Emotiva XPS-1: the next great budget phono stage?

rolltide said:
The blue light was covered in electrical tape in less then an hour in my setup :D

I'm convinced Emotiva asked the makers of the ART DJ where they source insanely bright blue lights.
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Oh no, cover it up--what a shame--:D it reminds me of my summer jobs at K-Mart during college. Surely some of you must remember the "Blue Light Special"
 
I've read enough about this that I ordered one this morning :yes:

I'm out of town. It will be waiting for me when I get back home :thmbsp:
 
I'm not fretting over the blue light--the whole unit slides conveniently under my turntable with space to spare...only on top for testing.

BTW, I noticed the sale is over...now $149
 
Glad I snagged mine just before the price increase.

SWMBO is sleeping so I only got to try at low listening level.

Project Debut Carbon ==> Ortfon 2m Red ==> XPS-1 ==> Grant Fidelity TubeDAC 11 ==> Fisher 400.

Certainly accomplishes a significant drop in the noise floor, the Fisher Phone stage was really noisy.

First impressions are great on Steely Dan's Katy Lied, nice open sound stage.

Will update as DAC and phonostage get some settling in time both are new now.
 
dcmfan said:
I have, at least for MM, and think they are comparable and very good. Clear detail, wide soundstage and dead quiet when they need to be. (This is with a Dual 1229q, Shure V15, and a Jico SAS if that helps...)

The USP-1 has fixed input settings: MM = 47kOhm. MC = 240 ohm.

Have not compared the MC inputs on the two. I like the XPS-1 settings at either 100 ohm or 47 ohm with my MC, so not sure my setup is the one to use for comparison.
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Thanks. Would it be a stretch to say these 3 phono stages are pretty comparable at the nominal settings, but 2 of them offer adjustability? I found the V15lll/SAS to be slightly on the bright side with the USP-1 even after adding 330 pf caps. I'm thinking of getting the XPS-1 for my TD-125 so I don't have to switch cables when I want to use my CS-5000.
 
shadco said:
Certainly accomplishes a significant drop in the noise floor, the Fisher Phone stage was really noisy.
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Right. But it could be run directly to the Fisher's line/aux/tape in (i.e. not to its phono in), and that should theoretically be even less noisy than routing the signal through the TubeDAC on its way to the Fisher. If you have one of those inputs open on the Fisher, that is...
 
skriefal said:
Right. But it could be run directly to the Fisher's line/aux/tape in (i.e. not to its phono in), and that should theoretically be even less noisy than routing the signal through the TubeDAC on its way to the Fisher. If you have one of those inputs open on the Fisher, that is...
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Fisher has 1 aux in.

My sources are

Sonos connect coax digital in on the DAC
SACD optical digital in on the DAC
Hires Flacs from computer USB in on the DAC
TT XPS-1 line in on the DAC
FM Fisher MPX Tuner built in so that doesn't need input
 
dninsan said:
Would love to try this little box of wonders but S&H too Europe it's almost as much as the item itself! :(
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Be happy to help at N/C if you can buy and have it shipped to an address in the USA. Only $24 to the Canary Islands from the USA...shoot me a PM if interested.
 
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