When I returned to audio after a 12-year sabbatical, the first things I noticed were hi-rez downloads, high-quality headphones, class-D, G, and H operation of amplifiers, and the upscale-looking but low-priced products of Emotiva. I also noticed that the average price of quality audio gear had quadrupled (at least). Right away I knew I didn’t want to write audio porn about glitzy boxes at oligarch prices. Emotiva looked so direct-sales, street-wise smart—and everybody was talkin’ about how musical Emotiva’s stuff sounds: “It sounds good—and they're givin’ it away!” I couldn’t wait to try one of their products.
I have not yet reviewed one of their power amplifiers, but Emotiva’s new X-Series XPA Gen3 user-configurable modular amplifier ($899) seems mighty intriguing. It uses plug-in modules and a class-H switch-mode power supply that switches between low- and high-voltage B+ rails as the signal demands. The XPA Gen3 can be configured as a one-channel, two-channel, five-channel, or seven-channel amplifier.
All Emotiva XPA Gen3 amplifiers provide 300Wpc into 8 ohms, 550Wpc into 4 ohms, and 800Wpc into 2 ohms. And to my eye, they look high-tech professional in a sci-fi, street rod, NASA kind of way. (Presently, I'm working on a review of Emotiva’s $299 SP-1 MC/MM phono preamp and line extender—which uniquely adds phono capability and extra line inputs to any line-level-equipped source.)
