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Peachtree GaN 1 Beta

Before I start my post here is my current system for reference:

Auarlic Aries G1 --> Denafrips Terminator or SW1X DAC --> Audio GD HE1 XLR preamp or Sachs preamp --> various tube amps --> Cube Nenuphar Mini's w/ a pair of REL S510 subs. Cables and power conditioning commensurate with the rest of the system.

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As warmer months approach I have been looking for a cool running amp to replace my Line Magnetic LM-518 and other tube amps for a few months as they run pretty hot.

I've been interested in the GaN FET amps and just purchased a used LSA Voyager 350 Gan FET amp which I should receive in a few days. I've tried class D amps before and while they checked a lot of boxes I just didn't feel drawn in. However, I like to explore so I figured I'd try the GanFET and since the amp has zero feedback and my speakers seem to prefer amps with little or no feedback I figured it be worth checking out.

Today, Peachtree Audio sent out an email inviting users to a beta of their new Gan 1 amp. Here are some excerpts from their email:

 

What is the GaN 1?

In basic terms it is a 200 Watts-Per-Channel (WPC) Power Amplifier designed to be the sole interface between your digital audio device with a variable output, like a Bluesound NODE, and your speakers. The GaN 1 is a simple, pure and cost-effective audio solution: connect the GaN 1 to a streamer and a pair of speakers and you have an amazing Hi-Fi system. That's it...no DAC, no preamp and no input switching. The signal path from the music to your speakers is remarkably short and free of artifacts. Want to hear the intricate details in your music that have always been there, but you couldn't quite make them all out before? Then the GaN 1 is for you!

What makes the GaN 1 so special?

First and foremost is the GaN-FET amplifier module. It has several inherent advantages in a power amplifier that even the best MOS-FET designs simply cannot achieve. A GaN-FET power stage provides a precise high-power reproduction of the Class-D PWM signal with extremely high linearity. This linearity eliminates the need for ANY feedback, ultimately allowing for the best possible audio quality providing clean, clear middle and high frequencies and a tight, solid reproduction of low frequencies. GaN-FETs track the complex audio waveforms MUCH more accurately than MOS-FETs, resulting in significantly more transparent and natural sound. The difference is something even a casual listener can hear and appreciate. The GaN 1 is also designed so that it does NOT require a digital-to-analog-converter (DAC). The digital audio signal at the input directs the amplifier outputs to drive the speakers. Although DACs have continued to improve over the years, there is no DAC better than NO DAC! This concept is not new as similar devices known as "Power DACs" made quite a splash in our industry years ago. But this time around, by executing the concept with GaN-FETs, the bar is raised to an entirely new level.

Key Features at a Glance:
▪ 200 WPC state-of-the-art GaN-FET module
▪ ZERO feedback design
▪ Regulated 450-Watt power supply
▪ Coaxial S/PDIF input with native support up to 24-bit / 192kHz
▪ DAC-less design
▪ Power on/off trigger port
▪ All aluminum chassis
▪ No cooling fans

 

This sounded really interesting to me and since I have a good streamer I signed up for the amp beta only. One aspect that intrigues me is to create an extremely minimal signal path. My speakers are single driver, crossover-less design. Employing the GaN 1 will mean the system will be Auralic Aries --> GaN 1 --> Cube Nenuphar Mini's. Will that lead to a more engaging sound vs the full system? Will the Voyager GaN 350 outperform a tube amp in the full system? Who knows, should be fun to find out....

Now, I have no idea how either of these GaN FET amps will work with my speakers. The Cube Nenuphars seem to prefer amps with low damping and no negative feedback, which is more common with SET tube amps and Class A solid state amps. I'm not sure of the damping factor of the GaN FET amps, but both are Zero feedback designs, and both have way more wattage than I need. For reference, I have a 1.5 wpc 45 tube amp that sounds amazing with the Cubes, so high wattage is not required. I am interested though in what these amps will sound like compared to my tube amps, and I am particularly interested in what the streamer direct to amp Peachtree will sound like.

I am also looking to acquire a First Watt SIT-3, which is a great match with the Cubes, but now that they are no longer produced prices have gone above my current comfort level. If I can get one I will throw it into the experiment.

The Peachtree won't be shipped until sometime in June, or possibly later. In the meantime I will get the LSA Voyager in the next few days. I might even be able to get it hooked up this weekend so stay tuned, should be an interesting experiment...
abd1
ricevs
1,543 posts
 

Very good.  How will you be getting the digital signal to the coax input on the GaN 1 and how are you controlling the volume?.....ie. what is your signal path before the GaN1?

You could bi-amp and make your own speaker that might sound better than Kef or Yamaha driven with normal gear.....  You use the $600 minidsp xover and buy two amps and make a speaker using (for example) two Purifi woofs per side with a Beryllium tweeter in between...crossover at 1K at 48db per octave......With no passive xover and tweaking you will have sound that is unbelievable.  Anyone can make you the boxes.  You can even put them in a sealed box so you do not even have to know anything about box size and ports......just make the box as deep as you can and then just equalize using the crossover.....you should get punchy bass to 30 hz with two of the kick ass Purifi 6.5 inch woofs.

yyzsantabarbara
4,941 posts
 

@ricevs Not interested in building a speaker. I am going to be doing a second job in Jan 2023 and have no time for anything but work and music.

What do you think I should get to stream to the GAN1?

Sonore - Sonicorbiter ultraDigital 

I would like to get the above since I could connect the USB output of my opticalRendu to the input of the ultraDigital and then SPDIF to the GAN1. However, I am not sure if I would be able to adjust the volume via my computer. 

When I owned the KRELL K-300i integrated amp with built-in RJ45 streaming I was able to change the volume using my ROON client on the DAC of the K-300i. Now KRELL did a great job of adding that feature to the ROON READY feature set of the K-300i. I do not think PT has any such ROON READY support.

My OpticalRendu does have ROON READY support and so volume adjustment may work. Actually, as I type this, I recall a setting for FIXED vs DEVICE VOLUME on the ROON ENDPOINT settings section of ROON. 

I am going to talk with Sonore tomorrow and see if the ultraDigital will work in my setup using ROON and the opticalRendu. My fibre optical streaming setup is excellent I would like to leverage that to compare the existing gear with the GAN1. 

 

 

 

yyzsantabarbara
4,941 posts
 

Just found out that the UltraDigital unit connected to my opticalRendu will infact support software volume adjustment via ROON.

I now need to cancel that order for the Bluessound unit from Peachtree.

This is what my streamer will be like (video)

 

grannyring's avatar
grannyring
6,530 posts
 

No USB input? Can’t use this unit with my Innuos Zenith or many great servers. Only coax input? Really an issue for folks wanting to buy one with their USB optimized digital front ends. 

ricevs
1,543 posts
 

Yup, you will have to use a converter.....usb to coax. Here is one of many:

https://www.sonore.us/ultraDigital.html

There will be units with multiple inputs, including usb input, volume control built in, xover/equalizer built in and multichannel out so you can use this one integrated amp to drive speaker drivers directly.....one box solution.....you just make your own speaker and hook this thing up and play with the settings....easy as pie.....and better than $100K systems based on the old paradigm (DAC, cable, Preamp, cable, normal amp, whole bunch of xover parts then the speaker drivers). We no longer need any of that stuff....none of it. Of course, this will not be tube sound and not all will like it. But, if you want pure transparency and super detail and goosebumps and wowiezowie.....this will do.

I will have my webpage done by tomorrow (maybe even tonight) and post the link to all this madness.....he he.

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