High Value meets High Performance! Emotiva TA1 integrated amp review.
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- Discord Link: / discord
Emotiva TA1: emotiva.com/co...
Source: Bluesound Node 2i
www.crutchfiel...
(all music is hi-res streamed from Tidal)
RCA Cables: Analysis Plus Oval One
analysis.plus/...
Speaker & Power Cables: Maze Audio REF4
www.mazeaudio.c...
Subwoofers Used:
REL T7X www.rel.net
Rythmik FVX12 www.rythmikaudi...
JL Audio D110: www.jlaudio.co...
SVS Micro 3000: www.svsound.co...
Your results may vary based on your ears, room, and associated equipment:
I'm glad you're still reviewing more budget minded gear. It allows really good sounding systems accessible to alot of people, especially those who are new to the hobby.
You don't even have to scrap that hard anymore or settle for used junk. Something rewarding about getting brand new gear. And knowing it's audiophile sounding.
Thanks for the shoutout! Love the channel Nemo, great content.
Hey what's up Matt, thank you dude!
Great review sounds Awesome! I especially enjoyed the story.
hey what's up Josh! thank you!
I just built my first hi fi system using the Emotiva TA1 and some CSS Tori diy speakers. Honestly my mind is blown! I know my set up is cheap, but to an average guy, it’s crazy good!
I'm currently using CSS Criton 1TD and have Emotiva TA2 here and while they are slightly different models than what you have I must agree the sound is amazing and the two have amazing synergy together!
Solid review & amp. Keep the stories bro; it’s the best part!
Love the backstory brother, we all start somewhere.
thank's JP!
I always enjoy your vids. You have your own style that seems very authentic and relatable
thanks marcus!
@Nemo - This is a great review!!! - Not just about the product. About how you include the other reviewers' comments as a 'community'. In this space, more 'community' is definitely welcome. Thanks
Thoroughly enjoyed the back story. I think so many of us can relate - and it really helps us appreciate quality gear later in life. Hope I can upgrade to a KINKI integrated soonish!
what are you rocking now?
@@NemoPropaganda I’ve been going through a few amps, upgrading slowly. Started with an Emotiva BasX 300 during the pandemic. Most recently moved to a Vidar/Saga combo from Schiit, but just sold them. In the meantime, I’m listening to a vintage amp from Onkyo (sounds amazing).
@@jgabrieltrevino1348 Nice!!! Sounds like you're enjoying the process.
Nice story. I enjoyed it. I use to be in the same boat with having cheap systems, I thought we're good. Now I'm getting back into audio and home theater. Loving the journey.
Hey thank you Mike! Happy to hear you're getting back into it!!
I had (still have it, I keep it as an emergency backup) the TA-100 and I loved it! Let me tell you, don't trust random forum people who might have something stuck in their craw, trust me, trust Nemo here. Emotiva gives you a LOT for your money and blows away any equivalent retail unit. Everything they make is good. As an experienced audiophile, my advice is any noob on a budget who wants brand new with a warrantee, that new smell, and a company that stands behind their product, you should start at Emotiva. I've moved back up the chain, I'm on like my 3rd or 4th system, but I still run my Emo 8 inch subs I bought last year, which blend with my 1TDX Superiors wonderfully. No complaints. I've bought a lot of gear over the years and I've bought a lot of Emotiva. I've been thrilled by every purchase and when I decided to try something else, the resale i got was fantastic. You are buying quality at a fantastic price. Do it and enjoy.
totally agree, Emotiva is a great place for a lot of people to start and even for some people to end their audio journey. Not everyone wants to spend thousands on a system and emotiva gives you great sound for the dollars spent. Much better than anything at a big box store at the same price.
When I added the Topping E30 dac and later the DX3 Pro + dac / headphone amplifier to my Emotiva PT-100 preamplifier, they made a huge improvement in sound quality.
I keep going back n forth on going 70's retro receiver or this for my next system.
I personally wouldn't run 50 year old electronics but I understand the desire, there is something cool about that older gear. I just prefer the modern features.
Hear me out my friend. Please. I don't really care about Emotiva. They make just okay stuff in my opinion. Nothing special. Kinda dated looking. I guess I'm just a snob. I don't want or need an integrated. And if I did, it would be one around 10k. So, in short, I'm totally not interested. But I watch each and every video of yours because 1) I trust your reviews. 2) You explain everything very well and tell us exactly what we need to know. 3) You are very thorough in your reviews. But 4) You never tend to drone on too long and repeat yourself. 5) If I have friends or family or whoever I meet and they don't have the ear and the bucks to spend, I can recall your reviews and help them out...point them in a direction to get them started. In short, we (yes, all of us) appreciate each and every review. You rock! Keep up the solid work. And please tell Sean to get off his ass and get to reviewing too. Thanks.
I took a screenshot and sent it to Sean :) seriously I did, I always tell him too lol because I miss his reviews also bro. Yeah I agree if you are a customer for more expensive gear like $5k plus of course something under $1k will not impress you but for the price it is really good for guys with lower budgets but of course it cannot compete with something more high end.
You know ,I have come full circle. I used to worry about buying the best of the best at least ,what I could afford. Now I love just listening to music on a pair of powered speakers. I enjoy it more now because they other way I was never satisfied! Always wondering about if this speaker or amp could be better then what I had. I know some people never get tired of that endless pursuit but not me. I just love listening to music now!
Nice bro, it's good that you've found your happy place :)
As always your a master in expressing the right info wothout no nonsense or too much babble. You should review there new TA2 integrated amp with 135w@8ohms and available high pass and low pass filter. Ive bought it as soon as it came out and i believe is and incredible bargain for the power and the available filter settings for 1000 bucks!!. As always thank you for your input.
excellent choice. I think its a great option, I'm sure i'll check it out at some point.
@@NemoPropaganda Ive paired it with Triangles BOREA BRO 02 and sure love the combination of the two, clean, foward but not bright at all. Good dynamics. For subwoofer ive went for a budget Kanto sub 8 (my room is only 16w x 13l and 8 foot ceilings and have quite enough base. Maybe in the future im sure to look for a Rel!.
@@Jeipr Nice my man, I have pair of BR02 here I need to review soon.
@@NemoPropaganda Good, youll be surprised with the tonal quality of the paper midwoofers. Guitars, drums, sax sound like the real thing!! Cant wait on your assesment !!
Love the story.
great vid!
thanks seoul!
Grand one dude. I feel the Rotel A11 Tribute is worth weighting this 'supposed Beast' with.
would love to check one out. It's a little more expensive but still very reasonable.
Thanks for sharing your story, it was a good one. What a wonderful review! I've been extremely happy with my Emotiva products. I don't have a use for a unit like this at the moment, but it would be at the top of the short list if I were starting all over with my first system. I went with the IOTAVX SA3 when I was starting. Though, I'd be curious how you rate the TA1 VS the SA3?
hey what's up man! They're about dead equal in my book.
I was the other guy buying the cheap garbage stuff which would break after two years , and I always hated the sound. Some friends always raved about their music and I could never understand. Now I do. Good video
We all learn :)
Sorry I'm late to the party! Great review, Nemo! Can you tell me if the High Pass filter works if you use the pre-amp outs to hook up an external amplifier? Thank you and Happy Holidays!!!!
I can't remember and I already returned this review sample. I suggest you email or call Emotiva just to be 100% sure.
@@NemoPropaganda thank you so much for your response! It's always wonderful to hear from you. God bless and Happy Holidays!!!!
I just double checked their website. And yes, it does have a high pass pre-amp out. There is also another set of full range out on it.
@@3VAudioVideo thank you so much!!!
The TA1 is in my crosshairs! Also considering the B2+ speakers
TA1 is a great amp, paired with b1 or b2 it'll be a clarity focused setup. If that's the sound you're looking for I say go for it! Personall I'd do the B1+ unless your room is really big. I think they sound better.
@@NemoPropaganda The B1+ isn't available. I like the sound of 6 1/2" 2 way speakers and an looking forward to the AMT tweeters.. Thanks for your reply
i prefer the simplicity of intergrated amps especially for apartment living. another nice sounding amp at this price point is the nad c316bee. beautiful classic ab sound topology with the ability to punch way above its 40 wpc rated power. i've had it for about 5 years and still love it.
I have one of those as well and agree it's a great value and the sound punches heavier than the wattage implies. Mine is the V2 so it has a phono stage but I haven't a chance to use it yet.
I do wish it had preamp outs though. Id love to test it with my power amp
I keep hearing that's a great unit but I generally stay away from integrated amps that don't have a sub output or pre-outs. I hope they add that to the next revision, I will totally review it if they do!
@@NemoPropaganda NAD has the C165BEE pre that looks nearly identical, however it's closer to $1k as a pre only and the C316BEE V2 integrated is around $500. I'm wondering if they don't include pre outs so they don't compete with the other product? That would be unfortunate as I'm guessing by price that the standalone pre has much higher quality pre section than what is inside the 316bee and these two are clearly for a different audience.
I high level to my REL so it hasn't been an issue, but it is unfortunate as I'd like to try it as a pre for my power amps.
If you want to try it, even if you don't want to review, I'll send one to you.
The 316 was a later lower cost & lower power version of the "bee" series. I was surprised that they even did a v2 version. Nad has moved on to hybrid digital designs. Emotiva has kind of replaced them as the smart high value leader. Btw, i do use my nad in a 2.1 setup. I have an old canton passive 12" plus c sub that high pass filters the signal to two small plus s speakers. The nad runs the whole thing just fine. Not chest thumping but handles jazz beautifully and holds it's own with rock.
@@erics.4113 thank you dude I appreciate the offer. Yeah most likely they don't want it to compete with their next model up but they could easily solve that by adding a mono subwoofer output only and leaving the pre-outs for the next model up. But that's where this emotiva has huge value, you get both of those features :)
What a great backstory and review. I always seem to take allot away from watching your reviews. Perhaps your channel is a bit underrated or under appreciated. Anyways have you considered reviewing the new Emotiva XDA DAC? There is allot of people wondering how it compares to the PT100 👍🏻🔈
maybe in 2024 :)
I wish it had tone control nobs, not iternal adjustments
And then they wouldn’t be remote adjustable.
Would love to see your take on Emotiva XPA-HC1. And how would that stack up to your reference mono blocks or Buchardt Integrated, in regards to low volume level listening.
Love your channel.
hey thank you brother!! Emotiva makes gear that is excellent for the price but generally speaking most gear cannot compete with something twice its price. There are a few outliers but it's not as common as most youtubers make it sound.
I have this unit combined with a (used) Bluesound Node 2i, a Topping E50 for the DAC, Elac UniFi 2.0 and a SVS SB 100 Pro.
I don't have a lot to compare it to but, to my ears it sounds excellent.
*SB1000 Pro
sounds like a great setup to me :)
Guttenberg loves bright speakers. He returned the original Buchart S400s with no review. Great personal story btw.
That doesn't make Steve wrong. We ALL have a preferred sound….Steves favorite speakers are Klispch.
That says a lot. I think that I would have kept The Bucharts!
I just said he loved bright speakers 🔊
I could see that lol, it's a perfect example though of how taste can be such a big factor.
goes to show that all these reviews are meaningless
@@SantanKGhey1234 they're not meaningless you just have to know a little bit about the reviewer.
Ever considering talking about the DSP room correction path vs the more analogue path? Seems like the DSP solution is playing out in things like the Kefs and the Vanatoos. But it sort of defeats the purpose of having a higher end dac if it is just going to be re processed. This seems like in interesting in between. I have a pretty happy exp with my two sets of Vanatoo's that are pure DSP/bi amp'd class D solutions. I thought of doing a customer mini DSP HD system. But part of me wants a less digital example as well. Stop the bits at a quality DAC like the Ares or Bifrost use a tube preamp or something with some good quality AB amps. It seems like an equally fun path. I would love to see a conversation about the state of both directions. I hate Discord but I kinda want to get into the conversation with you. Really appreciate you are into this for the fun of it. I do hope youtube eventually helps pay for the channel content.
not really, I personally don't care for DSP but I know a lot of people love it. If i did home theater then I would for sure use DSP because there are so many speakers involed.
As always another great review. Appreciate the effort you put in to these! Do you think this would pair well with the Emotiva B1+? Which coincidentally I bought based on your review?
I recommend the splendid celestion ditton 15 xr (vintage) thank me later🌚👍
Yes for sure! You may want to do -1 on the treble though for a more balanced sound.
I’m thinking the same and adding the emotiva subwoofer
APTx Bluetooth is not mentioned in this review. Addition of APTx makes a big difference if you plan to use the Bluetooth. I have a used TA1 on its way to me, will try using my old Cambridge irDAC upgraded with linear power supply with it✅
Hi Nemo. If you can, please try to review the new Emotiva TA2.
I will at some point, I currently have to review emotiva b2+ and xs8 subwoofer, then I will maybe review the TA2 so its at least a few months away.
Thanks for the great review. Sorry I am getting to it a month late. Just curious if you thought Kef q350 or wharfedale diamond 12.2 would be good pairings with the A1.
I have not heard either of those.
Would you recommend pairing it with the LS50 meta? I do own this amp and the Ares II dac and it sounds fantastic with the Wharfedale EVO 4.2, but would the KEF be too bright? Great review, btw.
Combined with the Ares2 yes! Without the Ares2 I don't think it would be a good match.
Im new to the hobby. I can usw a tube pre amp to warm up the sound with no issues, corrrect? Thanks Holmes, good review.
If you want to do that then you will want the Emotiva A2 power amp.
I've had my Energy RC series 5 channel setup for years. Went from a mid range Integra receiver to an Emotiva UMC200/XPA5. Emo blew it away. Money got tight and had to sell it. Then got an at the time flagship Denon 4520. While the Denon was better for HT, the music was lacking hard. I missed the Emo stuff. I'm not a pro or anything, but to me the Emotiva sounded more organic or natural if that makes any sense. I would listen to the same songs, same source, same room with the Denon but never had that damn this sounds good feeling. My old lady that doesn't care about gear says it doesn't sound as good as it used to. That's the tell all.
Denon is more of a closed off sound compared to emotivas open and airy sound. My guess is that's what you miss about the emotiva. And if you're much older like 55+ with a little bit of natural hearing loss then for sure you will notice the difference even more!
@@NemoPropaganda Yeah, that sounds about right.
I Ordered one of these a few months ago. I also ordered their new BASX A2 and the PT1 Preamp. Honestly I can't tell the difference between the 2. Here's an instance where all in one is as good as
separates.
I also own a Hegel H190 and with my Heresy's IV's these two can step in the ring together.
How is the Kinki? been looking at getting it.
I love my kinki gear, it's fast, analytical, detailed, etc... It's the sound I like and my DAC warms things up just a bit to add some flavor. Kinki is all about fast & clean effortless sound.
How does the TA1 sound with your Klipsch? I have a pair of vintage La Scalas and I'm worried it my sound too forward. Cheers!
@@ElMayimbe73 I don't own any Klipsch but on some brighter speakers you can just use the tone controls, -1 or -2 usually does the trick.
Emotiva marketing team triggered watching their video host using the amp as a portable table for his laptop
nah bro, I'm showcasing the utility of the amplifier :)
Ever consider reviewing the Emotiva RMC line, even just for two channel listening?
Not really bro. I feel it's just more of a theater piece though I'm sure it sounds good.
I recently bought a pair of SVS Ultra bookshelf speakers and am debating upgrading my system. I am wondering how this integrated amp would work with those speakers? Currently I am using an older Pioneer AV receiver. Nice receiver in its day. VSX 1021K is the receiver. It does a decent job with these speakers. I just wonder if I would notice much improvement with this Emotiva? Buy it and try it?
it's hard to say bro, you should have a notable improvement in clarity but its been years since I've heard a pioneer avr.
How does this Emotiva compare to the IOTA VX?
They are both equally good.
The Emotiva XPA-HC1 Mono Blocs look pretty cool, TOO!
they do, I don't think I want to get into reviewing power amps though.
@@NemoPropaganda …Nemo…just for you, you need to review The XPA-HC1 Mono Blocs as they compare PERFECTLY to your Kinki Studio Mono Blocs!!!! …and since I am selling my Kinki Mono Blocs, I am sitting here waiting to hear all about it!! 😬🍿🥤Especially after watching Andrew Robinson's stellar review of them!!! I would LOVE to see a fair head to head comparison with the EX-B7's! You are THAT guy! Many others might want to see that, as well!!! (You HAVE to be a little curious, no? 🤐).
@@bobb.9917 not gonna happen :p
@@NemoPropaganda 😶
Ever try golden ear products?
no, they don't have any phase control on their subwoofers so I can't review them.
If you connect speakers to the TA1, can you toggle between either hearing those speakers or using it as a preamp only?
I don’t remember trying that, you should email emotiva to be sure.
@ I appreciate the response. I wrote to Emotiva to see what they have to say.
I’m looking to upgrade my hifi system’s AVR to an integrated amp. Looking at Emotiva’s TA1. I stream a lot of music via Apple Music/airplay. It doesn’t appear the TA1 is compatible with airplay. Is it possible to add on a streamer that is compatible with airplay? If not, is connecting by bluetooth as convenient and sound as good as airplay?
answered in discord.
Would this amp pair well with wharfedale diamond 12.2 bookshelf speakers?
I never heard those ones.
Would this go well with Polk S15? I bought these speakers back in 2018 but the avr I use just doesn't sound good at all, I have to turn it up a lot just to hear anything.
The S15 is a fair speaker, not terrible, not amazing, but it should sound open and clear and play fairly loud with some excitment. If your current AVR can't bring it to life that's a shame but this Emotiva won't have any problems with the S15.
Do you know if the sub out is full range when set to full range or is it always crossed at 90hz?
Per emotiva the sub output is a fixed 90hz and below. Why would you want to run your sub any higher then that anyway? This should not pose an issue for anyone and nobody should be running a subwoofer with a crossover any higher.
Yeah after I sent that I realized that it doesn't matter. It was 2am and wasn't thinking clearly. Thank you for the response though.@@NemoPropaganda
Ive noticed you havent done any B&W speaker reviews wondering why?
I've just never gotten around to it. I will at some point.
so what is the improvment compared to TA100? How this compares to iota? lost time review
all 3 amps are pretty similar in feature and sound, IotaVX is great but I have a hard time recommending it becuase of all the people that complain about bad customer service.
@@NemoPropaganda wow, that was fast reply thx. I am from Slovakia was considering ams like naim, audiolab but by reviews I do not see a lot of added valu for example naim misses sound stage. However i prefere emotiva over iota due to iotas vired extention with pover amp, im am not confident in good balance between chanels so. if you have any recomandation for neutral saunding amp within 1500 eur price rage i will apreciate othervise i see myself with emotiva
@@janulik9535 is the new Choco Emei too expensive? I have not heard Audiolab but I think it's supposed to be a small step up from Emotiva but a similar sound.
@@NemoPropaganda the price is ok, i will definitely check it, thx
Curious to know if you have any thoughts as to how this compares to IOTAVX SA3?
Both are equally good in my book.
Did you tried it with headphones? Curius if its as good with Headphones as with Speakers
No, I don't use any headphones.
As of this post Emotiva TA1 is now $499.
how about pairing it with Wharfedale EVO 4.2?
I think it will be okay :)
So the ta1 is 100watts per channel at 4ohms and thd is 1% at 4ohms is this amp worth getting if you have 4ohm speakers the 1% thd I’d driving me away from this anyone know how well these drive 150watt 4ohm studio monitors?
it's not that the amp puts out more distortion at 4ohm, this has to do with a marketing practice that is all too common with amplifiers across the board. Almost all manufactures feel pressure to show a doubling of wattage from 8 to 4ohms so they either widen the distortion threshold to achieve these 4ohm numbers or underrate their 8ohm performance. Class AB amps will NEVER truly double their wattage at 4ohm. With that said the Emotiva TA1 is rock solid stable at 4ohm and I've been using the older version (TA100) almost exclusively with 4ohm speakers for years and I don't think you'll find a better amp at this price point.
@@NemoPropaganda thank you so much I was debating the ta1 or the Cambridge axr100
@@waldoyew4247 I think thats a good amp too but I havn't heard it.
@@NemoPropaganda either or thank you so much
What about Audiolab 6000A comparison?
it's double the price and I have not heard it.
@@NemoPropaganda Right! It's more of a European product. Where I live it's not that advantageous to buy Emotiva.
@@user-xg6zz8qs3q oh i see, maybe IotaVX SA3 will be a better option for EU customers then :). As far asudiolab i know it's highly rated so costing more I would expect it to be better that this emotiva.
@@NemoPropaganda Yep! You're on the nose!
So we can run 2.2 with this right
yes
Its $499 now and you can get 10% off.
Dude, you talking about being 28 in 2012 threw me for a loop. I assumed you were like 30-ish
just turned 40 a few months back, I'll take any compliment I can get :)
Iota or this?
they are both equally good, flip a coin :)
Gosh, I would pay for NOT BLUE light....!
What is the "Emotiva of Europe" the dollar has gone so strong and tolls and fees...
IotaVX SA3 :)
What in God's green earth are you talking about.
I don't know what happened to you today or recently that you're upset with a stranger on the internet but I hope whatever is going on gets better for you my man.
interesting, so after countless hours of watching reviews and reading specs and others viewpoints, I'm now considering this or the Marantz NR1200 for my buchardt audio s300 mkii se or my Jamo Concert 9 Series C93II, do you think this amp would be too much of a good thing for either of those, meaning would it sound too sharp? I'm leaning towards buying the emotiva, any other recommendations are welcome, my price range is $500-1000k thanks!
I have not heard that amp.
@@NemoPropaganda do you think this amp would be too much of a good thing for either of those, meaning would it sound too sharp for either of my speakers? if so could u give me a rec' on another integrated amp, the one I had was stolen, thanx
@@jameshunter3037 I've used the TA1 with my Ares2 and S400 and I loved it.
@@NemoPropaganda thanx man, I think I have a good idea for a new setup review for you, I'm now looking at ordering the bluesound powernode and Wharfedale LINTON Heritage speakers, I hear the new improved powernode sounds much better, has 80 watts rms output at 8 ohms and isnt that picky with regard to speakers, besides $2100 for killer new speakers, and all in one streamer with sub out, and good amp, good dac, is a great idea. hope you can put those two together in a review for everyone
@@jameshunter3037 I've tried bro, the people that run bluesound won't email me back :(