Would a Emotiva XPA 5 be too much for SVS SBS-01

Since these SVS speakers are 8 ohms, you don't need the Emotiva. But, if you want it, it shouldn't hurt anything. The SBS-01 speakers are rated at 20W -150W, and the SCS-01 is rated at 20W-200W, so the power from the Emotiva shouldn't be a problem for anything. That being said, when you get the MTS speakers, you will definitely need the Emotiva, since they are rated at 4-6 ohms. So, get it while you can, and enjoy.
Good luck!

These guys actually like plenty of power due to their lower sensitivity and I think they would be just fine with it, but I do feel it is a little overkill for them.  How big is your room?  If you don't have issues with them delivering sufficient SPL now, then adding the amp isn't going to make a noticeable difference.  Speakers make the biggest difference, so saving that money and putting it toward the new speakers would be the way to go.


These thread should be combined. You aren't supposed to post the same thing in different forums.

As mentioned in the other thread, the moderators will take care of it if necessary.

I think your thinking is fine, that you will need this amp down the road for the MTSs, but I am not sure it is a worth while purchase at this point unless you're going to get the MTSs soon.  These guys have a ton of power and I don't think you will run into distortion issues with it at all for elevated listening levels.  If you are cranking your receiever that loud, I do think that it probably doesn't have sufficient power for the SPL you are looking to get out of the system.  Have you calibrated the system?  This is probably the first thing I'd check if I were troubleshooting your system - if the receiver has auto calibration, it should be run.  If it doesn't an SPL meter will go a long way to getting it sounding right.  If it IS calibrated, then you will probably benefit from an amp.  I heard the SBS-01 package in a room that was 14x19x10 and they had no problem filling it driven by a SonyES receiver and I could tell that they could take more power than what the receiver was able to feed them.  The amp certainly won't hurt them, but it could also be that you are looking for more SPL than they can provide and that MTS upgrade may need to come sooner? 
Edited by John Garcia - 4/20/10 at 10:04am

 If done correctly, Audyssey should be more accurate than your SPL meter.  Check the link in my sig for an Audyssey setup guide...

 Chris,

Yes it can be complex.  If you follow the links in the document you will see a many thousand post thread on the subject.  Try to follow the guide as closely as possible and then listen for a few days.  Don't base your judgement on a small sample.  Sometimes we get so used to hearing the 'wrong' sound (bloated bass, overcooked mids) that we forget how it should sound.

In the end, it is 'your' sound, so whatever makes you happy is the correct solution.  Good luck.

I agree completely.  ANY time you calibrate you need to listen to it like that for a while, as what you had previously may have seemed right to you but measurements don't lie.  After you know what "calibrated" sounds like, then you can make some tweaks based on personal preferences if you like and go from there.

 The best way to play music is the way you like it.  Try it each way and see what you like best.

I personally like plain stereo.  The best speakers I own are my L/R and sub, so it makes sense (to me) to utilize these 3 for music.  My surrounds are geared more towards movies and my horizontal center is a comprise design so it will fit nicely above my TV.  Your situation may be different.

I'm glad you are enjoying your system.  One thing I noticed is 85-115 DB (reference levels) are really not that loud when you get the reflections from the room under control (Audyssey makes this easier).  I think when people complain is when certain parts of the sound spectrum are much louder than others (in other words not flat).

Quote:
The 707 will power the MTS speakers nicely on its own (to a point). But even the SVS people urge an external amp for best performance.

Going back to the XPA-5.  It's a great amp and a good addition to any system.  It's a piece you can keep and is affordable.  More affordable now since Emotiva is having their 4th of July sale.  The XPA-5 is 10% off with free shipping and free t-shirt.  It's normal price is $599 which is a steal for an amp with 200+W/ch (depending on load) balanced and unbalanced inputs, 1.2KVA transformer, 12V trigger and can drive pretty much any speaker.  If you can afford it, get it.  You won't be sorry.  I used mine for the front three channels with my Legacy Focus mains bi-amped.  It handled the 3-12"/ch woofers without any problems. 

 

The company has been great as well.  Very fast response.  I purchased several interconnects ($8 for 2m stereo pair) and speaker termination kits ($8/kit 4 banana connectors and shrink tubing) from them yesterday.  Within minutes of the on-line purchase I had emails confirming my order and within the hour tracking information for the orders.  They will arrive today.  It's good to know the service didn't go down with the prices.  Great company, great people.  Check out the sale and company.