sales for emotiva last week and they said Feburary for the new processor. he also said they still plan on it being $699. i am thinking i will buy it if all still goes well with the finances at that point....may be looking to sell the onkyo 805....hhhhmmmmm..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
falcon20x Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 I can't wait to top hear it but to be honest I'm getting really disappointed with Emotiva as I have been on the waiting list for the XMC-1 for almost a year now. The UMC-1 was suppose to be out 6 months ago pushed back to December and now may be February? Do I even dare asking If I can expect to see the XMC- 1 before the end of the decade? Regardless, I don't think you can beat it for the price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vital Posted January 5, 2009 Share Posted January 5, 2009 Well with the problems they had with their first processor I understand them taking their time and releasing this one 100%. I can't wait for the UMC, I'll be buying it as soon as it's ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've had two Denon receivers and I never would have described them as lacking in clarity and detail......interesting. What would you be comparing to? Good power amps like the Bryston 3B-ST and QSC Powerlight running with a tube preamp -- I'm comparing the sound to things I've owned in the past. When I first brought the Denon home and hooked it up to some RB-5's for a test run I thought it sounded about as pedestrian as you can get. When I joined the forum, I had RB-5's being driven with a 200 wpc Luxman amp and Anthem tubed linestage -- I remember what that sounds like -- barely in the same ballpark with the Denon. It did open up a little after the first few days which stopped me from taking the thing back. Since my focus was on HT performance and not 2-channel critical listening, I was willing to live with it. O.K., if HT receivers aren't lacking in "clarity and detail" compared to the "better" set ups, then what are they lacking in when we compare them? I think most of the money goes into the front end of these units -- and then they tack on 7 power modules. All I can say from personal experience is that after hooking up my B&K Ref 200.7 amplifier instead of just driving my RF-7s with the built in amp in my Denon AVR3802, I immediately noticed quite a difference in the sound quality. The clarity and dynamics was just friggan incredible with the B&K. Not only that, the bass was much more pronounced, tighter as well as delievered better punch. The Denon by itself was good, but the B&K was a huge step up. Kinda curious how these Emotiva amps stacks up against the B&K that I have. I don't have any intention of ever switching, as I very much like my B&K, plus I have a feeling these Emotiva amps could be a step backwards from the B&K. Would be tempting to order one up and try it out for comparison sake, but just don't want to hassle with the shipping, plus that is some money to drop simply for playing around. Still, sound like these Emotiva amps are really nice, especially for the price. Finally that really good audio is now finally getting into the realm of being affordable? If Emotiva would get that pre/pro out, and for the price they are quoting - the thing plus the amp would be cheaper than what my Denon AVR3802 went for at the time I bought it. It would be getting to the point of why bother with recievers and simply go straight to seperates, unless you really cannot swing it (considering how many good $500 recievers there are now-a-days as well). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowntnbkr Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I agree with DeanG, and we discussed this in another thread. I had my HT hooked up to a HK avr 430, and with the RF-83's, RC-64 and RB-61's I felt no need to have a sub, so I sold it. I recently upgraded to a 3808ci and the first thing I noticed is the bass was not near as authorative compared to my HK, and I fiddled around with many different settings. Dean had suggested the Emotiva, so I bought a XPA-3 and the first thing I noticed is I had my bass back. I don't do much critical listening becuase I have my 2 ch setup, but to me the difference was very noticable. Just my .02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Gvozdjak Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I just did a quick test of my XPA-1s which I just got in today. Only complaints I have: 1. I had a hum at first from one of the amps. I swapped power cords, outlets, rca cords, etc and it didn't go away. I figured forget it for now and tested the sound for about an hour. I then checked for the hum again and it appeared to have gone away. I just get the slight high pitch hiss from the tweeter just like any other setup I've had in the past. 2. Also for some reason my bannana plugs will not go all the way into the speaker 2 of the 8 connector post. Not sure why this is the case but it would appear as if the hole was made too small in the post...odd...but not a big deal. Other then that, these two amps sound great! Bass is tighter for sure. Mids and high are very clear and detailed. My listening room is not in the best shape right now so I can't comment on much on imaging etc..but I can tell it's got potential if I can get my speakers in the proper positions. Overall, these amps are a keeper! I'll just have to monitor for the humming noise to ensure it doesn't come back within the next week or two, because it was really annoying... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White_Hawk Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Glad to hear the hum went away - I wish that high pitched hiss wasn't there. Its been just about unbearable for me with the xti and I was hoping to avoid it with the emotiva. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I don't know why an amp would have anything to do with a high pitch hiss?My Emo amp and just about every amp I've owned of a hundred or so was silent.Hiss is a prepro,source issue generally. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I've had two Denon receivers and I never would have described them as lacking in clarity and detail......interesting. What would you be comparing to? Good power amps like the Bryston 3B-ST and QSC Powerlight running with a tube preamp -- I'm comparing the sound to things I've owned in the past. When I first brought the Denon home and hooked it up to some RB-5's for a test run I thought it sounded about as pedestrian as you can get. When I joined the forum, I had RB-5's being driven with a 200 wpc Luxman amp and Anthem tubed linestage -- I remember what that sounds like -- barely in the same ballpark with the Denon. It did open up a little after the first few days which stopped me from taking the thing back. Since my focus was on HT performance and not 2-channel critical listening, I was willing to live with it. O.K., if HT receivers aren't lacking in "clarity and detail" compared to the "better" set ups, then what are they lacking in when we compare them? I think most of the money goes into the front end of these units -- and then they tack on 7 power modules. All I can say from personal experience is that after hooking up my B&K Ref 200.7 amplifier instead of just driving my RF-7s with the built in amp in my Denon AVR3802, I immediately noticed quite a difference in the sound quality. The clarity and dynamics was just friggan incredible with the B&K. Not only that, the bass was much more pronounced, tighter as well as delievered better punch. The Denon by itself was good, but the B&K was a huge step up. Kinda curious how these Emotiva amps stacks up against the B&K that I have. I don't have any intention of ever switching, as I very much like my B&K, plus I have a feeling these Emotiva amps could be a step backwards from the B&K. Would be tempting to order one up and try it out for comparison sake, but just don't want to hassle with the shipping, plus that is some money to drop simply for playing around. Still, sound like these Emotiva amps are really nice, especially for the price. Finally that really good audio is now finally getting into the realm of being affordable? If Emotiva would get that pre/pro out, and for the price they are quoting - the thing plus the amp would be cheaper than what my Denon AVR3802 went for at the time I bought it. It would be getting to the point of why bother with recievers and simply go straight to seperates, unless you really cannot swing it (considering how many good $500 recievers there are now-a-days as well). There would be no reason to go from a BK amp to Emotiva.I've owned several BK amps,all good.That said,there would be no reason to buy a BK amp with Emotiva offering an amp that's just as good at a waayyy cheaper price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eskimo1 Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 I can't wait to top hear it but to be honest I'm getting really disappointed with Emotiva as I have been on the waiting list for the XMC-1 for almost a year now. The UMC-1 was suppose to be out 6 months ago pushed back to December and now may be February? Do I even dare asking If I can expect to see the XMC- 1 before the end of the decade? It was a delay in the chipsets that caused the delay, not Emotiva.. Still frustrating, and when I have to return my AVR in 2 weeks, it'll be going through some serious withdrawls without a processor!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 If I buy a XPA-2 amp, can I use a Merlin for the preamp? Just not sure of the compatability with the two. Looks like a monster of an amp and just what I have been looking for. The only preamp I have right now is a Merlin though. If they will play nice together in the rack, then I am in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 If I buy a XPA-2 amp, can I use a Merlin for the preamp? Just not sure of the compatability with the two. Looks like a monster of an amp and just what I have been looking for. The only preamp I have right now is a Merlin though. If they will play nice together in the rack, then I am in. Does the Merlin have pre-outs? If so, than you can use any amp you want witth it. If the Merlin does not have pre-outs, then you are pretty much stuck and would have to get something with pre-outs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Of course the Merlin has pre-outs -- it's a preamp. However, you can't use the Merlin with a solid state amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodsman Posted January 6, 2009 Share Posted January 6, 2009 Thanks Dean, I had thought that it was not compatible. That does not stop my search though. The Emotiva is still on the top of the list as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Gvozdjak Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 The hiss is from the tweeter. I'll try it again with the source disconnected. It wasn't noticable unless you had you ear inches away from the tweeter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deang Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 It wasn't noticable unless you had you ear inches away from the tweeter. With horns, that's perfectly normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaspr Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 you can't use the Merlin with a solid state amp Yes, you can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vital Posted January 7, 2009 Share Posted January 7, 2009 My XPA-2 and 5 are silent. I have not walked over and put my ear to the tweeter but there is no hiss 5+ feet away that I can detect. I even turned the volume up and still didn't hear anything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White_Hawk Posted January 8, 2009 Share Posted January 8, 2009 My XPA-2 and 5 are silent. I have not walked over and put my ear to the tweeter but there is no hiss 5+ feet away that I can detect. I even turned the volume up and still didn't hear anything. Thats what I want to hear! Now I'm just debating between waiting for the xpa-5 (backordered) or going for the xpa-2 and xpa-3 combo... I believe that the 3 is the same as the 5 (minus 2 channels of course) but I've heard so much about the 2 being far superior to the 3 or 5... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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