I own some Emotiva analog gear, amp and preamp, and find it very serviceable, durable, and of decent quality. Communicating with the company is quick and honest. Mine cost perhaps 1/5 to 1/10th of what luxury gear might cost. In return, I feel I get a large share of the sound quality that some high-end gear might provide.
Not all audiophile equipment needs to be state-of-the-art. Ask any pro user.
Many of us out here don't need SOTA gear. We don't require milled aluminum fronts, solid steel knobs, big blue meters, or 1,000 watts at a SINAD of 120 dB. Sure, a few of us are willing to step up to the high-end cash register -- but far more of us, for purchasing decisions, compare value more than near approaches to perfection.
Emotiva, amongst others, provides a value proposition for the taste of some of us. We don't think we're getting $8,000 gear for $800. Or even $2500 gear for $600. Sure, we're more likely to settle for high value rather than top shelf. Just like I listen to vinyl, old CDs, and 16/48k streams if they're a music rendition I seek.
Not everything in music playback has to come in lossless 24/384k files sent to Revel Solons.
So, I say it's about value, not merely SOTA and milled front panels. And that's where I find Emotiva. If instead, your goal is top shelf, so be it. Just don't be blind to the value metric.
That said, it's fine to test and share data on performance using precision test methods. That gives us the numerator in the value equation.
Performance/cost = value. It's a way of evaluating based on needs, not SOTA.
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