# Emotiva XPA-5 vs Anthem MCA 50



## natethegreat (Dec 7, 2011)

Hello all,

I have a theater of RP3s, RC-7, RS-7s and a listening room of Golden Ear Triton two towers... I'm looking for the amp to run these. I am going to go with a 5 channel amp at first and then buy a 2 channel down the road. But for now the 5 channel will do both... of course not at the same time.

I want to spend around $1000 or less for a nice 5 channel amp. That means I would need to buy a used Anthem MCA 50 or a new XPA-5 or something else... Anyone had both of these amps and can comment on which they like better? I am open to other suggestions as well and am open to used amps. 

Thanks


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I would highly recommend a used Parasound HCA-2205AT. The 2205 has almost twice as large of a Toroidal Transformer (2.0 versus 1.2) and almost triple the Filter Capacitance (150,000uf versus 60,000) as the XPA-5.
In truth, it should have more power as the 2205 retailed for $2500 compared to $799 for the Emotiva. However, if you can find one, the 2205 can be found for around 1000-1200 Dollars. Every now and then for even less than $1000. Audiogon and Ebay are the most likely places to find one.

The Aragon 8008x5 is almost impossible to find, but if you can find one of those, I would jump on that. It is truly a beast and is Made in America with a Circuit Design by Krell Founder Dan D'Agostino.
Cheers,
JJ


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## LCSeminole (Mar 28, 2010)

Will you have any type of warranty with the Anthem? with the Emotiva you'll have 5 years and you knows its brand new. I can appreciate Jungle Jacks specs on the Parasound but when I read specs from a manufacturers website, they are telling me best case scenario, and if you are actually using the full capabilities of the transformer of the Emotiva XPA-5 at 1200VA then your ears are starting to bleed and hearing aids are definitely in your near future. My advice would be to demo both the Anthem and the Emotiva power amplifiers, if at all possible, and let your ears tell you which one.


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## natethegreat (Dec 7, 2011)

Thanks Jack,

I found this on audiogon. Do u think its enough juice? Parasound HCA 1205A. Listed for $550. 

I have also seen some complaints about the XPA humming. Do the Parasounds run quiet?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
For me, it is not about "Ear Bleeding Levels". Rather, it is about the ability to drive difficult Speakers and never having to worry about whether you have enough current to drive them. I have had my 2205 for a decade running it 24/7 with zero issues. There is a reason the Amplifier still keeps its value after all this time. Also, the Anthem would not have a Warranty if purchased used. It only applies for the original owner even if still under warranty.

Tritons are not the easiest to drive speakers out there. While I do agree that having a Warranty is a good thing, the OP stated he was open to Used Amplifiers. And truth be told, you do get alot more for your money when buying used. The 2205 is almost identical to the $4500 Parasound Halo A51 and will keep its value for years to come.
JJ


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

natethegreat said:


> Thanks Jack,
> 
> I found this on audiogon. Do u think its enough juice? Parasound HCA 1205A. Listed for $550.
> 
> I have also seen some complaints about the XPA humming. Do the Parasounds run quiet?





Hello,
The 1205 does not have near the current reserves of the 2205. However, it is still a very good Amplifier. Personally, I would probably get the XPA-5 over the 1205 as it does have a Warranty and the 1205 does not have the power of the 2205 which makes the juice worth the squeeze to me.
Cheers,
JJ


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## LCSeminole (Mar 28, 2010)

Having looked at the GoldenEar site, the Triton 2's have 1200w digital amps for the built in subwoofers, so any power amplifier you get will be basically doing mid and tweeter duty. Having looked at what Triton 2 owners on their home forum have recommended, most are calling them relatively efficient and some are only using a receiver. I would recommend giving their forum a look see as well as calling Golden Ear and seeing what their thoughts on power for these speakers are.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

I have read Reviews of these Speakers and while they can be driven by an AVR, one Reviewer found they sounded "a touch lean" when connected to an Onkyo AVR whereas they came alive when connected to his reference Classe Amplifier. When a Speaker is rated up to 500 Watts of Power, it usually means that they sound their best with a decent amount of current.


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## natethegreat (Dec 7, 2011)

Jack, 
Those were my thoughts exactly. I wasn't sure if it actually made sense though! I had read the post you were reffering to as well as some others on there. I just want to make sure I am getting the most out of the speakers as possible. They are amazing already and I'm using an old Sony ES 555. I'm really looking to get the soundstage which was present at the dealer. Maybe a preamp is something else to consider. I just don't want to come up short with the amp. I have the UMC-1 and plan on upgrading to the XMC in a year or so if it lives up to the hype.

These speakers really are amazing, IMO, if u have a dealer close I recommend giving them a listen.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
I would definitely put the priority on an Amplifier. If you can find an Aragon 8008, it would be an awesome match for the Tritons. Then add an Emotiva XPA-5 or XPA-3 for the Center Channel and Surrounds. However, especially the 8008bb would add so much gravitas that I do not have the words to express it.
Cheers,
JJ


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## Sonnie (Apr 11, 2006)

If the subs/woofers in your Tritons are powered and you already have a UMC-1 and looking to upgrade to the newer Emotiva processor... I would opt for the XPA-5. It should have all the power you would ever need and it will match your processor... and we must mention the bang for the buck you would be getting along with a warranty.


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

natethegreat said:


> I have also seen some complaints about the XPA humming. Do the Parasounds run quiet?



This indicates a problem and is not indicative of Emotiva amps. Since the only alternatives offered (Parasound) are always woefully unavailable in the used market I dont think youll do better than the XPA-5, not for $800 anyway. Remember, Emotiva offers a 30 day return policy but I doubt youd find it lacking


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## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

I couldn't agree with JJ's postings more, the bigger the transformer the better.:bigsmile: Also, it is a fact (to me at least) that speakers do come alive when connected to an outboard amp (simply amazing). If it were my dollers being spent then id go for the Parasound or Anthem if i was getting a Warrenty, but i think at your prices i wouldn't hesitate for the Emotivas they are great amps, come with a great warrenty and certainly do most speakers justice, Those are all i own and haven't been dissapointed yet.:T Be sure to let us know what you do.:sn:


Added comment: I haven't noticed any noise from my Emo's and i've been through like 8 different ones.


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## natethegreat (Dec 7, 2011)

All,
I want to say thank you for all of your advise. I really appreciate it. I think I'm going to go with the new XPA-5. :bigsmile: My reasoning is because in the long run this will be more than enough for my theater. From what I understand, it will be difficult to tell a difference in this setting as opposed to my music setup. With the money saved by going with the Emo for the theater, I can allocate more funds to a nice 2 channel for the Triton Two towers. Here I will most likely go used and go for a great amp at a discount.

So.... Here we go again... Do you think it us possible to get a great used two channel for $500ish? Or two monos? Thoughts?


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
In terms of Monoblocks, the Marantz MA-700 is a classic. It is THX Ultra Certified and Stereophile Guide to Home Theater (now Ultimate AV) gave them a AAA Rating. It was quite rare as the other Power Amplifiers that got that rating cost literally thousands more. They do not accept Spade Connectors which is a bummer.

For $500, you might be able to find an Aragon 4004 MKII. It was Designed by Krell Founder Dan D'Agostino and is an excellent Amplifier. Made in America, Glass Epoxy Circuit Boards, fantastic Build Quality, and more. I would also check out Parasound HCA Series as well.

When Level Matching, you will almost definitely find that the Emotiva needs less gain from the AVR/SSP. This is a result of Emotiva choosing to apply a high amount of internal gain. When people first hook them up, they are often shocked at how much louder it is than the AVR or even an older Amplifier. As you cannot lower the Gain Level from the Amplifier, some have issues in terms of the Noise Floor. If further interested, just Google "Emotiva Amplifier Gain Level" or something else to that effect.
Cheers,
JJ


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## bambino (Feb 21, 2010)

Check out ebay there are alot of HCA models on there for reasonble prices that may suit you.


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## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
After reading the Stereophile Review and Bench Test of the Tritons, I really think it should be rated as a 4 Ohm Speaker or at least a 6 Ohm Nominal as it drops down to 4.2 Ohms. The XPA-5 should not have any real issues driving it, but amazingly I have yet to see a Bench Test of the XPA-5. All I know is it is rated at 200x5 whereas the 2205 is rated at 220x5 and I stated the difference in Transformer size and Filter Capacitance on an earlier Post.
Cheers,
JJ


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## LCSeminole (Mar 28, 2010)

Thought I'd update this thread with bench test for the Emotiva XPA-5 from the Emotiva home site for 4 & 8 ohm loads.

http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpa5/xpa5_4ohm.pdf

http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpa5/xpa5_8ohm.pdf


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## TypeA (Aug 14, 2010)

LCSeminole said:


> Thought I'd update this thread with bench test for the Emotiva XPA-5 from the Emotiva home site for 4 & 8 ohm loads.
> 
> http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpa5/xpa5_4ohm.pdf
> 
> http://emotiva.com/resources/media/xpa5/xpa5_8ohm.pdf


If Im reading it right, and theres a distinct possibility Im not, it looks like it easily achieves its advertised specs. JJ knows power better than I, will be interesting to read his assessment.


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