emotiva xpa-2 compared with Proton D1200

honestabe316

Oh Chief! - Jane Hathaway
I have a question regarding the two amps in title. I currently own and use a proton d1200. I am selling my sansui au-d11 and have been thinking about using the proceeds to purchase an emotiva xpa-2. ...aside from the stated output wattage 100 vs. 200....would this be a wise upgrade? Im running alon model 1 speakers. ...the proton is lovely but once I sell the sansui, I want to funnel cash back into hifi equip so I dont spend it on food or a college fund, or some nonsense like that.....any opinions? The Alon's are 6ohm bi-wired...


Scortt
 
For me it's a no-brainer. I would go with the XPA-2. 30 day home trial, free shipping, and a 5 year transferrable warranty. You get a lot for your money with Emotiva.
 
For me it's a no-brainer. I would go with the XPA-2. 30 day home trial, free shipping, and a 5 year transferrable warranty. You get a lot for your money with Emotiva.

2nd...............

You can search the web and the forum for posts on the XPA-2 for reviews and any known problems.

Given that MOSFET amps have been around for decades, they aren't the bleeding edge like some other technologies.

My experience in dealing with Emotiva is that it is effortless, and given the trial period, risk free.

I have no knowledge of the other vendor.........
 
Nothing against Emotiva, I own and I'm happy with their products. I would however take a look at Odyssey Audio. Their Khartago amp while not as powerful, as the Emo, has a great reputation and is similar in cost. Their Cyclops integrated might be another option for you. Oh yeah, they offer a 20 year transferable warranty!

cubdog
 
My experience with the XPA-2 (and Emotiva gear in general) was not favorable. My vintage Infinities put the XPA-2 into protect mode twice where a thirty-five year old Soundcraftsmen amp had no issues (this is not a hoorah for vintage gear). I tried the Emotiva with several other speakers and had no issues, so you likely wouldn't experience what I did (the Infinities are indeed a challenging load), but it does speak to the overall capabilities of the design. I wouldn't expect a ~70 lb amp to take a shit when presented a difficult load. I'd look into cubdog's suggestion.
 
I will research the selections c ubdog referred to....my mistake on the 300 watts...I thought I saw 200. . I had been looking at a freinds levinson 23 as he offered it for a fair price but im liking the idea of a warranty of some sort. Thanks for the replies..


Scott
 
I will research the selections c ubdog referred to....my mistake on the 300 watts...I thought I saw 200. . I had been looking at a freinds levinson 23 as he offered it for a fair price but im liking the idea of a warranty of some sort. Thanks for the replies..


Scott

If he will loan you the Levinson, it would also be a risk free trial. My recollection is that these amps have a good reputation. Others may have first hand knowledge, also search the forum and internet for reviews and problems. On one of my amps the three known problems all appeared around the same time after 35+ years of service, all fixed for $200.

You would have to search the auction site Sold to establish a fair price for comparison to the other models you are considering........

While you have custody of the Levinson, you could order in a trial period amp and do a bake off.

At one time, I had 5 good amps from 3 mfgs sitting on my LR floor, I would move the speaker cables and RCA connection from the pre amp from unit to unit and play the same selections trying to equalize the volume by ear. I already owned them all; as the bake off progressed, 4 of the 5 wanted some love and went to the shop for repairs and calibration, then back into the rotation. In the end, they all sounded very good, I left the matched set in place and spread the rest around the house. The range on the used market pricing ran from $2500 on the high end to $150 on the low end, collectability being the primary factor.
 
Im sure he would let me try it for a bit....with winter coming, this could be an option. ..having the time to do some serious comparisons....
 
I have a Levinson 23. It's a very good amp, but it is older and repairs are very expensive if/when that time comes. As I understand it they are not easy to repair for the typical hobbyist or those not directly familiar with them.

Several years ago I looked into having mine checked out/tuned up by an authorized repair shop. It was $1200 flat rate. I passed since it seemed to be working OK.

Curious, would you mind sharing the price he offered to sell it?
 
Im sure he would let me try it for a bit....with winter coming, this could be an option. ..having the time to do some serious comparisons....


Before you bring in the paid trial unit, you could bake off with all of your existing amps, the Pioneer in Direct mode might surprise you.

If you want to go techie, there are lots of different models available, this is just an example sound meter....

http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Shack-Digital-Sound-Level/dp/B000A1EHGW/ref=pd_cp_MI_0
 
I have a Levinson 23. It's a very good amp, but it is older and repairs are very expensive...

Several years ago I looked into having mine checked out/tuned up by an authorized repair shop. It was $1200 flat rate. I passed since it seemed to be working OK.

My initial reaction is they were sticking it to you because of the name brand, after looking at the photos, I'm not sure.

http://www.audiotecnico.it/riparazioni/riparazioni_M/mark_levinson/Mark_Levinson_N23_5/Mark_Levinson_N23_5.htm

Mark_Levinson_N23_5_inside2.JPG


XPA-2

588490-emotiva_xpa2_300w_x_2.jpg
 
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Good lord... $1200 flat rate is not a ball pArk I want to play in.....im actually very happy with my proton but I want a higher powered amp as ive read that the alon speakers really sing with more power....but...I dont want any amp just because its a powerhouse...I dont want to compromise sound either...there is a local ad for two carved m-500t amps...250th watts into 8ohm...but the reviews ive read where that amp is compared to the 100 watt proton....there doesnt seem to be a huge difference....I have heard that NAD made some pretty powerful amps (power envelope models). Maybe thats something to look at as the repair costs are prob more reasonable....
 
I own a bunch of Yamaha gear, this is considered by many to be one of the best, and they sold lots of them so they are plentiful and the prices seem to be down from a couple of years ago. Looks like they are running $400-700

This unit specs out against almost anything, and receives great reviews.

Dual mono block

Yamaha MX-1000
260W RMS per channel
.003 THD
SN 126 db

MX1000-13.jpg
 
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I have heard many great things about the yamaha's....I will definitely check in on this model....being able to get my gear serviced is very important...
 
I have been using the Emotiva XPA 2 for 2 1/2 years, mostly with Maggie MMGs, with absolutely no issues. I tried it for a while with my Magneplanar 3.6s and it did a very creditable job with those as well. Probably a bit more grain compared to the Bryston that I normally use with the bigger Maggies, but still a very pleasant listening experience.

Both sets of Maggies are 4 ohm speakers and the XPA 2 puts out 500 watts per side at that load.

Is it in the absolute top tier of amps? Likely not, but it is a very worthy performer and the price is right.
 
Im intrigued by the yamaha's...I see there is a mx-630 & 830 models as well with 135/170 wpc...are these amps as spectacular?
 
Im intrigued by the yamaha's...I see there is a mx-630 & 830 models as well with 135/170 wpc...are these amps as spectacular?

Mx-600, MX-800 have nice light show on the front as meters. the 630, 830 do not.

I own 1x 600 and 3x 800s both sound great. Depending on the speakers, the 600-630 may be more than enough.

If you buy one, if you aren't comfortable doing it yourself, take it to the shop and have the switches cleaned and replace the relay switch unless it's brand new already, they are only $12. If everything checks out, you are good to go.

Very clear sounding sweet amps, good at any price.
 
My experience with the XPA-2 (and Emotiva gear in general) was not favorable. My vintage Infinities put the XPA-2 into protect mode twice where a thirty-five year old Soundcraftsmen amp had no issues (this is not a hoorah for vintage gear). I tried the Emotiva with several other speakers and had no issues, so you likely wouldn't experience what I did (the Infinities are indeed a challenging load), but it does speak to the overall capabilities of the design. I wouldn't expect a ~70 lb amp to take a shit when presented a difficult load. I'd look into cubdog's suggestion.

Just curious..what model Infinity put the Emo in protect. Incidently, I use a Soundcraftsmen A5002 and Infinity RSIIIb.
 
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