I promised myself I would try the amp out in my main system (Sequerra MET7/MET-8 subs/MET 10-8 line source---Emotiva XDA1/Topping D50 DAC's/Chrome Audio/Logitech Duet/---Adcom 565 MonoBlocks/GFP-565 preamp---LinnLP12/Cirkus/Valhalla/Grace Tonearm/Benz MicroMC/some crazy-priced custom connects to the arm---Tascam CDR2000---Pioneer707 R2R) First off, I would like to say that I find myself not wanting to agree with a certain board member whose comments are so often quoted, I cannot seem to evade them...even though I have my ignore feature active...But I have to. Without a doubt. At first I thought, "this has a real chance if it breaks in and smooths out a little." Then it did break in a little. Never smoothed out though. The claims about "Emotiva amps having grossly underrated power claims" is hogwash. My initial thoughts about how good the amp would be in the office system...sadly...wrong. If I needed something to drive subs, maybe. It has decent power. I would equate it to my old Hafler. In fact, VERY MUCH like my old Hafler. (Ice freaking cold, shrill, while retaining a dead/lifeless character.) I am reasonably cocky about my modified Audionics CC-2. It was around $400-700 ish back in the late 70's. (Cannot remember which.) So what would that be in todays money? Around $2000 to $2500?? Amazingly, that is about right where the new amps that compete with it seem to be priced, with few exceptions. Using it to drive my Office/bedroom system, (Canton Sub/Sat setup from the early 90's Lenovo PC/Linux with USB direct to Topping D50 Jriver/Deadbeef Proton AT-670 tuner Formerly through Dynaco PAT-4 preamp) even though it lacked the absolute magic it used to bring to my Tabs, it still made life-like music. It did not turn everything into a mushed pile of porridge like the Emotiva. The first night Mrs R listened to the Emotiva in the bedroom system: "Too bright. Missing...'life" at the same time. Like 'mush' in the horns.What happened to your Audionics?" Today, when she sat down in front of the main setup with one of our favorite LP's "WILLY DEVILLE <peace be upon him> "MIRACLE" she refused to even listen beyond 30 seconds. "What did you DO, JD?" (I had not told her the temporary amp was hidden behind the rack.) Other audio buddies, far less familiar with my system, had similar reflections. While the Emotiva is more powerful than the Audionics...and I can clip the latter if not careful, (rated @ 70 or 80 watts I think) I would never trade them. Not sure exactly how to describe it, but even though there is more detail in the Emotiva, there is less detail at the same time. It's as though the person who voiced the amp paid close attention to the cymbals, but F'd up terribly on the rest of it...then added in subwoofer-range bass as an afterthought, with a 30Ms spacer for the lower freq's. How they could have released a DAC like the XDA-1 for so little and built an amp that missed the mark so badly, I do not know. I really expected more. Based on what I read in the online posts, I thought the audio snobs were, well, being audio snobs. Nope. The Adcoms in the main setup are often not given nearly the accolades they deserve. Most young audio people do not give them enough credit. Many forget that they really were only subtly outdone by the big, class A Krell's in their day. (...and the Adcoms did not heat your house...) I halfway expected the Emotiva to impress with the Sequerras. Lord knows, they are rolled off and mild in the highs a little. A bit smooth for my tastes actually. Now, the D50, is a totally different matter. Although I have by no means spent enough time to dig through my digital library, I can say I want to listen more music using it. MUCH more detail ('sparkle' as well) than the Emotiva DAC. Still clean and very nice mids to boot. I may well swap DACS and put the big Emotiva on my office setup, leaving the tiny "toy" DAC right next to the Duet box on top of the 565 preamp. I actually had to walk away from this post to reconnect my Adcoms to the Sequerras. (Mrs R had gotten into Alan Parsons "Eve" and come into the office asking for me to please stop my awful experiment.) That says a lot right there as to how bad the thing sounds. Sorry guys, I know there were members here who said they liked the amps. I do not. At least this one. For a home theater, it would be great. Decent balls and reliable, cheap money. Not for a 2 channel system. Not one that makes real music. For a system builder on a budget though. Instead of the Emotiva, look for a used Audionics CC-2 as a starter amp. Those ProAc Tabs are picky bastards to drive. Anything going in is shown coming out in spades...and the Audionics does not offend. In fact, with a few mods anyone with a cheap soldering iron and a wire cutter can do (simple star-grounding and bridge circuit deletion, along with some better connectors) and you have something that will compete with lots of $1500-$2500 amps of today...only all-in, you can get a decent working CC-2 for under $250, shipped to your door off one of the used sites. I have a feeling the Topping D50 is going to end up getting praise as well. Whether it will be the one I stick with long term remains to be seen, but so far, so good. Nevermind "for the money"...the thing is damned impressive so far and sounds different than other DACS I have now heard with similar chips inside. Battery pwr supply is coming, as is a "no nonsense" plug-in supply, without the 500 dollar price tag (for $38 in full-retail-parts-cost and an hour of assembly time.)


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