I just aquired a Emotiva XPA-5 amplifier. I thought that folks might be interested in the overall experience so far.
1) The ordering process
Kudos to Emotiva for making the sales process super smooth. The price they quoted me included the actual landed cost at my home in mississauga, taxes, brokerage, shipping everything.
The AMP is heavy! Almost 90 lbs boxed. I thought the shipping via FedEx was reasonable - the AMP was delivered within 3 days.
After I ordered, I saw that Emotiva had a July 4th sale where the price went down 10%. I emailed, and they have sent me a refund cheque for the 10%.
Overall, very happy with the customer experience.
2) The listening test
The AMP is being driven by a Denon 3805 now in the role of just a pre. The DolbyHD/DTSMA processing gets done in the blue ray player (Panasonic DMP-BD55).
I could immediatley hear a vast improvement in the sound field. I had always found that with the Denon driving 7 channels, the sound was 'brittle' and 'thin'. With the XPA-5 driving the 5 main channels and the Denon now driving just 2 rear surrounds, the sound felt fuller, the bass felt deeper and rounded (even though the sub is separate) - it was a whole new listening experience.
The AMP seems to have ample power to drive the B&W's well - no more having to turn the volume knob up to almost 0db (and suffering a loud shrill sound). Most movies sound great at about -10db - the point being that loundness is not the key here, good sound quality appears to fill in the room well.
3) Botom line.
I highly recommend this as a relatively cost effective upgrade that has great payback.
Enjoy!
1) The ordering process
Kudos to Emotiva for making the sales process super smooth. The price they quoted me included the actual landed cost at my home in mississauga, taxes, brokerage, shipping everything.
The AMP is heavy! Almost 90 lbs boxed. I thought the shipping via FedEx was reasonable - the AMP was delivered within 3 days.
After I ordered, I saw that Emotiva had a July 4th sale where the price went down 10%. I emailed, and they have sent me a refund cheque for the 10%.
Overall, very happy with the customer experience.
2) The listening test
The AMP is being driven by a Denon 3805 now in the role of just a pre. The DolbyHD/DTSMA processing gets done in the blue ray player (Panasonic DMP-BD55).
I could immediatley hear a vast improvement in the sound field. I had always found that with the Denon driving 7 channels, the sound was 'brittle' and 'thin'. With the XPA-5 driving the 5 main channels and the Denon now driving just 2 rear surrounds, the sound felt fuller, the bass felt deeper and rounded (even though the sub is separate) - it was a whole new listening experience.
The AMP seems to have ample power to drive the B&W's well - no more having to turn the volume knob up to almost 0db (and suffering a loud shrill sound). Most movies sound great at about -10db - the point being that loundness is not the key here, good sound quality appears to fill in the room well.
3) Botom line.
I highly recommend this as a relatively cost effective upgrade that has great payback.
Enjoy!