[Big Picture]

I'm considering using the Emotiva XPA series amplifiers with a Onkyo 5507 pre-pro.


Are there other amps in the same price range as the Emotivas that I should consider too? I will be using them with Atlantic Technology 8200e power hungry speakers.


Thank you.

 

[phantom52]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Picture /forum/post/18249471


I'm considering using the Emotiva XPA series amplifiers with a Onkyo 5507 pre-pro.


Are there other amps in the same price range as the Emotivas that I should consider too? I will be using them with Atlantic Technology 8200e power hungry speakers.


Thank you.

Maybe Outlaw. But don't know for sure. Emotiva such a good buy why search anywhere else for a new amp. Good buys can be had at Audiogon for used amps.

 

[D_Strasse]

You need to go used to get into the same price range as Emo new.


Now whether new Emo or used boutique brands is a better buy is highly subjective. Outlaw new seems about double the price as Emo new.

 

[rdperry]

I have had the Outlaw 7500 and now have the Emotiva xpa-5 and to be honest the 7500 may have been a little better but the improvement was in my opinion not worth the rather large price difference.

 

[Steve.]

I'm waiting to see how the UMC 1 pans out, I still think it's going to be the best bang for the buck. I remember getting my Outlaw 1050 for $499 toward the end of it's run, there was nothing even close for the money. It wasn't perfect but represented a really good value. Unfortunately I think they have lost sight of what made them so great. $4000 amps ? Are you kidding me ? I'm a working class stiff with three kids, no way can I afford something like that. As far as their current line up... no HDMI receivers or preamplifiers. Too bad, I finally have some cash burning a hole in my pocket so to me Emotiva is the clear choice at this moment in time. As long as they work the bugs out and there's positive feedback here and in the Emo lounge.

 

[snoble]

I run a 5507 with a XPA-5 and I am very happy with it. I am trying to decide what amp I want to use for the other 4 channels. Currently I am using my old Yamaha 2300 in 6 channel pass through mode to power the front high and back surrounds. I was thinking of getting a XPA-3 and running the fronts but that would still leave me channel down so I might have to get another XPA-5.

 

[Big Picture]

I'm leaning toward two XPA-5's for my 9.1 setup.

 

[rdperry]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve. /forum/post/18253071


I'm waiting to see how the UMC 1 pans out, I still think it's going to be the best bang for the buck. I remember getting my Outlaw 1050 for $499 toward the end of it's run, there was nothing even close for the money. It wasn't perfect but represented a really good value. Unfortunately I think they have lost sight of what made them so great. $4000 amps ? Are you kidding me ? I'm a working class stiff with three kids, no way can I afford something like that. As far as their current line up... no HDMI receivers or preamplifiers. Too bad, I finally have some cash burning a hole in my pocket so to me Emotiva is the clear choice at this moment in time. As long as they work the bugs out and there's positive feedback here and in the Emo lounge.

We have the same story. I had a 1050 and that led me to the outlaw amps but they seem to be lost now. They are way beyond emotiva price wise for similar performance and dont really match up well with well with the big boys as asthetics and mystic. When you look at the parts that make up an Outlaw amp they do best the similarly priced Emo stuff piece for piece but in having the outlaw 7125 and 7500 and the Emo upa-7,lpa-1 and Xpa-5 in my set up I didnt find the difference in performance noticable. Selling me a Onkyo discountinued pre for $1500 and a 75 watt per channel amp for $700 just dont seem to cut it.

 

[Steve.]

Amps are easy to contract to manufacture, but how are you going to sell them with no pre-pro to go along with ? It's too bad because they are good amps but it must be killing their sales. No contingency plan after three years of developement and delays is pretty dumb. I wonder why they didn't work with the guys who built the 1050 and 950...


Looks like people are throwing in the towel waiting for their preamp. The timing couldn't be worse, the UMC-1 seems like it's finally getting the kinks worked out plus it's half the money. I will be putting either a UMC-1 or Onkyo in my HT bypass soon as they are the only real, affordable option right now.

 

[Management]

How does the UMC-1 compared to the likes of a Pioneer Elite 23TXH? Just curious.


Just from the technical performance. Pricing is similar IMO.

 

[Sitting Bull]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Management /forum/post/18265000


How does the UMC-1 compared to the likes of a Pioneer Elite 23TXH? Just curious.


Just from the technical performance. Pricing is similar IMO.

I doubt that you could ever tell the difference between them under normal usage.

 

[MichaelJHuman]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve. /forum/post/18264954


Amps are easy to contract to manufacture, but how are you going to sell them with no pre-pro to go along with ?

Why? People can buy non Emotiva pre amps or receivers.


I don't get your point, at all.

 

[Management]



Quote:
How does the UMC-1 compared to the likes of a Pioneer Elite 23TXH? Just curious.


Just from the technical performance. Pricing is similar IMO.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sitting Bull /forum/post/18269605


I doubt that you could ever tell the difference between them under normal usage.

So basically from a home theater stand point, the difference between a mid-high receiver processing/pre-out and a standalone pre/pro is like the difference between blur-ray players processing 1080p content, correct?


I'm starting to see that the trend towards high fidelity sources made it not necessary for one to get expensive equipment, AMPS not withstanding.


I don't understand why people charge so much money for standalone processors processing Dolby-HD and DTS-HD. I'm trying to figure out why I would every anything besides a nicely priced UMC-1 vs. anything else to add to a dedicated AMP.


Even still why is the UMC-1 processor so expensive when they can put the same DolbyHD/DTSHD and 1080p processing in a cheaper receiver?

 

[Dzhokhar]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Management /forum/post/18273334


Even still why is the UMC-1 processor so expensive when they can put the same DolbyHD/DTSHD and 1080p processing in a cheaper receiver?

Because people are willing to pay more for a dedicated pre-pro (even though they're actually getting less functionality).


I'm always amazed at the number of people here who post:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Random Poster /forum/post/0


I don't want an AVR because I don't want to pay extra for amps that I'm not going to use.

and then go out and spend $2000 on a pre-pro when they could get the same functionality from a $1000 AVR (or in the case of the UMC-1, spend $800 on a buggy pre-pro with features no better than those available in a comparably priced, and mostly bug-free, AVR).

 

[SoundChex]



Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Picture /forum/post/18253872


I'm leaning toward two XPA-5's for my 9.1 setup.

Sounds like a good beginning...


It seems to me that, with the number of speakers in our systems slowly creeping upwards, it is UNLIKELY that AVRs will 'standardize' at some number of on-board amps in the region of 12+, after all, the vast majority of home systems are probably still at 5.1 or fewer channels. Yet it is probable/possible that in the next 5 to 10 years [Hamasaki] 22.2 channel audio [from NHK's SHV tv system] might become a consumer product associated with 4th Gen optical disks (or just network streamed movies/tv, if we can give up 'physical product' purchasing!) NHK says you can get the majority of the audio benefits from a mixdown to as few as 10 (presumably 'well chosen') channels/speakers, so maybe some premium/flagship AVRs might have 10 amps, but the majority of us will be back to buying pre-amps - or 7.1/9.1 AVRs with a lot of extra pre-outs! - and a whole bunch of multi channel power amps!