smokarz Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Holy cripes! Just got the gorilla hooked up 30 minutes ago. Threw in Rush - Snakes and Arrows for a 5 minute speaker test before the system was hijacked by the family. I'm at a complete loss for words! When I find them, they will all be completely positive for sure.. I think I'm in shock! 40 year old Klipsch. Magnificent! For those of you waiting (Olorin), it's worth it. well, i need to find some of your words because i plugged mine in, hooked up the cornwalls but could really tell a difference. perhaps my ears are gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 hey thank guys, what's the point of the 12v trigger? to take the amp out of stand by mode when the receiver is switched on? or i can just turn the amp on/off manually right? You can, but when you've taken the time to program your remote with macros for startups/shutdowns for all your various sources, the last thing you want to do is push the button on the remote and watch everything power up except your amp, then walk across the room to push the button. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kde Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Holy cripes! Just got the gorilla hooked up 30 minutes ago. Threw in Rush - Snakes and Arrows for a 5 minute speaker test before the system was hijacked by the family. I'm at a complete loss for words! When I find them, they will all be completely positive for sure.. I think I'm in shock! 40 year old Klipsch. Magnificent! For those of you waiting (Olorin), it's worth it. well, i need to find some of your words because i plugged mine in, hooked up the cornwalls but could really tell a difference. perhaps my ears are gone. Did you mean to say that you could NOT tell a difference? Could you tell a difference -- wording seems mixed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 couldn't tell a difference.....perhaps the 805 was doing a fine job, or i have dead ears...or maybe a combination of both... didn't get the WOW factor i was hoping for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 couldn't tell a difference.....perhaps the 805 was doing a fine job, or i have dead ears...or maybe a combination of both... didn't get the WOW factor i was hoping for. Perhaps. I'm unable to remember what your listening level and preferences are. And I'm sure you don't have dead ears. The 805 is stated as 130 watts per so maybe it was just fine for your Cornwalls and your listening style. Even if the 805 managed 100 watts per with all chanels driven, it would be incredibly loud me thinks. For me there was a huge WOW factor. Every source has is better SQ. The bass is tight - finally. (And that's with the run of the mill Klipsch KSW 12s) The main sound stage has depth instead of being 2D. The extra headroom makes a huge difference in the action scenes. And this amp is 100% silent whithout a source. Dead silent. The surround signals are crisp and full. Of course I upgraded from a Sony STR-DE898. 7 ch 100 watts per. We've been using the system all day and the UPA is barely warm. The Sony would have been toasty! That's probably why the WOW factor was big in my case. The Sony didn't clip but it sounded like it was breathing really hard when I pushed it. The UPA-7 is just cruising at 95+ db. I think I'm going to be spoiled. If I were to upgrade the HT surrounds and backs with LaScalas (I wish), there wouldn't be a need for any more power at all. The high efficiency of Klipsch lends well to this modestly powered amplifier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 you're right that this amp is incredibly cool. the 805 runs 3-4x hotter, even when just serving as a pre/pro. i listen at low/moderate level. nothing too crazy. i have yet to tested it out with a movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 you're right that this amp is incredibly cool. the 805 runs 3-4x hotter, even when just serving as a pre/pro. i listen at low/moderate level. nothing too crazy. i have yet to tested it out with a movie. Maybe a movie will show some differences from the 805. One things for sure.. if you decide to switch pre/pros in the future, you won't have to look for and/or invest in amplification! The specs on te 805 are impressive. I wonder how it performs agaist the UMC-1 with the new firmware? (PQ and HDMI locks.) I have both and it feels like they were meant for each other. I'll bet the Onkyo performs just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 yes, the onkyo 805 did very well. it was just a desire to go separates. i have the integra dhc 9.9 coming this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kde Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 Will Emo ever have an XPA-7 amp? How far off? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 yes, sometimes later this year......or next...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 couldn't tell a difference.....perhaps the 805 was doing a fine job, or i have dead ears...or maybe a combination of both... didn't get the WOW factor i was hoping for. The Onkyo TX-SR805 does do a great job. It is way overbuilt for its pricepoint and has a very potent amp section with a much larger power supply than it's direct competitors from Denon, Yamaha, Pioneer, etc. Onkyo toned down the next generation(806) by exhanging for a much smaller power supply and shedding 12lbs. I think to really notice a significant performance gain over the 805 alone, you might want to step up to one of the XPA amps from Emotiva. Please don't get me wrong, the Emo gear is great including your UPA-7. It is just that the 805's amp section is really that good and can hold it's own against many outboard amps. Here is some published measurements from a review in Audioholics for the UPA-7. Not too shabby results. http://www.audioholics.com/reviews/amplifiers/emotiva-upa-7/upa7-measurements Emotiva UPA-7 Dynamic Power Test (1kHz)Left Pic: ACD, 8 ohms; Right Pic: 2 Channels driven, 4 ohms # of CH Test Type Power Load THD + N 2 CFP-BW 140 watts 8-ohms 0.1% 2 CFP-BW 238 watts 4-ohms 0.1% 7 1kHz Psweep 108 watts 8-ohms 0.1% 7 1kHz Psweep 117 watts 8-ohms 1% 2 1kHz Psweep 240 watts 4-ohms 0.1% 2 1kHz Psweep 252 watts 4-ohms 1% 7 Dynamic PWR 156 watts 8-ohms 1% 2 Dynamic PWR 320 watts 4-ohms 1% Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 thanks Bill, i did look at the XPA-3, but have learned of complaints about noise level with the XPA and heritage speakers, so i toned down and opted for the UPA series for its quietness. in a way, i wasn't completely surprised, since i knew the 805 had an excellent amp (actually delivered around 120wpc with 5/7 channels driven). i was hoping for a notinceable difference right away, but i guess if i spent enough time i might actually spot a few things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 yes, the onkyo 805 did very well. it was just a desire to go separates. i have the integra dhc 9.9 coming this week. Oh my! So much for the budget! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 yeah...didn't quite expect to get both the UPA-7 and Integra 9.9 in the same week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xki Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 yeah...didn't quite expect to get both the UPA-7 and Integra 9.9 in the same week. I can imagine! The integra is really pushing the envelope with processor functions. The write-ups are saying great things. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 thanks, got it from a member over at the Emo forum. killer price too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 My UPA-7 arrived Monday. Monday was a busy day, so I didn't get it hooked up, and then yesterday was another busy day at work followed by working the sideline for a local high school varsity playoff soccer match. I finally got it hooked up and running at about 8:30 last night. My adventure began with an adventure. When I got the UPA all hooked up and ready to go, I turned it on. It powered up, went through POST, went active . . . and powered down, powered up, went through POST . . . and powered down . . . lather . . . rinse . . . repeat. You can imagine I was fairly concerned. I checked all my connections, and then for grins decided to start pulling them off one by one. I started with the remote trigger cable. Got it in one. I use a wall wart to provide signal voltage for the remote trigger, as the Harman/Hardon AVR-235 doesn't provide a remote trigger. (It's about the only thing I don't like about HK.) It is a 6V transformer with a proper 3.5 mm jack on the output side. Well, even though the manual and the label on the back both say "6-12V," 6V doesn't convince the amp it needs to stay on. The remote trigger is out of the loop until I can locate a 12V transformer. First impressions are positive. The UPA-7 replaces a Harman/Kardon PA 2100 40 WPC amplifier for the La Scala mains, and it offloads amp duties from the HK AVR-235 amp section for the Heresy center and La Scala surrounds. I was only able to play about an hour of music last night and no movies. First off, the HK PA 2100 is a little guy, but he's no slouch. It is a fine, fine amplifier for La Scalas and other highly efficient speakers, though it doesn't quite have the juice that a Chorus II wants. (One of them bridged per Chorus is another story, however.) I was never dissatisfied with either the quality or quantity of sound that the HK/La Scala combination could produce, except at the extreme edge of sanity, where things would fall apart. I haven't pushed the new combo to that edge yet. However, at moderate to somewhat loud volumes, I can tell that the UPA has that extra bit of grunt. There is a bit more clarity and detail all the way up and down the range; growling bass guitars have a little more growl, sparkly bits are a bit sparklier, and hard-hitting drums hit a little harder. I've seen a lot of live shows in small venues, and had college roommates who played in band for which I would run the board, and though I don't play any more myself, members of my do. I know what instruments sound like, and the level of realism is now just a notch higher. All in all it's an incremental improvement, roughly of the same order of magnitude that going from the HK receiver's amp section to the HK 2100 outboard amp was. Was it worth $600? For the difference in sound alone, no. However, there are other factors. I have two extra channels that I can use to drive subs, and that has value as I may be able to avoid buying a $300 pro amp. It will take less rack space than buying two more PA 2100s, and the risk is lower than getting a used PA 5800 with an unknown history. In short, if I had it to do over again, I might choose a different path, but I have no regrets. If I have to go from the La Scala setup back to the Chorus/Academy/Quartet stable, the UPA will be plenty, so odds are good this is the last mains amp I will ever have to buy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kde Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Doesn't sound like the UPA7 is going to be what I was hoping for a THX 7.2 set up... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olorin Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Right, you have to match the amp to your speakers' power requirement, and the THX speakers, like all of the large direct radiators, have demands that make the UPA-7 an inappropriate choice. A UPA is plenty for La Scalas. If your heart is set on using Emotiva amps, you want an XPA-2 for the mains and an XPA-5 for the rest of the system, assuming the subs have their own power needs met. Otherwise, your next best bet from a bang/buck perspective is a rack full of 300 WPC pro amps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokarz Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 ................All in all it's an incremental improvement, roughly of the same order of magnitude that going from the HK receiver's amp section to the HK 2100 outboard amp was. Was it worth $600? For the difference in sound alone, no. ....In short, if I had it to do over again, I might not choose a different path, but I have no regrets. ......so odds are good this is the last mains amp I will ever have to buy. same feelings that i have. at least, it's still a great amp to look at. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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