Emotiva amplifiers review/experience?

Removing the ground pin is a safety hazard! Try collecting on an insurance policy if it's found out your electronics all had their ground connections tampered with. Also, as an electrician, I've never heard of someone having their AC line polarity reversed. I suppose if some DIYer has added some plugs the wrong way it's possible, but that would be pretty rare.

Henry, in your last paragraph you forget that all people do not have the same skill in listening, the same hearing, the same preferences or the same room acoustics. But at the end of the day, Emotiva made some compromises to bring their products to market, and it shows. Sure their amps can sound better than an AVR, but is that saying much?

I had the XPA-3 for about 3 years and experienced what others have mentioned with the Enotiva house sound being somewhat forward and bright. In fact, I got actual sibilance on some recordings. I compared a Parasound A21 in the same system with the same tracks at the same volume, and the A21 produced no sibilance and was superior at all frequencies.

I'd say Emotiva amps do not blend well with all speakers and are decent for the money, but at 4-900 that's not saying much. I ended up selling the Emo amp. The XPA may be a different animal though still somewhat bright with the wrong speakers.

Whoops, I meant to say that the XPA-1 amp may be a different animal.

Yes, many electronics companies do not design their products to have the ground pin, and that is fine. The point is not whether or not the manufacturer includes one. They follow the various laws and safety regulations or else their products would not be sold here.

The point is when a ground pin has been designed with a component. It is there for a reason. If you remove it you are removing a safety component that the manufacturer has put there for a reason, whether it be UA standards, consumer laws or safety regulations. And insurance love to find excuses to exclude claims. Tampering with ground pins would make an insurance claims manager giddy.

Your polarity comment puzzles me. I understood fully what you said the first time, and this time, what I was saying is having reversed polarity is almost unheard of, and not something that needs to be checked out unless there are symptoms. Many home owners wouldn't have the slightest idea or equipment to inspect for polarity. But I suppose it would do no harm if they know what they are doing and don't shock themselves.