Jump to content

To Bi-Amp or Not? (Emotiva upa-7 vs. XPA-5)


InVeNtOr

Recommended Posts

i was wondering if anyone on here actually has the equipment to answer this question. i have a LPA-1 and it's bi-amping my front 3 (RF-7's and RC-7). to me it sounds great. all areas, 2ch, HT, it sounds amazing to me. i called Emotiva, and tech suggested the xpa-5 because it was a "better built" amp and then a bunch of other terms i didn't understand. they said it would be better to run 3 channels@ 250w each. instead of the upa-7 bi-amped @135w X2 (270w)

i am wondering has anyone done any comparisons between bi-amping and not? i can't do it with my set up because it wouldn't be fair to compare a 150w vs 125w X2.

i am thinking about this because i may kick my onkyo to the curb and get emotiva's new processor and some kind of amp for the front 3 speakers. i would use the lpa-1 to power the 4 rear RS-42's. i know it will be over kill, but who cares....lol. if you have seen my ET center you will know i only have room for 2 amps only. unless there is some kind of mono block that will stack 3 high in the same place.

emotiva said their amps are A/B style meaning every channel will pull the amps it needs (if they are available). so if i bi-amp 6 channels and the tweeter side doesn't need as much juice as the woofer, the woofer will take the unused power. so if what i wrote is correct, (hoping i am remembering what emotiva tech said) then in the long run, it doesn't matter, you get the same power.....would that be a correct statement?????

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would get the XPA, I believe they are better amps. Also while I believe bi-amping can have its benefits I don't think it is the same as a larger amp the total of the two, in other words I don't think two 135 watt amps bi-amped is the same as a 270 watt amp.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thats what i am whondering. emotiva said it makes it sound real clean, well i don't think i can hear that. i had to have Falcon come over and help me tune it all in. i am starting to lean toward the xpa-5, also for the balanced connectors, but that would mean i would have to get the xmc-1 receiver.....well not have to, but would like to.....lol....as that goes for everything....lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i am thinking about this because i may kick my onkyo to the curb and get emotiva's new processor and some kind of amp for the front 3 speakers. i would use the lpa-1 to power the 4 rear RS-42's. i know it will be over kill, but who cares....lol. if you have seen my ET center you will know i only have room for 2 amps only. unless there is some kind of mono block that will stack 3 high in the same place.

If you want to get rid of the Onkyo, I would get the XPA-3 for the 3 front speakers and use the other Emotiva amp for the surrounds. My opinion, I would not run a separate cable to the HFE on the RF-7. You can easily blow the tweeters. My understanding is that the max is 100 watts and that is living dangerously. Keep the HFE and LFE terminals bridged together on the 7's. Just my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was thinking the xpa-5 would be a better choice for the 7's. i was then going to let the lpa-7 run my 4 rs-42's (75w each), so it's over kill but i already bought the damb thing so i might as well use it. this is all up in the air because i will only get the xpa-5 if i can get the xmc-1, which i just spoke to sales today and they are still in the developement stage. Falcon has been on some kind of list for over a year now.

the good thing about emotiva amps is if a channel isn't using it's reccemended power, it shares it with the other channels. so the tweeter shouldn't get any more power than it needs, now if i crank my system up to the extreme, then i might be in some danger.

this is not really part of this tread but i am going to eventually go back to just one cable run and build some custom speaker cables. i want to see if there is an audiable difference, i am guessing i won't hear a difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just my opinion, but in this day of big power amplifiers, bi-amping is overrated. When you're talking about a tube amp pushing 5 watts total, I could certainly see how you could drain the amp's reserves with the low-end, and it would affect everything. But with the mosterous power suppliesin the XPA series, I can't see that you'd notice a difference. Add to that the crossovers used in a HT receiver, and your mains aren't trying to reproduce 30hz anymore...

Strictly my opinion though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...