Emotiva XDA-3 DAC/Preamp bit.ly/3OA8huf Intro graphics by johnvilardi.com Support the Channel! Shop on Amazon amzn.to/3W8vsgK Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Join the best hifi community out there! patreon.com/cheapaudioman TRY ROON roonlabs.com/r/RTmYWdCP9kitqouBa5pcIw Tidal Deal bit.ly/3siuqSF Amazon Unlimited Music Trial amzn.to/3DRAVj9 Crutchfield shop-links.co/cguPK8XEGmt Best Buy Deals shop-links.co/cf9yDZeYtUH amzn.to/3GkNaop CAM Store (New Products!) bit.ly/30Lgu4K apos.audio?sca_ref=552340.TY98BPcZ6P
I need help Randy ! I'm sold on this but what amps would be the most happy with in the long run xpa mono blocks or would the basx mono blocks be good enough for the money. I'm not rich but I keep buying things I'm not satisfied with and. My speakers are really expensive and powerful I designed them myself and I spent some money on them just on the components Jantzen z caps 3 order crossover alone cost a small fortune and want to get the most out of my speakers Thanks brother
Your enthusiasm and the manufacturer have made me add this to my list even though I don't know yet if I need it or not. 😂 You, Sir, are the consummate salesman and audio reviewer. Thank you for this envigourating and energetic introduction to this equipment, your time, and effort sharing this with us all. Take care, Sir, and keep up the great work.
I got mine today. It replaces a PT-1 and J2 AKM. It sounds absolutely great. Using it for TV, CD, Streaming, and vinyl through a Tube Box S2 with Genelec Gold Lions in the RCA input. Subwoofer using the second Pre out.
As of today I have purchased four items you have recommended! Very happy with them watch all your video to learn more!?still a little confused about amps, preamps etc but learning through your channel!
What I love about Emotiva is that if I have a warranty concern or need to make a return, I can call and talk to a real person. They don't ghost their customers like IOTAVX or a ChiFi company, for example.
I just ordered this Emotiva XDA-3, and a pair of Emotiva XPA-DR1 Differential Reference™ Monoblock Power Amplifiers. I hope my 15 year old Marantz SR7002 is not missed too much. ❤️ Thank you for your knowledge and wisdom. 🙏 AND your humor is awesome! 😎 Patreon Member AverageNiceGuy.
Feature set and price wise this is a great component. Hdmi and balanced input/output is outstanding. It would all come down to how it sounds. I love all the connections on this thing though.
i got this a few days ago, connects via USB to my Eversolo DMP-A6 and by HDMI-ARC from my FrameTV box which gets my AppleTV input. Connection wise it's great because when I turn on the AppleTV the DAC and emotiva amp automatically turn on. Sound is excellent with several filter options. Very versatile with excellent sound. All of this is going to a couple on-wall Dali Oberon On-Wall and SVS SB-1000 Pro. I live in a studio so this is really all I need for excellent sounding music and movies. Thanks for the review, there weren't many on RU-vid. Still aren't!
Minor correction, Emotiva are based out of the Nashville area, specifically Franklin, Tennessee. Not Memphis. I used to live near thier facility and got to know them. They are good people and have excellent value products.
@@robertldcarlson It is working well with my system. I'm using NVIDIA Shield as source with SKW USB cable. It is very clear. Sub is SVS SB1000. Speakers are Carnegie CST-1'S. 650 watts / channel is way to much on power. The EMOTIVA DAC (Sabre chip) is nice for me but I think most prefer Gesheli DAC with swappable op amps and ~AKM (I think) chips. I really like the sound and performance. Better performing equipment for me would be much more expensive. I've recently tried WiiM Pro with iFi power supply, but it is a step down with openness and imaging. I will be returning the WiiM. I'm using SBC Worlds best cables for Interconnects.
2 months later. I'm still impressed. NVIDIA Shield > USB (SKW brand) > EMOTIVA XDA-3-DAC > Balanced (WBC Worlds Best Cables) > EMOTIVA XPA-DR1 Monoblock's > WBC speaker cables) > Carnegie CST-1 upgraded speakers (tilted back to raise soundstage) SVS SB-1000 sub. Tried the WiiM Pro plus for a week, but it was a step down (returning it)
Topping EX5 (usd 349) has DUAL ES9038Q2M, also balanced (= fully balanced = fully differential) output, and with headphone amp, and filters. Only misses analog and HDMI input.
Hey Randy. I just got my pair of magnepan LRS+ delivered (haven’t dialed them in but they sound incredible already) and I think they would sound next level in that system! Might have to start saving…again
You’re a cool guy, dude. Thanks for the chill delivery and the awesome picks! Had my OG NAD runnin’ my Klipsch KG4s-until I replaced it with a ‘96 Yamaha, after my “friend” somehow spilled beer on it, despite where it was... ) but you got me thinkin’ ‘bout some “Surround Sound” stuff, esp. with that Fosi redesign (you’d helped them with, re: the airflow), for the back, but honestly, the KG4s have some incredible spatialization and yet to lemme down, 30 years later... Speakin’ of, considering the KG4s each have 15” subs in their backs (to be face diagonally toward a corner, according to Klipsch), what might you do to get the best outta those, if anything differ’nt? Thanks!
@@cheapaudioman I wouldn't be surprised if the J2 is equal to or better. Op-amp rolling is a huge benefit with the J2. While the J2 has no pre, it will possibly still out value the XDA-3 if they cranked the price up to $1K like it shows for me on their site.
@@raymoore8435 I can’t speak to the J2, just the rolling ability. IMHO you hear a lot more change in analog sections. That’s what makes this hobby fun. I own the XDA-2 and it had a a lot of noise issues off the display. My brother redid it all with Tantalum caps and it sounded much better. Still the schiit BF2 sounded better to me. The design on emotive DAC’s is just fine. Good bang for the buck, but I doubt it will come out on top in a shoot out at its price point in stock form. It’s a real shame they didn’t choose to socket the analog section op-amps in the XDA3
However much bang for the buck this DAC/preamp may offer, untill manufacturers start adding remotes with balance control. High Pass filter on the subout for the speakers and room correction they still won't be with the program.
Randy, I just bought a Nobsound AV-525 hybrid amp. 200w/, tube/AB via Toshiba,....have only about 8 hours listening time in thus far, but I am pleased, even impressed with the sound and build quality. Sounds great and is very attractive. I found a good price, $345 shipped from Doukmall (US) Had it in 3 days. Take a look at this one.
Randy, have you every considered doing a blind A/B DAC off? Just purchased the SU-1 off your recommendation and it sounds excellent. This thing could easily compete with my Ares II. I understand you may risk stepping on toes, but I would pay money to see it.
If you listen to several different Dacs( near the same price from a competent company) in a blind test they will all start blending and you won't be able to tell the difference. Notice how many of them are on the market? It's like feeding a gremlin after midnight and getting it wet. Countless options.
@ryanschipp8513 yeah, I'd love to see a sub $500 DAC off, but he'd have quite a bit egg on face if the J2 turned out to be no better than an iPhone dongle. It would be a popular video regardless and provide some transparency.
@@lazzzzze1 I hear you. I would like to see something like that too. Or even some other price point comparisons. But it's not in these Hi-Fi reviewers best interest. Whether it's a Dak, a pre-amplifier, or an amplifier at some point they all sound extremely similar and then they would have nothing to review one by one since everything sound so similar it would kill their Channel. Their channels thrive on individuality of components and not doing actual sound comparisons or blind tests. Unfortunately none of these guys give full transparency but I do believe some give more transparency than others
Emotiva makes a decent phono preamp. Would have been nice to have that included. I actually think I'd rather a phono preamp which haven't changed much in last 20 years than a DAC which seem to improve and get cheaper every 6 months built in. But I'm glad someone is doing a quality full sized preamp for a decent price. I'm sold on separate power amps but finding a good preamp that isn't a fortune isn't as easy.
Great review Randy. Yes I noticed the cd transport. That’s cool. Good to see you are rocking a system of this caliber. Look forward as always to hearing about it all. All the best.
Longtime fan of dac/pres. When properly designed with a excellent power supply, a system would need to be extreme high dollar to justify separate dac/pres. My Audio Alchemy DDP1 + PS 5 (outboard power supply-essential to get the full experience) still impresses even though it is ~ 7 year old design
Holy Cow! You showed us what's "ON THE BACK" and I just saw that Emotiva is just down the road in my home town! Just across the street from one of my favorite TV shows - Power Nation (automotive TV shows).
It doesn't have to be fully balanced design for interference rejection. Taking difference will automatically result is noise rejection.. (Signal + Noise) - (-Signal + Noise) = 2×Signal
I just got an emotiva amplifier. A xpa dr2 thing sounds amazing. I was wanting to get a tube preamp. But the one I want is over $1,000. This one is 700. I wonder how good it sounds
I have to stop watching these temptations, i have 5 dacs do i use them all No, do i have a favourite, Yes . Im happy so stop it (whats next :,) If im honest the blue is a no for me and i prefer silver . I wonder if this affects their resale value ? But there is no doubting that they make very good audio components .
Very excited to see the full review. I have mixed feelings with Emotiva. I bought Emotiva TA1 but returned it due to under impressive amplification for my taste but the DAC and the pre-amp in general were great. Emotiva's DAC in the TA1 sounded much better than my Cambridge Audio CXA61 's DAC. I am now leaning towards Audiolab 7000A that also comes with HDMI ARC what is a great feature. Watching a RU-vid channel reviewing the audiolab 7000A he suggested the option to include a MiniDSP Dirac (DDRC-24) in the setup for room correction. I am still not understanding how such a setup would work without bypassing or degrading the output of the integrated amplifier's DAC. How would you integrate room correction with Emotiva XDA-3? I can't imagine the MiniDSP DAC to be better than one of the later models from AKM or ESS SABRE DAC's.
Another great option is the Parasound Newclassic dac/pre. It will most definitely give tge Emotiva a run for its money ...$699 right now..sub outs with crossover and phono pre outs. Tons of digital options too.
@@dickdeveraux yep...and the Emotiva doesn't have dual sub outs with crossover control. Never said they were identical units. Simply stated that will give the emotiva run for its money and it also has many connections
I see. I've been interested in preamps and integrated amps with hdmi. Nice to see it coming to hifi components and not just av receivers geared toward home theater.
I have the same mononlocks, cd player and preamp paired with the t-3’s….. u were smart to copy me Randy!! I want to add the flagship eversolo streamer to it. Its 2 channel awesomeness
At a basic level, I get that balanced in and out is a good thing, but I seriously wonder if you can hear the difference. Strikes me as the next excuse I might use to start swapping components, but I really wonder and want to know. Thoughts??
Balanced is for studio use with long cables going back and forth lumped together with AC cables and tons of equipment. There is nothing wrong with RCA.
In addition to reduced noise created by interference from electromagnetic (EM) and radio frequency (RF) sources, balanced connections (such as XLR) are capable of _double the Voltage_ of unbalanced connections (like RCA). This can be heard as a livelier presentation of the sound/music. Depending on the equipment and specific cables used, results may vary. Without getting technical with science and measurements: All connections, cables, and components do not sound the same. There are many variables - including the listener's hearing abilities and personal preferences - all of which affect the overall experience. The intricacies of audio systems can be daunting and confusing, so it's best to learn by hearing things for yourself.
Xlr are only comes into play with ultra long runs. Not a 3-6 ft run in your rig. Inherently the actual our will sound louder but it's only because there's a decibel gain with XLR. Hence why some people claim it sounds "better". What they are hearing is simply louder
Sorry to off-topic but I found a sale. I have Sony MDR-V6 monitor headphones. I'm looking at AKG K52 closed back headphones but don't know anything about them. Are they good. Do I need these? Thanks!
I hate you Randy or more accurately my bank account does 😂 I’m looking for a new preamp and possibly a new DAC to replace my ageing Audiolab M-Dac. I’d better start saving. Looking forward to your next videos on the DAC comparison!
it's going to be interesting. the thing about this component is that it's not really "just a dac". Kind of stands on its own with the analog input section. I'll still compare it to a bunch of other dacs but this is a very unique component. I really like it
Without knowing how good it sounds it looks too expensive for a mid-tier high-end DAC and dosnt have enough features to really consider it a usable pre-amp. Its also is getting close enough in price to the miniDSP SHD which makes way more sense if you are primarily going to be into digital but still need a analog input because it has Dirac Live, streaming capabilities also has a very good sounding DAC, and frankly looks10x better.
I can use it as a preamp. I covered that in the video. Appreciate you watching and taking the time to comment. It helps RU-vid promote the video when I get people to watch and comment.
@@cheapaudioman Yeah, I get that it functions as pre I just find the I/O limiting if were looking for pre-amp / and DAC combo. The MiniDSP SHD has similarly I/O but brings more feature wise to the table in addition to being a excellent sounding DAC and pre-amp. Either way, still enjoyed the video.
Anxiously waiting for more reviews focusing on the sound quality if used solely as a DAC. Fixed volume (or near max if only variable) into a proper preamp. Are both outputs active simultaneously or does one defeat the other?
There's a lot of "air" inside that chassis. I prefer discrete design over op-amps so this is not my cup of tea. However, I think the price is reasonable.
I've been eyeying this since the mentioned this at AXpona. I will be buying this for my 2 channel room and using your affilate link. Can the volume be toggled between fixed an variable. And does it have tone controls.
There is no fixed setting on the Volume control... However, since the Volume control is analog, you don't lose resolution no matter where you set it (so just set it to 0 dB). Sorry... no tone controls.
@@keithlevkoff8579 Thanks, for the info. Not big deal about the no tone controls, I wont be using it as a preamp, just to add hdmi arc to my 2-channel integrated amp.
Randy, this pre-amp looks super exciting. I'm very curious about the Sabre DAC in this vs. the Analog Device DAC in the TA1 which I own. I know you touched on it, but could you please elaborate in a future video? Hopefully and A/B comparison?
I always appreciate your videos and reviews. I have the rogue rp5 pre amp Which sounds great. Would this DAC make it better? Would this DAC totally bypass the DAC inside the rp5?
Hey Cheap audio man I have tried fosi audio amps and have been dispointed because the power ratings are off it will say 100 watts on 4 ohms, then that would mean 50 ish watts in 8 ohms but it is only actually producing 12 usable watts at 8 ohms
Was going to say that we definitely need a comparison with the Geshelli Labs J2 AKM DAC as that one is on my short list to try out. However, it would not be a direct comparison because the Emotiva is a digital preamp and not a straight DAC. I only need one preamp and already have one, thanks. Trying to connect another preamp in the mix just to see if CD player sound can be improved by an outboard DAC is just asking for problems. If I needed a digital preamp (I can't think of any case where I would) or much less almost any other need except speakers, Emotiva would at the top three of my short list. One thing I will say is that IF there REALLY is an easy to hear audible difference between the filter selections on the Emotiva XDA-3 then not only have they made a reasonable full component size DAC, but they have done something that literally nobody else has done which is offering filters that do something!
I have to disagree with your comment about CD players and outboard DACs. To be quite blunt, many CD players have really nice internal DACs, but many older ones have DACs that aren't so good... and will benefit from a good external DAC. And, of course, many people who have CD players also have other digital audio sources, many of which will definitely benefit from a DAC upgrade. (Some streamers have perfectly good digital outputs but really rudimentary internal DACs.)
@@keithlevkoff8579 I don't know what you read, but it was not my comment. All I said was that I don't know if CD players benefit from outboard DACs or not and is something I intend to try myself later. Also, it is not the DAC itself, but more so how it is implemented. I have two CD players, both with supposedly great DACs according to the manufacture, but one of them has two filters to select from that I am not impressed with at all. For what they are I have no complaints about how they sound at all, but I am curious if there is room for improvement with an outboard DAC. Neither player I have is that old chronologically (4 years tops). Although to audiophile world which I do not adhere to they are ancient relics and should be discarded.
@@ericelliott227 I was replying to your comment: "Trying to connect another preamp in the mix just to see if CD player sound can be improved by an outboard DAC is just asking for problems." And, yes, there are lots of modern DAC chips that are quite capable of delivering excellent performance, and great sound quality, when implemented properly. And, while this wasn't as universally true in the past as it is today, good sounding DACs have been around for quite some time. However it remains true that many CD players, both vintage and relatively modern, don't seem to have very good internal DACs... and the same is true for many of their modern counterparts - streamers. (In many cases this is probably because the designers expect their product to have its digital outputs connected to an external DAC or preamp and so consider the internal DAC to be unimportant.) And, in fact, many modern DACs still don't to sound especially good, presumably for a variety of reasons. (And it is also obviously true that ANY DAC chip, no matter how wonderful it is, can be made to sound bad, if NOT implemented properly... so buying a DAC based solely on the number of the chip inside it is not at all a good idea.) The bottom line is that I wouldn't even guess whether a given CD player or streamer has a decent DAC inside it, and whether it would benefit from being connected to a good external DAC, until I've tried it. (But I definitely would not assume that one is not good simply because it is a few years old either; there are definitely ten or twenty year old units that sound just fine.)
@@keithlevkoff8579 You are trying to claim I am saying things I am clearly not. You keep changing your story to suit whatever agenda you have. You are ignoring what I say and just adding in what you wish I was saying so you could appear to be the smartest one in the room. You think your dealing with a rookie? I'm not an audiophile by any stretch in today's definition (that is to say I do not and will not claim that label), but I have been in Hi-Fi for decades. I have experimented, studied, researched and learned and there is still more. All I was saying is that I do not need all the other stuff. I just need a DAC to experiment with. Throwing more and extra circuitry into the mix is just a mess and problematic at best. That is why I am looking at trying the Geshelli Labs J2AKM, it is just a DAC. You ignored where I stated that I am not dissatisfied with the sound of my CD players. It is just an experiment. You are the one that already has the conclusions, not me. First you say the older CD players did not have good DACs, but newer ones do and therefore no reason to have an outboard DAC to try. Then when you realized from my second reply that your statement doesn't fly, you change it to say that all CD players have lacking DACs. then you turn around and assume that I have already made up my mind and conclusion by saying "The bottom line is that I wouldn't even guess whether a given CD player or streamer has a decent DAC inside it, and whether it would benefit from being connected to a good external DAC, until I've tried it. (But I definitely would not assume that one is not good simply because it is a few years old either; there are definitely ten or twenty year old units that sound just fine.)" Your just regurgitating some bits of what I said and spinning it to fit your narrative. I think we are done here, there is no point in trying to have a rational conversation with the irrational.
There needs to be a multichannel dac/preamp priced at about this level. If I can buy a RECEIVER for under $500 that does 7.1 channels, why can they not make a multi channel dac/preamp for under $1k? It's madness.
Once you're looking at multi-channel preamps and DACs you're looking at a "surround sound processors" (pre/pros). Processors are more complex because they need features like licensed surround sound decoders... And home theater customers tend to be less concerned with features like support for high sample rates and DSD... And processors fall into the category of "separates"... (since you will also need to purchase a multi-channel amplifier). (Which puts them in a higher price bracket than "low end, all in one, AVRs".) Note that Emotiva does also make a surround sound processor that lists for $1099 - the MC1.
Randy I love your channel. I have some serious speakers and I'm still running them on my avr which has no output for other amps. I was thinking about xpa monos and the preamp dac or would I be satisfied with their avr. You said it sounds good for movies. I don't want to make the wrong decision. I have some big powerful custom speakers that can sound much better with the right setup but I don't have $50000 grand what should I do or maybe the basx monos so many choices
Is this overkill to pair with the Schiit SYN? I'm trying build a set it and forget it "surround" and audio system for a beach rental. I'd just throw in a sound bar, but I use it a few times a year too. I'm pitching it to the wife as a as a differentiator to justify higher rental rates.
Usb dac for home theater? Is this none existing? I do not want 2 separate systems. I have one computer, one livingroom, one 5.1, and I want to make it a good sounding 2 channel and a good sounding 5.1 . Yes, the emotiva 13channel dac might be the solution, but hey, 2000eur and above? Nope...
Looks promising but having owned the PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC/Preamp (at 2x Emotiva's price), they give you and I2S input wich should be standard IMHO on all above $500 (Schiit be damned....just kidding). Great starter Preamp. Just add a MoFi StudioPhono and you are all set !
I watch your shows religiously to learn as much as possible because I'm new to the world of system building. But sometimes I'm completely lost when you talk about certain things...such as this thing! 😅
Digital source from a streamer, TV, mp3 player (with digital out) goes into a DAC which converts the digital signal to a mechanical aka analog signal. This output signal is weak and if fed into an amplifier would make the amp struggle to feed the speakers so, a preamplifier enters the picture and boosts the signal fed to the amplifier. Randy's takling about a box that does both digital to analog conversion as well as boosting the output thry a preamp stage...hope this helps
I recently bought a PT1, but miss having an HDMI connection on it. I have a 2.1 system in my living room and sounds amazing. Having HDMI and using it for movies would be nice but optical is ok for now.
@@danielh12345I don't know about this Emotiva but with some components eArc connection will turn the stereo on or out of Standby mode. For me the best thing about eArc being hooked into a TV is now you only need one remote for volume. With optical you need one remote to control the TV, then you would have to use the stereo remote to do the volume. With eArc your TV or cable remote can control the volume of the Emotiva. To me it's such a big deal. Having to use 2 remotes to watch TV or listen to music apps from the TV isn't the best.
@nosEL34 ah thank you, I wasn't aware of the volume control part. That makes a lot of sense! And yes, I wouldn't expect a difference in sound quality for hdmi / optical if its done properly, and I assume a company such as emotiva can do that properly lol.
Amazing video John, lots of work involved. With that I feel a pain in the arse asking any questions but😅.... I have had the RME AD12DACFS in my basket ready to go for. Then this eversolo and others come out. Did a comparison ever come to your mind about the quality of output/dac for the RME against these 3 you've reviewed. I have a wiim pro so all the streaming would be taken care of. Then the issue is would these 3 you've reviewed be a night and day difference against my current dac/streamer the Audiolad 6000N (with the infuriating PlayFi App) I have a hunch the RME plus wiim would be the best for me at the price. If anyone has any experience in opinion here on this I would graciously appreciate it.
