HiFi System Upgrade - EMOTIVA BasX Amplifier Review. BasX A2 & A7 Amps
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 มิ.ย. 2024
- ✅ 🛒 BasX A2 bit.ly/3uRu9o1 ✅ 🛒 BasX A7 bit.ly/2PRmIyk
► SHOP THE EMOTIVA BASX AMPLIFIERS
▹▹ Emotiva BasX A2: bit.ly/3uRu9o1 *Reviewed
▹▹ Emotiva BasX A3: bit.ly/3aiuZT5
▹▹ Emotiva BasX A4: bit.ly/2QBd5nf
▹▹ Emotiva BasX A5: bit.ly/2RHIBAO
▹▹ Emotiva BasX A7: bit.ly/2PRmIyk *Reviewed
► COMPARABLE AMPLIFIERS
XTZ: no longer recommended (2022)
Parasound A23+: bit.ly/3mUv0l4
Crown XLS 1002: amzn.to/3uZ3UMx
Outlaw Audio 7000X: amzn.to/3gk4VuG
► REVIEWING THE NEW EMOTIVA BASX AMPLIFIERS
HiFi System Upgrade - EMOTIVA BasX Amplifier Review. BasX A2 & A7 Amps
If you are new to home audio or thinking about upgrading your hifi system, you might be wondering "Do I need separates for my speakers?". To help answer that question, we have two of the new BasX Emotiva amplifiers for you - the BasX A2 stereo amplifier for 2 channel systems and the BasX A7, a multi channel amplifier for home theater. The new BasX amps are available in stereo, 3, 4, 5 and 7 channels. These budget amplifiers pack loads of power at a more affordable price. In this BasX review we find out if the A2 and A7 amps some of the best hifi system separates that won't break the bank. - BasX A2 amplifier review and BasX A7 amplifier review -
INTRO: 00:00
SPECS & DESIGN: 00:44
WHO IS IT FOR?: 02:03
SOUND: 02:44
DRAWBACKS: 06:08
COMPARISONS: 07:05
CONCLUSION: 10:10
KRISTI'S TAKE & CONVERSATION: 11:01
SIGN OFF: 19:47
► TESTING THE BASX A2 & A7 AMPLIFIERS
POWER / PROCESSOR
Emotiva XMC-2 Processor: bit.ly/3twmgny
Yamaha RX-V6A Receiver: bit.ly/2Y5hVK5, amzn.to/2LFBUw3
SPEAKERS
JBL L82: bit.ly/3xeYmiR
Jamo S809: amzn.to/38J92L5
Jamo S803: amzn.to/2QXiYby
Jamo Atmos: amzn.to/2QbbNjc, bit.ly/3giNtqd
Focal Chora 826-D: amzn.to/3s7ReC6, bit.ly/3110yMa
Focal Chora Center Channel: bit.ly/3acv9eL
Focal Subwoofer: amzn.to/3mtwP8v
Klipsch Forte IV: bit.ly/3komedS, amzn.to/2PggXtz
SVS Micro 3000 Subwoofer: amzn.to/3e5LlPJ, bit.ly/3wTWJaf
OTHER SOURCES
Sony A90J OLED: amzn.to/3d2WKQa, bit.ly/3twsun8
VIZIO H1 OLED: bit.ly/39jiwhg
MOVIES - MUSIC - GAMING
Godzilla V Kong: HBO Max
Battleship: amzn.to/3xezRT4
► MORE FROM EMOTIVA
XMC-2 16 Channel Processor: bit.ly/3twmgny
X Series Products: bit.ly/32lIsVN
BasX A-100 Amplifier: bit.ly/3dqI7HC
Loudspeakers: bit.ly/3spT8wX
★ MORE ANDREW ROBINSON REVIEWS
➔ XTZ A2-300 Amplifier Review: • XTZ Sound Edge A2-300 ...
➔ Crown XLS Amplifier Review: • Best Budget Audiophile...
➔ NAD T778 Review: • HIGH END Home Theater ...
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#emotiva #hifi #amplifiers - วิทยาศาสตร์และเทคโนโลยี
★ *REVIEWING: A2 **bit.ly/3uRu9o1**, A7 **bit.ly/2PRmIyk** SEE DESCRIPTION for more*
★ *QOTD: In 2021, are separates STILL IMPORTANT to You? Why or why not?*
★ *Love our conversation/outtakes? Be sure to watch to the end*
★ *COMMENT RULES: Please be respectful. No outside links, URLs, email addresses, etc. Violations are automatically deleted.*
@Douglas Blake appreciate you answering the question of the day!
With the quality of integrated gear today, separates are kind of a niche thing now. However, separates are still valuable for people who have a little more experience and want to customize their experience or have a special circumstance that requires more control and selection of gear.
I absolutely think separates are still important. I would like the ability to run a good quality pre-amp and swap out power amps as my needs change and as I upgrade to different speakers over the years. Also, if new technology becomes available for home theater, I would like to swap out my pre-amp and keep my power amps.
I've had separates and Magnepans for many years and felt separates were THE way to go.
2021, I'm downsizing in preparation for retirement and 1 hour ago I sold my Maggie 1.6's. After a lengthy search, I ended up with Kef Q350's to accompany the REL sub that I used with the Maggies. The mq and soundstage are tolerable for "little box speakers".
Now, with the demand for high current, 4 ohm output gone, I'm seriously considering the Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated. It's 110 watts @ 8 ohms should be ample for the Kef's and the well reviewed pascal "D" amp section, Burr Brown DAC and phonostage could improve my sound, eliminate a lot of interconnects and use a lot less electricity over my current separates. (Emotiva pt-100, Emotiva A-300, Pro-Ject Tube box s2)
Yeah...I'm game for returning to integrated now that my Maggies are gone.
I would look at separates as the way to go with Home theater systems since the sound processing (Dolby/DTX/HiRes ..etc) can be separated from power amplification. Once you have your speaker setup finalized then you can commit to a suitable amplifier power to drive them and sound processing techniques could change faster than power amplification/speaker requirements. It is quintessential to buy an AVR system with pre-out (balanced or unbalanced ) capability to keep headroom for separates upgrades in the future.
Also, we are not out of the woods when it comes to All channel driven and Two-channel ratings, it is wise to consider a brand/model that rates "All Channels driven rating" over the "Two-Channel driven" rating based brands or models when it comes to multi-channel amplifiers.
The adoption of class-AB vs class-D design is welcome to this area, need to observe/study the class-D progression in days to come.
This is why Kristi having a take is invaluable, she asked the same question many of "regular" people are thinking, "why do we need this?" seems like a simple/obvious question but it allows Andrew to comprehensively make the case for the product - Great job guys!
Thats a question my wife often asks. "Why do you need that?"
@@scottyo64 My girlfriends doubts are the only reason I can save some money
Got the Emotiva Basx A3 a few weeks ago to power my front sound stage for my 7.2 system. The side surrounds now blend a little bit better with the fronts. The voices now sound more natural and less muddy. The rustling of leaves or the jingling of keys is more distinct. Overall I'm impressed with the dynamic sound that better matches my 92-inch screen 4K HDR viewing content.
I totally disagree with you about the blue I absolutely love it, I personally think it has a touch of class.
I bought the A5 based on this review but also because it's a local company for me since they are assembled and sold only 20 minutes from my house. I got the a5 for the 5 in my 5.1.4 system. The marantz 6014 was great alone but this basx really brought my Klipsch 620fs, 610fs, and 34c to life so much that I really don't need the 1 in my 5.1.4 system. Thanks Andrew and Kristi for informing me of a brand that is great and just happens to be right down the road.
I like it when you throw those hints like "not taxing your amplifiers" comparing your review with the current situations out there with the world economics😄
I only noticed the other day while searching for “how much amp power do I need”, that you actually worked for Emotiva back in the day! Didn’t know that - pretty cool. Looking forward to these amps hitting the UK! 👍🏻
I have used this amp for more than a year for two channel listening and actually purchased this amplifier based upon this review. When I first got the amp, I really didn’t like this amplifier and felt it was one of the most boring amplifiers I’ve ever heard. However, the more I played it and matched gear with amp, the more I’ve come to appreciate this amplifier and have become rather fond of it. I’ve had quite a few amplifiers come and go in the last year and I still haven’t gotten rid of this amplifier says a lot. It really does it’s function well which is to power speakers. It allows me to add color to the sound elsewhere whether using different speakers or preamplifiers. It really does well powering my harder to drive Ohm Speakers and my Dahlquist DQ-10’s. The DQ’s and the BasXA2 is a really good combo. Save some money and get this amplifier with a really good preamplifier.
I love the blue lights 💁
Got my A3 on Friday and rocked it all weekend on the LCR of my Denon 4700.
So nice...need 2 x A4 to finish the 7.2.4 and I can turn off the denon amps and go into preamp mode.
I think the a3 is the key because it provides the three channel amp to provide punch for the LCR in the home theater.
I wish I could post pictures here because there's a spec sheet that comes in the box that shows the a2 and the a3 are exactly the same in terms of power when only two channels are driven.
If that's true then you got two channel music punch just like the a2, and 3 channel punch for the home theater LCRat the same time.
When I get tired of the blue LEDs I will turn them off but it's in a rack out of sight anyway so who cares.
Happy with my purchase
I enjoy your videos. Our kids are away at college and I’m reclaiming the basement with upgrades to HT. My biggest takeaway from your videos so far has been the space you watch and listen are almost as important as the equipment you choose. Went with separate amps with 11 channel receiver with preouts and it sounds awesome.
Just ordered a BasX A7 with a pair of T2+ towers. Already have the C2+ center hooked up to a Marantz SR6014. The next step is getting room dialed in with some treatments and then upgrading the surrounds to Emotiva. Really good review, it helped me decide on the amp....thanks.
I LIKE the blue lights. I like to be reminded that a device is working and doing it's job. It's so easy to turn them off I wonder why people even bring it up.
I feel EXACTLY the same way. I actually like them and I've never turned them off during the two months I've owned the A3. If someone doesn't like them then all they have to do is turn them off with the switch on the back. I think it's a non-issue since Emo gives you an option.
Excellent Andrew, cutaways and re-framing!! Perfect video quality and sound is very good. I love the room as well. Content has always been very professional and informative.
I’m glad you listened to my feedback Sir.
Finally got my BASX A2 last week. I was hoping it sounds at least the same as my vintage WO Phase Linear 400, and I just dropped my jaw!. I'm so happy for making this great buy!. Thanks for the reviews, Randy and Andrew Robinson!
I love my A/B Emotiva amplifier. Don't like the New H power that there now trying to push out..
Thats funny because I love the blue lights. I think this is one of the best looking amps.
I agreed 100%. I would love that every amplifier or receiver come with some nice blue led like emotiva
Yeah, what a strange thing to obsess about. Maybe it’s an age thing? I miss the VU meters and graphics equalizers. The blue lights look very subtle to me.
I purchased an Emotiva A3 and installed it yesterday. It is an external amp to my Marantz SR7012. The improvement in sound is amazing and I am very happy with my purchase. Thanks for all the great reviews!
Great to hear!
Good review and timing. I stared researching the A2 this morning to go with the PT-100.
I appreciate the informative first half of your reviews but I come here for the last part where you and Kristi are just giving your own casual opinions. This review is a great example of that. Thank you
The lights are beautiful and match my Dual PB-4000s! I have the Emotiva BasX A-500 for one system and the BasX A5 for my other system, both 7.2.4 setups with my Denon x3700H’s. The Emotivas drive my LCR and surrounds and the receivers drive the back surrounds and heights.
Great review! And yes, I do like separates and will continue to use and own them as long as they keep making them.
I didnt believe in separates until I tried it and had a bigger room to fill with sound. Didn’t think it was going to be as big of difference as it was. Stupid happy with results. I picked an Outlaw 7000x a couple months ago for the living room... holy crap... does an amazing job. Just team lift the thing... cause the shipping box is full of gravity. The amp is clean power goodness, powerful, and now the receiver literally runs cool cause it’s just processing. My wife and I could instantly tell the difference. I think you brought up a great points... speaker efficiency and power supply... there are only so many angry pixies in an outlet... you swing to hard and breakers pop. I’d love to see you review some of the Outlaw products. You always have great insights into the stuff you review. Btw your production.... top notch.... I don’t think the average person knows the effort it takes to get the result you consistently put out! Great work! Thank you!
This one was very smooth. I really enjoy my a300. Thank for the review guys.
I Love the blue LED and the look of it.
It’s simple and tough looking. It doesn’t get to much attention. 🔊🔊
You guys are a great team.
Just subscribed looking forward to seeing more videos.
Thank you 👍🏼✌🏼
I really like what you said at the end. 👍🏼 Thank you
I’ll be buying the Bass X-A3 like you said front stage for movies 🍿 and 2.2 when I listen to music.
I have 7.2.2 SVS gear and my wife and kids asked what I want for Father’s Day 🔊🔊
Thanks again you help me with my decision.
Thanks for the great reviews! I listened to about 5 hours of your videos yesterday while I did my taxes. (Joy) Learned a bunch!
I'm running the previous model, BasX A-300 bi-wired to some B&W 704 S2's.. Lovin' it!
I have an A300 (2 channel predecessor to the a2), an XPA 2, A2, and an A3, all of these amps perform extremely well. A300 paired with a Denon 3500H, XPA 2 and A3 paired with an Onkyo RZ50 and, The A2 is paired with an Onkyo RZ830. Everyone of these amps improved the sound in each application. Better bass, more refined mids and highs. Sounds better at every volume levels. Very happy with all of these.
Same love the BasX3 and the whole BsX line because of the A/B sound don't care for the new H amplifier there pushing.
I like the blue lights. They match my eyes.
HOLY SMOKES! I just added the A2 into my 2.0 system driving Heco Aurora 700s via the Marantz NR1200. I don’t critically listen when I first get a new component. I put on my test tracks and read the news on my laptop. If something is markedly different it usually grabs my attention. I just had to put my laptop away because the absolute presence of the musicians in my room was UNCANNY. What an upgrade! The soundstage and just general control are incredible!
I had a very similar experience. I added an A2 to my Emotiva TA-100 (integrated amp) and the A2 really woke up my Wharfedale Diamond 11.2 bookshelves. It really updated my set up. Very happy with the A2 and it always runs very cool, considering the Wharfedales can dip down as low as 3.7 ohms. Excellent value.
Andrew, Thank You for the great review. I picked up a three channel amp from Emotiva.. not that unit but the XPA 3 Gen 3 3. Just like you indicated to support my front stage. My receiver is a Marantz 8012.. a very capable receiver for sure. I am driving Bowers and Wilkins 704 towers and center channel. For surround if have 2 additional Bowers and 4 SVS primes elevation for atoms. Before adding the emotiva the sounds was very clean and great for sure. After I set the Emotiva up with my system it did made a world of different and truly appreciate separate at this point.
As for the design, I personally love the blue since it also goes well with my Marantz and Parasound line conditioner.
At the end design will always be objective.. we need to focus on quality. Marantz and Emotiva are both build with great quality materials and look awesome. Everything you said on this video it is 100% accurate but one must experience and see to understand. Thank You
What a lovely Sunday treat for both beginning and recovering audiophiles: an excellent Emotiva review. For the QOTD, I love separates because of the versatility. Class D amps solves form factor issues, and who doesn't love swapping different gear to experiment with speaker+electronics synergy?
Thanks for answering the question! If you're into gear and like swapping between products, separates IS the way to go. Thanks for watching!
The discussion at the end was very helpful. Thank you.
Thanks for watching until the end and I'm glad it was helpful.
@@robinsonbrand I have never owned any separates so it was a nice intro. After watching, I probably don't need them myself.
@@willburren1957 Hey, don't spend money if you don't need to.
"A straight wire with gain" is the goal. And the blue LEDs can be dimmed or turned off. For my buck, the Emotiva A2 and PT1 are serious bang for the buck powering my BOSE 901 speakers to room-filling and wall-shaking sound, and the top end and mids are so sweet and analytical. And they offer a military discount. I was OTD for $950
I like the blue porthole of my Marantz preamp. Definitely a great value. I'm 62 and my hifi journey started at 17. The system I have now, most of it I've had for 18 years my Carver av705x gives me more than enough power to rock the house. the pre-amp processor was upgraded when my sons bought me a Marantz av7005 used for my 60th birthday. That replaced my Rotel which didn't have the HDMI and other connections I wanted. The sound was startlingly better and improved the overall performance of my system. Have no desire to change anything else.
That's okay. The porthole design of the Marantz is pretty unique and definitely a visual way for Marantz to distinguish themselves from the rest. Thanks for watching!
I've had a Denon AVR-4520CI for some years. 7.2 (front bi-amp) and LOVE IT!!
Now that I wanted to get into 7.2.4, I needed a new processor and I also needed HDCP 2.2 anyways..
There are basically 2 AVR's that allow me to get 7.2.4 with front Bi-Amp. And they cost as much as a car.
After much research, I (just now) ordered 2 of these and waiting for mc1 availability. Such a flexible route to go.
Very true on how a multi channel receiver gets taxed while pushing all channels through all frequencies. I've found that using a nice powered subwoofer and crossing over at 80-100 hz with the receivers internal crossover, it takes away the strain of the receiver covering the entire spectrum. I've pushed my Onkyo pretty hard through all 7 channels and never once had it clip or damage my speakers, but I have a PSA S-3000i sub handling everything under 100 hz. So it definitely helps ease the burden of the receiver. However, I still recommend separates for sure.
100hz for me is the perfect crossover whit bookshelf speakers 🔊
You're right on the money. Having a separate power supply for each channel is best. It's tough for one power supply to deliver current to multichannel amps. Mono block amps are the way to go if you can afford the cost. The main drawback is often you require multiple 15 amp circuits to power the amps if you're going to drive them hard. Also it's generally a good idea to connect a ground wire connecting each amp to a common ground to eliminate the possibility of a ground loop. I can't stand to have a 60 cycle hum coming from equipment. You generally won't need to do that using balanced inputs, but sometimes with RCA connectors you have to. I'm running 2 dual bandpass subs with 12 inch subwoofers. An active crossover tuned to cut off at 120 Hz works good for my setup. I'm using a 12 channel Yamaha mixer to drive my amps. It's nice to see someone that's really interested in sound. I couldn't tell you how many speakers I've burned up either driving them with a little too much power or bass over the years. Have a great night.
Now they come out with a new BasX after I just got the older A500 and four A700's a few months back! Oh well, the older version will work just fine for my application. I might order two of the A4's to power my aux subwoofers that will be IB ceiling mounted distributed around the theater. These will have independent DSP and amplifier channels for smoothing out the response throughout the room. The new A4's should be perfect for this!
I upgraded from a Denon x4300h, to a Marantz SR6015 and onto an Emo 13.2 Pre/Pro with a Bas-X A6, A3 and my older Carver AV705x 5 channel. While the Emo’s GUI is quite simple and not as streamlined as a Sound United product nor is it’s room correction nearly as effective and efficient when you take MultiEQ-X into account it was also only $870 out the door with a small military discount from Emo. I use REW to generate EQ filters out to 500hz and simply manually enter the values into the Emo MC1 processor. As far as the A series power amps I’ve ran everything from M&K towers and bookshelf speakers to Mirage M1’s and M3’s with no issues and for the price I’m very impressed.
Another great review, I also have not issue with the LEDs especially since they can be turned off. And I love your comments about the transparency of an amp.
Super glad you point blank said not to get the crown if you have klipsch speakers 🫶.
Ive been tempted by them, so this advice definitely helped me dodge a bullet.
Thanks!
Just switched from the RX-V6A to the VSX-LX505 and was just looking to see what amps would be a good fit when I'm ready to add the additional channels out of the reciever that will require power.
😊
I love your review style btw Andrew. It's always so clean and on point. Regarding your question, I certainly like the seperate system setup. Sold everything had in my younger years some 10 years ago, buying an all-in-one system from Bose, but last year, turning 40, I decided to pick my hobby once again and went fot seperates and man does it sound different, more lively, more punchy. Thank you for always staying relevant and take care!
What did you end up with after switching from the Bose? Appreciate you watching!
@@robinsonbrand Hehe, wrote on my other comment, but it's a Marantz NA6006 Network Streamer, Marantz PM6006 Integrated Amplifier, Triangle Borea BR03 Bookshelf Speakers, cables from Ecrosse and XTZ (since I'm Swedish, haha)
@@robinsonbrand The NA6006 has variable RCA outputs, which enables me to use it as a pre-amp, hence the reason for the Emotiva A2...
Thank you both for the amazing review! Since these new amps came out I have been having a hard time choosing between the A3 or the XPA3 for my klipsch RP LCR. I listen in a medium size room, so maybe to Andrews point, given Klipsch’s sensitivity the A3 will be sufficient as well as save me money? Also, I love having Kriti’s take, she keeps us crazy audiophiles in check.
Hey Andrew, I was rockin' Crown before you were rockin' anything! My Crown units are 40 years old and still kickin' ass!!
I chose the crown in my situation. With my old Msgnapan MGlls, I really needed the extra power. I regret NOTHING! The crown has performed flawlessly! Thank you for your recommendation!
Crown and Magnepan is actually a really good combo. I used first gen Crown XLS amps on my Magnepan 3.6s years ago and they worked great! Thanks for tuning in!
I recently purchased this amp and agree with the comments on bass. There’s enough boost there that it is noticeable (in a good way) vs my Marantz integrated amp but still very clean.
Nice review--I've been using an Emotiva XPA and UPA with a Pioneer VSX-1121k for years and have loved the combo from day one. Yes separates are still the way to go for me.
Their XPA amplifiers are great! Thanks for watching!
Thank you for adding comments about comparisons to other products, including the Outlaw Audio. Components in this price range are ample for 95% of users running home theater above a soundbar. The law of diminishing returns kicks past this price range.
I have owned both xpa gen 3 and A2. Most recently I had the A2. It performed very well for my purpose. Ran them with my Rotel Rc-1572mk preamp.
Any thoughts on a video discussing things like Isoacoustics and/or speaker stands in the future? Love the channel!
ooh with these prices I can prob go separates in my HT. Ty for the video man it was a banger!
about your question as to whether I care about having separates or not. For quite a while, I did like to switch amps and preamps up a bit. The novelty of that has worn thin now and my integrated amp is working out well at handling all the things that my separates did and plus a few extra things too.
Sounds like it doesn't suck. I just pulled the trigger on my A2 to power my Klipsch RP-61 II's. Last minute now I'm debating canceling the order and grabbing the A3 instead to give me the versatility to add a center channel later. I think once I get it I will be blown away and extremely satisfied. Mostly will be cranking some music.
Thanks you for this video.. I been on the fence on this issue... you made it easy... I am going to buy my first amplifier...
Happy to know the review was helpful! Thanks for watching.
Just received my A2 yesterday. The owners manual says the output is 175W/ch even though all current advertising still says 160...I'll have to call them Monday and ask what's up....if they upgraded it. Either way, this thing makes my towers sound WAY better than bi-amped by my AVR (Denon avrx3500h). Definitely going to add an A5 later for the center and surrounds. (I'm just doing a 7.2 system) Well worth the price! ( I'm running some lower end Polk RTiA9 towers, which are power hungry, so I may also add another A2 and use the bi-amp capability of the Denon AVR to pre-out so each tower gets two channels of A2 amplification)
As for the sound itself...even bi-amped, my inefficient power hungry towers never had this much bass or clearer midrange. The speakers sound SO much better, the difference is amazing. I've always had separates in the car stereo, but until now never really popped for them at home. It was well worth it.
I had four A-300s and one A-500 running my 7.2.4. It was great! But I just upgraded to the Marantz MM8077 and MM7055 (no regrets). I still have two A-300s and the A-500 (I sold two already), and I will definitely be keeping at least one A-300 for music.
Love Emotiva ! I love all of there products. Been an audiophile all of my life and never found better value for great sound. Review the T 1 or T2 Towers !
Just received my A2 & PT1 preamp yesterday and am experiencing day and night difference driving my Fluance Signature Series bookshelf speakers from using my old Onkyo 5.1 receiver. I also appreciate the old school analog sound tweaking the treble by just a little, would like to hear some Polk 703’s with this set up also. Much appreciate your review and it was one of the reasons I chose the Emotiva, thx.
Great to hear!
I have a Marantz NR1607 with left and right SVS Ultra bookshelfs, an SVS SB2000. Could not get the sound right, sounded bright and squirrelly, and music I stopped listening to ( I am an ex sound recording mixing guy and music sounded flat and thin).
I thought it was the SVS speakers and was looking at upgrading to much more expensive towers. In the interim, because I was having difficulty listening to vocals, I decided to put in a SVS ultra centre, and as a stop gap to take power off the Marantz added an Emotiva basx a2.
The difference it has made to music is amazing (centre off). The Emotiva has very large deep but tight bass and soundstage, the top end is present but has a darker colour that controls squirrely hard tweeters like the SVS has.
The sound is detailed, thick creamy, expansive and has the voltage reserves to enable full dynamics with no clipping or saturation/flattening of the soundstage. Music it just sounds balanced and there is nothing that stands out as being out of balance, save for the high end having a dark ebony sheen which I actually like.
My wife is a muso and she hated me playing music with the NR1607 and SVS ultras. Now using the NR1607 as pre outs and the Emotiva Left and right for music, my wife will actually enjoy music being plated and will walk past hear a note and go to her Yamaha C3 and tap out and sing a note that grabs her.
I no longer and looking to upgrade the SVS Ultra bookshelfs, which have been transformed with the Emotiva and I think the SVS bookshelves really are a difficult speaker to drive properly and are probably 4-6 ohms with wierd phasing issues that needs big power to make them shine, which the Emotiva does.
The BASX A2 is a fantastic amp that is a steal for the money. Well done Emotiva.
Thanks! Separates matter when going into 90db and below sensitivity on speakers with the caveat that your electrical wiring can handle the load.
Great video as always, Andrew and Kristi. I recently added a Parasound A51 5 channel amp to my system and it has made a huge difference in sound quality over my Marantz SR8015 receiver alone, which was no slouch on its own. Main speakers are SVS Prime Pinnacle's with the SVS Ultra center. I know my setup is not in the same price category as the BasX, but I would advocate for more power in most situations. This seems like an affordable option to give a system more headroom.
I love the blue, sorry! Separates are an easy way to have flexibility and more dynamic sound for any home theater system. Plus, I love the look of stacked amps!
Ditto love the lights..
@@ferrisburgh802 I wonder where the problem is if you can turn the lights of,now she is contrition him and to be the gentleman his contrition himself he said he can hear the difference now his saying his not wow the things you say.i like your videos man but make up your mind
Me too
I may have commented on this video before, I don't remember. But since having the BasX A2 and the BasX PT 1 for 1 year now, all I can say is I will never get rid of it. I use it exclusively for vinyl two channel and OCCASIONAL 2 channel CD. With these components you hear your speakers, not your system. And I love my Paradigm Studios and HSU Research speakers for what they SOUND like. In my mind I am an audiophile, my system may be an entry level audiophile system because of what I've SPENT. But what I have spent is an audiophile sound to me. Are there levels of an audiophile? Like in the 70s 80s and into the 90s, "Heavy Metal" changed. Born To Be Wild was the birth of "Heavy Metal". Black Sabbath was there already. That was heavy metal. Then Aerosmith came around. And then Scorpions and Judas Priest. Then Van Halen turned everything into a petri dish and gave birth to Mötley Crüe, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi, Poison and Cinderella. All good, but not true "Heavy Metal". Or was it?..... Definitions change all the time. I may be a third-tier audiophile, but I made a great freaking system on a budget. Actually, I have 4 complete systems that deliver my "Nirvana".. thanks in large part to Andrew and Kristi. 5 out of my last 12 audio purchases were because of their recommendations and so far, zero have been a dud. I needed to get this off my chest, because average income people wanting audiophile results need to listen to Andrews recommendations, and LISTEN to what he is describing. Thank you Andrew & Kristi.
I just ordered the BasXA5 today to compliment my Pioneer Elite 505 9.2 channels. I’m excited b
Got a Denon X4700h, RP-504C ii Center & RP-600M 2 for SR & SL. I think other smaller things added to make a fuller sound. I also have an Basx A5 but I used banana plugs & Mogami audio wires. Gettin A7 for full Pre-out mode too
I love the blue !!
Great content! Question, would adding an Emotiva basx a7 or XPA place my Onkyo RZ 50 on par or above the Marantz Cinema 50?
These sound very promising, will need to consider looking harder at these.
I'm glad you did this review. I have an XPA 2 which I would like to move from my theater system to a 2 channel setup. My plan was to get an XPA 3 and move the XPA 2, but then Emotiva came out with the Basx A3. I also want to get some new speakers for the 2 channel set up, but if the A3 works well, I could do both immediately. I probably don't need an amp in the theater. However, years ago I bought my first top-of-the-line AV receiver, and at the first turn on, it went on to protect mode. The dealer said that it was probably due to a stray strand of speaker wire. I'm not sure though, I'm usually thorough with that stuff. Still, ever since that day, I connect my speakers to amps and use preamp/processors or receivers with preamp outs.
As for your guys' thoughts on the blue lights, I love the blue lights. I have an Outlaw 5000x powering my surrounds and I wish they had blue the blue lights. The only thing I'd want more (aesthetically) would be analog meters- meters like Mcintosh, not Yamaha. Don't get me wrong, Yamaha's meters are nice, but the lighting is generic. I like the blue of Mcintosh, or the Green of Proton amps
As for why Emotiva and others like blue lights, I've heard that at one point and time, blue LEDs were more expensive than others, so I guess it was a point of prestige. I don't know how true that is, however.
Again, great review. I always look forward to your next video. Selfishly, I wish for more every week, especially when I see something in the background you haven't released a video for, like that Rotel. By the way, is the video for the RP-600m's still coming?
I love my A3 with my Klipsch forte IVs and RP-600 center. Clarity and punch all coming from a Denon AVR. I prefer it over the Parasound a23 I had before
They didn't put an auto off on the others in the range so they didn't turn themselves on and off during movies. The 3 and up would all be used for AVs which are very likely to have a trigger output to go into the inputs those amps have.
I always appreciate your approach ie “who is this for” and also what other products might fit a range of different systems. Agree with others that Kristi adds a great counterpoint. I am looking for a reasonable power amp on the pre-outs of a Burson 3XGT to run a Susvara headphone- this is a good reasonable option
I am in the process of selling my Pioneer 110 wpc x 7 channel AVR receiver and going with a XTZ EDGE A2-300 and a Bluesound Node 2i. I like the ability to taylor my cost where i see fit. It is not such a large expense to change my individual components as needed down the road. My tastes have changed and I do not need the 7 channel for movies as all the kids are out of the house now and I enjoy just music through the system. I do have the ability to run my TV through the Node 2i and benefit from my stereo speakers and excellent surround sound perception. I may add a preamp down the road but do not need one at this point. Again I enjoy swapping components as needed. Thanks for the review as the BasX A2 was my other option vs the XTZ EDGE A2-300. I made this decision based on your XTZ review. Very happy with the XTZ.
Andrew, just a heads up. The reason the Emotiva basX a2 isn't bridgable is quite simple: the basX A1! Same price mono-block.
I think they didn't include the auto sense is because they offer the trigger feature which I use on my 7.2.4 surround sound setup when I turn on my denon avr‑x3700h all amps turn on and offwhen powering down the avr running one A3 on my front stage, one A4 for my side and rear speakers and another A4 for my dolby atmos enabled speakers
Thank you kindly sir for your very informative review of these different amplifiers. I happened to be one of those individuals still in the process of making a purchase decision. My AVR is nearly identical to the one which was discussed in this video (Yamaha TSR-700 7.1).
Your review had indeed answered several of my lingering questions as well as assisted me in making a better informed purchase decision. Thanks again, ignore the ignorant, and keep up the excellent work because you're doing us all a great service. 👍
As always, excellent presentation & descriptions. I have a Heaven 11 Billie amp that I am really enjoying and do not want to change out, but I do feel like I would like more power than the 60W it provides. For not a lot of money this seems like a very good possible addition. I love the vocals I get from the Billie and the bass is clear, quick and well defined. From your description this sounds like it would not alter those attributes and maybe just adding a touch more palpability to the bass. I know you reviewed Billie in the past, if you don't mind can I get your thoughts on this combo. BTW, my speakers are Monitor Audio Bronze 6 towers. Thank You very much.
I'll always be down for the Crown after the review of the crown amp that you did years ago i never looked back no the Crown isn't perfect but awesome bang for the buck
hell yes love my crown 2502
Got the A2 to drive my ML 60xt tower speakers (the AVR is the Marantz sSR7013) ran Audyssey and there is definitely a noticeable difference in the sound (classical music and jazz, Miles Davis (Sketches of Spain) in a positive sense. Leaving the Marantz to handle the center, sub-woofer and surrounds has resulted in a better all around sound for my system.
One question...how did you connect the speaker, with jumpers or bi-wired???
@@Youevl I just used the banana plugs. There are no longer any front speaker connections to the AVR. To amplify what I said about the sound I was disappointed with the Marantz running the ML speakers which are nominally 4ohms. Once I hooked up the Emotiva it was like day and night with the sound stage, the sound just came alive which makes me question the Marantz technical specs they put out. On a side note I had the Marantz SR7012 to test which I set to 4ohms to match the speakers and that was a no go because the AVR keep shutting down mid-way a CD played at normal volume levels. When I reset it to 8ohms the problem went away which might lead one to come to the conclusion that the power just wasn't there to drive the Martin Logans.
To me, he versatility of separate components is a big part of the fun of building an audio system!
Excellent review as usual.
I have no experience with the BasX line, so I may be speaking out of turn. However I use Emotiva HC-1s to power my Tektons, best decision I've ever made. The power is literally limitless, in a very large room 110 db is not even breaking a sweat for these monsters. Personally I love the looks, they look what I can only describe as "mature". As I said I don't know anything about the BasX line, but I'm madly in love with what I know of Emotiva.
Blue lights are nice 👍
So glad you reviewed these.Hopefully in the near future you can review their tower speakers.
19:07 I got the flimsiest 3" full range drivers that says 5W at the back of the driver. I run them slightly out of the box (so even less power handling) along with fat 10" woofers. The "float mounted" 3" drivers make the med @iry and extends the treble. Dust caps removed for better transients and cone kinked at extreme edge 5 time around (just a little scrape). Stopped the upper treble from sounding "forced" and smoothes the med a bit. Also the speaker hole has an extremely short bass vent tube inside to make it POINT SOURCE BASS VENTED! They work great. My Jaycar amp is rated @ 200+200 W @ 0.1% THD. And have no problem with enough level in that room. And the WHOLE SIGÑAL is going through those 3" drivers. I reckon if I ran them @ the same level with a 5 W amp my 3" masterpieces would have been destroyed by now. I can't comfortably listen for long periods @ a level that (significantly) makes the 3" drivers excurt over 1 mm. lol Not party speakers, but the best lounge speakers I made. Such detail with the MOSFET cos the 3" cones are super light. These particular brand CHEAP drivers sound BETTER cos they are shallow cones. Deep cone FR drivers are terrible! Too much "squark" (by a large measure). From what I have experienced with near identical 4" FR drivers, one was deep and one was shallow cone. I thought the "squark" was coming from my crazy acoustics but when I switched drivers to the shallow coners I noticed they were WAY more mellow and more control in the med. I was stoked! I have some sour 8" drivers and they are deep cone. My Eminence 8" drivers I haven't been tried yet but I bet they aren't sour cos they are shallow cone (and Tecton use Eminence). Funny how mine turned out to be shallow cone. So it's just a hypothesis but tending towards a theory. I hope it's true cos now all I have to do is buy those thin door car drivers that obviously have the shallow cones.
I’m setting up a home theater in my new house and trying to figure everything out, there’s a lot to learn. Finally picked out some speakers but looks like I might need an external amplifier for my receiver
Great video Andrew and Kristi! (Low-key star of the video were those blue L82 quadrex grilles!)
Good review, very accurate. I use an A2 with my Audiolab 6000a in Pre Mode and Wharfedale Evo 4.4 speakers, I love it.
Hi, does the audiolab 6000a sound still come through? Is the a2 better in every way or is it just more power and control? Could you give me a rough description of the sound when the a2 is used? Cheers and thanks in advance 👍
@@tonyhall8947 Howdo there. I would say the sound signature of the audiolab is still very much there, I don't think the Emotiva 'colours' the sound, that I can notice except maybe perhaps in the bass department, to me it seems slightly bassier, not sure that really make sense, some may interpret that as being 'looser', 'less well controlled', but it works for me personally..Hope that is of some help.
@@dougieroberts7045 yeah ok thanks for that. Would you say the bass is tighter or bigger (bassier) or bit of both with the a2? Thanks again 🙂
@@tonyhall8947 Just my opinion etc, but I wouldn't say the bass is 'tighter', but, yes, 'bigger' bloated, looser really. My hearing isnt what it was, hope of some help.
@@dougieroberts7045 Thanks man.
I have an older model Emotiva 7 channel amp hooked up to my denon avr and all this tech talk is way above my pay grade. However, what I emmediatly noticed when I hooked it up was everything just sounded better! First thing I noticed was my front stage was actually clearer in the sense that I could hear the separation a whole lot better! My surrounds also sounded crisper and cleaner for lack of a better description. Like I said I'm not an audiophile by no means but, once I got a separate amp my system just came alive. It was the one thing that was missing. Now music in 2 channel sounds amazing and my movie sound actually has incredible separation and just way better. If anyone is on the fence about a separation amp I would definitely do it. You will not regret it,I promise.
Good clean power and with a neutral delivery at that price point is hard to beat. Aesthetics and physical appearance are always a personalized preference and form does not always follow function well. Thanks for hitting on that element of the audiophile experience as design and it’s place within an environment can have impact to the setting and it’s vibe or the experience of the audio tech for some. As to the question, I think separates are good because they offer you that flexibility in the playground and yet, I recently heard a system that was comprised of two speakers and an all in one that blew my mind and could be endgame for many; especially for those who all about headphones. More options the better!
Excellent review as always! Been pulling my hairs on why Crown isn't the obvious choice for everybody given their low cost but, thanks to you, now I know a emotiva is the way to go for me.
So glad you found the review helpful and thank you so much for tuning in!
In a normal room you won’t hear anything negative with the crown and it’ll no doubt last longer though they do look terrible
@@mundie33 I heard crown amplifiers are noisy.
Amad Zee the thing is when the noise floor of your room is 50+ db it doesn’t matter
“They’re obnoxious” That’s the kind of review I love! Kristi nails what it’s like to have the gear being reviewed in your house. While I know a lot of enthusiasts will tolerate almost any aesthetic for the gear they want, having someone cover the impact said gear may have on a partner is a unique part of your reviews. Thanks for another wonderful Sunday morning. Oh ya, have you ever reviewed a Bryston amp? The 4B was a huge part of my mobile DJ years and I’d love to see what Bryston is doing these days.
Sean you are SO RIGHT! I love it too! As for Bryston. I loved their amps back in the day but have not heard anything from them in maybe 10+ years. Are they still in business? Appreciate you joining us as always!
@@robinsonbrand I'm the like the Girlfriend Reviews of audio. 😂
@@KristiWright Nice!
@@robinsonbrand They appear to be still going strong. Same lineup as always but now with silver faceplates and no obvious rack handles. Can’t imagine moving one without those rack handles! I don’t play in that patch anymore but for about ten years of doing large venue mobile DJ’ing I’d always rent Bryston 4B’s so I’d never have to worry about driving whatever speakers I’d get from the sound company for the next gig. Good old Canadian reliability, if that’s even a thing.
@@KristiWright Not an insignificant factor for most of us, actually. We may act all alpha male about our gear but I’m sure most of us have to consider if a spouse is going to tolerate it too. It’s why I don’t have tower speakers and probably never will. That’s just too much speaker for my wife. Happy spouse, happy house. Words to live by.
Really like this lineup since it's afaik the cheapest 3 channel amp you can buy if you just want to off load a little bit of power from your AVR and put it to the 3 most used speakers in a home theater system. Multi-channel pre-outs are a feature I'm definitely looking for on my next AVR.
I have an A - 300 running the two front channels to help the receiver. A - 300 runs cool no fan noise so far, my Sub has a blue light when running so I do not notice the two blue led lights . Separates give you options to change parts of your system , update preamp instead of a full receiver saving $ . Thanks for the good review.
I currently have a Marantz nr1200 hooked up to wharfedale Lintons and find myself pushing the Marantz on the high side most of the time. I think this a2 is worth considering.
Since this post I purchased the a2 and it cranks pretty good! I hear more highs and lows from the Lintons and definitely more headroom on top. For 440$ it's well worth it I think.
I purchased the Marantz NR1200 and have them paired with Paradigm Monitor 3 V.1 speakers in a 2.2 configuration. I also found the Marantz lacking in power and added an Emotiva A-300. This didn’t do much so I purchased a Crown XLS 1502 and what a difference. I am very happy with the Crown as it performs without straining the Marantz. I moved the A-300 to my home theatre room to power the left and right speakers.
Use bassx for home theater. The Parasound is killer for music. With Klipsch, go with Parasound due to P’s warmer sound (it’s kinda harsh with everything else like class d or bassx....you need that tube sound for horns which P’s have). I have the Parasound a23+ that I bought for $1400 and it’s only worth it for music. If your into theater, go with cheaper alternatives like this one-90% of the gains for Parasound for half the price. Hope this helps!
I do like separates. I own an X4700h and run the front mains on a Crown XLi1500. At the moment the 4700 powers all nine other speakers in the 7.1.4, but I plan on working my way to full external amplification. With the 4700 I could then turn it preamp mode and switch off the internal amps altogether. I was planning on all Crown for amplifiers, but these new BasX are very tempting, especially for Atmos speakers.
Hi Andrew and Kristi, love this review, it made me think twice (actually way more then twice 😂) about buying a 11 channel receiver, 9.1 with pre amps to expand to 11.1 seems to be the better choice for me, my wallet and my speakers, i just need to find a BasX here in Brazil now!!
“The blue looks dated”? But, it’s sitting between 2 JBLs that are styled like speakers from the 70’s
heh..he..that's true! I also notice that! besides u can switch those off. - "Can I please have a can of Coca-Cola, but could I have with 'Times New Roman' instead of those curvy ones?"
Separates to me are preferable not important. Andrew's vintage modified pioneer is an all in one solution I'm hip to. Cant wait to have my kenwood krs9600 center stage.
Thanks for answering the QOTD!
That Kenwood is a BEAST!
@@robinsonbrand If iAm not mistaken, Kenwood once led the "Bang for The Buck" Sonic Philosophy.....
Great Review. Emotiva continues to offer a great many options. I am not bothered by the styling as this might become popular again down the road . I have several X series components and needed a 7 channel amplifier for surrounds and not seeing a rear input for amplifier turn on was a deal breaker. Ultimately I chose the Outlaw 7000x.
Ok wow, Emotiva actually went and found me an A300! I can now finally own an amp perfectly rated to my speakers! No longer salty, not at all!
I almost went for a used Pass designed Adcom 555 instead, I like new better : )