Emotiva
Amplifiers
CD Players
DACs
Preamplifiers
Best Known For
Amplifiers
/
Used Products
122
 Available
Average Price
$1,001-$2,500
Brand Popularity
69
 of 900+
Products Listed
43
Review Count
88
Founding Year
2005
Headquarters
United States
Emotiva
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What's unique about the brand

Emotiva is an American electronics and speaker maker that sells direct to consumers. Amplifiers are the center of the range, and reviewers describe their sound as transparent, with little coloration of its own. The X Series amplifiers such as the XPA-DR2 are modular, so an owner can configure the channel count a system needs and upgrade it later. The BasX Series keeps its integrated, pre and power amplifiers simple, and the Airmotiv speakers use folded ribbon tweeters. The company says its products are built to be upgraded or traded in as a system changes.

What reviewers are saying

We read all the reviews. Here's what reviewers feel most strongly about:

  • Their modular architecture allows for customer-configurable and upgradable multi-channel amplifier designs.
  • They offer a high power output and robust build quality, providing a feeling of exceptional value for the money.
  • Emotiva gear focuses on delivering a transparent, honest sound that amplifies the source signal without adding its own distinct coloration.

Our favorite reviewer quotes:

  • "Miles's trumpet penetrated the dense, wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling soundfield with the most elastic and saturated tones. The bell of his trumpet was right there in front of me." (https://www.stereophile.com/content/emotiva-xpa-gen3-two-channel-power-amplifier)
  • "The Emotiva amplifier held and guided the Magnepan .7s with almost a lover's touch: not too tight, not too loose. Together, they made vocal tones and instrumental textures into a pulsing, flowing, sensual delight, and made soundstages and performers' images on them larger and more tangible than they could ever be with a small, stand-mounted speaker." (https://www.stereophile.com/content/emotiva-xpa-gen3-two-channel-power-amplifier)
  • "The overall presentation was everything you could want from a good hifi setup: detailed without being harsh, neutral and well-balanced without being boring, dynamic yet effortless, and delightfully massive in terms of soundstage while still delivering exceptional image specificity. Swapping the Monitor and Paradigm speakers in for the RSLs, but leaving the SVS sub in place and leaving the 90Hz crossover engaged, I went looking again for those minor recesses mentioned above and couldn't find them." (https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1164-emotiva-basx-ta1-stereo-receiver)
  • "From the very first note, I was in love with the way the TA1 handled the delicate harmonics of the organ, the utter precision of the percussion, and the nonchalant meandering of Burdon's vocals, whose textures were rendered beautifully by the amp. Again, the soundstage was positively expansive, both in terms of width and depth, and although I recognized a bit of liveliness in the presentation, I don't think that liveliness can be attributed to a tonal imbalance." (https://www.soundstageaccess.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1164-emotiva-basx-ta1-stereo-receiver)
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Our interview with the brand

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From Julian's interview with
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Products

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Lineup comparison

We think it's helpful to understand how their products compare. To learn more about each, scroll to the section above to click through to individual product pages.

Every Emotiva amplifier aims for a transparent sound with little coloration of its own. Amplifiers lead the range. The BasX Series keeps things simple, from the BasX A1 monoblock at 200 watts into 8 ohms to the BasX A11 with eleven channels. The X Series modular amps add Class A/B modules, with the XPA-2 Gen3 at 300 watts per channel and the XPA-DR2 at 550. The Airmotiv speakers share a folded ribbon tweeter, and the XB1 has a 4 inch woofer while the XT1 tower adds three 5.25 inch woofers.

​

Start here. A first stereo system on a small budget gets the Airmotiv XB1 bookshelf speakers, which work on a desktop or a shelf.

Sweet spot. The XPA-DR2 suits a two-channel listener with demanding speakers, since it brings the balanced differential design in a chassis you can order in a compact depth.

All in. A dedicated room with large speakers belongs to the XPA-DR1 monoblock at 1000 watts into 4 ohms, and the Airmotiv XT3 tower fills a larger room.

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Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi Writer

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What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

What other products pair best with yours?

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What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?

What's your approach to customer support?

What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

What other products pair best with yours?

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Our interview with the brand

What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?

What's your approach to customer support?

What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

What other products pair best with yours?

Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi
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What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

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Website author headshot
Julian Shapiro
ExtremeHiFi
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Our interview with the brand

What are two key technological innovations or strong opinions that differ you from other brands?

What's your approach to customer support?

What are your favorite tracks for showcasing the strength of your products?

What other products pair best with yours?

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Julian Shapiro
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Brand Page

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