Quote Originally Posted by Octave View Post
I'd ruled out separates but was still looking into that Emo combo when you posted that. So much for principled resistance. I find myself looking at a lot of integrated amps that are way out of my budget but still (technically) affordable---Rogue Sphinx, Peachtree Nova, etc etc etc---but it's started to make me feel dizzy and exhausted. Those more expensive options would probably rule out a sub, too. It's a trade-off. I'm fairly determined to find something quite powerful for possible use with much less efficient speakers than the Sierras, as it's only a matter of time before I develop a wandering eye and/or get some towers.

I have read that Emotiva gear is noticeably "bright", one Reddit know-it-all going so far as to say it was a bad combination with very neutral or 'analytical' like the Sierra-2's (he named the Sierras specifically). Based on some Ascend Forum testimony, I am assuming this is bogus advice.
That is certainly bogus advice. There is nothing bright about Emotiva's gear. Schiit has had the same comments from some people, but every time I look into what gear they own/what they listen to, it's apparent that their other systems/components are not meant to be neutral gear, but often are very smooth/warm tilted kinds of gear. It's always funny when tube audio snobs comment on a particular solid state design as they tend to think anything that isn't tubed is harsh and/or bright.

Emotiva, much like Ascend, engineers their gear for neutrality, accuracy, and affordability. They also don't have any marketing, sales, or distribution costs, just like Ascend. You're getting something that sounds amazing without being in an overly fancy box that requires stupid amounts of labor to assemble, which is what most of the competition is doing.

I think most of the integrated amps out there are insanely overpriced for no good reason. There are quite a few out there with very lazy designs (lots of wiring instead of just laying out in an organized way and bad chassis design that add dramatically to labor and parts cost). Emotiva uses a very straightforward, effective chassis, and they try to minimize wiring where they can.

I pair my Sierra Towers with RAALs with an Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 2 and everyone that I've had in my theater has been blown away by their sound, especially the accuracy. There has only been one time where I was concerned and it turned to be a poorly mastered Blu-Ray that contained clipping in several scenes.