Emotiva XPA-DR2 Review (Stereo Power Amplifier)

[Steve D]

It's cool that you love the ABH2. You ended up in a great place. That Boulder/Kharma stereo is essentially a scam at that price, even if it performs well, which it likely does not. Look at all that bling! Even if it does deliver a clean, high-power signal, the price is stupidly awful.

I don't think people here generally think .01% THD is fine. We're the kind of nerds who think that .0001 might be a nice target to shoot for. Some devices even get there, at least some of the time. At the same time, I don't think people here put much stock in sighted observations and vague descriptions of sound.

I was startled at how the Boulder/Kharma sounded and so was my friend with me who is an accomplished musician. It was nuts expensive! But there was no doubt it sounded startlingly real and had the deepest/widest/ most precise soundstage I ever heard. I expected 'pretty' but not the extraordinary sound. I give Kharma/Boulder/The dealer kudos for that. It was impressive.

 

[Chrispy]

I was startled at how the Boulder/Kharma sounded and so was my friend with me who is an accomplished musician. It was nuts expensive! But there was no doubt it sounded startlingly real and had the deepest/widest/ most precise soundstage I ever heard. I expected 'pretty' but not the extraordinary sound. I give Kharma/Boulder/The dealer kudos for that. It was impressive.

So same speakers and room and a blinded comparison? Or just a good imagination that all this is due the amp?

 

[beefkabob]

I was startled at how the Boulder/Kharma sounded and so was my friend with me who is an accomplished musician. It was nuts expensive! But there was no doubt it sounded startlingly real and had the deepest/widest/ most precise soundstage I ever heard. I expected 'pretty' but not the extraordinary sound. I give Kharma/Boulder/The dealer kudos for that. It was impressive.

I don't doubt you had an experience there, but it's hard to know without being a trained listener what you're really hearing. It's impossible to know how much was the room and the speakers and the amp and the razimataz of the whole sales experience. Your friend being a musician is, I think, worth something. However, a good musician knows more about recording issues than stereos.

That's what this site is for. We bypass the razimataz as Amirm and others take measurements. There's no magic. There never was. It's just signal in and signal out.

 

[Steve D]

So same speakers and room and a blinded comparison? Or just a good imagination that all this is due the amp?

Totally Blind for almost 3 hours with 4 people.

 

[Chrispy]

Totally Blind for almost 3 hours with 4 people.

How about all the conditions of the test including results then? Still not convincing....

 

[beefkabob]

Double blind? Volume matched with measurement on pink noise? Hey, the Emotiva is a mediocre amp, no doubt. Is there be a diff? Sure. It's just that the testing conditions aren't exactly optimal.

 

[Steve D]

I don't doubt you had an experience there, but it's hard to know without being a trained listener what you're really hearing. It's impossible to know how much was the room and the speakers and the amp and the razimataz of the whole sales experience. Your friend being a musician is, I think, worth something. However, a good musician knows more about recording issues than stereos.

That's what this site is for. We bypass the razimataz as Amirm and others take measurements. There's no magic. There never was. It's just signal in and signal out.

No razmataz here and I don't know how you quantify being a "trained" listener. Just an observation from an engineer and music lover's perspective. With speakers especially, if you can make the cabinet as inert as possible and the drivers as linear as possible you will have a better experience. There was no doubt we all heard a significant difference in the amp. It wasn't really close and it was easy to discern once we locked in on the difference. The budget we are talking about sure helps because, as you know, everything in engineering is a compromise and material cost is huge.

 

[Chrispy]

No razmataz here and I don't know how you quantify being a "trained" listener. Just an observation from an engineer and music lover's perspective. With speakers especially, if you can make the cabinet as inert as possible and the drivers as linear as possible you will have a better experience. There was no doubt we all heard a significant difference in the amp. It wasn't really close and it was easy to discern once we locked in on the difference. The budget we are talking about sure helps because, as you know, everything in engineering is a compromise and material cost is huge.

Sounds quite un-engineer like. What are you an engineer of? I love music too but doesn't make me think an amp is responsible for soundstage....

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

I purchased this Emotiva amplifier last year. I have since purchased GR research NXOtica speakers. The amplifier sounded powerful and added bass slam to my KEF R3 speakers but I felt the imaging to be flat and I detected some midrange smear and upper midrange glare. With the change to the GRs, the imaging got better but not as good as I have heard them. Also, the two other issues actually became more apparent. I started sampling amplifiers. I even took the DR2 to a 'high-end "store and compared it to a $60000 Boulder 2160 on $39000 Kharma speakers. Not surprisingly, the Boulder was better. What was surprising was how much better it was. The Boulder/Kharma combo was the best I have ever heard in 35 years in this hobby. That started my quest for a better amplifier. Every amplifier I tried was better than the Emotiva in imaging, detail, and clarity. Just differing degrees. The Emotiva was just more powerful but above 85db it sounded glaring and fatiguing. Then I saw Amir's review...now I know why. I reached out to Emotiva and informed them that ASR's review showed their amplifier has 10 times the measured distortion than they specify in my owner's manual! I told them I felt cheated and that they misrepresented their product. I am thinking about posting the email thread (it is damning) but needless to say, their response was condescending, arrogant, and flat out incorrect. They even went as far as providing me their own test results of a 'production' amplifier which showed that it still had twice the THD @ 100w compared to the published spec. Subsequently, they changed the spec on their website from .008% to .0015. I have the screenshots.

Long story short, I purchased a Benchmark ABH2 and traded the XPA-DR2. I didn't get as much as I wanted for it and I asked Emotiva for $300 compensation for their misrepresentation. They haven't replied! LOL The ABH2 is amazing and anyone that plays music at less than 105db peaks in a medium size room need not worry about its dynamic capability. The ABH2/GR combo is endgame good and in my room sounds as good as I recall the $100000 set up (same reference tracks). The ABH2 handily was better in every way than all the class D amplifiers I tried. I tried most if not all the best reviewed amplifiers within the $1500 to $5000 range. The ABH2 has all the same qualities I recall from the Boulder at 5% the price. It is a giant killer. Those of you who think THD doesn't matter below .01%, think again. It all adds up and definitely makes a difference.

I hope Emotiva gets their just desserts and people stop buying this amplifier or at least they have to discount them heavily to sell them. I just feel bad for everyone that purchased them based on false advertising. Shame on you Emotiva!

I purchased the XPR 5 several years ago. Sound was the least of my problems. Would go in protection mode. Dropped off at facility during vacation and was told "XPR has a mind of its own." Upon return lasted less than a week. I gave up. The XPR line was suddenly discontinued without explanation.. I am sticking with experienced well capitalized companies in future. Speakers in the JBL, Revel and Infinity family. Anthem for room correction.

 

[Steve D]

How about all the conditions of the test including results then? Still not convincing....

It was pretty simple. We listened to 7 tracks with all the same source equipment and preamp. The only difference was the power cord. We all took turns randomly switching the XLRs and Speaker leads. If you can't believe people can hear the difference, I can't help you. Just giving my testimony.

 

[Chrispy]

It was pretty simple. We listened to 7 tracks with all the same source equipment and preamp. The only difference was the power cord. We all took turns randomly switching the XLRs and Speaker leads. If you can't believe people can hear the difference, I can't help you. Just giving my testimony.

So you were "listening" to power cords as well? This is not a blinded test from your description let alone level matched or quick switched. In other words, a cute anecdote about subjective listening tests....

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

It was pretty simple. We listened to 7 tracks with all the same source equipment and preamp. The only difference was the power cord. We all took turns randomly switching the XLRs and Speaker leads. If you can't believe people can hear the difference, I can't help you. Just giving my testimony.

We have "heard" this line.

 

[Steve D]

The Emotiva has no ground lug. If you don't understand how THD can collapse a soundstage or obscure detail, what can I say? If you change the amplitude or phase of the music signal in any way during amplification, that is distortion. I am a PE.

 

[Chrispy]

The Emotiva has no ground lug. If you don't understand how THD can collapse a soundstage or obscure detail, what can I say? If you change the amplitude or phase of the music signal in any way during amplification, that is distortion. I am a PE.

Not particularly, but please go ahead and expound on how that works.

 

[Alice of Old Vincennes]

Not particularly, but please go ahead and expound on how that works.

Gee, just a groud lug. Next time I'll use a coat hanger. If that doesn't work, maybe use as a garrot.

 

[Steve D]

Not particularly, but please go ahead and expound on how that works.

Other than the added gain, If the signal is changed in either amplitude or phase, it is by definition, distorted. Relatively loud harmonic distortions can either add or subtract to the amplitude and phase of the signal. This can distort the soundstage /image because that is totally dependent on relative loudness in each channel and correct phase.


It is actually pretty simple.

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Other than the added gain, If the signal is changed in either amplitude or phase, it is by definition, distorted. Relatively loud harmonic distortions can either add or subtract to the amplitude and phase of the signal. This can distort the soundstage /image because that is totally dependent on relative loudness in each channel and correct phase.


It is actually pretty simple.

Level and phase is not changed enough to impact imaging and soundstage. Harmonic distortion is just that - harmonics added to the overall signal. The instruments are still going to be placed as they always were, but distortion can cause timbre differences which might be perceived as 'detail', which can sharpen the outlines of where the instruments are already placed. If distortion gets increased enough, especially in the lower frequencies, overall clarity is going to be degraded. I've never heard any impact on spatial qualities - its just distortion.

If an amplifier is distorting enough to really start impacting perceived imaging, soundstage or timbral qualities, something is very wrong with that amplifier. I have tube amps in an active crossover system, but don't use them for their 'distortion'. I use them (especially the SET) for lack of certain distortions.

 

[Chrispy]

Other than the added gain, If the signal is changed in either amplitude or phase, it is by definition, distorted. Relatively loud harmonic distortions can either add or subtract to the amplitude and phase of the signal. This can distort the soundstage /image because that is totally dependent on relative loudness in each channel and correct phase.


It is actually pretty simple.

Quite a word salad there.

 

[Steve D]

I definitely agree with your comment on timbre and I don't think we are far off. Every fundamental will have harmonics hopefully captured in the recording. Furthermore, if an amplifier has high THD, it will add/or subtract (depending on the phase relationship) these harmonic distortions to not only the fundamental but also to all the harmonics contained in the recording. Multiply this by all the sounds captured in the recording and you have a collapsed soundstage (or at least a distorted one). I believe due to our 'flight or flight' instinct, we humans are for more sensitive to phase and amplitude relationships than we now can accurately measure.

 

[Steve D]

Level and phase is not changed enough to impact imaging and soundstage. Harmonic distortion is just that - harmonics added to the overall signal. The instruments are still going to be placed as they always were, but distortion can cause timbre differences which might be perceived as 'detail', which can sharpen the outlines of where the instruments are already placed. If distortion gets increased enough, especially in the lower frequencies, overall clarity is going to be degraded. I've never heard any impact on spatial qualities - its just distortion.

If an amplifier is distorting enough to really start impacting perceived imaging, soundstage or timbral qualities, something is very wrong with that amplifier. I have tube amps in an active crossover system, but don't use them for their 'distortion'. I use them (especially the SET) for lack of certain distortions.

I like tubes for voltage gain. Very linear