Emotiva PA-1 Review (Amplifier)

[respice finem]

I had this 3 channel class D amplifier based on LCaudio ZAPulse 2.1SE, three pieces in trimono config. Could pump out 3 x 290Wrms in 8ohm. Three 650VA toroids for the power of each separate channel, followed by symmetrical rectifiers and two neat 22000uF RIFA. WBT terminals, XLR & RCA inputs with a 12v trigger.

There’s only one built here in Sweden by a perfectionist called Adrian. It sounded good!

View attachment 130419

Not bad at all, and a decent radiator instead of one of those unspeakable fans...
The third channel is for a center speaker or was he playing with "trinaural"?

 

[Deleted member 28042]

Emotiva and 'Discontinued' seems to go hand in hand. I can appreciate the budget \ value orientation, I can appreciate the 'little guys' competing against the mega corporations of the world, but I do not trust companies that continuously introduce new products only to abandon them shortly thereafter. Emotiva does this over and over again. No thanks.

 

[AndreaT]

Great review.

I would rather but (another) Buckeye amplifier with the Hypex modules that measure even better for the same price.

Paying for a fine more online than by check qualifies, IMO, for a wrong business practice and might raise the interest of the Attorney General in your State.

A

This is a review and detailed measurements of the Emotiva PA-1 monoblock class D amplifier. It is on kind loan from a member and unfortunately discontinued. When it was being sold, it cost $299.

There is not much to look at here other than a blue indicator for when the unit is on:

View attachment 130158

It is a balanced amplifier which is nice:
View attachment 130160

There is an automatic trigger as you see. I tested it using always-on mode.

I believe this is based on some ICEPower module from B&O (300AS1?). In use the PA-1 didn't even get warm to touch. Protection circuit was very good in that if you overload it, it clips but keeps going. Other amps shut down requiring power cycling and such which an become annoying in my testing.

Emotiva PA-1 Measurements
Our standard dashboard of 5 watts into 4 ohm (1 kHz tone) shows very good performance:

View attachment 130161

Distortion is at -100 dB which is quite nice making SINAD around 92 dB:

View attachment 130162

This is well above our average of 78 across nearly 140 amplifiers tested to date.

SNR is very good nearly matching my target of 96 dB at 5 watts:
View attachment 130163

Multitone shows the same good performance:
View attachment 130164

Frequency response unfortunately shows dependency on speaker impedance:

View attachment 130165

Power into 4 ohm shows early rise of distortion:

View attachment 130166

I cut off the power early in that graph. If one allows it to go higher in distortion it produces a lot more power:

View attachment 130167

Switching to 8 ohm we get:

View attachment 130168

Changing frequency shows what non-state-of-the-art class Ds produce:

View attachment 130169

Namely a transfer function that changes with frequency and much higher distortion.

Here is the spectrum of the switching frequency:
View attachment 130170

Conclusions
It is hard to get perfection at this price point but the Emotiva PA-1 tries hard. It is a small package that runs cool yet produces well above average noise and distortion ratings. It is a shame it is discontinued.

I am going to put the Emotiva PA-1 on my recommended list. Hopefully you can find some in second hand market or something.

------------
As always, questions, comments, recommendations, etc. are welcome.

Crappy weekend... Been running around with my head cut off between garden chores and reviews and get this citation in the mail. The offence? Going 26 miles an hour in 20 mile speed limit street (camera ticket)! It was a school zone and I remember slamming on my breaks as soon as I approached the blinking light. How the heck does one trust the speedometer that accurately at 20 mph? Try to pay it online and they want an extra $9 if I do it that way versus mailing a check! What losers. They rather process a paper check?

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150

 

[MASKINEN]

Not bad at all, and a decent radiator instead of one of those unspeakable fans...
The third channel is for a center speaker or was he playing with "trinaural"?

Yes for a center.
His exact words were “this amplifier is enough for a center speaker and two surrounds”.

Although I used it for my three fronts for 1 year or so then I wanted to try something else.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

I have a tough time accepting that an amp that has at worst 65 dB s/n at 10-50 watts output creates significant audible distortion when the measurements of typical speakers show distortion in that range at perhaps -50 dB when driven to 96 dB.

96dB SPL is arguably not the best place to do the comparison. It shows the amplifier in its best light and the speaker in its worst. The nature of music and domestic listening puts 96dB as a pretty loud peak with the vast majority of sound being delivered at much lower levels. Many people have noted that they watch movies at about a 95dB SPL reference level (far short of the 105dB often touted as the official reference.)

The trouble is that loudspeakers and amplifiers have (mostly) inverse distortion characteristics. Class D is a bit different in that it tends to have a sweet spot in the middle of power output, whereas conventional AB or B class has steadily declining distortion percentage with level. For amplifiers this is largely because the actual distortion is occurring during the zero crossing point of the output devices and is pretty much the same amplitude no matter what the power output, so as power output goes up the distortion as a percentage goes down. For class D amps it gets a lot more complicated, but from low power to mid power you see much the same decline in distortion percentage, indicating that there is a fixed distortion component that simply diminishes as a percentage with higher powers.
Speakers on the other hand are the other way around. They have very low distortion at low levels and their distortion rises with amplitude as the various mechanical and electro-mechanical bits reach their more non-linear characteristics. At low levels the distortion can be very low. So much so that the amplifier may easily be the dominant distortion generator.
There is clearly a crossover point. But a huge amount of music is heard at very low absolute power levels. The very low percentage levels of distortion we see at high powers in amplifiers is of much less interest than the absolute distortion, or the percentage at low levels. Clearly you want clean powerful peaks, but they are not the entirety of the sound.

 

[DualTriode]

Crappy weekend... Been running around with my head cut off between garden chores and reviews and get this citation in the mail. The offence? Going 26 miles an hour in 20 mile speed limit street (camera ticket)! It was a school zone and I remember slamming on my breaks as soon as I approached the blinking light. How the heck does one trust the speedometer that accurately at 20 mph? Try to pay it online and they want an extra $9 if I do it that way versus mailing a check! What losers. They rather process a paper check?

Any donations are much appreciated using: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/how-to-support-audio-science-review.8150

Sorry to hear about the offence and fine in the school zone.
You should have gone into Seattle and broken out a few windows, there are no arrests or fines for that.

 

[Doodski]

At low levels the distortion can be very low. So much so that the amplifier may easily be the dominant distortion generator.

That explains a quiet late night of low level listening with the lights off sounding so good.

 

[ta240]

They simply know most people will choose to pay it online and eat the $9.

Depending on how much the ticket is and what deal the state has with the credit card companies they would be losing a couple percent of the fine to the credit card company and aren't willing to give that up.

 

[MZKM]

Depending on how much the ticket is and what deal the state has with the credit card companies they would be losing a couple percent of the fine to the credit card company and aren't willing to give that up.

So, increase the amount by that 2%-3%, lots of companies do that.

 

[sejarzo]

96dB SPL is arguably not the best place to do the comparison. ...

I obviously didn't state that explicitly, but it really is what I was getting at. Assuming it's the amp that's primarily responsible for harshness/fatigue/etc. when listening to rock at "high" volumes rather than the transducer isn't the first conclusion that I would jump to.

 

[sejarzo]

I would rather but (another) Buckeye amplifier with the Hypex modules that measure even better for the same price.

I get your point, but that was never a choice for folks who bought new PA-1s. Buckeye didn't start selling amps until months after Emotiva sold out. The only other sort of similarly priced option available from a US seller were the VTV amps. With what I saw posted re VTV construction issues here, the fact that I could get two PA-1s and all the balanced cabling I'd need for $505 total with tax and shipping after their Emobucks incentive, from a more established firm that offered a 5 year transferable warranty, I still don't regret the buy.

 

[DualTriode]

96dB SPL is arguably not the best place to do the comparison. It shows the amplifier in its best light and the speaker in its worst. The nature of music and domestic listening puts 96dB as a pretty loud peak with the vast majority of sound being delivered at much lower levels. Many people have noted that they watch movies at about a 95dB SPL reference level (far short of the 105dB often touted as the official reference.)

The trouble is that loudspeakers and amplifiers have (mostly) inverse distortion characteristics. Class D is a bit different in that it tends to have a sweet spot in the middle of power output, whereas conventional AB or B class has steadily declining distortion percentage with level. For amplifiers this is largely because the actual distortion is occurring during the zero crossing point of the output devices and is pretty much the same amplitude no matter what the power output, so as power output goes up the distortion as a percentage goes down. For class D amps it gets a lot more complicated, but from low power to mid power you see much the same decline in distortion percentage, indicating that there is a fixed distortion component that simply diminishes as a percentage with higher powers.
Speakers on the other hand are the other way around. They have very low distortion at low levels and their distortion rises with amplitude as the various mechanical and electro-mechanical bits reach their more non-linear characteristics. At low levels the distortion can be very low. So much so that the amplifier may easily be the dominant distortion generator.
There is clearly a crossover point. But a huge amount of music is heard at very low absolute power levels. The very low percentage levels of distortion we see at high powers in amplifiers is of much less interest than the absolute distortion, or the percentage at low levels. Clearly you want clean powerful peaks, but they are not the entirety of the sound.

@Francis Vaughn,

I believe that you have this largely confused.

You say Distortion while the scale on the graph says THD+N.

While THD+N does reduce with increased power, this is not due to reducing distortion. This is because the noise remains largely constant while the power level increases.

Noise has reduced influence on the THD+N and SINAD as the power level increases. This is the reason for decreasing THD+N on the test graphs.

You are also confused about crossover distortion. Crossover distortion largely disappears in Class AB amplifiers at low power outputs.

If you believe that I am in error show us the graphs.

Thanks DT

 

[ta240]

So, increase the amount by that 2%-3%, lots of companies do that.

Or, just let those that want to use it as payment form cover the extra rather than penalizing everyone. Like the way most gas stations do it. They also have to be able to cover the increased cost to add the ability to their online system for taking payments. Since they aren't a company and won't get more business by catering to everyone's desires and could just as easily not offer the option.

I get it, I prefer paying things like that online too but I'm tired of the 'make everyone pay more to make it cheaper for me' thing also.

 

[Rottmannash]

I obviously didn't state that explicitly, but it really is what I was getting at. Assuming it's the amp that's primarily responsible for harshness/fatigue/etc. when listening to rock at "high" volumes rather than the transducer isn't the first conclusion that I would jump to.

When I changed to the VTV Purifi (which has excellent build quality and has worked flawlessly since purchased) the harshness at high volumes was simply gone. It's a purely subjective perception but that is what I heard. Nothing else in the chain was different so not sure what else it could have been. When I get this one back I will hook them both back up and do a proper A/B comparison but the difference was audible.

 

[MerlinGS]

What's the difference between a mono amplifier and a monoblock amplifier?

I believe it may be a marketing term used to differentiate dual mono amplifiers (mono amplifiers that share the same case) from monoblocks (mono amplifiers that do not share the same case).

 

[MerlinGS]

As in calibration of the camera/system? Over here they had them declared "scientific instruments" at one point so they couldn't be challenged on accuracy.

Interesting strategy, but not one that on first reading would appear impervious to a legal challenge. To my understanding, most scientific equipment requires calibration to ensure it is operating within parameters. Maybe "scientific instrument" has a loaded legal meaning in Australia (i.e. if it is scientific then by definition it is accurate).

 

[Jer]

Great reviews as always.
Any suggestions for an amp or two under 299$ that might be still available?
Currently using 4channels of yamaha RX-V 795a with dual xkitz 700hz active analogue xovers.
Kits included...
I need two for these guys.

 

[Francis Vaughan]

While THD+N does reduce with increased power, this is not due to reducing distortion. This is because the noise remains largely constant while the power level increases.

I rather thought that was what I said. Perhaps I was less than clear, but I was explicitly using the phrase "percentage distortion" not absolute.

You are also confused about crossover distortion. Crossover distortion largely disappears in Class AB amplifiers at low power outputs.

Crossover distortion is essentially constant since it is frozen into the output stage by the device characteristics and the bias chosen. Douglas Self goes to significant effort to point out the manner in which it operates, and shows how it is not possible to remove. Indeed mathematically you cannot bias the output stage to sum flat (not until you reach class A operation). You can make the crossover region maximally flat, but you are summing two exponentials, and that cannot ever sum to a constant. A heavily biased AB output stage can move the location of crossover distortion away from the middle, but the final result is an output stage that remains non-linear, and overall actually performs worse. Modern practice is not to apply large amounts of bias, it just heats up the amp for no good result. Even with a heavily biased output stage you still end up with an amp that exhibits cross over distortion. It has moved in location, but it does not disappear.

 

[Sal1950]

Emotiva and 'Discontinued' seems to go hand in hand. I can appreciate the budget \ value orientation, I can appreciate the 'little guys' competing against the mega corporations of the world, but I do not trust companies that continuously introduce new products only to abandon them shortly thereafter. Emotiva does this over and over again. No thanks.

I agree, Emotiva seems to have a number of issues with product continuity. Things come and go rapidly, new products are discussed-announced but never brought to market, large numbers of bugs in some gear (AV) that go thru firmware hell, more. Can only say I was lucky with my DC-1 DAC which has continued to fuction without issue for around 5 years now but I don't use it much any more.

 

[sejarzo]

I agree, Emotiva seems to have a number of issues with product continuity. Things come and go rapidly, new products are discussed-announced but never brought to market, large numbers of bugs in some gear (AV) that go thru firmware hell, more. Can only say I was lucky with my DC-1 DAC which has continued to fuction without issue for around 5 years now but I don't use it much any more.

I've assumed this is the result of the biz model shown on the back of their gear: "Designed in Nashville, USA, Precision Crafted in China" which suggests they have large lots of any particular product built for them, but not many lots....so when a product is gone, it's gone.