Enter Spotify, a free service that gives you access to a virtually unlimited catalogue of music. Yes, I said free and unlimited. You can also load any of the music you find on Spotify onto your iPod or other MP3 device, stream your and their collection from your iPhone or Android device. In short it does for free what so many, like Rhapsody, have been trying to get paid for.

Like anything online free comes with a couple of gottchas. You will be forced on occasion to listen to short advertisements. This isn’t bad and over the last few weeks I have found them to be fairly unobtrusive. If you are listening to your own library you do not have to listen to the ads, they only appear when you are dipping into the seemingly infinite Spotify catalogue. So let’s get down to business.

iTunes VS Spotify

In order to compare iTunes and Spotify I lived with both, side by side for a couple of weeks. Being so familiar with iTunes I focused more on Spotify for much of the testing, simply trying to see if it would become as second nature as iTunes had. All comparisons were performed on Windows systems, XP and Windows 7.

Installation

Installing either software is as easy as clicking NEXT a few times. Spotify is a much smaller application and thus installs and loads faster, uses fewer resources, and is less likely to mess with the rest of your system. On my slower XP machine I found iTunes to be a sluggish beast but it works.

iTunes and Spotify both want to know where your music is however, Spotify automatically finds your iTunes folder among others and imports them, without moving them. This allows you to continue using iTunes without the fear of changes.

Spotify found and loaded my collection of 40,000+ songs in about 1 minute compared to the hour or more with iTunes. Once either application has found your files, you are ready to rock. Overall, Spotify is faster to install and run than iTunes.

Using the interface

I have been using iTunes for so long it has become second nature, let’s face it, iTunes is simple to use even for my mother. Setting up playlists is a breeze, the Genius feature is brilliant, and you have a lot of options in how you want iTunes to look and behave.

Spotify on the other hand took a little getting used to. Nothing about it was difficult, it was just different, but that isn’t a bad thing. The differences are there because in addition to your own library of music, Spotify lets you listen to just about any piece of music you can think of. You don’t have to go to the Apple Store to add music (and pay for it) you simply search for music and add it to either a playlist or your queue.

Spotify playlists are easy to create and add music to, plus you can mix your own music with songs or albums you find on Spotify. Let me get back to the queue because it rocks. One of the things I love most about the software I use in my main system (Ultimate Jukebox) is that I can create a queue instead of creating a play list. A queue allows you to move songs up and down, insert where you want, add one to the top of the list, and in general control what you hear as you feel like hearing it.

Overall, I give iTunes the edge for simplicity of use while Spotify nudges iTunes out for actual control.

Sound quality

I have to admit it never occurred to me that Spotify might sound different from iTunes. My MP3 files are all 320kbits and Spotify free version uses Vorbis format, 160kbits. I have been vocal about the iTunes software sound quality for some time. Anything you play through iTunes loses life however when you play a file purchased through iTunes on other software, it sounds better, meaning iTunes software sucks for sound quality.

I expected the same, more or less from Spotify but as soon as I played the first song I was shocked. Spotify seemed to bring David “Fathead” Newman to life through my AKG 702 headphones. It sounded much more open, faster, and more detailed. David sounded much closer to the FLAC files I use in my main system. Not perfect by a long shot but much, much better.

To verify all of this I level matched iTunes and Spotify, to remove any possible preference based on the brains preference for louder music. it was night and day as I switched back and forth between the two.

Now I moved to my main system, fired up my XP box feeding an analog signal through my ASUS Xonar STX sound card into my Emotiva USP-1, XPA-1 amps, and sat back to listen through my Magnepan 16QR speakers. Through this system the differences between the two were even greater. iTunes was like nails on a chalkboard. I have never been able to listen to anything, including Apple lossless files on this system, through iTunes.

Spotify on the other hand was smooth, open, listenable, but not audiophile. I would never sit and do any serious listening to either but for background music, Spotify is more than capable. Eventually I will get a premium account and try it again but I am seriously doubtful it can match my lossless FLAC files through Ultimate Jukebox.

Conclusion

If you care even a little bit about the sound quality move to Spotify. It sounded better even on the worst set of earbuds I could find in the house. It sounded better over crappy desktop speakers, it always sounded better. The slight learning curve associated with Spotify is well worth the boost in sound quality.

For a free program to do so much is impressive and the best part is that you will never have to pay the Apple Mind Control Group another penny for music. As an added bonus, it will sound better too.

According to Lucasfilm, the sets will include “three additional discs and more than 30 hours of extensive special features including never-before-seen deleted and alternate scenes, an exploration of the exclusive Star Wars archives, and much more.” Whether that means viewers will finally get digitally unaltered versions of the films remains to be seen. At CES, Vader vowed that “the forces of the Empire will be at your disposal to assure the success of this endeavor,” which doesn’t exactly inspire confidence in a resurgence of Jedi purity.

U.S. customers of the DVD-by-mail and Web-streaming service are storming the Internet to protest Netflix’s plan to increase the prices of its most popular packages.

“The changes you guys have made in the last 4-6 months have turned me from a serious Netflix Geek into considering cancellation. It’s a damn shame,” wrote a customer named Justin Block, one of almost 6,000 commenters on Netflix’s blog.

Netflix’s Facebook page attracted more than 28,000 comments as of Wednesday morning, most of them critical of the move. And thousands of consumers were voicing complaints under #DearNetflix on Twitter.

Netflix has adjusted its offerings, separating physical disc mailings from Internet video. DVD-only subscriptions start at $7.99 per month, the same price as a streaming-only plan. But a monthly plan that combines physical DVDs with Web streaming costs almost $16 — a 60% price increase.

For prospective customers, the new pricing structure went into effect on Tuesday. For current subscribers, the rates will change on September 1.

Netflix, which did not respond to a request for comment, outlined the adjustment in a company blog post. In the message, a spokeswoman was very upbeat, describing each plan as “a terrific value.”

Commenters weren’t as enthusiastic.

“The only way that this is terrific for the customer is if you plan to offer your entire collection available for streaming,” wrote Scotty Fagaly, a self-described longtime customer whose comment was “liked” more than 4,800 times. “Otherwise, this is just yet another way to choke more change out of your customers.”

Netflix has more than 23 million subscribers. The company has a very popular online streaming program that’s available on dozens of electronic devices, including computers, video-game systems, television set-top boxes, smartphones and tablets.

In Canada, Netflix offers only the streaming service, not the DVD mailings.

However, the streaming program’s convenience and ubiquity is sometimes overshadowed by its dearth of quality movies available for streaming, relative to those contained in Netflix’s extensive DVD catalog.

“I realize Netflix cannot stream what the studios do not allow, but this is a disparity that really should be acknowledged in the price scheme,” wrote Travis McClain, a decade-long Netflix subscriber who felt compelled to express his frustrations on the company’s website.

The price hike came shortly after Sony Pictures Entertainment pulled its films from Netflix’s streaming program last month — a move Netflix maintains is “temporary.”

Rivals Hulu, Amazon Instant Video and other online subscription programs have failed to match the size of Netflix’s catalog.

However, Netflix can’t fall asleep on the couch. The cost to license from Hollywood is likely to increase substantially as deals expire and Netflix gains more influence on the studios’ businesses, analysts say.

As a workaround, Netflix plans to ink exclusive licensing deals with high-profile producers, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said at a technology conference last month. For starters, the company will broadcast “House of Cards,” a show starring Kevin Spacey and directed by David Fincher, maker of “Fight Club” and “The Social Network.”

Media executives have not been bashful in their recent panning of Netflix.

Comcast CEO Brian Roberts wasn’t convinced about Netflix’s impact on the industry, he said at a recent event hosted by Fortune magazine. Likewise, Jeffrey Bewkes, CEO of Time Warner, which is working on competing initiatives with HBO Go and TV Everywhere, likened Netflix to the unthreatening Albanian army. Time Warner also owns CNN.

In this case, Netflix is likely in search of additional revenue to offset the growing bandwidth and infrastructure costs, analysts say.

Until now, customers have been getting streaming services at a bargain, said Robert Levitan, the CEO of Pando Networks, a firm that provides streaming software to gaming companies and previously to NBC Universal.

“Consumers have an unlimited appetite for consuming streaming right now,” Levitan said. “We all tend to think, as consumers, that we just click ‘play,’ and it comes down. We don’t realize the physical and financial costs of serving that data.”

Among many consumers, Netflix is beloved. The company has ranked No. 1 for customer satisfaction in four consecutive years, according to surveys by market research firm ForeSee Results. But Amazon.com, which recently launched its own video-streaming service, narrowly edged Netflix in the most recent annual survey.

Netflix is launching new, unlimited DVD-only plans in the U.S. — but as a part of that move, it’s scrapping unlimited plans that include both physical DVDs and online streaming.

Subscription movie rental service Netflix (NFLX) said Tuesday that the changes are meant to “better reflect the costs” of each option. The changes cut prices slightly for customers who only want DVDs, but streaming video will now cost extra. Customers who want both options will essentially have to pay for two plans, raising their overall bill.

Netflix’s unlimited streaming-only plan will remain at $7.99 a month, while its “1 DVD at a time” plan will also cost $7.99. That means customers who want both streaming and DVDs will have to shell out at least $15.98 a month.

That’s a big jump from the $9.99 a month customers currently pay for a plan that offers unlimited streaming plus 1 DVD at a time.

The changes will be effective immediately for new customers and will take effect September 1 for existing members, Netflix said.

Netflix’s vanished Sony films are an ominous sign

The move comes as Netflix continues to shift its focus toward online streaming video — an option that, while popular, costs Netflix loads of cash as studios start commanding higher prices for their content.

Netflix’s announcement sparked an immediate and loud backlash from customers. By Tuesday afternoon, more than 3,000 comments filled the Netflix blog post announcing the changes — most overwhelmingly negative. Hundreds of commenters said they would cancel their plan, some in favor of rival streaming offerings from Hulu and Amazon (AMZN,Fortune 500).

Others planned to stock up on DVDs from rental kiosk Redbox (owned by Coinstar (CSTR)), which said earlier this year that it is working on its own streaming service to take on Netflix.

“The only way that this is terrific for the customer is if you plan to offer your entire collection available for streaming,” one respondent wrote on Netflix’s blog. “Otherwise this is just yet another way to choke more change out of your customers.”

“You’ve decided to raise customer rates during a period of economic downturn, when people are struggling to pay for basic necessities,” another customer wrote. “You’re forcing me to pay more for products and services I’ve paid for loyally for quite a while now. You’re really, REALLY making me reconsider this business relationship.”

Netflix first introduced streaming plans in 2007. Since then, the service’s membership has climbed from 6 million to 23 million in the U.S

This is about HDMI, something that sounds so perfect for this hobby, a single cable that handles every connection. I have waited for several years to upgrade to HDMI, I didn’t have a real need or an HDMI capable receiver, so I used alternative connection methods. Now I am ready to step into the modern world and boy am I… terribly disappointed.

HDMI is supposed to simplify my life, clean up the rats nest behind the component stand, and allow everything to communicate in an effort to make things work. It is so simple in theory, it’s a damn cable, you plug it in to each component and pass glorious 1080p images and Dolby TrueHD sound. If only it worked as advertised.

I was ready to blame everything on the UMC-1, and I will admit, it hasn’t made things easier but it isn’t the culprit. Despite every manufacturers promise that their components adhere to the rigorous specifications of HDMI , in this case HDMI 1.3, they don’t play nice with each other. Sony plays nice with Sony, Samsung plays nice with Samsung, but when you start to mix and match within a complicated system it all falls apart.

I set everything up and tested, it was all working beautifully, I basked in the brilliant sound of my Magnepan 1.6qr fronts while streaming FLAC. My wife was out of town and I was confident we would sit down and enjoy a movie when she got home. The first attempt was with my DirecTv HR21-100 DVR. I mashed the remote button and everything came to life, that was the end of my enthusiasm as the picture cut in and out, sound squawked occasionally from each speaker. No matter of playing got it to work until I did a reset on the DVR. After the 10 minute reboot cycle, everything was fine, it played nice but I could see the frustration in my wife’s eyes. This was not something she was willing to tackle on her own.

After considerable research I found that when you place the DVR in standby it continues to output video through HDMI. When turned back on it doesn’t perform a proper handshake and you get a pink image and odd behavior in general. Now I have to leave it on all the time. That doesn’t make me feel all green, even my strict adherence to recycling doesn’t make up for leaving the DVR on 24-7.

I have now convinced my wife that everything is working, the problem has been found and we will be able to enjoy our new Blu-Ray copy of Paul Simon’s Library of Congress show. Again, everything fired up, the flashing lights on the front of the rack were impressive, then the picture and sound vanished, the components all groaned and crackled as they fought to make nice with each other. The picture and sound returned, for a minute and the cycle started again. This continued through the show and ruined what was supposed to be a night we had waited for. My wife’s face said it all, I, the all knowing guru of home theater had let her down. The medals on my shirt were removed, the halo around my head vanished, and I sighed. I had let her down.

I played and researched, swapped cables, swore, tested, retested, swore some more, researched, tested, and swore, and so on. Every time I think it is working, it fails me when I need it most, when the woman I love, and who trusts me to make anything with a power cord easy for her to use.

I bypassed the UMC-1 for testing purposes and quickly found the video problems still existed. HDMI sounds great, it should be great but the manufacturers have fucked things up to the point that it only works in the simplest systems, if at all. I know many people that have no problems with HDMI, most connecting components directly to a TV. I have found HDMI problems discussed with every receiver, pre/pro, from every manufacturer. Unless you get lucky, you are eventually going to have an HDMI induced problem.

So what is a guy to do, component cable and analog multi-channel are an option but using component cables will be an issue soon because of the new copyright restrictions, no more HD over component. The simple fact is that manufacturers need to get their act together and ensure everything works with every other thing. I am hoping I get things figured out soon but I have my doubts.

Now the manufacturers of these 3D televisions are warning users that you can’t drink while you watch 3D, can’t watch while you are tired, you can’t place your TV near stairs, cables, or any potential item that you could trip on while terribly disoriented, suffering a 3D induced stroke, or simply attempting to find a glass of water on the stand next to your chair. This would be a real problem in my house where the dogs are a constant and moving obstacle. It would only take a few hours before I tripped over one of them and landed on another, squashing it into goo.

It gets better though, well worse, you see, using the 3D glasses can hurt your eyes, as in damage your eyesight. I am sure optometrists everywhere are celebrating. The list goes on and on.  Here is the full discloser.

 Some viewers may experience an epileptic seizure or stroke when exposed to certain flashing images or lights contained in certain television pictures or video games. If you or any of your family has a history of epilepsy or stroke, please consult with a medical specialist before using the 3D function.  If you experience any of the following symptoms, immediately stop watching 3D pictures and consult a medical specialist: (1) altered vision; (2) lightheadedness; (3) dizziness; (4) involuntary movements such as eye or muscle twitching; (5) confusion; (6) nausea; (7) loss of awareness; (8) convulsions; (9) cramps; and/or (10) disorientation. Parents should monitor and ask their children about the above symptoms as children and teenagers may be more likely to experience these symptoms than adults

 Viewing in 3D mode may also cause motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain, and decreased postural stability. It is recommended that users take frequent breaks to lessen the likelihood of these effects. If you have any of the above symptoms, immediately discontinue use of this device and do not resume until the symptoms have subsided.

We do not recommend watching 3D if you are in bad physical condition, need sleep or have been drinking alcohol.

 Watching TV while sitting too close to the screen for an extended period of time may damage your eyesight. The ideal viewing distance should be at least three times the height of the TV screen. It is recommended that the viewer’s eyes are level with the screen.

 Watching TV while wearing 3D Active Glasses for an extended period of time may cause headaches or fatigue. If you experience a headache, fatigue or dizziness, stop watching TV and rest

 Do not use the 3D Active Glasses for any purpose other than viewing 3D television. Wearing the 3D Active Glasses for any other purpose (as general spectacles, sunglasses, protective goggles, etc.) may physically harm you or weaken your eyesight.

 Viewing in 3D mode may cause disorientation for some viewers. DO NOT place your television near open stairwells, cables, balconies or other objects that may cause you to injure yourself.

Anyone still think 3D is viable?

As the system evolved I noted a number of things, the most important being that movies, all movies, took on a more realistic feel. I turned off the bass shakers at my wife’s request one night and have never turned them back on. In moving further to the music side, I have in fact improved the movie experience, but this is getting off topic.

The realization that disturbs me is that I have been searching for music based on how well it is recorded, much like I would buy a movie, knowing it would be terrible but the action soundtrack would make it worthwhile. I found myself searching Google for “highest audio quality music recordings” or any number of variations of the same. Looking over the stack of my most recently acquired CD’s and SACD’s quickly shows that, well, most of them have been played once, some only halfway through. I am buying music I don’t even care for, but the sound quality really kicks ass.

I have also avoided music I like based on the fact that it will sound less than satisfying, OK, probably terrible on my main system. Much of today’s recordings are so over compressed to make them sound loud on an iPod that no dynamics are left. Granted, most consumers don’t make a habit of sitting down with a good glass of bourbon and simply listen, sit in the sweet spot and let an hour pass without moving, checking email, or surfing the web. Most people have music around them all the time, it has become the background of our lives and few of us still hold onto the passion of dedicated listening sessions.

So what am I to do? First off, I am going to stop buying based on reference sound quality, yes, buy less and enjoy more. I had to do it with my movie collection, now I need to do it with my music collection.

The second disturbing trend in my media room began when I built a dedicated PC, mega-dollar soundcard, and touch screen monitor, to listen to lossless FLAC files. I love the convenience, and the sound is better than many high priced CD players. It has changed how I listen to music, and not for the better. I will say that it is great for playing music around the house in the evening while sharing a bottle, or two of wine with my wife.

The evil side comes out as soon as I sit down for dedicated listening time. I have always listened to recordings from beginning to end, mulling over the artists choice of track selection, seeing the work as a whole. Now I sit down and start filling the queue in the Ultimate Jukebox software, jumping between songs, listening to half a song, and jumping all over the collection. This is great on my iPod or in the car, but not in my media room.

I spend all my time mulling over the collection, I am NOT listening to the music, I am busy planning my next song and rethinking that selection, endlessly ignoring what is coming out of the speakers. I am vowing right now to stop this lunacy and get back to what I enjoy most. From this point on I am going to play my discs from beginning to end and I am only going to bring home the music I love. There may be a serious lack of quality recordings out there but the music is alive and worthy of listening. If nothing else, the rare, well recorded disc will be a wonderful surprise and the rest, well; I can always play them in the car or on my iPod.

Emotiva XPA-3

The history of the receiver has been one of love/hate for years. Priced with the most expensive receivers when I bought it in 2001, it was a high quality unit with all of the current bells and whistles. I have brought in flagship receivers from Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, Sunfire, and more, all in an attempt to bring the newer technologies, like HDMI, into my theater. Sadly the sound quality of these other receivers left me flat and the Kenwood always found itself back in the rack.

My wife and I agreed that we should rebuild the system as part of a larger home remodeling. It was then that I decided separates were the way to go. While almost all of the receivers I have tested were adequate (not perfect) for home theater, I was finding myself listening to considerably more music than in the past. This is where the receivers, several costing upwards of $5,000, left me wanting. Even my prized Kenwood (The Sovereign series was an acclaimed product in its day) was never up to the task of serious stereo listening.

I had already started researching options for a pre/pro and amplifiers before the demise of the front amps. I had even brought a few home from a local shop to test and I found a few I really liked. The prices however started around $3,000 for 2 channels, which meant I would have to wait until the summer renovation when it was financially feasible.

I decided to take my own advice from an earlier article and look at the direct online manufacturers. Having already tested the Outlaw Audio 7500, a 5 channel amp with 200W per channel, I knew it wasn’t for me. While the additional power to the Magnepans was welcome, the sound was chaotic, the amp simply wasn’t going to take control of these speakers the way the more expensive amps did.

I jumped over to the Emotiva Audio website and after careful deliberation, selected their XPA-3 amp.  This amp offers 200W into 8 ohm and 300W into 4 ohm. I expected a repeat of my experience with the Outlaw amp and made sure the box was ready for a return trip…Boy was I surprised.  I don’t want to get ahead of myself here, so I will walk you through the entire setup.

Getting Started

When I placed my order, late in the evening, I didn’t expect more than a quick “We received your order” email. I in fact received several emails and they were automated. This isn’t unusual in itself, what was unusual was that they came from the email addresses of real, living, breathing Emotiva employees. This really gave me a good feeling about Emotiva as a company and backed up everything I had heard about their amazing service.

After placing my order, I spent the next few days tearing my system apart to make room for the new amp. I built a flexy rack a few years ago and being as I am not a carpenter; my placement of the supporting rods limited the width of usable space on each shelf more than I had anticipated. After taking careful measurements, I rearranged the components and prayed. I was also worried about the racks ability to house this beast, at 57lbs, without collapsing and making me cry.

When the red faced, FedEx driver kicked at my door (I have no idea why he didn’t use a dolly) I answered and let him quickly unburden himself. Everything I ordered was there in separate boxes. In addition to the amp, I ordered the Emotiva ET-3 trigger module as the Kenwood’s triggers were unreliable with non-Kenwood products. The third box contained the Emotiva X-Series RCA cables, which were offered at 20% off.

I opened the trigger first, mostly because the size of the boxed amp scared me. I was expecting a plastic, light toy inside… it wasn’t. I was immediately impressed with the solid metal heft of this little item. If they build a trigger module like this, what the hell is the amp going to be like?

Next came the cables. They looked fancy and all on the website but they are even more impressive in your hand. I learned a long time ago not to make a determination of cable quality based on looks. These are sure pretty though and I will talk more about them later in the article.

Now it was time, everything was set in place and I spent a few minutes ensuring I had a clear path to the rack, cables handy, and picked up the amp. I should mention that I failed in my first attempt, it seems I am getting old, yet still believe I can toss linemen aside like swatting flies. I can’t. I was ready on the second attempt and waddled through the house to the theater. This thing is heavy!

I generally could care less when a reviewer describes the packaging but in this instance, it is noteworthy. The amp was double boxed and not like every other component I have had delivered over the years. The inner box is designed to fit perfectly into the outer box, no ghost turds (packing peanuts) used in the hope that everything will be alright. There is no chance of movement at all. The inner box opens up to what appears to be a third box, it is however a heavy cardboard cover attached to the molded Styrofoam container. Another nice touch is the inclusion of 2 notches in the base of the packaging, designed to allow your hands to slide under the amp and pull it out. No shaking the component to release it from the package, no swearing, no broken back, I simply bent my knees (highly recommended) and lifted the amp out.

Because of its weight I headed right for the rack and wiggled it into place before looking at it. After a sigh of relief that the rack never even groaned and patting myself on the back for building such a sturdy piece of furniture, I stood back and admired the unit. If nothing else its build quality is breathtaking and in my opinion, so is its understated looks. The traditional Emotiva black with silver trim is elegant and also screams power. I would be proud to display a rack filled with these products based on looks alone.

I unplugged the Kenwood (which will be my temporary pre/pro) and began searching the amp box for the manual. It only took a few seconds to determine, it didn’t come with one. It seems that Emotiva is currently revising their manuals and current editions are available online. This wasn’t a problem but I really like to have a hardcopy of my manuals stored in my very organized manual file. OK, it isn’t organized as much as it is a haphazard stack in the box, but I can always find what I am looking for.

Emotiva did include something I never expected though, an Emotiva T-shirt and even if I wasn’t a sucker for a free T, which I am, it is a very nice touch.

Just to ensure I didn’t do anything stupid in my haste, I pulled up the manual on my netbook. As expected, setup for an amp is very simple and I made the connections in less than 2 minutes, including reading through the included manual for the trigger. I double checked my connections and plugged the amp and Kenwood into the wall. I sighed in relief again at the complete lack of smoke, fireworks, or electronic crackling. Standing back I took a deep breath and pressed “Listen to Music” on my Harmony 670 remote.

I watched the Kenwood light up and awaited the delayed startup of the amp. After several seconds the room filled with a blinding blue glow as the trigger powered up. I am not exaggerating when I say blinding, the LED lights on the trigger could be used for landing airplanes, far too bright for theater application by a thousand fold. When I had regained my sight I stood dumbfounded as the front of the XPA-3 continued to glow orange. I scratched my head for a moment, checked all of the wires and was about to cry when I remembered that the amp has a power button on the back.

I turned everything off and turned the power switch to on and started the process again. I had enough sense to push the trigger behind some other components this time and watched with glee as the amp face began to glow blue. The LED indicator lights for each amp flashed red in turn before all three turned blue.

I verified that the amp was working by pumping 30 seconds of music through it and was immediately amazed. I had promised myself I would do a full calibration for every component before sitting down for serious listening so I turned off the tunes and calibrated the Kenwood followed by my  Sony BDP-550 and Pioneer Elite DV-79AVi. Now it was time for some dedicated listening.

The Experience

I sat down next to the touch screen jukebox I had recently built using an older computer with an added Xonar Essence STX soundcard with ASIO4 drivers to bypass windows completely, providing bit perfect playback of my FLAC collection, all ripped using EAC. The GUI chosen is Ultimate Jukebox and this combination is capable of outstanding audiophile playback. I have heard few dedicated players that can match it and they all cost an arm and a leg.

David ‘Fathead’ Newman’s, Skylark, from the Diamondhead CD began. This song is full of breathy saxophone and has become a regular reference song in my collection. The soundstage was forward and wide, pleasantly so. I began to notice more of David’s raspy reed as he held onto the final note of short passages. The intake of his breath was clearly audible and his position in the room was clearly defined. The bass, drums, and other instruments all appeared across the room, separated as I have only heard with the highest quality amps.

The XPA-3 was taking control of the Maggies, and forcing them into submission. By their nature, Magnepans display an incoherence when underpowered or with lower quality amps. The Maggies need an amp that can own them; I would go as far as to say the Emotiva simply made the 1.6Q’s its bitches.

I continued being amazed as I worked my way through Il Divo’s, Hallelujah,and many others. I recently picked up Susan Boyles new CD and was less than impressed with the sound quality. I decided to give I Dreamed a Dream a try and I am glad I did. Susan’s voice swam in front of the orchestra, each note beautifully detailed, filled with life, and powerful. What I had dismissed as a lackluster recording was in fact wonderful and the Kenwood was simply unable to bring it to its full potential.

The speakers themselves had lost the shrill high end and the bass is simply fantastic. I now turned to my reference DVDs, starting with Peter Gabriel’swell recorded, Growing Up concert.  I jumped to Sky Blue, which never fails to impress through quality amps. I can gauge the quality not with my ears alone, when the Blind Boys of Alabama are lifted onto the stage, it is a powerful vocal display that raises the hairs on the back of my neck. The XPA-3 sounded as good on this piece as any amp I have heard, at any price.

Moving on now, I worked through my collection and was thrilled with the quality of sound and improved detail in every scene I selected. Equally important, there was a significant improvement in the sound of the rear channels. Without the need to drive all 5 speakers, the Kenwood was able to drive the MMG rears with authority. The MCC3 center channel was also more intelligible through the Emotiva, adding weight to dialog.

Last night my wife joined me for the first full movie since installation. Inglourious Basterds is a master work in my opinion. The Blu-Ray version offers a DTS-HD Master audio soundtrack that is very dynamic. The heavy dialog that makes up most of the movie is always, eventually, punctuated by the tearing of bullets, the cracking of heads, or bombastic explosions. The XPA-3 displayed the dynamics skillfully, with surgical precision. The dialogue was clean and crisp leading up to the inevitable explosion of violence, which the Emotiva handled with ease and recreated perfectly.

The best way I can describe the difference between the dynamic differences of this amp and any receiver I have tried is to picture a rubber band. Lay the rubber band on a table and draw a series of lines across it to represent dynamic volume levels. In its static form on the table the dynamics are compressed, now stretch the rubber band. The lines spread out and this is how the addition of a high quality amp changes the sound. The range of dynamics are much greater, the changes more defined and realistic.  The better definition of each dynamic point makes the soundtrack come to life.

I did some testing between the X-Series cables from Emotiva VS my Bluejean reference cables. I don’t buy into the high dollar cable market but I do know there is a difference between low end analog cables and the middle market, which is where I place these cables. I found no difference in sound between the two but based on cost and looks, I will be using the X-series cables from now on.

Conclusion

As far as the XPA-3 is concerned, I am keeping it. It easily bests any receiver amps I have ever heard and gives higher dollar amps a real run for their money. I won’t claim that they are as good as the Macintosh, Bryston, or other high dollar amps but unless you really want to pay 3 or 4 times as much, these amps can’t be beat. Truth be told, I would bet that damn few of us have the speakers and other equipment to notice a difference, these amps are simply fantastic and even if it was $2,000 instead of $600, it would be one hell of a bargain.

Emotiva is a solid company with a great reputation. Read their story here and take the time to look over their impressive products. Emotiva also has a forum filled with helpful owners and dreamers. I spent considerable time lurking there and found it both entertaining and insightful.

Emotiva also makes speakers and pre/pros, including the long awaited UMC-1 which began shipping this week. If their pre/pro is anything like their amps, I will be a new owner this summer however I may hold out for the XMC-1, which will be their flagship model. If Emotiva reads this, I would be happy to run the UMC-1 through its paces and offer a review. It can’t hurt to wish you know.

All Along the Watchtower, Like a Rolling Stone, Blowin’ in the Wind, Lay Lady Lay, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door… They were all songs I loved but I never knew they were the work of one man, Bob Dylan, a man that up until this point, I had dismissed as a wack-job from the 60′s with a voice that, well, I could never even make out what he was saying back then.

Initially I preferred the versions I heard from Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and others, hell, everyone had done a cover of Bob’s tunes somewhere along the line. Eventually I became drawn into the soulful. emotional and heartfelt versions Bob did on his own. Then I started to listen to his less than spectacular shots of the 80′s and 90′s. There was always a spark of genius but little more.

Then in 1997 Time Out of Mind came out and Bob Dylan had changed. The music was wider, deeper and more soulful than all but his earliest work. I was hooked again and in 2006 Modern Times shared equal time in my car CD with Tom Petty’s Highway Companion for nearly a year. It was a masterpiece that I couldn’t get enough of.

On May 5th, Dylan’s new work, Together Through Life came out, I have listened to it several times already and although I find it a slight step back from Modern Times, I am far from disappointed. Dylan delves into a darker place here, brushing closer to death than before, both the idea of his mortality and the loss of others. If You Ever go to Houston and My Wife’s Home Town look at murder, either barely escaped or heavily threatened. Life is Hard and Forgetful Heart come from a nearness to the grave and a you get a sense that Bob can feel the icy breath of death on the back of his neck.

Together Through Life includes more southern style accordion than his previous work and it is provided by Los Lobos’ David Hidalgo while Tom Petty’s, Mike Campbell sets the mood with his amazing talent on guitar.

Together Through Life may not make it through a year in my car but it will likely get me through the summer. Pick it up along with any of the last 4 Dylan albums and you will quickly understand why Bob Dylan retains the crown as both poet and songwriter. Besides, when I listen to Bob now, I can always understand what he is saying.