Emotiva UPA-2 Stereo Amplifier Review
Emotiva UPA-2 amplifier
- Product Name: UPA-2 Two-Channel Amplifier
- Manufacturer: Emotiva
- Performance Rating:
- Value Rating:
- Review Date: April 16, 2009 08:05
- MSRP: $ 299
-
|
125
watts/channel (8-ohms)/ 185 watts/channel (4-ohms) |
Input
Impedance: 47K ohm External Trigger: 3-12 Volts DC (tip positive) DC Offset: <1mV servo corrected Crosstalk: >80db Fully protected from all fault conditions External trigger input/output (5-12 Volts DC - tip positive) Preamp in/out loop for daisy chaining Soft touch power switch 2RU chassis w/ solid milled aluminum faceplate IEC power inlet, 120/230 VAC configurable 17” W x 3 7/8” H (3.46" without feet ) x 18" D Weight: 30 lbs (13.6 kg) |
Pros
- Big amplification in a small package
- External DC trigger input
- Output level control
- 5-year warranty
Cons
- Not bridgeable
- Binding posts very close together
Emotiva UPA-2 Introduction
Emotiva is a name that is up-and-coming in the world of audio electronics. Manufacturing amplifiers and now loudspeakers, Emotiva is a brand that is moving beyond the fascination of the Internet Direct crowds and settling into the living rooms of mainstream consumers. These days manufacturers are adding more and more features into mid-fi and budget-level AV receivers. The trade-off, however, is usually in respect to amplifier power and quality. So what' a consumer to do if they want to achieve the maximum features with the maximum punch? Well one solution is to get a feature-rich A/V receiver and then mate it to a high quality two-channel amplifier. Best of both worlds? Absolutely, and for far less than buying a flagship AV receiver.
See also:
About the author:
Clint Deboer was terminated from Audioholics for misconduct on April 4th, 2014. He no longer represents Audioholics in any fashion.
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Recent Forum Posts:
agarwalro, post: 554504
ATTN: Clint/ Admin:
In the summary section on the first page of the article, it's price is listed as $299. I believe this is incorrect.
Price went up to $349
jinjuku, post: 555123
That is a great setup. Sucks the the B&K took a dive on you. Have you contacted B&K about refurbishing the amp? Surprised that the X-Overs in the speakers are still good.
Pay's to invest in quality.
Oddly enough, I was doing a Google search on B&K TX4430 amps to set a price for the amp and I came across this post (which was mine in the first place).
Thanks for the compliment. I've actually had some changes since that post.
The Rotel pre/pro has been replaced by an Emotiva UMC-1. In addition, I got the B&K ST14000 working again. I had forgotten that there are two fuses to check. It's been back in the rack for a month and running fine. It is powering two Emotiva ERD-1s for side surround. The Emotiva UPA-2 is driving two other ERD-1s for rear surround. The Energy Pros are now looking for new owners.
The NHT sup is retired having been replaced by a Rythmik F12.
When I get around to it (I say that a lot), I will list the Rotel RSP-1066, B&K TX4430, B&K ST1400, Rotel DVD-1040, B&K AVP-1000 and the Energy Pro 22s.
For the last 2 months, I have been enjoying the UPA-2 driving my Klipsch KG-4speakers.
As you may know, handling 4 ohm loads presents problems to many amps which, from an arithmetic standpoint, should be perfectly adequate. When the speakers are also highly efficient, as is the case here, the results can be messy. (While not quite as responsive as the Klipsch classic speakers, reading through Magnepan reviews shows that this issue is a live one.)
I find the UPA-2 does a wonderful job in presenting a faithful rendering of the timbres of all instruments as well as clearly presenting bass notes and a fine precision that helps following multiple musical threads, such as found in the Brandenburg Concerti recordings from Trevor Pinnock and The English Concert.
The human voice is also beautifully rendered: “Glitter and Be Gay” from the orginal cast album of “Candide” shows just how accurate the young Barbara Cook was in this notoriously difficult piece. At the same time, Robert Preston's performance of “When Movies Were Movies” from “Mack and Mabel” shines through the technically challenging recording.
I find that I have stopped listening to the equipment and have resumed listening to the music - my most important criterion for a piece of audio gear.
Emotiva provides a 30 day trial period and I would strongly encourage anyone curious about this amplifier to take advantage of the opportunity to hear what this unit can do in your system.
(I have no connection to Emotiva, other than being a satisfied customer.)
System:
Rotel 855 CD player
Oppo 970HD DVD player
NAD T-163 Pre/Pro
Emotiva UPA-2 - Klipsch KG-4 front speakers
Acurus Mondial 100 - Aculine surrounds and Athena C.5 center channel
Dali 1.5 Subwoofer
rnatalli, post: 555641154 actually.
I believe there's another typo. The HK 157. I assume you meant 147.
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