emotiva xpa gen2

does anyone have experience with these amps. gen 1 or 2? are they any good?

I have two first gen XPA-1's. Very clean, powerful and neutral. You can abuse them, play them hard and long...they just keep their cool and keep providing the power.

I've had mine in service since December of 2011 and have had no problems with them whatsoever.

I also have three of Emotiva's UPA-1's and a UPA-200, which I purchased in early 2012. I can only say pretty much the same things as I did about the XPA-1's...great amps despite what many feel can't be a good amp simply because of what they cost.

thanks yamaki. anyone else have emotiva gear that could voice their opinions good or bad?

I've had a pair of UPA-1 amps for several years now, they sound great and have been flawless. Another plus is that they run cooler than my DAC!

There are some who find limitations with the XPA series, and I am one of those. In my 2 channel system the XPA-3(one channel idle) running Paradigm Signature S6 speakers, the XPA was harsh at higher volumes. I had the amp for 3 years with an XDA-1 and ERC-1. I finally tried a Parasound A21 amp. Better in several ways and no harshness at levels above 82db as the XPA amp was.

I'm not sure if I could have softened the sound with cables or something else, but at the end of the day, I prefer the Parasound greatly with my speakers.

I read with interest when they came out with the 2nd generation editions, billed as "all new inside and out". But when I carefully compared the specs of the new vs old, the power supplies and caps were the same, and the power ratings were the same. They changed the cosmetics and the RCA connects in back, but they are hardly new on the inside. I was disappointed with this, as I thought this was a great opportunity for Emotiva to evolve the models with performance and SQ improvements as many brands do. The XPA-5 actually lost some weight for some reason.

Anyway, they are a decent amp for the money spent, but one can do better. If money is your main consideration, Emotiva is the price beater.

I don't know if I should pull the trigger on one of these Emotiva's to see what all the hype is about. I know my Denon poa 1500 and or my Yamaha m4 can drive the speakers that I have, I just wonder if it could drive them to a level (musically) that I haven't heard yet. I love my tubes, but this Emotiva intrigues me for a ss amp.

I own an XPA-2 gen 2 and while I think it's a great value for the money, I'd have to agree with runnin' that it tends to sound a little harsh at higher volumes.

I was thinking it might be the speakers (SVS Ultra Towers) because they are known to be a little bright, but I came across a used Odyssey Stratos Plus Stereo amp and the difference was pretty dramatic.

Personally, I prefer the Odyssey.

I don't have a power amp but I do have the Emotiva XDA-2 DAC/Pre Amp. It has been fantastic so far. Really love the look and feel, sounds great.

I've used two UPA-1 mono amps with my Magneplanars for several years now in my TV Room and they have been completely trouble free. They do have a slightly brighter tonal signature than my other SS amp of similar power (Conrad Johnson). But considering their price vs CJ plus the 30 day trial I think it makes sense to try them out if one is looking for a high SS power application.

I've had my XPA-2 Gen 2 for over 5 months and I'm very happy with it. It replaced an Onkyo M-506RS and I'll be getting another to replace the M-504 I just sold.

As far as it being bright, I can't tell a difference between it and the Onkyo's. I'm sure speakers have just as much to do with it, but as far as I'm concerned it sounds great.

UPA-1 monos purchased 3 years ago, $598.00 for the pair. Probably the best bang for the buck audio purchase I have ever made.

For me the XPA amp was a good deal until I realized it was so bright sounding it made my $6000 speakers have high frequency distortion at volume above 80db. The Parasound that I A/B'ed it to outclassed the Emotiva in several categories, but it cost more too.

The Emotiva ERC-1 cd player skipped the first few seconds of the first song played. It also would on occasion freeze/lock up and I had to power down then back up to clear it.

The XDA-1 had a volume bug that Emotiva would only fix if I paid to send it to them at less than 30 days old. They claimed it was lossless volume but in the end, a year later, admitted it was not, blaming the schematics from AD.

So for me, no, not the best bang for buck ever. That would go to the Oppo 103 or Project Debut Carbon, or maybe even Parasound A21 since I got it BNIB for such a great price.

There are enough Emotiva amp owners on this thread who say their amps can be bright that I think one can take it as accurate that with some speakers these amps do not blend well. If you think you have warm speakers you may be okay.

thanks to all for their input. i've decided not to pursue one. too many people talked about them being bright.

I have a UPA-200, which is one of only 2 SS amps I own (most of my gear is tubed). I would not call mine bright at all, but I do run the amp with an ARC SP16 (tube) preamp and the room is well damped. I think you have to take what some refer to as "bright" as relative to the rest of the gear or room it is used in. Overall, I think the UPA 200 is a pretty good amp.