I have been in audio since I was 14, as a mater of fact I use to work in a highend audio store at that age, and I have own several different power amps through the years, and after using the XPA-2 I can see why all the real high end magazines shy away from doing a review of this companies equipment. This is a great sounding amp I originally bought the XPA-3 which is not too shaby I am currently using it for the rear and center channel. However, when I turned on the XPA-2 to my Snell type B's I stated hearing all kind of small minute details in the background that I have never heard before, and it was not just the highend, the low end was outstanding, I ended up turning my subwoofer down from +3 to -5. This amp has got to be the biggest bang for the buck since the Phase Linear 400. For those that think you have to spend an arm and a leg to buy a quality amp, give the XPA-2 a try, I am sure you too will be a believer. By the way this thing is definitely not a lightweight, neither in power or weight. It weighs a hefty 70+ pounds and the power output is (300@8) (500@4) or MONO (1000@8). This amp has the gut's and the glory to boot. Since I hooked this amp to the system, I have been listening to all the old favorites, and they all seem to sound better.

When I decided to buy a new set of Polk LSI9's I realized my current Denon AV-3808CI was not going to be able to power the 4 Ohm load. After a lot of reading on different audio forums I kept seeing posts raving about Emotiva amps, a brand I've never heard of. When I saw what the amps were selling for I was mighty suspicious. I kept digging, sure I'd find something that would put me off. I didn't. I called several times and talked with Vincent and learned my best bet would be to use the 2-channel amp for the front Polks and let the Denon do the other 3. Later I could get a 3-Channel Emotiva to take the load off the Denon. My last setup was a Pass Labs Aleph, Audible Illusions L1 and Von Schweikert VR4. I was never very happy with that setup. For all the money I spent it just never met my expectations. To be honest, I was expecting to be dissppointed with the Emotiva. I just wasn't ready for what the amp delivered. The Emotiva blew me away with sound that is detailed, clean and dynamic. After listening to a few dozen CD's I'm still blown away by the quality of this amp. How can this much less expensive setup put a grin on my face every time I listen. One word of advice after this experience, READ THE FORUMS. I've never before had a piece of Audio equipment so thoroughly exceed my expectations!

I COMPARED A EMOTIVA XPA-2 TO A PARASOUND HCA 2200. THE TWO HEAVY WEIGHT AMPS PERFORMED IMPRESSIVELY. THE PARASOUND HAS A SMOOTHNESS IN THE MIDS WITH STRONG BASS AND GOOD DETAIL. THE EMOTIVA HAS NEUTRAL MIDS AND STRONG BASS. AND GOOD DETAIL. BOTH AMPS HAVE LOTS OF POWER.
I USED A SONIC FRONTIEIRS L1 PREAMP AND CAMBRIDGE 500 CD . SOUND CHOICE CUSTOM 3-WAY
SPEAKERS WITH A 12' WOOFER AND BIAMPED TWO 15' SUBWOOFERS WITH A QSC 3002 AMP.
THE EMOTIVA DROVE THE SPEAKERS WOOFERS TO THEIR LIMIT OF 10 MM EXCURSCION DURING A
LISTENING TEST TO A CHRIS DUARTE INSTRUMENTAL. THE EMOTIVA HAS THE BEST AUTHORITY IN THE BASS AND IT SOUNDS VERY GOOD. I THINK THE EMOTIVA XPA-2 IS THE BEST VALUE IN AUDIO HISTORY.

Emotiva XPA-5 Review not XPA-2

I owe debt to the founder, employees, and manufacturers of Emotiva. Their XPA-5 has single handedly blown me away! The price is a scoff. They are giving you people great musical and home theater amps.
The XPA-5 has belittled all my previous amps and receivers.

First it beat a B&K AV5000. A B&K amp as powerful as the XPA-5 would cost $2200+ and if B&K hasn't gotten alot better in the sound quality respect, the Emotiva amp would embarrass it. Not just beat it but kick its rear. B&K wasn't that bad even, especially in bass, the highs were grainy and unclear.
It blows away a Pioneer Elite VSX-52TX. This receiver took me away from ever buying any other Pioneer Elite Receiver. Pretty much turned my stomach to receivers altogether. It originally listed at $1000. It's real value is as a processor only. The amp section wasn't worth hearing.
It beat out a Yamaha receiver I never liked. Power from the Yamaha was impressive but sound quality was horrible. I'll never gamble again on a Yamaha.

So how does the Emotiva XPA-5 sound?
Very neutral amplifier. SPEAKERS: INFINITY BETA 50 and BETA C360 which have been a bright speaker.
Because of my speakers sonic signatures I still had to bump down the highs (4k, 8k, 16k), upper bass(125,250), and thanks to the Infinity PS-12 sub being such a low hitter I turned down the 40 hz band. 40 lowest the rest even. Boosted bands 60, 500, 1k, and 2k. All are within 5 db. 1k is set highest the rest even.

Clearly, the xpa-5 is a more musical amp than I've ever heard. Also the biggest, most ruggedly built, heavy, and pleasing to look at. I'd predict this amps real value stands 5 times what it costs. Easily 3 times it's humble costs. I don't know of any true competition Mark Levinson and Bryston are way out of price range, even used ones you have no guarantee of.
Emotiva has won this war and made me a true believer in their products. If you can't believe this is true you ARE missing out or way overpaying.
HT is well rounded too. Obvious to me, if the music is handled smoothly well, movies, given enough power, can sound enjoyable at least. The XPA-5 sounds silky smooth and exciting on movies. Well detailed and superb vocals, male and female. The bass is low, quick and precise. The only muddy bass now is from my stand alone powered subwoofer, which is hardly needed and hardly used anymore.
The only bad things I can say about the XPA-5:
*Give it a grace 30 hours of break in period. At first, I thought all the money went on looks and the weight must have just been the use of heavy materials. The sound is bright at first but in time it all smooths out.
**Input jacks are somewhat weak and fragile. The only weakness I feel Emotiva needs to relook. Be sure to unplug connections before moving the XPA-5 any at all. I already pulled a input jack out of it's hole. Emotiva quickly replaced the amp and assured me they would take care of me.
***A very complex set of protection triggers. My dual headed rca's are getting crosstalk, interfering with the signal quality and the amp shuts down. Be sure to use single headed rca's or have some on hand just in case your cheaper connects have signal interference.

So let me preface this review with a couple of notes. First I'm not a professional reviewer, work for Emotiva, or a scientist. I'm not using scientific measurements, only my subjectivity. I listened to cds that I am very familiar with and have been listening to for years.

I used a YBA CD2 as the trasport/dac, a Meitner PA6 as the preamp, Cardas neutral reference cable, and JM Lab Focal Electra 905 speakers.

The XPA 2 bests the Meitner STR50 I have owned for 6+ years in many ways.
Dynamics have much more impact. I have never heard the bass like that before. The bass was also more distinct and more coherent, not heavy but right. The highs were not harsh at all like I experienced from time to time with the Meitner. Also, the recordings I listened to had new life in them and sounded very exciting. Some cymbal crashes were startling and I actually said "wow". The Meitner always sounded very lifeless to me in comparison. Also, the speakers seemed 'faster', or had a better tempo, with that extra power - they could reproduce sounds more quickly. The decay was also more satisfying. It has more viceral impact and is less laid back than the Meitner.

The soundstage widened and the instruments were very well placed left to right with a nice front to back stage as well. All the sounds were separate from each other and placed in their distinct places.

The imaging was fantastic with voices dead anchored in the center. The Meitner was more washed out and blurred where the XPA was unwavering. All sounds were in the space they should be without any muddiness. There seemed to be greater resolution, detail, and separation with the cds I played.

Overall, I'd have to say that the XPA 2 is downright exciting. It is neutral and does not color what I was listening to. It has a low noise floor and ran silently. It has injected new interest in my music library! I highly recommend it. I have listened to Classe, Krell, Bryston, amongst others and the XPA 2 comes mighty close to that level of SQ. It has power to explore the depths of any music and yet maintain an intricate feeling of detail even when there are complex musical passages.

I had an extended 2 channel listening session last night with a new YBA preamp I bought (YBA 2), YBA cd player and the XPA 2. Talk about transparent and neutral. The soundstage was fantastic, the imaging was superb, and I kept saying "alright, just one more track". Gotta love that XPA 2

Now I'll have to see what it will do in my HT setup...
.
The XPA 2 is downright frightening with HT. I ran my NHTs full range to experiment and wow, what an incredible difference. The bass from that amp is staggering. It added so much visceral impact to the experience, not to mention detail. There wasn't a hint of strain, or harshness with any of the material. The sound quality is excellent. The Emotiva's neutrality speaks for itself. The XPA 2 is definitely a keeper.

The Emotiva XPA-2 is one of those products that breaks the rule, spend a lot, get a lot. You get this Heavy beast with very good build quality and stylish casework without over doing it. I bought mine during the 2008 holiday season sale and paid $699.00 shipped to my door. I thought was outstanding, and the Fedex guy thought it was even more outstanding that he didn't have to bring this big heavy double boxed 89 some odd pound box to my door. With hand truck at the ready, I carted this boxed beast to my place.

The XPA-2 was well packed, with owners manual that is velo bound and includes an I.E.C. power cable.

Once hefted and taken out of the box, I set this on the top shelf of my Studiotech stand. This amplifier is deep so on some stands that have a back panel might run into interference problems. As an estimate and my tape measure depth would be about say 21 to 22 inches real world depth including typical RCA interconnects and speaker cabling.

Lets talk about what's in back "the back panel". 12 volt trigger switch, mains power switch, bridging switch, balanced/unbalanced line input, 1 pair of 5 way "WBT" style binding posts, RCA/XLR line inputs, and I.E.C. Power Connection, and an pair of leds for power selection indications either 115 volts, and 230 volts,and lastly the Meter LED switch. As a note the XPA-2 has auto detection for the proper voltage and frequency for proper operation.

Front panel is a black brushed finished aluminum panel with an LED window arrays and status indicator, and the Emotiva standby orange to blue ringed power switch. The Front panel edge end caps are a silver brushed finish. From what I understand black end caps are available from Emotiva direct soon.

So with careful, patient setup the XPA-2 is ready to roll. I let the XPA-2 warm up for a few hours after the unboxing/unpacking, and found that the sound from the XPA-2 is huge. Big amp, big sound has something here for sure. My Magnepan MMGs just woke up with much more control, verve and energy.

The midrange is so much more detailed and alive than my older amplifiers were. My favorite for a while was a Vincent SP-331 Power Amplifier that is a Vacuum Tube, Solid State Hybrid amplifier. The Vincent had more richness in the midrange and treble, but just lacked the detail and surprisingly enough the oomph I needed to keep the Maggies going.

The Bass response from the XPA-2 is terrific in that it is so fast and controlled and tight. The midbass more of the same, and the midrange is very honest and neutral. The mid treble though was driving me crazy. Forward and hard sounding. I attributed this mostly to the new out of the box sound. I was partly right but even after continuous playing for weeks it still had that hard forward mid treble sound. I traced the problem to my 3rd party power cable and some interconnects. I landed on a Virtual Dynamics Power 3 power cable and all was right with the world. The Mid Treble went back to neutral where it belonged. Interesting how the XPA-2 didn't like my more expensive Nite 2 and Audition power cables from Virtual Dynamics.

The Treble is spot on like I like it. My front ends the preamplifier and Cd player are Vacuum Tube and they compliment the XPA-2 very well. I get the richness I want along with the speed and control and dynamics too.

The sound stage is very good too with great depth behind the Maggies with good stable placement of the performers, and fairly wide sound stage too. In comparison with the Vincent power amplifier, the XPA-2 matches the Vincent side to side, but the XPA-2 seems to have a deeper stage, at least in my setup anyway.

As time goes on, I like what new things I am picking up with the XPA-2 in especially low level detail. I just hear more here than I did with my Vincent Amplifier. It is not a startling difference, but just a tick or 2 better in that area.

I use different sources to play my music with, from Reel to Reels, to Cassettes and CD players and finally my Apple Imac 24 computer going to my USB dac. I want to get one of the Benchmark or Wavelength USB dacs at some point.

So with all these different sources I have my Jazz,Rock,Classical and some Folk, the XPA-2 is a good way for me hear for better or for worse what was recorded. My female vocals like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn and more are well done with the XPA-2 with how open and articulate they sound with a coherence that is there without being pushy in the mid treble. The midrange always stays honest and clear with very little tonal coloration. Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett and other of the male crooners are well done here too. I have only a bit of a reservation in that I would like maybe a trifle bit more warmth sometimes, but not at the expense of the detail the XPA-2 is giving me now.

Instruments like guitar and piano are well done with speed and again articulation. Pat Matheny one of my favorites is incredible here with the strike of the string and decay and the ambience recovered with a very convincing realism. The Vincent sure would sound a bit warmer, but the XPA-2 just nails the attack and release of the notes better. Orchestra like my Stravinsky, Mahler and others have the power and excitement that their pieces promise, the XPA-2 has no problem with these at all. Those dynamic reserves the XPA-2 is very much appreciated.

So in the sonic score card so far the likes are a very neutral midrange, tight and fast bass response, and treble that is well extended without being painful. Sound stage that is wide and very deep, and dynamics and control that at least in my place is more than plenty. I have no desire for more power, this amplifier is it for me in that area.

Other casual observations would be how cool the operation of the XPA-2 is, and that it is silent without any of the power supply noise I used to get from my old Acurus or other old amplifiers I had. No buzzing, no anything, just silent cool operation no matter what.

So in summary, I am very pleased with what my money bought here with the Emotiva XPA-2. I couldn't imagine another amplifier in my system at least and my ears that gives so much, so very little. Even at the $799.00 regular price from Emotiva.com direct this amplifier is tremendous value. I have been telling friends about the Emotiva gear and how much gear you get so little money. So for as long as I have been doing audio and been involved with music all these years, this amplifier has to be one of the best finds I have had to date. For definitely the money, the XPA-2 is a great audiophile buy, and has me rethinking how much I can get with much less money. Highly recommended. V.C.

Having the pleasure to use the good sounding amplifiers from NAD and Rotel, and Primaluna, and Vincent Audio, I wanted to give my Magnepans more control, and more dynamic headroom and a more neutral sound. I have the Vincent SA-T1 Preamplifier of Vacuum Tube output, and the Vincent CD-S6 Vacuum Tubed output CD player and the venerable Sony XA-7es CD player, and numerous reel to reels from Teac and Tascam. A cassette Deck from Tascam rounds out the gear.

The Vincent SP-331 power amplifier was so close to what I wanted, with Vacuum tube input stage and high current output stage the Maggies should do well. They did, but I just wanted more control and detail still and as much as I liked the midrange especially on the Vincent, I wanted more swing and more authority.

A friend turned me onto this company called Emotiva. I saw the website and was intrigued. I ordered up the XPS-2 on the web and Fedex delivered the heavy double boxed power amplifier to my door.

Heavy by the way is an understatement, in that out of the box the amplifier weighs in at over 75 pounds. If you are putting this in a rack or space that is limited, have an assistant, it will make all the difference on the installation.

The amplifier's fit and finish is very good considering the price I paid. Just $699.00 from Emotiva's holiday sale.
No sharp corners or unfinished anything to cut me on, also with a nice thick aluminum face plate with the LED and power button that glows blue, it speaks a bit of class. The power Led meters register blue in color while they show peak values. One can turn that feature off from a switch in the back panel.

A back panel that has a pair of 5 way WBT styled binding posts, bridging switch, main power, Meter LED on/off, 12 volt trigger, balanced and unbalanced input select switches respectively. RCA and XLR connectors are widely spaced so cabling that is wide of girth is not a problem, unlike my Vincent which made my unbalanced connections a concern with the wide ferrules they had. The amplifier has an auto voltage sensing circuit for 115 volts and 230 volts 60hz and 50hz respectively, so international power and frequency are assured.

Only caveat on the rear is no provision for Bi wiring, would have been nice, but not a big deal for me at least though I should mention that to those who may want that feature.

Living with the Emotiva XPA-2

In the beginning out of the box, I was astounded by how big and how controlled everything sounded on my Maggies. Powerful is an understatement, the Maggies just woke up from their slumber.
It produced tight articulate low bass, well the Maggie goes down to 50hz, so good down to there, and fast controlled midbass. Midrange was open and a bit lean I thought and the mid treble was very forward I thought to the point of pain at higher levels. Note this is out of the box and the first few hours.

By the way, I never use the stock power cord. I used the Virtrual Dynamics Nite 2 power cord and the Virtual Dynamics Audition, and while they gave the XPA-2 the fullness, it also gave them that hyper pushy mid treble that drove me nuts even after many hours of run in.

Enter the bargain Virtual Dynamics Power 3, it was the just right power cable and also with more run in the mid treble settled back down while not losing any detail in the mix. It would seem the higher Virtual Dynamics Nite 2 and Audition over emphasized the mid treble.

Midrange coherence is one of the most impressive things I like about the XPA-2. It tells me so much. I listen to mostly Jazz, Rock,Classical, some Folk and I have to say I am rediscovering my library of music again.
Detail that I am getting that I could only wish my Vincent got, but to be fair, the Vincent has a bit more soul in the presentation. More wood in the guitars, and the violins. Almost a fatter sound I would say. Is that really better or just different, I don't know but considering how much more information I am getting from the Emotiva XPA-2 I think the slight trade off is worth it.

The Emotiva is very fast and a bit leaner in the presentation. My female vocals like Dianna Krall and Karen Carpenter and Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn for instance, have a clarity and definition that was just missing out of the Vincent. Pitch definition out of the Emotiva XPA-2 at least to my ears was better than the Vincent, but the Vincent just put that last bit of meat on the bones of the music.

The Treble really surprised me about the Emotiva, it is very smooth and easy to get along with. The Maggies never bit me in that range with the Vincent, and the Emotiva is the same way but with more air as a bonus.

The Bass control, being a lover of percussion though I played Clarinet, geez, was and is very fast and well defined with good pitch. Better than the Vincent too. Seems better extended as well. The Authority of the bass is also very impressive. With 500 watts per channel into 4 ohms available with all that current too, it is easy to see why the XPA-2 does so well. The Mid bass with lower male vocals and bass guitars are a real treat too with again good definition and control. My Kenny Burrell and Pat Metheny discs are very well served here.

The amplifier is just so fast in its transient response. Piano,Guitar,Violins are my favorite instruments to listen too and with only that last bit of woody-ness that is missing from the Emotiva vs. the Vincent Audio, I am a happy camper. Again the trade off, speed vs. richness, at least to my ears.

Low level information is easily heard too on the Emotiva XPA-2, I have some Sheffield Labs recordings that seem to keep the tape rolling between tracks sometimes and hearing the footfalls, and sheet music shuffling was interesting. I didn't hear it nearly as easliy with the Vincent or other amplifiers I had before.

Sound staging is every bit as good as my Vincent side to side, but front to back the Emotiva throws a deeper sound stage with stable and good placement of the performers. My room is an acoustic challenge so that fact that my gear can image as well as it does is wonderful. I have treated the room somewhat against standing waves and et al, but there is only so much I can do in an apartment.

An interesting note also is how cool the XPA-2 runs too. That is very cool indeed, even with some of my higher level listening, when no one is around that is, this amplifier never ever gets hot. I can put my hand comfortably on the top case and it is just a bit warm. My NAD and Rotel amplifiers on the other hand would be much hotter under the same conditions, as was my Acurus I had at one time. Operation is very quiet too, with no transformer noise or ringing, unlike my Acurus had, drove me nuts. Like the Vincent Audio amplifier I had, this Emotiva is a model of silent operation.

So up to this point the Emotiva XPA-2 makes me very happy on almost all fronts. The Bi Wire connection for me and the slightly less rich presentation than my Vincent SP-331 power amplifiers being the only slight nits to pick.

So on the sum, the Emotiva XPA-2 has to be for me one of the best audio solutions I have ever had. Power, control,finesse, detail,terrific sound staging, quality of build, superior customer service, by the way a limited 5 year warranty to prove that, and a price that is unheard of in the high end audio industry. I can't in good conscience recommend all the other high powered power amplifiers out there without recommending the Emotiva XPA-2 too. It is that good. Thank you for reading. V.C.