Emotiva XPA-DR1 Gen3 Monoblok Power Amplifier

Emotiva XPA-DR1 Gen3 is a true monoblock power amplifier, and features a single Differential Reference Amplifier Module, in a true monoblock configuration, powered by its own dedicated 3kW switch mode power supply. The XPA-DR1 provides massive power, superb dynamics, incredible resolution, and absolute control.

If you’re looking for the very best sound quality, with virtually endless reserves of power against a jet black noise floor, this is the amplifier for you. The XPA-DR1 delivers 650 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, and 1000 watts RMS (1kW) into 4Ω, with less than 0.1% THD.

SMPS Power Supply

The power supply is the foundation of a great amplifier. In amplifier design, everything starts with the power supply. The XPA-DR1 features a custom-configured version of Emotiva's high-current switch mode power supply (SMPS) - a lightweight, powerful, intelligent design capable of delivering over 3 kW of continuous power with absolute reliability and extremely high efficiency. Their cutting-edge SMPS offers the dynamic attributes of a classic transformer-based design with none of the drawbacks.

Like the best transformer-based power supplies, Emotiva's SMPS delivers plenty of continuous power to enable Their amplifier modules to live up to their full performance potential, and plenty of dynamic power to ensure that musical peaks will never be compressed or limited. However, compared to transformer-based designs, their SMPS is lighter and more efficient; it’s also fully regulated, which ensures optimum performance under a wider range of load conditions.

Great Amplifiers

The Differential Reference Amplifier Modules Emotiva use in their XPA-DR amplifiers use the same basic circuit topology as their legendary XPR series amplifiers. A unique differential input stage, with a cross-linked current source, drives a balanced voltage amplification stage, and this advanced input circuitry delivers an incredibly accurate and pure audio signal to the complimentary, fully discrete output stage.

A pair of these modules work together in perfect synergy to power a single channel of one of Emotiva's new fully balanced, fully differential, XPA-DR amplifiers. Together they deliver a holistic, natural, and powerful listening experience. Low-level musical details and dialogue emerge from a deep black background; musical crescendos are delivered with both stunning impact and precision. The wide bandwidth, low distortion performance of the XPA-DR1 reveals every nuance of your high-resolution music sources, and it has plenty of power to drive even difficult loudspeakers with absolute authority and control.

Class A/B

Sound Quality Meets Optimised Class H Efficiency. The Differential Reference Module in the XPA-DR1 utilises a matched pair of amplifier modules, each of which features Emotiva's fully analogue Class A/B output stage, and their highly regarded Soft-Switch Class H power supply topology, which increases their efficiency significantly without compromising the audio performance you’d expect from an Emotiva amplifier.

The output stage in each operates on a lower supply voltage at low power levels to minimise quiescent power consumption and standby power losses, instantly switching to a higher voltage rail when needed to ensure the signal passes cleanly and without clipping. This process happens on a continuous basis in real time, allowing greater overall efficiency, cooler operation, longer component life, reduced power consumption, and increased reliability.

Fully Differential

The benefits of this fully differential balanced power amplifier is that it is designed for a single purpose so it can concentrate on ensuring that they perform that one task very well, and avoid the compromises inherent in products that are expected to perform a variety of different functions. The Differential Reference Module in the XPA-DR1 is made up of a perfectly symmetrical balanced pair of high-performance amplifier modules. Each individual amplifier module already has vanishingly low distortion but, by connecting them as a balanced differential pair, a significant portion of the tiny amount of remaining nonlinearity is cancelled out.

As a result, Emotiva is able to achieve even lower levels of distortion in the XPA-DR1, resulting in remarkably transparent sound, with unprecedented smoothness and clarity. Finally, because the XPA-DR1 is a true monoblock, and only contains a single power supply and amplifier channel, even the slightest possibility of interaction between channels is eliminated, ensuring the best possible isolation between channels, and perfect channel separation. When you put it all together, the XPA-DR1 is simply the finest amplifier Emotiva can devise, and they are sure you’ll be as impressed with its performance as Emotiva are.

A New Approach

When Emotiva set out to make the new X Series line, they analysed everything in every amplifier they had ever made, from front to back, inside, and out. In doing so, they discovered several areas where their years of experience, and advances in audio technology, indicated that they could make significant improvements in their amplifier designs.

After carefully weighing all the pros and cons, Emotiva kept the best features of their original designs, added a new set of optimisations and improvements, and the result became the foundation of their new line of audiophile amplifiers. The new XPA-DR amplifiers are the fully differential members of Emotiva's new XPA amplifier family and carry their philosophy of continuous product improvement to its ultimate conclusion.

Modular Construction

Each XPA-DR Differential Reference Monoblock Power Amplifier is comprised of a heavy-duty chassis, which houses Emotiva's massively overdesigned, fully regulated, 3kW switch mode power supply, and up to three Differential Reference Amplifier Modules.

The front panel display and protection system are designed to work with the maximum number of channels so don't need to be updated when XPA-DR is expanded; on the rear panel, slots not occupied by amplifier modules will be covered with protective cover panels. Since the XPA-DR1 is configured with a single Differential Reference Module, up to two additional modules can be added later.