I own a USP-1, UMC-1, XPA-2, XPA-3 and two XPA-1s. I'm obviously a bit of an Emotiva fan. :-)
That said, I consider myself to be fair when assessing A/V quality. I've had th chance to listen to pre amps from Audio Research, Mc, Marantz and a couple other high-end players. I would agree 100% with this posting. The Emotiva equipment is NOT is the same league as Audio Research or Mc. The products I auditioned from those brands are better, although the Emotiva was definitely better than Marantz IMO.
That said, the question I always ask myself is whether the additional money is worth it. Honestly, if money where no issue I would buy an Audio Research pre. I liked them the best of any I have personally heard. But, for $400 shipped to my home I have to tell you that I LOVE my USP-1. It produces VERY good sound, and is absolutely better than anything I have personally heard from Marantz.
If you are looking for something that produces very good sound an at insanely low price then you must audition Emotiva. They provide a 30-day money back guarantee and free 2-day shipping. I have kept everything I bought from them. Until my bank account allows me to step up to a higher end pre from Audio Research, I'm sticking with them. They provide a product I would rate as "7 out of 10 stars" for the price of something that I would rate 3 out of ten.
That said, I consider myself to be fair when assessing A/V quality. I've had th chance to listen to pre amps from Audio Research, Mc, Marantz and a couple other high-end players. I would agree 100% with this posting. The Emotiva equipment is NOT is the same league as Audio Research or Mc. The products I auditioned from those brands are better, although the Emotiva was definitely better than Marantz IMO.
That said, the question I always ask myself is whether the additional money is worth it. Honestly, if money where no issue I would buy an Audio Research pre. I liked them the best of any I have personally heard. But, for $400 shipped to my home I have to tell you that I LOVE my USP-1. It produces VERY good sound, and is absolutely better than anything I have personally heard from Marantz.
If you are looking for something that produces very good sound an at insanely low price then you must audition Emotiva. They provide a 30-day money back guarantee and free 2-day shipping. I have kept everything I bought from them. Until my bank account allows me to step up to a higher end pre from Audio Research, I'm sticking with them. They provide a product I would rate as "7 out of 10 stars" for the price of something that I would rate 3 out of ten.