Emotiva amplifiers review/experience?


Anyone had a chance to try out the Emotiva amplifiers and compare them to some of the more well known brands? How are the sound quality of the amps and how do they compare to other brands? Are they significantly worse or by some slight margin? Please let me know as I'm very interested in their products! Thank you!
garrettni
I'll try this again.
Quality is not a function of inspection or after the fact.
Quality is built in by design and procedure. Quality is using good parts which can cost more. Assemblers having proper training and working from proper documentation and procedure.
Reworking defective product on a line costs a lot of money. If line yield from beginning to end is in the 98% range, than somebody is still looking for 2%.

Even if emotiva and bryston used the same schematic, bryston would still be worth more. More expensive iron and PS caps. Better matched output devices and say.....5% caps not 10%. Higher spec resistors. Maybe even higher MTBF parts where appropriate. The factory burnin must be worth something, too, since it guarantees zero defect out-the-door. Add in the warranty buy-down which is part of the purchase price and there 'ya go.
12-19-11: Storym
Here is an idea. If Bryston has a 20 yr. warranty, are they saying their products won't last that long?

That makes absolutely no sense. They are confident that their products will last that long, and history has proven that out. Any company offering a 20 year warranty that builds equipment that breaks down will be out of business in no time. Bryston has been around for a while. Try to find ANY OTHER manufaturer of electronic gear that offers a 20 year transferable warranty. Good luch with that one. Some others offer a couple of years, some offer 5 years, much fewer offer more than that. BTW I don't own and have never owned any Bryston gear. I just admire the fact that they stand behind their gear for that long.
This hobby is about SOUND! i.e. what reaches our ears. Not about the cost of parts. You could buy and replace the Emotiva many times for the price of a Bryston. Because you will get tired of looking at it long before 20 years. All electrical / mechanical equip is prone to failure. ALL! Witness the space shuttle.
Mtrot, I would be inserted in hearing about your experience with the McCormack DNA-1.

I have an Emotiva XPA-2 and USP-1 Pre. It's very cold and analytical sounding to me, highs can be sharp.

I'm thinking of replacing my preamp with a Mcormack or Conrad Johnson Preamp to warm things up.