2. amps-preamps
  3. 165699-7813

Peachtree Nova 150 as a pre only?

Has anyone here used their Nova 150 or 300 as a pre amp with any separate power amps?
I’ve had my Nova 150 for a couple years and enjoy it as an all in one solution with TT to phono input, streamer and cd running digital to Nova.  Neat and clean hook up with minimal wiring.  Also have a Wyred4Sound STI-500 that rotates in from time to time but that forces the addition of stand alone dac and phono pre plus rewiring, which is not a big deal to me.  Recently found some alternate speaker pairs for that system / room and thinking about powering them with different amp typology.  Tube amp and class A amp on my purchase radar.   
I am curious about the Nova 150/300 pre amp performance with external amplifiers if anyone here has done so and what were your results?
128x128bryhifi
bryhifi's avatar
bryhifi OP
373 posts
 
@russ69   I hear what you’re saying.  I’m sure it will work but I’m curious as to how good it will sound.  I feel like I read a thread or article somewhere that they (PT) did not perform as well when split apart.  Have searched here and the asylum but can’t find the article for reference.  Now wondering if it may have been in reference to the W4S STI integrated that performed better in unison. 
yyzsantabarbara
4,457 posts
 
I did that test with my Nova 150 preamp and amp separately. The preamp and DAC were the weakest link on the 150. The amp section was actually pretty good and made me consider the amp500.  I had the 150 for 2 or 3 years. I enjoyed it when I owned it.
russ69's avatar
russ69
3,360 posts
 
Using the pre-amp section of an integrated is a great way to plug in a good power amp, usually it's just for a short term while you save up for a preamp. It will be OK but a real pre-amp will be better. 
bryhifi's avatar
bryhifi OP
373 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara ,  thanks yyz.  This is where my concerns are and appreciate your candor.  I’m not about to start building big rig 2.0, although the last two pair just in deserve the big rig.  I’m looking to give the secondary system a nudge to give the O/93 or Andra a fighting chance of sounding up to par.  The PT Amp500 was the direction I was leaning for this room but it sounds like I’m wasting time with the 150 as source pre.   Smart move would be upgrading the entire integrated to the next level once I get a good feeling about which speaker works better in this space.  It really needs to stay simple (minimalist) in there since it is the formal living room.
bryhifi's avatar
bryhifi OP
373 posts
 
@yyzsantabarbara ,  how do you like the 300i with the 3.7?  For the record, I was a Krell whore for many years but that was back in the KSA, MDA, KRC and KBL days.  I had the CS 3.6 for a decade or so.  Never tried their integrated but wonder now that I see yours.
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