The XPA-DR3 is a high-powered three-channel audiophile power amplifier that combines the exceptional accuracy and finesse of a true balanced differential design with the power you need to deliver musical crescendos and movie special effects with stunning realism and impact. Whatever your listening preferences, the XPA-DR3 will give you the combination of detail and power than only a fully differential amplifier can provide.

The XPA-DR3 features three of our Differential Reference™ Amplifier Modules, and is the ideal choice to power the critical front three channels of an absolutely awesome surround sound music or home theater system. The XPA-DR3 delivers 450 watts RMS into 8 Ohms, and 600 watts RMS into 4 Ohms, all three channels driven, with less than 0.1% THD.

The Power Supply: The Foundation Of A Great Amplifier

In amplifier design, everything starts with the power supply. The XPA-DR3 features a custom-configured version of our 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. Our 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, our SMPS delivers plenty of continuous power to enable our 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, our SMPS is lighter and more efficient; it’s also fully regulated, which ensures optimum performance under a wider range of load conditions.  

The Latest In A Long Line Of Great Amplifiers

The Differential Reference Amplifier Modules we use in our XPA-DR amplifiers use the same basic circuit topology as our 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 complementary, fully discrete output stage. A pair of these modules work together in perfect synergy to power a single channel of one of our 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-DR3 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 Optimized Class H Efficiency

The Differential Reference™ Modules in the XPA-DR3 each use utilize a matched pair of amplifier modules, each of which features our fully analog Class A/B output stage, and our 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 minimize 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.

The Benefits Of A Fully Differential Balanced Power Amplifier

Most experts agree that, if you want the absolute best sound quality and technical performance, you should use dedicated separate components. Because our power amplifiers are designed for a single purpose, we 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 Modules in the XPA-DR3 are each 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, we are able to achieve even lower levels of distortion in the XPA-DR3, resulting in remarkably transparent sound, with unprecedented smoothness and clarity.

When you put it all together, the XPA-DR3 is simply the finest three-channel amplifier we can devise, and we’re sure you’ll be as impressed with its performance as we are.

Designed and Assembled in the USA with Globally Sourced Components

The XPA-DR3 is designed, assembled, and tested in the USA, where we use the finest materials and latest technologies to bring you world-class products. Each Emotiva amplifier is carefully designed with premium components to deliver a stunningly capable, reliable, and refined system.

Latest and Greatest

A new approach to amplifier design.

When we set out to make the new X Series line, we analyzed everything in every amplifier we’ve ever made, from front to back, inside, and out. In doing so, we discovered several areas where our years of experience, and advances in audio technology, indicated that we could make significant improvements in our amplifier designs. After carefully weighing all the pros and cons, we kept the best features of our original designs, added a new set of optimizations and improvements, and the result became the foundation of our new line of audiophile amplifiers. The new XPA-DR amplifiers are the fully differential members of our new XPA amplifier family, and carry our philosophy of continuous product improvement to its ultimate conclusion.

Modular Construction

Each XPA-DR Differential Reference™ Power Amplifier is comprised of a heavy-duty chassis, which houses our massively overdesigned, fully regulated, 3 kW 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, and so need not be updated when the XPA-DR is expanded; on the rear panel, slots not occupied by amplifier modules will be covered with protective cover panels. (The XPA-DR3 is configured with a full complement of three Differential Reference Modules already installed.)

Note: To ensure that amplifier channels are always installed properly, and function to our specifications, amplifier modules must be installed by Emotiva, or by your local authorized Emotiva service representative.

Circuit Topology

A fully modular, fully differential, fully balanced audio power amplifier with a high-efficiency switch mode power supply (SMPS), independent, fully discrete, dual differential, high current, short signal path Class A/B amplifier modules, Optimized Class H™ power supply topology, and microprocessor-controlled fault protection.

NOTE: This is a fully balanced amplifier with a floating, differential output stage. The output terminals must NEVER be tied together or ground referenced. Doing so will cause immediate damage that is NOT covered under warranty. If you have any questions about speaker compatibility, please contact Emotiva for technical support.

Audio Specifications

The XPA-DR3 features three Differential Reference™ Amplifier Modules.  

Audio Specifications (Three Differential Reference Amplifier Modules):

Power Output (all three channels driven):
450 watts RMS, per channel, into 8 Ohms, at <0.1% THD.
600 watts RMS, per channel, into 4 Ohms, at <0.1% THD.

Power Bandwidth (at rated power; 4 Ohm - 8 Ohm load): 20 Hz to 20 kHz (+ / – 0.1 dB).

Broad Band Frequency Response: 20 Hz to 50 kHz +0/-2 dB.

THD + noise: < 0.015%; at 100 watts RMS; 1 kHz; 8 Ohms.

Signal to Noise Ratio (8 Ohm load):
> 120 dB; ref FTC rated power; unbalanced input (A-weighted).
> 96 dB; ref 1 watt; unbalanced input (A-weighted).

Minimum Recommended Load Impedance (per channel): 4 Ohms
(which 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): 2.0 V.

Gain: 29 dB.

• Maximum Power Consumption: 2,300 watts.
  Note: The values shown refer to the amount of power the amplifier would 
  consume while playing test tones continuously, on all channels, at full power, into a load bank. Therefore they are not at all characteristic of what you would expect when playing music or the sound track from a movie. Normal audio signals are dynamic, so the amount of power they require from second to second varies widely, and the average is far lower than this. With normal content, even playing very loudly, one of our amplifiers will consume far less power than indicated in the chart, so these values should not be considered to be a circuit requirement for normal operation.

Input Impedance:
33 kOhms (balanced).
23.5 kOhms (unbalanced).

Input And Output Connections

Input Connections:
Unbalanced (RCA); balanced (XLR); one each, per channel, user selectable.

Speaker Output Connections: Audiophile grade, gold plated, 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

Between 100 VAC and 250 VAC @ 50 / 60 Hz (automatically detected).

Front Panel Controls and Indicators

Standby: push button (halo ring changes color to indicate Standby or On).

Status LEDs: one per channel; blue.
Status LEDs change to red to indicate a fault condition.

Rear Panel Controls

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

Status LEDs switch: disables front panel Status LEDs and dims Standby button halo.

Input selector switches (one per channel): 
metal toggle switches; select between balanced and unbalanced inputs.

Circuit Breaker: press button to reset circuit breaker.

Protection

The XPA-DR3 is protected against excessive operating temperature, shorted speaker connections, ground faults, and other common fault conditions.

Mechanical

Dimensions:
17” wide x 8” high x 19” deep (unboxed; including feet).
17” wide x 7” high x 19” deep (unboxed; without feet).
24-1/2” wide x 12” high x 24-3/4” deep (boxed).

Weight:
49.5 lbs (unboxed).
54.5 lbs (boxed).

Downloads

Download Product Manual