emotiva basx a2 sitting on box

My 5 min no BS subjective review of the emotiva BasX A2 power amplifier.

Overview

Ok so this is how we’re going to roll for today’s review.

We’ll take our reference system (scroll down on the linked page until you reach the correct title, otherwise kick back and read the entire article then check the links later) and swap out the Sony TA-N55EES/ TA-N330ES for the emotiva BasX A2 power amp for testing.

Play a few songs we know well that have a ton of detail and sound amazeballs.

Provide a brief no BS review of our subjective thoughts on the BasX A2 power amp from emotiva.

few more snaps from our testing sessions

Who are emotiva?

emotiva is a US based HiFi manufacturer started back in 2004 by Dan Laufman, I’m quoting the emotiva website “emotiva had one goal: to offer exceptionally designed, high performance products at prices that more people could afford and enjoy.”

I believe customers should be the only judges of that particular statement 🙂

So let’s put that statement to the test!

My Thoughts on the emotiva BasX A2

How does the BasX A2 sound?

– Clean – no audible noise can be heard when the volume is turned up on the pre-amp without music playing. I put my ear up to the speakers and was happy with the results, zero noise from the sitting position 2.5m away on the couch.

– Transparent – Audibly i couldn’t tell the difference on our reference setup when switching out the Sony’s aside from having less power, let me tell you the Sony’s are amazing and can drive most speakers easily so having the A2 step in and sound very similar was an unexpected surprise.

– Punchy – it drives the Polk R100 very well, obviously with less power than the Sony’s but with approx 40% less power this is to be expected. The Sony’s 300W/ channel vs A2 160W/ channel, yea turn the preamp up higher and you can reach uncomfortably loud levels of clean sound over 100 DB in my listening position easily (this DB level includes running our Rel t7x subs), the R100’s will give up before the amp does.

– The A2 can drive difficult speakers into uncomfortably loud volumes in our space 64m2 and at the optimal listening position 2.5m at the couch.

– Dynamic swings in the music are easily reproduced with accuracy running the Polk R100 + A2 combo, the Polk R100’s are rated between 30-150W @8Ω nominal impedance and can drop down to 3.6 Ω so having that little extra power on tap with the A2 allows the R100 to be driven effortlessly.

Some technical stuff

– The A2 can handle both 4Ω and 8Ω loads in a pinch

– Power is rated at 250W @4Ω and 160W @8Ω/ channel.

– Dampening factory of 500 @8Ω loads, this is really an excellent DF! A simplified explanation of DF is the measurement assigned to how well an amp can start/stop speakers.

– Only single ended RCA inputs are available but I never see this as an issue if you have other grounded components in the stack. RCA’s work perfectly well and can be noise free with the right setup.

– Trigger connections allow you to seamlessly connect to other devices for synchronised power down and up from standby, makes life a little easier if you like to put electrical items in standby.

– Front panel LEDs for standby and power or you can switch off the blue power LEDs with the flick of a switch on the back.

– Binding posts are robust and nice to grip

The Box

– Easy on the eye – well this is 100% subjective it’s a black, sleek looking full sized component and can easily be hidden in your stack with the LED’s switched off. I personally like the look with a balance between futuristic and camouflaged to blend in with other gear.

– Well made and solid to the touch, nice buttons it all just works and delivers what’s promised on the box.

A2 Specifications

To save clicks I’ve pasted the specifications below.

Audio Specifications

Power Output: (Two Channels Driven)

– 160 watts RMS per channel; 20 Hz – 20 kHz; THD < 0.1%; into 8 Ohms

– 250 watts RMS per channel; 1 kHz; THD < 1%; into 4 Ohms

– Power Bandwidth (at rated power; 4 Ohm – 8 Ohm load): 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+ / – 0.07 dB)

– Broad Band Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 80 kHz +0/-1.8 dB

– THD + noise: < 0.02% (A-weighted); ref rated power

– Signal to Noise Ratio (8 Ohm load): > 112 dB; ref rated power; (A-weighted)

– Minimum Recommended Load Impedance (per channel): 4 Ohms (equals one 4 Ohm load or two paralleled 8 Ohm loads).

– Damping Factor (8 Ohm load): > 500

– Input Sensitivity (for rated power; 8 Ohm load): 1.2 V

– Gain: 29 dB

– Input Impedance: 27 kOhms

– Input And Output Connections

– Input Connections: Unbalanced (RCA); one each per channel

– Speaker Output Connections: Audiophile grade 5-way binding posts

Trigger:

– Trigger Input: 5 – 12 V (AC or DC); <10 mA input current required.

– Trigger Output: 12 VDC; can drive any load up to 120 mA.

Power Requirements

– 115 VAC or 230 VAC @ 50 / 60 Hz (automatically detected).

– Front Panel Controls and Indicators

– Standby: push button

– Status LEDs: one per channel; blue

– Status LEDs change to red to indicate a fault condition

– Standby LED: amber

Rear Panel Controls

– AC Power switch: rocker switch (switches AC main power)

– Status LEDs switch: disables front panel Status LEDs

– Auto On – Source detectable auto on

Protection

The BasX A2 is protected against excessive operating temperature, shorted speaker connections, ground faults, and other common fault conditions.

Dimensions:

– 17” wide x 4” high x 15-1/2” deep (not including connectors)

– 21-1/2” wide x 8” high x 21” deep (boxed)

Weight:

– 25.2 lbs (11.4 KG) (unboxed)

– 33 lbs ( 14.9 KG) (boxed)

Songs played for testing.

– George Michael – Careless Whisper – (Album Version)

– The Commodores – The Night Shift – (Album Version)

– Michael Jackson – Thriller – (Album Version)

– Michael Jackson – Billie Jean – (Single Version)

– Beatles – While My Guitar Gently Breathes (2018 Min)

– Earth Wind Fire – Fantasy – (Album Version)

Lots more afterwards, but the above 6 are excellent for testing out sound quality. They are all very well recorded with instruments peppered throughout the sound stage, always enjoyable and very detailed.

Summery

Pros

– It’s a great amp from a well known company with over 20 years in the industry and great engineers who have been around even longer
– The price point is excellent
– Sound quality and power deliver in spades when paired correctly with the right components
– Clean sound
– Plenty of power for the average sized room

Con’s

– emotiva is based in the US so warranty will need to go back to the US (but we do have options for local repairs through certified technicians, that’s a discussion to be had in another post)

– Some audiophiles may consider the amp entry level due to the lack of balanced inputs, again we can offset this will other grounded components.

Final thoughts.

It’s not our vintage Sony reference amps but not many amps are. Yes it has less power but still plenty of power for many and the quality is a strong 8/10.

I highly recommend the emotiva BasX A2 power amplifier for those that are into separate components and are looking for an upgrade from their existing entry level systems to deliver a good amount of power for 2, 2.1 or Home Theatre setups.

Please remember pairing the A2 with the right components is essential.

Price point – Landed in AU after taxes and duties $1,250 approx based on the exchange rate at the time of import.

Are you interested in the BasX A2 or other components for your own setup?

Reach out if you feel like a chat about HiFi or need help putting together your own audiophile system.

Use the contact form below and I’ll be in touch.

Links

emotiva BasX A2