And then, of course, there are speaker-level outputs, which are clearly labeled and well-spaced and feel a bit nicer than you might expect at this price point. There’s also a 12V trigger output, handy if you’re using an external amp. You’ll need to download a driver for the latter from Emotiva’s website if you’re using a Windows machine, but setup is quick and easy, and it doesn’t require the fiddling and calisthenics normally required in setting up a USB driver for a hi-fi device. Next up: the digital input section, which includes independently selectable S/PDIF coaxial (RCA), optical (TosLink), and USB (Type-B) inputs, all capable of handling PCM up to 24-bit/192kHz. That switch also controls the output of the main amplifier and hence the speaker-level outputs, which we’ll get to in due time.Ĭontinuing our eastward journey, the next connection you’ll stumble upon is the coaxial FM radio input, which can be used with the included thin-wire antenna or a beefier outdoor antenna if needed. The latter is full range unless you flip the dipswitch next to it to High Pass. The analog output section is broken into two parts, labeled “X-Over Out” and “Main Out.” The former comprises a mono low-pass output for use with a subwoofer and a stereo pair of high-pass outputs, with the active 12dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley crossover fixed at 90Hz. Flip the unit around and take a peek at the back panel, and you’re greeted with (from left to right) a stereo RCA phono input (with a grounding post and MC/MM dipswitch) and two RCA line-level stereo analog inputs (labeled CD and Aux), followed by an analog output section that proves to be pretty elegant and straightforward despite being more than a little flexible. Given all that it attempts to do, you could forgive Emotiva’s new integrated amp for being a bit unwieldy, but it’s actually quite streamlined in both its connectivity and its day-to-day operation. Amplifier topology remains class AB, and the TA1 still relies on the same Analog Devices AD1955 DAC chip as its forebear. It’s also a step up from its predecessor, the TA-100, in terms of rated power output, with 60Wpc RMS into 8 ohms (both channels driven full range THD <0.02%) or 100Wpc RMS into 4 ohms (both channels driven 1kHz THD <1%). In other words, it’s everything you need to serve as the heart of a fully featured stereo system-just add speakers and perhaps a turntable and/or media streamer if you’re so inclined.Īll of the above is packed into a slim (2.625″ high × 17″ wide × 12.5″ deep) chassis that’s a step up for Emotiva in terms of styling. But then again, neither does “Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner with Integrated Amplifier.” Unwieldy as that epithet is, it manages to overlook the fact that the TA1 is also a phono preamp (MM and MC), a Bluetooth receiver (version 5, with support for AAC, AptX, and AptX HD codecs), a very nice bass-management system, and a headphone amplifier to boot. Me? I’d probably name it something like “The Kitchen Sink”-or just a stereo receiver, which is what we titled it for this review.Īnd you could argue that none of these names are terribly descriptive, failing as they do to capture all of the features of the BasX TA1. I think they’d dub it “Stereo Pro Max” or “Stereo Ultra” or some such. My question to you is: would they call the thing the “BasX TA1 Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner with Integrated Amplifier”? I submit that they wouldn’t. They probably wouldn’t, mind you, but this is a thought experiment. Imagine if Apple or Amazon or Roku-or any consumer electronics company whose name rolls off the tongue of your average consumer-developed a product like Emotiva’s “BasX TA1 Stereo Preamp/DAC/Tuner with Integrated Amplifier” ($549, all prices USD). I should state right up front that I have absolutely no experience in marketing or product branding, so take everything that follows in this and the next paragraph with the appropriate dosage of salt. Note: for the full suite of measurements from the SoundStage! Audio-Electronics Lab, click this link.
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