N802, McIntosh MC452 & Denon 4311 a bad match?

[mskvarenina]

On a limited budget I can't go all out and get a bunch of high priced gear. I have 802Ns already and have been evaluating a Denon 4311CI. At 140WPC the 802s are starving for power at louder volumes. So I may be able to spend a bit on an amp and the MC452 looks like a great amp.

The question is the electronics in the MC452 will be far superior to the Denon, so how bad of a match is this?

And would 2 Emotiva EPA-1s be a better match?

[stuofsci02]

You really need to audition... No one will be able to tell you for sure, since tastes are subjective. Auditioning is the only way.

I assume you mean XPA-1's from Emotiva?

Cheers!

[mskvarenina]

I assume you mean XPA-1's from Emotiva?

Cheers!

Yes but auditioning Emotiva's is hard because although they offer a 30 day return, they don't pay for the return shipping. If they had a dealer network I could probably get a pair locally...

[stuofsci02]

Yeah, but return shipping is a small price to pay to get the sound and equipment you want... Especially when spending that much....

[Pedro]

I go with you. If I had the oportunity to test an equipment I would pay without mind any other "little" cost if needed. Where I´m in I can´t even test any equipment. I glad who is lucky to test and then send back the unit you don´t have to pay, especially using for weeks or month.

BTW using for now the receiver with the amps isnt a bad idea. BUT you´ll really need a decent pre/pro to improve and get the best your speaker can deliver. Being very demanding the N802s, you´ll notice immediately any upgrade in your system :T

[sgtjim57]

Emotiva

I go with you. If I had the oportunity to test an equipment I would pay without mind any other "little" cost if needed. Where I´m in I can´t even test any equipment. I glad who is lucky to test and then send back the unit you don´t have to pay, especially using for weeks or month.

BTW using for now the receiver with the amps isnt a bad idea. BUT you´ll really need a decent pre/pro to improve and get the best your speaker can deliver. Being very demanding the N802s, you´ll notice immediately any upgrade in your system :T

I may go to their store this week and give a listen to the XPA-5 since they are a little more than an hour from my home. If they let me bring one home for a month, even better.

[sgtjim57]

Emotiva XPA-5 in the house. Still in the box, will have to make major rearrangements to fit it in. What a great experiance going to their facility in Franklin. Matt was wonderful in providing me a demo without hesitation. I even got to met and shake hands with the President of the company, Dan Laufman. i will provide feedback on my experiances with the amp and my 600 series B & W's.

[SPACEMANRICK]

Emotiva XPA-5 in the house. Still in the box, will have to make major rearrangements to fit it in. What a great experiance going to their facility in Franklin. Matt was wonderful in providing me a demo without hesitation. I even got to met and shake hands with the President of the company, Dan Laufman. i will provide feedback on my experiances with the amp and my 600 series B & W's.

Sounds like a company with great customer service all through the company :T Their pricing on their equipment is incredibly reasonable. I have heard good reviews on their equipment and wish I had heard more about their 500 watt XPA-1 when I was looking for my amp for my 802D speakers.

I look forward to your review!

[sgtjim57]

Sounds like a company with great customer service all through the company :T Their pricing on their equipment is incredibly reasonable. I have heard good reviews on their equipment and wish I had heard more about their 500 watt XPA-1 when I was looking for my amp for my 802D speakers.

I look forward to your review!

If I had your 802's I would have certainly considered the XPA-1. For my 603 s3 I'm certain I have bought the right am. It's not hooked up yet. I moved my old Sony TAN 77ES out to my garage. I was using it to drive my mains but that's no loner needed. May have to offer that to audiogon, folks still want them.

[mskvarenina]

Well, after a month of reading reviews, forums, websites I go to order an XPA2 only to learn they are out of stock...now what? An MC452 perhaps?

[sgtjim57]

I believe there is a huge price disparity between your choices. I finally got my XPA-5. Have not yet had the opportunity to really listen to it but should next weekend. Yes, I made sure it worked and ran the Audyssey to set up the channels for the primary sitting position only on the Denon 2807 I will be using for pre-amp capabilities. Once that was done, I played some theater to insure it was right, it was, but I did not get the chance to really listen. More to follow but my little experiance today makes me think the 600's will never sound better.

[stuofsci02]

Well, after a month of reading reviews, forums, websites I go to order an XPA2 only to learn they are out of stock...now what? An MC452 perhaps?

Try 2 x UPA-1 instead of the XPA-2.. This would be my choice even if the XPA-2 was in stock..

Cheers...

[sgtjim57]

Wait for them to come back in stock, it will be worth the wait. Finally have my XPA-5 installed and enjoyed some David Gilmore on blu ray last night. Not a huge difference, but I was already driving my mains with a Sony TAN 77ES which has 200wpc however one difference I did notice was when I shut my system dow there was not any heatcoming from the Emotiva amp. My Denon was hot as usual and I am not using any of the amps from it to drive speakers. Overall my impression was more. More bass, more treble, more midrange, more dynamics and best of all more modern. I really like the styling and the looks of Emo equipment and one day will have more to modernize my home theater.

[mskvarenina]

The good news is I called Emotiva and asked if there was any "B" stock. The answer was yes, there was extremely limited "B" stock availble for $699 ($200 less than a new unit) and it still came with a full 5 year warantee and 30 day trial.

With that I ordered on on Tuesday and by Thursday it was on my doorstep. My first impression was WOW, what volume, what clarity, what bass, something I never heard before with just the Denon driving the 802s.

The unit itself looked brand new in fact the plastic film was still covering the LEDs. This amp has found a very nice home in my rack...it's not going anywhere...

[SPACEMANRICK]

The good news is I called Emotiva and asked if there was any "B" stock. The answer was yes, there was extremely limited "B" stock availble for $699 ($200 less than a new unit) and it still came with a full 5 year warantee and 30 day trial.

With that I ordered on on Tuesday and by Thursday it was on my doorstep. My first impression was WOW, what volume, what clarity, what bass, something I never heard before with just the Denon driving the 802s.

The unit itself looked brand new in fact the plastic film was still covering the LEDs. This amp has found a very nice home in my rack...it's not going anywhere...

Sounds like they are great and an outstanding steal at only $699 :T

[mskvarenina]

Absolutely! As someone said on another forum, the McIntosh MC452 or MC302 may be a better sounding better built amp, but not $6800 better. If I hit the Mega Millions I'd easily go for the Nautilus and a bunch of other mega expensive gear because money would be no object but for the working man on a budget, the Emotiva is almost as good and certainly an amazing bargain!

[miner]

Happy for your choice. Going from Emotiva to McIntosh is another step (or two) upgrade. Can't compare the two - similar to comparing Kia (great reviews) to Bentley (great prestige).

[stuofsci02]

McIntosh and Bentley?

[baniels]

The good news is I called Emotiva and asked if there was any "B" stock. The answer was yes, there was extremely limited "B" stock availble for $699 ($200 less than a new unit) and it still came with a full 5 year warantee and 30 day trial.

With that I ordered on on Tuesday and by Thursday it was on my doorstep. My first impression was WOW, what volume, what clarity, what bass, something I never heard before with just the Denon driving the 802s.

The unit itself looked brand new in fact the plastic film was still covering the LEDs. This amp has found a very nice home in my rack...it's not going anywhere...

I've been thinking about pulling the trigger on an XPA-2. I asked today and they do have a couple "Factory Renewed" or "B Stock" units available. Still for $699 (which is only 100 less than new, not 200).

Did you find anything at all on the unit to suggest it wasn't new?

I'm trying to weigh the options. Get a renewed one now and save 100, or spend the extra to get a new one, but wait until some time in November before they ship.

This is their note about these units:

All “Factory Renewed” products may have been show stock units, units that were shown at trade show events, or previously customer auditioned and returned stock. All “Factory Renewed” stock units undergo a rigorous battery of tests and measurements on our Audio Precision Test equipment to ensure that our components meet, or exceed our specifications. All “Factory Renewed” stock units carry the full 5 year parts and labor warranty as our new units would. International customers have other considerations.

With the same return and warranty, it is tempting.

[mskvarenina]

They must have lowered the price, a new one was $899 a few weeks ago.

Nevertheless the B stock unit I received looked brand new, not a scratch, blemish, nothing. Even had the plastic film still on the Lucite which leads me to believe it was either returned as an eval or returned defective and repaired. It sounds great!

[Kevin vu]

Hi I'm new any one got b w speakers 804 or 803 for sale ?
I'm in London uk

[baniels]

Hi I'm new any one got b w speakers 804 or 803 for sale ?
I'm in London uk

I'm sure someone does somewhere. Asking in this thread may not be the most direct approach.

[Audio_ElF]

McIntosh and Bentley?

Surely more McIntosh and Chrysler.

[Briz vegas]

Surely more McIntosh and Chrysler.

You have your cross marketing mixed up

Jaguar gets B&W
Bentley gets Naim
Mazda gets Bose

Gees, Mazda stuffed up big time, who signed that deal.

I'm kind of glad that Conrad Johnson have not started to offer a premium sound system for cars, unless it was Tesla. Just imagine a valve amp in an electric car.

[Audio_ElF]

Jaguar gets B&W
Bentley gets Naim
Mazda gets Bose

And Range Rover get Meridian ... But this is getting completely off topic!