[Early B.]

This looks like it would work well in a modest second system:  http://emotiva.com/a100.shtm

Probably cheaper than a comparable DIY amp and is worth it for aesthetics alone.

[JLM]

Good catch, but I see a cooling fan.  Wonder how noisy it is and if it runs all the time (or just as needed).

[WC]

It is just supposed to run as needed.

[persisting1]

What class amp is this?

[srb]

What class amp is this?

Judging from
 
1.  Overview - "The mini-X a-100 shares the same superior, fully discrete design and high-quality parts as our big ampifiers, so it performs 'like the big boys' and sounds far better than most amps in its price and power class"
 
2.  It is fan cooled with a (relatively) large heatsink
 
3.  It doesn't double power from 8 to 4 ohms like the majority of Class D amps
 
I would guess that it is Class A/B.  Either that or Class BB ('Big Boy').
 
Steve

[Early B.]

Good catch, but I see a cooling fan.  Wonder how noisy it is and if it runs all the time (or just as needed).

According to the folks at Emotiva (via their forum), the fan will only come on when the amp is driven extremely hard. Since this amp is designed to be used on smaller systems, the fan should rarely, if ever, turn on. 

[fredgarvin]

It sounds like a great choice, and being Emotiva, they won't be out of stock in two months.
I thought the buffered output for daisy-chaining was interesting.

[Early B.]

The Emotiva a100 integrated amplifier arrived yesterday. It replaced a Harman Kardon 3480 stereo receiver on my wife's system. Of course, the sound quality of the a100 is far superior to the stereo receiver. For those who already own Emo amps, you can expect the same sound quality, just in a smaller form factor and lower power. The amp has an pleasant appearance, as well. The weight is only 15 pounds. Her CD player weighs more than this amp. What would really be cool is if Emo offered 60-watt monoblocks for $199 each using the same chassis.

I also like the fact that the amp has an auto turn on option (the power button is on the rear of the unit). This feature makes it convenient for those who have gadget-challenged spouses. There's no remote for the volume, though, but that's a minor quibble. Single set of inputs and outputs are limiting factors for some people, but this amp was designed for simple setups.

For $199 with free shipping, this is an absolute no brainer purchase. Cheap and cheerful, indeed. 

[JLM]

Early,

Could you please detail the sonic differences between the Emotiva and the HK receiver.

I had an HK receiver and rather liked it.

TIA

[Early B.]

Early,

Could you please detail the sonic differences between the Emotiva and the HK receiver.

I had an HK receiver and rather liked it.

TIA

Not sure I can help much because I only listened to the Emotiva for a few minutes earlier today. Generally speaking, I thought the HK receiver sounded like typical audio components for the mass consumer market -- bright, ear fatiguing, lacking detail and resolution, boomy bass, etc. It's not fair to compare sonic differences between the HK to the Emotiva. The Emotiva will satisfy the audiophile who desires to set up a second system, whereas the HK would represent an annoyance. For instance, my wife was perfectly happy with the HK as part of her system, but I wasn't. I've been searching for a low cost replacement for many months, and even considered a DIYer. The Emotiva is a perfect fit.
   

[Barry_NJ]

I'm not sure which topology this amp uses, but my experience with Emotiva's 'X' series amplifiers was that they were dry, etched, and grainy sounding. I haven't heard the 'U' series myself, but I've read that they sound decent.

[Early B.]

I'm not sure which topology this amp uses, but my experience with Emotiva's 'X' series amplifiers was that they were dry, etched, and grainy sounding. I haven't heard the 'U' series myself, but I've read that they sound decent.

More than likely, the "dry, etched, and grainy sound" you were hearing stemmed from other components in the chain. I've owned the XPA-2 and I currently have an XPA-3 on HT duty, and any weaknesses associated with the X-series would probably be the exact opposite of what you described. I find the X series to be very powerful and lively, with no hint of grain. In fact, since I prefer a laid back presentation, I sold my XPA-2 because it was a bit too aggressive, similar to Krell amps. However, the X-series performs exceptionally well for a high end HT system, and should please the 2-channel head bangers.

It would be very difficult to find a better integrated amplifier in this price range with the aesthetics, customer service, and build quality as the x-100.
 

[JLM]

Not sure I can help much because I only listened to the Emotiva for a few minutes earlier today. Generally speaking, I thought the HK receiver sounded like typical audio components for the mass consumer market -- bright, ear fatiguing, lacking detail and resolution, boomy bass, etc. It's not fair to compare sonic differences between the HK to the Emotiva. The Emotiva will satisfy the audiophile who desires to set up a second system, whereas the HK would represent an annoyance. For instance, my wife was perfectly happy with the HK as part of her system, but I wasn't. I've been searching for a low cost replacement for many months, and even considered a DIYer. The Emotiva is a perfect fit.
 

Funny, I thought the HK receiver I had (can’t recall the model as it was several years ago and I only used it in a 2nd system) to me it was anything but “typical bright, fatiguing, lacking resolution”.  The bass did seem “full” but it was in a 2.1 setup using standmounts.

[Poultrygeist]

I have a couple of these which are now sold by Parts Express. They are good sub amps but not so great for two channel stereo.

http://www.emotiva.com/bpa1.html

[MrTie]

First Post

Just got a pair to replace the two Crown XTI 1000's I have been using for my two-way active Jubscalas. Only have about 5 hours into them so far but I can say this they have better bass control, cleaner sound, better gain,  and less hum then the XTI did. Cute little buggers too and they match my gear better then the silver faced crowns ever did. Really happy so far I'll give further information once I have them burned in for week and have more seat time in front of them but so far beyond a great desktop amp I think they sound great with high efficiency horn speakers. I was in the market for Virtue ONE.2's but they are stockless ATM so the mini-X came out at just the right time and I know Emotiva will be around and reliable unlike a lot of the other more questionable options I was looking at after I found the Virtue's a no go. If this is the minimum I can expect from Emotiva I think I will be buying more from them in the future, these puppies are cheap, look great, sound great, and the shipping was extremely fast.

[fredgarvin]

Nice! So monoblock then, or daisy-chained?....I like it.

[MrTie]

Nice! So monoblock then, or daisy-chained?....I like it.

Nope My speakers are active two ways one amp for the bassbins and one for the horns, with the dx38 handling the crossover duty.

[dudeinaroom]

Hi Early, how's it going?