Has anyone compared Emotiva amps to high end amps?

The XPA-2 amp has one major achilles heel if your thinking of using them as Bridge-mono- blocs. Emotiva Audio will tell you upfront it does not like to see a 2 ohm load. If you own low impedance speakers (4ohm -86db) or lower, the amp will go into protection mode if you crank it up loud. I owned two XPA-2's and this happen to me almost every time I turn the volume up to loud (but not ear bleeding.) I felt that a big amp this size should be able to play real loud without shutting down. One XPA-2 did not sound as good as two XPA-2's in bridge-mono in my 2 channel system. The XPA-2 is a very good amp, and tramendous value if your speakers don't drop to a 2ohm load. I guess that's why Emotiva make a XPA-1 mono-bloc. BTW I replaced the TWO XPA-2's with a modded dual-mono Adcom GFA-555MK11 that laughs at a 2ohm load and sounds great. You can't kill this amp, it won't die.

I have Hale Revelations Three's 86db 4ohm. These speaker love raw clean power(current). I played one of the XPA-2 for a month to get a Handel on the sound. It was good, but it made me miss my Belles 350A Reference that I sold (and regret). The Belles as it should be was a better amp in every way. But I did buy two XPA-2 amps. So I hooked up the other XPA-2 amp and the sound difference was in another class all together. As Bridge-Mono blocs I didn't even think about the Belles 350A Reference amp until I turn the volume up to were the Belles would play with ease and the Two XPA-2 amps went into protection mode as they were design to do when pushed into a 2ohm load. Now the Adcom I have is not your average 555Mk11. It is gutted with two bigger transformers (dual-mono) and upgraded guts and a IEC outlet. Net weight is about 60.lb. So this is not your typical Adcom 555 Mk11. Compared to the Emotiva XPA-2 as a stereo amp. It would be very hard not to pick the very musical Emotiva amp over the Adcom at anything under loud levels. But this is were the Adcom pulls ahead of the Emotiva XPA-2 amp in stereo, and Bridge Mono mode.It just can go places (volume) that the Emotiva XPA-2 can't and hold it's self together with ease. Please remember this is by design with the XPA-2 amp. So this is no knock on the amp, it is very good within it's self imposed limitations. That is why Emotiva makes the XPA-1 Mono-Blocs. Which I had my eye on before I got a Classe' amp that once again has me not missing the Belles 350A and the giant killer modded Adcom 555Mk11.

I want to make this point clear, I am on the side of those saying the Emotiva XPA-2 is a very good amp. A great amp when you factor the price verse performance aspect. And as a side note there customer service is by far the best I have encountered. If something not right they fix it period. This company has and will continue to earn praise from me. Now the Adcom is what I would call an anomaly. I clearly stated it was gutted and modded with new, bigger power supply, transformers etc... So this is "not your Grandfather's Adcom 555 Mk11" as they say. I praise the modded Adcom because to me there is something highly respectable about a amp (any amp) that sounds good and keeps on cranking no matter how loud you take it. But that's just my thinking. You might disagree. If there is one thing I've learned in Audio ED.101 is you don't trash or bash what you have not heard yourself. But again that's just my thinking as well. You might disagree.

With low impedance speakers I would go with the Mono-Blocs. In my system Two XPA-2 amps sounded better than one amp. But if one XPA-2 is doing the job, I would go that route. Remember this amp will seam like over kill to allot of the higher efficiency speaker out there. Your speaker of course will determine that. The Adcom 555-Mk11 is now my backup amp, just in-case I go to Mono-Blocs(XPA-1). But I am "happy and content" with my Classe' amp. I know that is a kiss of death statement around hear. I had a Belles 400-A amp before the 350-A REF. That was my first highend amp and it was great as well.