Steveo wrote: Are you only running the xpa 1l for the centre not the t1s?

I only bought the one XPA-1L to take advantage of the sale price. I'll pick up the second at the end of the month. I have to save a little more allowance... Once I have two, they will power the T1s!

T Cobe wrote:

Steveo wrote: Are you only running the xpa 1l for the centre not the t1s?

I only bought the one XPA-1L to take advantage of the sale price. I'll pick up the second at the end of the month. I have to save a little more allowance... Once I have two, they will power the T1s!

Tcobe,

Will you be able to go back to the XPA-5 for the center once you get your second 1L and switch it to the T1's

Or will we hear about a third 1L being purchased soon

Call Emotiva on the phone for the second 1L and tell them you own their equipment already. Then ask for a quote on the 1L, you might get 20% off (summer sale + E-club). Just try it.

P.S. The Coaxial Cable Isolator pretty much worked. The hum is now down to a barely noticeable level. Getting excited for the XPA-5 and the XDRCA cables

Aribraun,

We'll see about the third -1L. I think that will be an eventual upgrade but I'm guessing the XPA-5 will drive the center better once the T1s are on different amps. I have other upgrades to do first to include the SCXXL and rear surrounds. Plus, I think my second Integra is on the fritz again so I may be replacing my surround processor sooner than I wanted. Slow and steady.

I'm glad you're getting your background noise issues worked out. Having a silent noise floor dramatically improves audio performance, IMHO. I look forward to hearing how the new cables sound. Hopefully you'll hear a significant difference. I think you'll really like the XPA-5. I noticed a significant improvement in my system with the upgrade. Make sure you warm up and stretch a little before you move that beast around.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Hi T Cobe, I am running Emotiva XPA-2's in mono block mode. They are capable of 1000w into 8 Ohms. Don’t worry about an amp’s power rating being higher than the speakers are rated for. In normal use an amp runs at low wattage, it’s the peaks in sound tracks that eat power. Lower frequencies require more power than higher. If you’re listening to music at medium or even high levels the amp is nowhere near max output, unless of course it’s a low power amp. During the peaks the amp must output higher wattage for a short burst. The more power the amp has the better it can handle these peaks. The capacitance and transformer size in the amp really make a difference in this respect. There are many specs to consider when choosing an amp, but as far as wattage goes more is generally better. This topic has been debated more times than necessary. As a general rule if you can get 200w of clean power you are covered in most cases, as long as the amps power supply is adequate. I started with 1 XPA-2 and decided to go mono, Emotiva was having a winter sale and I just could not resist

The XPA-1L is a fine amp. I am running my SCXXL with one and it sounds great. I am trying my best to not buy a pair of XPA-1’s and move the XPA-2’s back to stereo and run the rears and SS with them. With 3 XPA-1x I would have class A power for the 3 front channels. Then the question becomes can I really hear the difference??? Decisions decisions decisions…….That darn sale was extended!!!! I have the eClub discount so I would get 20% off. Someone please talk me out of it:)

Enjoy,
DT

DT! I will talk you out of it! You have a great system with awesome speakers and plenty of power at the moment. Do you really need more?

This hobby is addictive I know. I have been bitten by the bug and in the space of one week have bought over $300 worth of cables, upgraded the 60C to the XXL and bought the $3000 Sony Hapz1. I am blown away with the sound at the moment however so it has all been worth it. I have told myself I have to get off the Merry Go Round and stop with the upgraditis

We could spend a lifetime tweaking and adding more. Yes there will always be better gear and amps and power but in my opinion if you are running GoldenEars speakers matched with Emotivas with a great source you are 95% of the way there and 98% better off than most people when it comes to sound. If the 2% is worth pursuing go for it but there always comes a time to ask if its time to get off the Merry go round. ) For me the time is now.

I knew I was in trouble when immediately after I bought the Sony that I was already looking for another Preamplifier to replace the yamaha at least for 2 channel duties the night after I bought the Sony. I was considering the Classe CP 800 for $10k AUD when I should have just been grateful for the huge upgrade the Sony has already given me.

I think I will be fine for a long time with what I have and I need to stop. I guess at the end of the day its about being grateful with what we have and being grateful we came across GE in the first place as we have already saved thousands for speakers where others are charging 2-3 times more for in some cases not as good sound.

Well said, Steveo! I'm glad you've got your sound dialed in and sounding great. This hobby does get addictive and people can get carried away. Don't believe me, read the price of Stereophile's A list recommended components... By the way, the Hegel P20 is less than $3k when you're ready.

DT, unless you were going to upgrade to a completely balanced system, I wouldn't see a need to upgrade. Most people can't hear the difference in the class A and class AB mode of the XPA amps. The XPA-2 in mono mode should be fantastic and more power than anyone should need with a GET speaker. Of course, if you have a bunch of discretionary money burning a hole in your pocket, there are worse ways to spend your money...

I really wasn't sure what to expect with Emotiva but the XPA-5 had me convinced. Hearing what the -1L has done to my center channel has me excited to power my T1s with a pair. In stereo listening, my XPA-5 has enough power for my listening. I typically keep it between 75 and 85 dB. If I'm feeling really raucous, I'll turn it to the point Imhave peaks in the 90s. At that point, I'm still at -10 dB on my volume control. This convinced me that the -1L was enough for me. I normally go overboard and I was tempted to go up to the XPA-1s but calmer heads prevailed and I'm sure I'll be content with the power. I'm not going to lie and say I wouldn't want to hear the T1s on the XPA-1 (or XPA-2 in mono mode ).

Happy listening, Folks!

Cheers,

T Cobe