I have no experience with the XPA-1, I had the XPA-3, which is a different animal and on par with the XPA-5. I owned it for 3 years paired with their XDA-1 as preamp. I was never completely happy and couldn't figure out why, mind you it was my first serious attempt at a dedicated 2 channel system and I did a lot of reading on the internet which can actually be a bad thing, because there is bad advice out there.
I found the XPA-3 on par with the Adcom amp it replaced, which disappointed me since it was a later entry level model Adcom(5300). The sound got harsh at higher volume levels and there was distortion in the vocals when an "s" was pronounced with some tracks. I couldn't really tell if anything else was wrong, as my recent experience was mostly my home theater.
So I finally bought a different amp, a Parasound A21. The distortion disappeared, but I also got improved imaging and more accurate bass, which I didn't know was missing. I got rid of the XDA-1 and finally replaced it with a Parasound preamp, the P7. Another improvement, more analog in the room sound was achieved
The XPA-1 is a different animal though, it should be better than their multi-channel amps. I'll make a suggestion that gave me a good improvement also. Audioquest Type 4 speaker cables, if you're using the typical 10 or 12 gauge stranded copper, I was surprised to find a more focused clear sound from the solid core cabling. Well recorded music will reward you as well, everything can have an effect!
I found the XPA-3 on par with the Adcom amp it replaced, which disappointed me since it was a later entry level model Adcom(5300). The sound got harsh at higher volume levels and there was distortion in the vocals when an "s" was pronounced with some tracks. I couldn't really tell if anything else was wrong, as my recent experience was mostly my home theater.
So I finally bought a different amp, a Parasound A21. The distortion disappeared, but I also got improved imaging and more accurate bass, which I didn't know was missing. I got rid of the XDA-1 and finally replaced it with a Parasound preamp, the P7. Another improvement, more analog in the room sound was achieved
The XPA-1 is a different animal though, it should be better than their multi-channel amps. I'll make a suggestion that gave me a good improvement also. Audioquest Type 4 speaker cables, if you're using the typical 10 or 12 gauge stranded copper, I was surprised to find a more focused clear sound from the solid core cabling. Well recorded music will reward you as well, everything can have an effect!