Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Loudspeakers Amplification | Digital Sources Analog Sources Featured | Accessories Music |
Columns Retired Columns & Blogs |
Loudspeakers Amplification Digital Sources | Analog Sources Accessories Featured | Music Columns Retired Columns | Show Reports | Features Latest News Community | Resources Subscriptions |
I have yet to HEAR any of their gear, but the comments I have seen here and on other forums
by owners have been generally quite positive.
The prices are certainly incredible. The USP-1 preamp has a lot of amazing features for the price,
including balanced outputs. I don't know of any preamp offhand for under $1000 with all those features.
The UPA-1 mono amps are only $300, and if the stuff sounds even halfway decent, that would be a hell of a
system for under $1000.
The XDA-1 has no analog inputs, which wouldn't work for most of us, but if all of your sources are digital,
it might be what you need.
USP-1 preamp, two Emotiva UPA-1 monoblock amplifiers and an Emotiva ERC-1 CD player feeding Magnestand modified Magnepan MMG loudspeakers and a Rythmik F12 subwoofer. Emotiva is quality gear at an affordable price. The XDA-1 would be a wonderful start for a computer-based music system.
If your sources are all digital then an XDA-1 will serve as a preamp and DAC. If you want to add a turntable then it would not be the best choice. It appears that the UPA-2 has sold out, so you would be left with the XDA-1 and a pair of UPA-1 amplifiers for $847. Those components would do a pair of $3000 loudspeakers justice.
If you have fairly sensitive speakers there is also the 60 wpc Emotiva mini-X a-100 stereo amplifier for $199.
I own an old set of Emotiva monoblocks traded for used...these also work as my preamp in my vinyl system (Thorens 171, Ortohon 2M Blue, Grant Fidelity tube buffer,Parasound zphono and Maggie MMG's). I REALLY like the setup. For well under $1500 (careful shoping and a demo or two) I have a vinyl setup that produces the best sound I have in my living room. Far better than the Onkyo/Toshiba/Audio Alchemy/shared MMG setup I use for digital.
I would highly recommend Emotiva for the audiophile on an real world budget.