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Official Emotiva XPA-5 Owners Thread

258K views 3K replies 380 participants last post by  wilbur_the_goose 
#1 ·
i recently acquired an Emotiva XPA-5, and to my shock, there was no thread aimed primarily at the owners of this particular amp on AVS Forum. So i had to start one.

This amp is spectacular. I hooked it up to my Denon 4310CI (used as a processor) and you simply hear details that were not there before. I'm sure you've heard that before, but i'm here to tell you it's the truth.


One particular example is in Transformers 2. The "pimp-slap" that Optimus Prime gives Megatron at the beginning of the Graveyard Battle sequence is quite telling. In the theaters, and back when I was using the Denon 4310CI for audio, that smack sounded like a "clink" with a small bit of after-effect. Once the Amp was driving my speakers, that same smack was a full fledged, detailed, metallic scream that sounded amazing.


Of course this is just one tiny example, but it's one that folks can find easily to test out. (I also popped in "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" and talking about that movie is a whole new thread in and of itself). My fellow Emotiva XPA-5 owners--how has this amp improved your Home Theater and/or Music listening experience? Feel free to list examples in music and movies where you've heard a difference after blessing your system with the Emotiva XPA-5. Please list your speakers and processor as well. It would be great to get an idea of the gear we (XPA-5 owners) are using with the mighty amp.
 
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#52 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel /forum/post/19730715


The XPA-5 and UPA-2 should work fine together. Rear surrounds don't handle that much information and the speakers you have listed should really not need a lot of extra amplification. Im guessing that you are going with a pair of BPVX as rear surrounds.

Actually, I am considering either a pair of CLR2002's or SM 450's. One of my buddies also suggested moving the XPA-5 to center, surround, and surround back duty, and getting 2 UPA-1's for front L and R. Thoughts on that?
 
#54 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by FSUguy /forum/post/19730755


Actually, I am considering either a pair of CLR2002's or SM 450's. One of my buddies also suggested moving the XPA-5 to center, surround, and surround back duty, and getting 2 UPA-1's for front L and R. Thoughts on that?

I think that 2 UPA-1's powering your mains along with an XPA-5 for the other channels would work fine. You would have about the same amount of power available to all channels. You would really have a little more power available for your mains since the mono blocks will have their own power supplies. Im using a similar set up. Except that Im using a pair of XPA-1's for my mains, along with an XPA-5 for the rest of my other channels. Im really happy with the results.
 
#56 ·
Emotiva XPA-5 4ohm speakers. 5008 AVR.

I am getting tweeter hiss

Anyone else, and is it fixable?
 
#59 ·
I have a very slight tweeter hiss from my XPA-5. You have to stick your ear right next to the tweeter and really listen for it. As MichaelJHuman said, I think this depends greatly on speaker sensitivity. My speakers that the XPA-5 powers are 90db sensitive. My mains on the other hand are 97db sensitive. I have a pair of XPA-1 mono blocks powering those. They also have a very very slight tweeter hiss. Quieter than the XPA-5. The XPA-1 is supposed to be quieter than the XPA-5 according to what Emotiva tells me. So what Im experiencing seems to be normal. As I said before you would never no any of my speakers had a slight tweeter hiss unless you stuck your ear up to the tweeter with no content playing. You need to be as close a 1 or 2 inches and really listen good to know it's there. I simply did it because I was looking for it. It is never heard otherwise.
 
#60 ·
Emotiva is doing a serious update to their User's Guide for the XPA-5 (.pdf file), which has so many errors --- to many to mention here, and it is totally different than what their web site states -- they are not even close to being in sync.

Also, the 12Vdc Trigger Cable is approx. 2 Meters in length they tell me verbally, and it comes with the XPA-5. Also, the XPA-5 is thermally burned-in at the factory for about 8 hrs. at what temp. they didn't know, but they at Emotiva recommend that you let it soak a while at your room temperature before applying some max. power to it -- which makes good sense, so thermally it is stabilized at room temperature. Also, they recommend a minimum of a couple inches (+2") of clearance on the top surface for ventilation, even though it does not run very hot even under a lot of sourced output power. After reading the User's Guide (.pdf) downloaded from web, and comparing it to their web site, I really got concerned since they were totally different and called them out on it -- since I could not figure out what the Real Specs of the XPA-5 where and are. Glad Emotiva is now aware of this issue -- hopefully they get it cleared up soon, as they have good web forum writeups. BTW -- the weight of unit is 66 Pounds Net., and not 75.4# as the User's Guide shows. Definately run the power cord directly into your AC outlet not a surge protector. Anybody else notice these differences between the User's Guide and their web site? What documentation comes with the XPA-5 (the User's Guide - which is totally hosed up and erroneous in specs/detail)? I certainly hope the physical XPA-5 unit is considerably better than their meaningless User's Guide. I have one on order, but this concerns me about their Quality within Engr./Tech. Writing!! Hopefully, the physical product is super sound # for #...
 
#61 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by sathron /forum/post/19636682


Just received my XPA-5 last Tuesday, so

I've had it set up and running for less than a week. First of all, showed up in perfect shape (no dents, all LED's same brightness)...secondly, It makes an awesome addition to my Denon AVR-4810...Great Amp!!! Can't believe how warm the sound is and truly how much headroom there is..may add another! Great job Emotiva! Heres a pic of the amp with my gear.

Sathron -- knowing you have a Denon AVR, was it worth the extra $$ for the XPA-5? What spkrs. are you running with it (F/L/C/SR/SL)?

Did you hear much difference before vs. after installing it? Did it make any difference with your subs?
 
#62 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel /forum/post/19902971


I have a very slight tweeter hiss from my XPA-5. You have to stick your ear right next to the tweeter and really listen for it. As MichaelJHuman said, I think this depends greatly on speaker sensitivity. My speakers that the XPA-5 powers are 90db sensitive. My mains on the other hand are 97db sensitive. I have a pair of XPA-1 mono blocks powering those. They also have a very very slight tweeter hiss. Quieter than the XPA-5. The XPA-1 is supposed to be quieter than the XPA-5 according to what Emotiva tells me. So what Im experiencing seems to be normal. As I said before you would never no any of my speakers had a slight tweeter hiss unless you stuck your ear up to the tweeter with no content playing. You need to be as close a 1 or 2 inches and really listen good to know it's there. I simply did it because I was looking for it. It is never heard otherwise.

Secret -- what is causing this Hiss in the XPA-5? Did you chat with Emotiva about it, and what did they say? Must be high freq. hiss thru the tweets -- is this noise? Have you put in a CD, and pause it, then crank up power a lot and is the hiss still there?
 
#63 ·
Household line 120V 15A can deliver max continuous power of (120x15)=1800 WATTS RMS


Typical Linear A/B Amplifier is between 40-50% efficient


Take the maximum 1800 watt power from wall outlet and multiply by amp efficient (let's say 45%)


1800x.45=810 the max power an a/b am can deliver on a continuous basis - assuming the amps power supply can consume the entire 1800 watts without causing the transformer to overheat or go into thermal meltdown


5 channels driven 810/5=162 watts per channel

(SINCE EMOTIVA IS GETTING MORE THAN 200 WATTS RMS PER CHANNEL -- THEIR A/B DESIGN MUST BE MORE EFFICIENT!!)


7 channels driven 810/7=116 watts per channel


Note:Rail switching amps (class G/H) can be 65% efficient and Class D switching amps can be 90% efficient assuming proper power supply Is used.


So 65% efficiency (class G/H)=1800x.65 = 1170 continuous watts from outlet


5 channels=1170/5=234


7 channels= 1170/7=167


90% efficient (Class D) = 1800/.90=1620 continuous watts


5 channels=1600/5=320


7 channels= 1600/7=228


This gives us an idea of some of the limiting factors that determines the maximum continuous wattage an amp can deliver to all channels (wall outlet, efficiency, number of channels driven)


To look at a real world exampleEmotivas Class H 7x200 watt channel amplifier (60%efficient) the MPS-2 ($1700) should then only be able to deliver 167 continuous watts per channel assuming the power supply is up to snuff. Keep in mind when you get into AVR's you need to take into account the wattage that is used up by the processing and video demands as well.


Now most of us would probably be looking at a UPA-7 which is a class A/B (45%) efficient. So you're looking to get 110 watts continous max out of each channel.


So my questions:


what is the benefit of going with a 200 Watt x 7 channel class H amplifier vs a 125 watt x 7 class B amplifier if your maximum continous wattage is limited by the power coming out of your wall outlet? My guess would be that you are only going to get 40-50 watts per channel more (continuos 7 channels drive) by going with the 200 wpc vs 125 wpc.


What would be the point of a 400 watt x 7 if there is no way in heck your amp can draw enough power from the outlet to support those numbers in the first place?


Should we then pay more attention to the efficiency ratings, THD, and power transformers of a piece of equipment vs the posted watts per channel to get an idea of what it is really capable of?


If you want your continuous 200 watts you better get class D. Anyone know how much those cost?


Edit...In any event a 200 watt seperate amp is going to hurt your ears. In the real world situations, an amp is never really called upon to delvier full continous power to all channels for prgramming content (music, DVD, etc..) The point is the manufacturer says 200 watt per channel X 7 which doesn't appear possible. They shouldn't be marketing with WPC numbers...They should be marketing with efficiency ratings, THD and power supply capabilities. After all, you can only get 1800 watts max continous from you wall (unless you change your circuit breaker) so it would make more sense to get the amp that is most efficient, meaning it can make the most out of those watts...So i would take a class H 100 watt amp over an Class A 125 w amp.


Such is the basis of the amp vs AVR argument. in most cases the Amp is going to be more efficient with those 1800 watts then the AVR becuase it has better transformers and less stuff to power on it..
 
#65 ·
With reference to the above post on power talking about class AB efficiency...it's inaccurate to talk about really low efficiency when you are talking about max or near max power. As the amplified signal is getting close to the rail voltage, efficiency goes up.


I can do the math if you insist, but it's simple enough math...


Also, when you talk about max power, being produced the draw from the wall does not have to match that power, as the reservoir caps can help make up for deficiencies. And you can pull more than rated power from the wall for short periods of time (fuses don't blow right away - when the amp's caps are charging, it's probably pulling a lot of current for a short period of time, just like a light blulb would, before the heating of it's element starts increasing resistance.)


Also, the VA rating of transformers is their max safe rating for continuous operation far as I know. Which means they can pull more voltage from the wall than the VA rating would indicate perhaps. At some point, the wall voltage is probably the limiting factor IF the amps own limiter circuits are not engaging (which they probably are during a continuous sine wave test with all channels driven.)


In conclusion, I am pretty sure the XPA-5 will be louder than the UPA. But it may not be dramatic, because at best, with double the power, you get 3 dB more SPL per channel.
 
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#66 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DenPureSound /forum/post/19904445


Secret -- what is causing this Hiss in the XPA-5? Did you chat with Emotiva about it, and what did they say? Must be high freq. hiss thru the tweets -- is this noise? Have you put in a CD, and pause it, then crank up power a lot and is the hiss still there?

All electronic circuits have noise. It's physics at work. You can reduce, but not eliminate it.


By various accounts, the XPA series is not the quietest amp out there. Better than my Crown amp though. I can hear hiss from 18 to 12" from my Klipsch speakers with that thing connected.
 
#67 ·
MichaelJHuman -- before I planned on purchasing the XPA5, I wanted to compare the manual with their Emotiva web site, and thought all the data would be the same, of which it should be... Wow, it was like reading a manual for a Chevy, but was talking about a Ford within -- that was hard for me to believe with all the great write-ups on the forums, but that was the True Case. In fact, the User's Guide for the XPA-5 shows 250 Watts into 8 Ohms (0.04% THD), and the Web shows online 200 Watts into 8 Ohms (0.1% THD), and way to many other issues to mention here, so I was really confused -- All I knew was that it was not a Ford or Chevy (Laughs)... For your XPA-3 did it come with a "User's Guide" or what is the title of the Manual it came with? Maybe they have different manuals for the product, I don't know. Only have data off the web right now, since the XPA-5 is Backordered.
 
#68 ·
I think your best guide to the XPA series is the data they published from their audio analyzer (such as power and THD at various output levels.)


Assume they ran a sweep, not a 5 min continuous test though. In other words, it held the the power output you see, but not for minutes at a time.


Some would say that's not unreasonable. My only problem was that I thought that's what the FTC rule dictated (5 mins of continuous operation at rated power, with a preconditoning period.)


I am not sure they have come out and said 'yes we ran a 1 second sweep to get that data.' But evidence suggests that is indeed what they did.


It's a LOT of power, though, IMO. Based on what I know, I would say someone would have to have usual needs for the XPA to be lacking in their setup from a power perspective. Consider that it does not have to output 5 channels of identical sine waves in reality for one thing. So it may be able to do better than 200 watts dynamically.
 
#69 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DenPureSound /forum/post/19904445


Secret -- what is causing this Hiss in the XPA-5? Did you chat with Emotiva about it, and what did they say? Must be high freq. hiss thru the tweets -- is this noise? Have you put in a CD, and pause it, then crank up power a lot and is the hiss still there?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelJHuman /forum/post/19905519


All electronic circuits have noise. It's physics at work. You can reduce, but not eliminate it.


By various accounts, the XPA series is not the quietest amp out there. Better than my Crown amp though. I can hear hiss from 18 to 12" from my Klipsch speakers with that thing connected.

All amplifiers have a noise floor. Dedicated amplifiers are usually slightly louder than the amplifiers inside of an AVR. Pro amps are often the noisiest. There are detailed things that cause noise floor hiss. I can't really name them all. The bottom line is that an amplifier is really a stupid device. It will amplify any sound that is present. Thats really its job. This includes noise from power supplies among other things. I believe the hiss you are hearing is normal and nothing to worry about. Unless you can hear it from across the room.
 
#70 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelJHuman /forum/post/19905591


I think your best guide to the XPA series is the data they published from their audio analyzer (such as power and THD at various output levels.)


Assume they ran a sweep, not a 5 min continuous test though. In other words, it held the the power output you see, but not for minutes at a time.


Some would say that's not unreasonable. My only problem was that I thought that's what the FTC rule dictated (5 mins of continuous operation at rated power, with a preconditoning period.)


I am not sure they have come out and said 'yes we ran a 1 second sweep to get that data.' But evidence suggests that is indeed what they did.


It's a LOT of power, though, IMO. Based on what I know, I would say someone would have to have usual needs for the XPA to be lacking in their setup from a power perspective. Consider that it does not have to output 5 channels of identical sine waves in reality for one thing. So it may be able to do better than 200 watts dynamically.

MichaelJHuman -- would you run an additional XPA-2 for Surround Backs, or just run those off the Denon, and let the XPA-5 run the F/L/C/SL/SR -- I really don't feel that spending the extra $ on the XPA-2 vs. letting my Denon run them is worth the extra money, but would only look nice in rack. Since I feel the Denon would run the Surround Backs easily once I get the load (5 speakers) off the Denon and over to the XPA-5. Anyone have comments on this post, please do reply. Thanks.
 
#71 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DenPureSound /forum/post/19906711


MichaelJHuman -- would you run an additional XPA-2 for Surround Backs, or just run those off the Denon, and let the XPA-5 run the F/L/C/SL/SR -- I really don't feel that spending the extra $ on the XPA-2 vs. letting my Denon run them is worth the extra money, but would only look nice in rack. Since I feel the Denon would run the Surround Backs easily once I get the load (5 speakers) off the Denon and over to the XPA-5. Anyone have comments on this post, please do reply. Thanks.

If you get an XPA-2 consider using it for your mains. Then use the XPA-5 for your center, surrounds, and rear surrounds. Im not sure what kind of mains you have. Thats what I would do. Im using a similar amp configuration except Im using a pair of XPA-1's for my mains and an XPA-5 for my center, surrounds and rear surrounds. It really sounds good.
 
#72 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by Secret Squirrel /forum/post/19901941


How far away from the speaker can you hear the hiss? What kind of speakers do you have? What are the sensitivity ratings on the speakers that you hear the hiss?

Mcintosh LS360's

A foot away I can hear the hiss but never measured how far out yet.

Tweeter only hiss.
 
#73 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DenPureSound /forum/post/19906711


MichaelJHuman -- would you run an additional XPA-2 for Surround Backs, or just run those off the Denon, and let the XPA-5 run the F/L/C/SL/SR -- I really don't feel that spending the extra $ on the XPA-2 vs. letting my Denon run them is worth the extra money, but would only look nice in rack. Since I feel the Denon would run the Surround Backs easily once I get the load (5 speakers) off the Denon and over to the XPA-5. Anyone have comments on this post, please do reply. Thanks.

Emotiva recommends against leaving amplifier channels unused, because it would allow used channels to pull more power than is good for them when stressed. I surmise something similar would be true for under-used channels, too.


I use an XPA-5 for L/C/R/SR/SL and receiver amplification for surround back and DSX wides.
 
#74 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by DenPureSound /forum/post/19906711


MichaelJHuman -- would you run an additional XPA-2 for Surround Backs, or just run those off the Denon, and let the XPA-5 run the F/L/C/SL/SR -- I really don't feel that spending the extra $ on the XPA-2 vs. letting my Denon run them is worth the extra money, but would only look nice in rack. Since I feel the Denon would run the Surround Backs easily once I get the load (5 speakers) off the Denon and over to the XPA-5. Anyone have comments on this post, please do reply. Thanks.


I would consider just using the Denon for the rear surround speakers. You are only asking it to amplify two channels. And it could be argued they are less critical than the other channels. Another option would be to use the Denon for the surround (not rear surround channels.) One reason to consider this is if your surround speakers are really close to your listening position, such that they need very little power.


I am powering my surrounds with my Yamaha Z7, my rear surrounds with my Crown. That leaves the XPA-5 for the front channels.
 
#75 ·
With the XPA-2 going out the door at $800, and with the Surround Backs alot closer to the listening position, am going to drive the SB's off the Denon and see where we are at, at that point in time. Then maybe next grab a couple speakers for Front Wides and drive them off the Denon also, as it seems to me most all like the Front Wides vs. the Front Heights. Then, if this is weak for SB's and Wides, will get another XPA (Of course, after the Uncle Pays Me!!) for the FL/FR (Klipsch RF-82II's) and drive all the rest off the XPA-5. One baby step at a time first here... Research, Spend, Hookup, Listen & Listen... then Spend again only as Required (Maybe in 1.5 yrs. the XMC-1) after all bugs are exterminated within it, and I am sure there will be more than one bug floating around within it, and after the Wifey gets new Shoes I'm told.
 
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