Emotiva Audio Multi-Zone Power Amplifier Home Audio/Video Product Black (A-800)

Music is reproduced kindly and clean. Absolutely silent running amplifier. With my ear next to the amp, I can't hear a thing. Silent. Pairs well with the Elac Debut B6. It's barebones, big and heavy, inspires confidence with the weight it pushes out the front of the elacs. The reason behind the 4 versus 5 stars is the smell. It will probably go away but while listening for transformer hum I could smell the wiring. Hot, not crazy hot but warm enough I could smell the wiring. It's not overpowering and from my listening position I can't smell it but super close it's there. Don't let it stop you though. So far at least it's a detailed, powerful amplifier that's simple to set up and a pleasure to listen too.UPDATE****So I commented on the hot wire smell from the basx a300, I've used this amplifier about 25 hours since I received it and the smell is now gone. Getting right up to I can smell nothing. The amplifier also remains silent. No sound other than what it coaxes out of my beloved Elac b6's.In addition, and this might well be me, my bias; whatever. I feel like the tone has warmed just a little, mellowed, sweetened. This may also be the speakers settling in. Very pleased with my purchase.***another update***Amazon wouldn't allow me to post a review of the emotiva PT-100; I suppose because I hadn't purchased it here. I ordered direct from Emotive. As that preamplifier pertains to this power amplifier it's fabulous. The look on the rack is cohesive. The sound quality is exactly what I've come to expect from a few Emotiva purchases. The dac chip is the AD1955 that sounds so good in the XDA-1. Higher resolution files up to 24b/96k are rendered via USB quite nicely. The phono stage leaves a little tiny bit to be desired but I'm spoiled by some really great stages in the stable.

Yeah it delivers what it said it would do. The bass is definately tighter and the highs are crisp. Very silent. I just think that I'm using it with the wrong pre-amp. I'm using the marantz SR4600 as a preamp. When I put a bit of volume, the bass seems to get muddy. My speakers are Kef Q500. Any reason somebody why this should happen?RegardsEddie Slade

Let me start by stating that i own the Denon 4311ci (2nd or 3rd flagship at the time) and i am using 7.2 channels, However i had a little issue with overload. When i would set the main towers to large and add both the LFE+Main, at times, while watching a movie during high dynamics scenes, the Denon would turn off because of overload but only if i set LFE+Main to the main towers...Not During LFE setting only which by the way its the recommended setting from many experts. Well, during a Christmas deal i was able to purchase this Emotiva for a great price and i immediately jumped on it at 400.00 its already a deal IMHP. This amp is 150 watts x 2. I set it up to the mains and began to play music, one thing i noticed right away was that the string guitars are more profound and articulated it plays those strings so well that they sound 3d, the sound floats in the air if this makes since maybe called airy? The bass is just as good as my Denon was and the sound is not colored in any way. In other words this amp did not change the sound signature of the already beautiful sound of my Denon with the exception of, lets say more punch in the sound but same signature. The trigger cable worked great too, when i turn on the Denon, the Emotiva comes on too. I've had this amp for two months now and i love it. Oh, the movie Interstellar has wicked bass and the Emotiva BasX A-300 did not miss a beat with the sound. Anyway i hope this helps anyone on the fence. I had to give it 5 stars.

I was very disappointed in the Emotiva. Given all the reviews in audio circles, I had high expectations. I'm one of those audiophiles that needs to do it on a budget, so the Emotiva was the choice. The first amp (the 150) arrived DOA. A wire had come loose, but that was corrected. It quickly became apparent I needed more power, so I ordered the A-300. The a-300 sounded good, but after only a few weeks it just died. I sent it and the pre-amp back and ended up buying another brand. I hate to leave a bad review, but I have to believe there are other people out there who love music, and don't have a ton of extra money to spend on it, so this is really to help someone else avoid my mistake.