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Why No Love For Peachtree Audio?

I am running a Peachtree Audio Grand Integrated X-1 (Class D 440W at 8 ohms) amp through Joseph Audio Profile floorstanding speakers.  I realize that this is not "high end" but it sounds pretty darn good and the connectivity of this amp can't be beat.  It has inputs for usb, toslink optical, coax digital and rca plugs. There is a home theater by-pass (though I only run it as a two-channel set up) and other common goodies. The DAC, while maybe not state of the art, is as good as many others touted on this forum.  I use this set up in the living room as our all-around stereo for music and tv (not a dedicated listening room) and it suits that purpose quite well. The original MAP at over $4k was optimistic, but a good used one can be picked up for well under $2k. At that price it is a bargain.

Why are there no good words for Peachtree Audio products on this forum.  It almost seems like that brand is held in disdain here.  What's up with that?
larstusor
output555
128 posts
 
I've been a big fan of Peachtree for more than a decade. Dollar for dollar their stuff is among the best value for audiophiles on a budget. In fact, some of their gear, like the DeepBlue Sky bluetooth speaker beats anything comparable on the market, at any price. I owned three of their headphone amps/DACs and loved them. The only knock I have against them in terms of quality control was a really annoying bluetooth connectivity issue with the DeepBlue Gen 1 speaker. Most of their stuff is made in Canada nowadays and is superbly built and designed. Their customer service is top notch, too.
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,550 posts
 
Good to hear! On paper, their stuff seems hard to beat for overall performance and value.
braccio69
11 posts
 
I have my Nova300 ( Core Power Valiant Gold power cord) paired with  B&W N803s  ( Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cable) and it sounds very very good. I use this set up strictly for streaming Qobuz from a Node2i (Morrow Audio MA4 IC's). Definitely sounds much better than using pre outs to the DR2 @550wpc. 
arafiq's avatar
arafiq
1,702 posts
 
I wonder how much of people’s impressions were formed several years ago, and might not be relevant today. I bought a Peachtree Nova 125 about 6-7 years ago and tried so hard to love it. Initially, what attracted me to the amp was the sizzle it provided at the top of the frequency range, but over tine it became clear that it was the main culprit when it came to listener fatigue. I also had some quality problems with the unit. The tube buffer thing was a gimmick IMO, I could never tell the difference.

I sold it after two years and bought a Parasound A23 and P5 combo. The difference was night and day. The sound was balanced top to bottom, fuller especially in the midrange area, and just more musical overall. I never considered a Peachtree after that.

However, I do wonder how much of my opinion is outdated at this point. And this applies not just to Peachtree but other class D amps as well.
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