I have the following
Denon x4000
M80 front R/L
VP150 center
QS8 R/L surround
QS8 R/L rear surround
EP500
I've been thinking about an Emotiva amp but haven't made the plunge because the cost to ship is too high. However, I just found a local Emotiva dealer with decent prices. I'm going to buy either the Emotiva XPA-3 or the XPA-2 on Saturday and am looking for an informed recommendation. The main reason for the amp is to adequately power the 4ohm M80s. Although Denon drives them well I could use a little more power/headroom for my space. Also, my Denon seems to run a little hot. That and Denon doesn't really state 4ohm specs which leads me to think the receiver wasn't designed specifically for a 4ohm speaker.
Anyway, the main difference between the XPA-3 and XPA-2 (despite the monoblock option on the XPA-2)_is:
XPA-2:
Number of channels: 2 (stereo mode), 1 (monoblock mode)
•Topology: fully discrete, highly optimized dual differential, high current, short signal path Class A/B with premium components throughout
•Power output (all channels driven):
1000 watts RMS @ 8 ohm (Mono-Block mode)
500 watts RMS per channel @ 4 ohm (0.12% THD)
300 watts RMS per channel @ 8 ohm (0.07% THD)
XPA-3:
•Number of channels: 3
•Power output (all channels driven):
330 watts RMS @ 4 ohm (<0.1% THD)
200 watts RMS @ 8 ohm (<0.1% THD)
Based on the specs would I be better off getting a 3 channel amp to drive my VP150 + the M80s OR 2 channel amp with more power to drive my M80s.
I'm kinda weighing the XPA-2's monoblock option and higher power VS the extra channel provided by the XPA-3.
What would you choose? Completely different options are also welcome.
Thanks.
