Why No Love For Peachtree Audio?

Has Peachtree updated any products in the last 10 years?

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However, I do wonder how much of my opinion is outdated at this point.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.

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. 

Good to hear! On paper, their stuff seems hard to beat for overall performance and value.

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.

I bought a Decco when they first started coming out off of crutchfield. The right to left balance changed by 1-1.5 db as I changed the volume. I returned it and never looked at them again. Maybe they have improved their volume control, maybe they have not. 

what @simao said. I had the iDAC, great little piece. I sold it to one of my buddies and he still tells me how much he likes it. Some great deals on their amps on the used market.

I purchased a new Grand X-1 Hybrid 3 years ago directly from Peachtree as it had been discontinued.  Lucky to get one and have been happy with it ever since.  When new in my systems it blew me away with more of everything from Beefheart's, "Crazy Little Thing" to Chris Christopherson's last one man album.  I had to play with it and have rolled different tubes until I tried a matched pair of Gold Lions.  The improvement was subtle but rich and deep and better with time.  

The folks I talked with at Peachtree were frank about taking flack for the price of their product.  The corporate story was to be affordable and the $4,500 ticket was over the top for their fans...  except it wasn't.  Not even close to the top.  The amp was discontinued to re-focus the corporate attention and a decision not to 'compete' in the 'hybrid' market.  The current 500 watt model without the tube 'preamp' is basically the same unit, sans tubes.  The price reflects that too and is more consistent with goals.  After all, we already have McIntosh for weight and big bucks. 

In Michigan I can now head to my studio, fire up a new release on vinyl from Savoy Brown and a 80 year old guitarist, and fire up some OG Kush too.  Now turn it up.  

Just because Peachtree doesn’t seem to get a lot of exposure on Audiogon doesn’t mean it isn’t lauded elsewhere. It’s a successful brand and produces many solid products. Audiogoners tend to be fussy with their accolades; I mean, every time someone posts a celebration of Product A, 19 trolls surface to point out its flaws and obvious weakness compared to Product B.

There are many large volume manufacturers who are met with crickets for the most part here: Marantz, Bel Canto, LSA, NAD, Simaudio, and others who don’t have a devoted cult following but who have achieved large-scale success. They’ll be touted every now and then in a "What component do I desperately need/" thread, but don’t often warrant threads of their own.

Tbh, in my everpresent search for the perfect integrated, I did consider Peachtree briefly, but the bias in me that sees boutique and exotics as preferable made me pass it over. Honestly, I succumbed to the "it's so popular that it can't be as good as this exotic unit made by organic peasants in Switzerland" bias.

I had the Nova Pre for a few years. It was a nice preamp. The tube was gimmicky.....no sound difference with the tube engaged except some added hiss. I think Peachtree makes solid gear for people who just want a simple set up for good sound.

For those of you that have /had a Peachtree Nova 300, any recommendations on good speaker pairings?

I just got Nova 150 to replace a dead simaudio integrated and so far absolutely loving it! Loverly warm sound - definitely not the sound I would have associated with class D amp a few years ago! ... Plenty of power, good dac... the only nit pick - I wish tape loop was actually volume controlled ... except for that - nothing more I would want from it...

I’ve owned a Nova 220 power amp for almost 8 years driving a pair of Maggie 3.6’s very well. Bass is deep (for Maggie’s) totally rich and punchy. Midrange is smooth and rich with good detail. Highs might be a little rolled off (more than likely my hearing at my advanced years). Throws a wide stage with good image placement and decent depth. Overall an excellent product.

Before the 220 I used an original Nova integrated which had a lot of features but the 220 has a much better amp section imo. Overall I’ve found Peachtree products to be reliable products that perform very well for a reasonable price.

Why No Love For Peachtree Audio?

I know your looking for more and this is not a reason, but even the Australian importer didn't get off on them.
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/class-d-is-just-dandy/post?postid=1881156#1881156

Cheers George

I have a roughly three-year-old Nova 150 that I like because of the variety of connections, the onboard DAC and MM phono and the fact that it doesn't suck up a huge amount of power and stays pretty cool even when pushed. I had an issue with the Nova where it had to be sent in for a repair and Peachtree's customer service was awesome and they were quick to turn it around. The weird thing is, I'm getting kind of tired of the shape as I'd now rather have a traditional rectangular box component.

My rig is in a spare 13 x 11 spare bedroom which is a combination music room, office and hobby space. Connected to my Nova is a U-Turn Orbit turntable with Ortofon red cartridge, an Audioengine B1 Bluetooth receiver that my iPad connects with to stream SiriusXM and Spotify, Music Hall 15.3 CD player/DAC, Elac Debut B6.2 speakers on shot-filled Pangea stands with Audioquest type-4 speaker cables and an Elac Debut Sub3010.

For a very difficult space with light room treatments, the sound is really good. I have changed out the speakers a number of times over the past three years. I started with Monitor Audio Bronze 2's (in hindsight they were too bright) then MA Bronze 5 floorstanders (too much for the room); then KEF Q100's (not enough low end for me) and finally the Elac Debut B6.2's. I had tried a stereo pair of REL T/5i subs (but could never get rid of a hum) which I replaced with the Elac Sub3010. I like the sound of the Elac 6.2's with the Nova way better than any of the other speakers.

Prior to the above rig, I had gotten back into audio with the Music Hall 15.3 CD player/DAC, a laptop for streaming and Audioengine A5+ speakers. The Audioengine's were outstanding speakers for the money and had way more punch than their small'ish size should have had. I've been contemplating ditching the Nova and current Elac's and going with a higher-end preamp with integrated DAC and phono stage along with powered speakers.

I'm also anxiously waiting for Peachtree to release their WiFi module along with the possibility of another trade-in program. If/when that happens I'd consider upgrading to a Nova 300 or 500 with WiFi (the 500 is fully-balanced and has a better DAC than the 150 and 300) and living with the shape.

The Nova's are very good at what they do and for the money they are a pretty good buy.

Peachtree was getting a lot of good press here when the Nova line came out. They revamped production to Canada + North Carolina I believe. I went with the reviews and bought a Nova 150 unheard. A great move and I still have it about 5 years later. It is running the KEF LS50 monitors. There are a few reviews on this pairing online. Maybe a little too smooth is the only complaint given the price I paid.

Peachtree products seem pretty darn successful in the marketplace (next to the organic squash and farm to table farmers..."get off my table ya damn farmer!") so no sympathy here...note that they have absolutely no peach based ingredients with their products except maybe some fuzz here and there.

There's are review of the Grand X-1 integrated on 6moons that I think is pretty spot on.  It gives some comparisons to other pieces to give you an idea of where it shines and where it could be better.

Like you, the biggest "minus" of the Peachtree gear is that it's a little rolled off on top.  However, with the right speaker match, it can sound really good.  

Both my ARC VSi55 and Vincent SV 237 have a little more "bite" in the midrange and a little more detail in the treble.  These things are noticeable after extended listening, they don't jump out at you.

I don't use the tube buffer in my X-1 as it makes little, if any, difference in sound except on really bad source material.  I hear no shrillness nor thin sound coming out of my JA speakers. The tone is full, smooth and has plenty of clean bass. The top end may be slightly rolled off; it is crisp but does not sizzle. The detail and sound stage are very pleasing. This set up (these speakers) are not the best for hard rock or metal but for jazz, acoustic music, vocals, folk-rock, soft rock (think Knophler) and most classical, it is very satisfactory.   I would like to compare it, side by side, with an AB integrated such as a Hegel, Parasound or Krell, etc., but I live in the boonies and there is no one out here that has one to lend to me for a try out.  I really don't know what type of difference to expect from a different amp....maybe a bit more "punch"?

Had a 300. Nice little unit. Great looks for sure, one of the best actually. Black boxes just get old. Speakers are everything with these. They made my desktop B&Ws sound very nice. They are pulling new duty, and the Peachtree has been sold. Kinda wish I had kept it though!

I didn't use the tube buffer when I had the Grand X-1 and the Nova 300 did away with the tube buffer. 

@big_greg  The Grand X-1 uses 12AU7s as a tube buffer correct? I suspect that may smooth out the edge and provide a more rounded pleasing sound compared to the Nova.  

Some of the comments about being shrill, bright, and lean in the bass are a little surprising.  I though the Grand X-1 leaned a little on the bright side, but I wouldn't have called it shrill or offensive.  The Peachtree Nova 300 was actually a little "flat" sounding (rolled off on top) to my ears, until I paired it with my Focal Electra 1008 BE speakers. 

I'm listening to Christian McBride's new album on Qobuz and it sounds full bodied, McBride's bass is strong and tight, the trumpets and vocals aren't edgy... in short, it sounds really good.  I use a subwoofer with this system, but I turned it off and the bass sounds good without it. 

I wonder if the older models were voiced differently or if they are really sensitive to speaker pairing?  I liked the Nova 300 with other speakers, but it was just a little "blah".  Sound quality and wow factor are not in the same league as my main system, but for what this system cost, it delivers a lot of value. 

Other integrateds I own are a Vincent 237 and an ARC VSi55, both of which I think sound better than the Peachtree, but not dramatically better.  What's nice about the Peachtree is that if you really want to go minimalist, it has a really good DAC and phono stage, both of which are extra components I have to add to the Vincent and ARC.

My friend has a Peachtree Nova 225 partnered with KEF LS50 speakers and to my ears the sound is shrill, brittle, bright and lean bass.  

I’d have to agree with the thin, dry, and brittle sound descriptions. While it had a great wide soundstage, my Decco was seemingly built without much regard for the mid range sound as it was rare to find recordings that made the best of what the Peachtree could do. 
After a few months I got a vintage amp that, though more noisy, it simply trounced the Peachtree in making full bodied sound through the entire range. 
I do love the looks and the form factor. Just wish they could make it sound as good as it looks. 

I have a Nova 300 and think it’s an absolute steal for the money. It’s a very solid brand.

I am big fan of JA speakers and I suspect they certainly improve your sound but in the end I've found Class D just doesn't work for me - at least not in most cases.  I've since moved on to Class A amps (both tube and SS) and love their qualities for my listening tastes. We all have different tastes. 

I had to have the manufacturer replace the volume control which has since worked flawlessly.  I don't notice any thinness and certainly no brittleness in my system. Perhaps it's the JA Profile speakers beefing up and smoothing out the sound.

I owned a Peachtree Nova 300. It was a lovely amp. 
I wish other makers would pay attention to the case and layout of Peachtree. Just beautiful and it’s a piece of design for the living room. High WAF. 
The DACs and phono stages in them are great for the money. The overall sound, to me, was good but a bit thin and distortion free-I don’t typically love class D that measures distortion free.   In the end I needed more body to the music.  I also had an NAD M22 which sounded similar to the Tree. Very clean and detailed yet thin. I like a bit of meat with air on top-even if it had more distortion. 

I owned a Grand Integrated X-1 and it was a beast.  The tube buffer was a bit hokey, it didn't seem to do much, but it was a good looking unit that sounded great and had tons of power. 

I currently have a Peachtree 300 in my office system.  It has a really good DAC and a decent phono stage and headphone amp, doesn't take up much space, and I like the looks.  I did struggle with its sound for a long time, it always seemed a little rolled off on the top end and didn't give me quite the detail I would have liked until I mated it up with Focal Electra 1008 BE speakers.  That seems to be a really good match and I spend more time listening to that system than any other, although it's usually at fairly low volume as background music.  If I find myself working late and want to rock out at the end of the day, it'll do the job just fine.

I once had a Nova150.  While the connectivity options were nice I never could get past its dry brittle sound to my ears.  It looked nice but felt cheaply made to me and the volume control was the most annoying uncompromising design ever.  

Class D is polarizing to say the least and is likely the reason behind the lack of interest (or disdain?) here.

Yeah, they're good stuff. I owned an integrated 5ish years ago. I dug it save for the crackling every time the volume adjusted. Sent it back actually, but didn't get fixed. Other than that, cool retro looks, good sounding. 

I don't think there's disdain, hopefully not. Maybe just not as well known. Not sure.