For use in this large party room environment, this powerful, yet power and space efficient multi-channel amplifier was complimenting a Yamaha RX-V2500 receiver (which when used as a pre/pro is absolutely phenomenal).

By testing the Emotiva MPS-1 in two completely different environments and applications I was able to see how it performed under a myriad of circumstances:

• Environment #1: My Reference System - A pristine environment with moderate to high SPL levels in a medium sized living room designed for more focus on detail and sound quality.
• Environment #2: Aunt/Uncle Party Room - Ultra-high SPL levels set for high impact sound for a huge 50' room. The speaker system used is similar to my Reference System but with two extra RBH-1010 subwoofer modules - transforming the front speakers into the RBH T-3 Signature System.

I have always been of the viewpoint that sonic differences between well-designed amplifiers are very difficult to discern, provided that they are operated in their linear operating region. Get the output impedance and noise floor low enough, and the amplifier will generally not hiccup at any speaker load, allowing it to be removed from the sonic chain of the system. That being said, I was eager to find out if the Emotiva MPS-1 was able to achieve the sonic bliss of a traditional Class A/B amplifier since to date I hadn't heard a switching, or in this case, rail tracking amp that could.

SACD: Patricia Barber Café Blue
This SACD remains one of my benchmark discs for good reason - lumpy jazz in a smooth jazz environment. You won't find repetitive and annoying saxophone scales, single stroke drumming, and simplistic guitar rifts. Instead you're showered with snappy jazz and provocative lyrics, slamming drums and memorable instrumental solos. The SACD layer of Track #2, "Morning Grace" sounded excellent on my reference system. The stereo separation was most impressive.

In fact there were times where I believed the imaging of my speakers sounded better than ever on this amp and I couldn't help to wonder if it had to do with the excellent channel to channel isolation bestowed upon the mono block design approach.

SACD: Patricia Barber Modern Cool
I put in another reference disc, which again happens to be a Patricia Barber Modern Cool from Premonition Records. If you really want to show off your system's dynamics capabilities, this is a must have disc. Track#7 "Company" will reward time after time, especially during the explosive drum solo half way into the song. Wimpy speakers dare not play this track, and the same applies for flea watt amps. The MPS-1 really shined with this recording and was able to drive my reference system as well as the best gear I have had the fortune of reviewing. The bass was well pronounced, the noise floor commendably low, and the soundstage wide and open as it should be.

DVD-Audio: Blue Man Group The Complex
Given the fact that the MPS-1 is a full mono block design with independent power supplies for each channel, it was safe to assume if this amp performed well in two-channel, it should perform equally well in multi-channel applications. I tested this assumption with a very demanding and well recorded DVD-A disc from the Blue Man Group.

I am a sucker for instrumentals, especially those emphasizing drum solos. The multi-channel DTS DVD Audio disc of Blue Man Group - The Complex is a shining example of such a recording. Track#3 on the DVD-A layer featuring Dave Matthews is a killer sounding song and is even cooler on the DTS side since you get to see the Blue Man Group in action spraying paint on each other, playing unconventional instruments, and watching the world around Dave Matthews transform between reality and cartoon. Very cool indeed. Track #1 jumps right out at you and gives your system quite a workout.

The MPS-1 again delivered with flying colors. Every paint-splashing, whip-whooshing sound was rendered with excellent clarity, while Dave Matthews' voice remained focused and articulate without any noticeable sibilance.

It was obvious that the Emotiva MPS-1 delivered performance as promised when installed in my primary reference system. Now it was time for the true torture test. Could this amp perform in a huge room for loud Colombian parties? It was soon time to find out as I wired the amp into my Uncle's system in preparation for their next fiesta.

As the night wore on, the room was filled with more people, and the more they drank, the louder the music was turned up. Of course, I have no tolerance for blatantly loud music and I was fortunate to have my trusty but not so aesthetically pleasing orange ear plugs installed. I estimated they were hitting SPL levels in excess of 120dB - at least until the MPS-1 went into protection mode and shut down. This happened a few times during the course of the evening and I was curious as to why, since I heard no signs of distress from the amp, even at these insane levels.

Later on the bench I discovered that the MPS-1 was engaging its soft clipping circuit at around 37-38Vrms into 8 ohm loads and while driving 4 ohm loads the MPS-1 delivered about 31Vrms into 4 ohm load unclipped (note the RBH T-2 System has 4 ohms impedance). However, as I increased the signal level just below clipping, I was able to achieve 33Vrms at 1kHz but the amp shut off when frequency was brought down below 60Hz. It was apparent the sensitivity of the soft clipping circuit / limiter needed some tweaking. I informed Emotiva of my findings and they quickly resolved this issue, sent me a new sample and I didn't observe this problem thereafter.

The next round of Colombian parties ran smoothly as they blasted the tunes till their hearts were content (and ears all but fried). I was most impressed with the power delivery of the MPS-1 and its composure on some of the most rigid torture tests I have ever had the pleasure of inflicting upon an amplifier.

CD: Calos Vives Dejame Entrar
Some of the more popular latino music at these parties included Carlos Vives and Jaunes for example. Carlos Vives "Déjame Entrar" is the type of song that puts you in that party and dance mode. PLIIx Music Mode, expanded the sound field so immensely that it just begged to be played louder. To really belt it out to the people, I switched over to 7CH stereo mode and rocked the house.

I actually found a point of insane loudness where some of the party-goers' facial expressions actually peered at me with a hint of "excess". Alas this system met their requirements and the Emotiva MPS-1 was the legendary center piece for achieving this realization.

In situations demanding high power, quality sound on a budget, tight spacing requirements, and limited airflow, I can think of no better seven-channel amplifier than the MPS-1. While it's a bit more labor intensive to set-up than a typical all-inclusive design, its design execution is brilliant in terms of serviceability and upgrades. If one module should fail, the installer can simply replace it rather than take the entire system down. Should the end user require more channels of amplification, Emotiva will soon be releasing 100wpc stereo channel modules. This will allow for up to 14 channels of amplification in the same chassis or any permutation of 1CH and 2CH power modules depending on your needs. Very cool - literally!