Emotiva amplifiers review/experience?

This hobby is about SOUND! i.e. what reaches our ears. Not about the cost of parts. You could buy and replace the Emotiva many times for the price of a Bryston. Because you will get tired of looking at it long before 20 years. All electrical / mechanical equip is prone to failure. ALL! Witness the space shuttle.

Mtrot, I would be inserted in hearing about your experience with the McCormack DNA-1.

I have an Emotiva XPA-2 and USP-1 Pre. It's very cold and analytical sounding to me, highs can be sharp.

I'm thinking of replacing my preamp with a Mcormack or Conrad Johnson Preamp to warm things up.

Audition: XPA-2. Yesterday, quite by chance I learned a neighbor of mine has an XPA 2. I have been curious about the sound and asked him if here would mind an audition only with my speakers. My help carrying it to my house was part of the deal.:) I have Thiel CS 2's driven by a Hafler 9180. Long story short: The XPA 2 sounded like this: definitely a somewhat "bigger" sound, a lot of detail, a robust bass, broad soundstage with a more forward presence than my Hafler. I listened to voice, orchestra and rock. I did hear what I thought was "crisp" definition in some mid's esp the highs. Don't know how else to describe this.
My Hafler seems to soften the mid's and highs just a bit and provides a big enough sound reproduction in it's own right. If I was in the market for an amp I would likely try the XPA 2.

Nordic587, nice to hear you had a chance to audition the XPA-2. What you describe is on par with what I've heard, for the most part in my setup.

With that said, in my setup I've noticed some grain in the highs. I' will be auditioning the XPA-2 with a Conrad Johnson Classic SE and see if that gets me where I want to be...

Elem, I've noticed some very faint grain in the highs of my XPA-2. (My old Hafler, by way of contrast, is grainless, with the rounder MOSFET sound.)