Peachtree Audio is a young company founded by Signal Path, the ex US importer of Musical Fidelity. The founders have over 150 years of combined industry experience. Peachtree is dedicated to offering hi-value/hi-performance audio products at prices that are more far affordable than their hi-end competition. Hi-end performance at mainstream prices. All their products have received excellent reviews. The Nova was Stereophile Budget Component of the Year and the iDAC was Stereophile Class A rated in the Oct 2011 issue. The iNova got a Blue Moon Award on 6moons. Peachtree is a leader in computer audio and already on their 4th generation of products while other companies are just starting to learn what it takes to make computers sound great for hi-end audio. The new Decco 65 and Nova 125 are class leaders and offer unsurpassed value.
The Grand Pre X1 ($3,299) is a full-featured state-of-the-art control center with cutting edge digital-to-analog conversion and digital connectivity designed for the modern day music listener. Key features are:
Reference ESS Sabre32 DAC knocks down jitter to <1 picosecond for accurate sound reproduction. It will upgrade your CD player or transport and make your computer sound great.
Galvanic isolation eliminates noise generated by switching power supplies in source components. This is perfect to make your computer a state of the art playback device.
New asychronous 24/192 USB input provides the best connection between computer and DAC.
Superb preamp w/VCA gain control for minimal noise & cross talk replaces the commonly used potentiometer. Greater than 0.025dB channel balance for great imaging.
Bascom King tube-buffered preamp rejuvenates poor recordings & compressed audio
The heart of the Grand Pre is the top-of-the-line ESS Sabre32 9018 specialized for computers or other sources that deliver high levels of timing errors. The ESS Sabre³² DAC's patented jitter-reduction circuit reclocks the digital signal to less than one picosecond before passing it through its high-resolution processor. The Peachtree USB is the highest quality connection possible for your computer. It is 24/192 capable, accepting 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, and 192kHz sampling rates, and uses the latest in asynchronous I2S communication. Asynchronous allows the Grand Pre’s internal high-precision clock to control the flow of data from the computer. This method lowers incoming jitter so the Sabre DAC has less timing errors to reclock. The galvanic isolated input eliminates noise generated by your computer’s switching power supply and greatly improving the sound quality.
The very exceptional balanced preamp is designed to maintain the quality of both analog & digital-to-analog conversion through a short signal path avoiding noise and signal loss. A dual mono gain control is used measuring .025dB channel to channel to create pinpoint imaging for a virtual 3D soundstage. Its large power supply assures wide dynamics and black backgrounds that are created by the discrete class A output stage with up to 18V output. The preamp offers 6 digital inputs, 2 analog inputs as well as a pair of balanced inputs. It has a home theater pass thru to allow multi channel compatibility. There are 3 pair of outputs, 2 RCA and one balanced. One of the two sets of RCA outs also has an 80Hz hi pass filter for biamping. It also has a fine headphone amp.
The Grand Pre employs a Bascom King hybrid tube design using two musically legendary 12AX7s. The tube buffer will smooth the harsh digital edge found in poor recordings and compressed audio. A tube bypass button, found on the remote control, allows for solid state or hybrid tube listening modes. This is also possible when using the built-in high-performance headphone amplifier.
- Dimensions: 4.8 x 17.5 x 16.5 (inches) including feet, knob and connectors
- Weight: 24 lbs
- Warranty: 3 years parts and labor, 6 months on tubes
- Design and final assembly in U.S.A.
- AC power cord attachment & fuse: detachable.
- standby switch: turns mains on and off.
- 12V trigger: Turns on other 2-12V connected devices.
- Digital filter slope: user selectable DAC filter slopes. Sharp measures better but slow is generally preferred sonically.
- BNC digital input: Professional 75ohm digital connection.
- Coaxial digital input 1 & 2: Common on CD players, Sonos players, Slim Devices Squeezebox and a host of other digital audio sources.
- Optical digital inputs 1 & 2: Common on CD players, cable boxes, Apple products and other digital audio sources.
- Home theater bypass switch: HT bypass mode allows the user to integrate the Grand Integrated into a Home Theater setup by making Aux 1 a throughput for the surround processor.
- Aux/HT input & Aux 2 analog input: Line-level input suitable for tuners, phono stages, tape decks,etc.
- Voltage switching: For international use.
- USB digital input: Takes digital audio content off your computer and sends it to the Sabre DAC via I2S configuration.
- Line out: Fixed output to use the Grand Integrated as remote switching DAC into another preamp.
- High-pass pre out: Operates full frequency when the high pass switch isn’t activated. When the switch is activated, it outputs at 80Hz and above with a 12dB/octave slope.
- Pre-out: Allow you to use an external amp with the Grand Integrated and also provide connections for a subwoofer.
- Speaker binding posts: Left and right speaker terminals.
- 400 watts per channel 8 ohms 20Hz-20kHz
- 650 watts per channel 4 ohms 20Hz-20kHz
- Fixed line-level RCA stereo output: 2V rms, 448 ohms
- Variable RCA stereo output: 8V rms /11.2V peak, 448 ohms
- S/N at the variable analog output 104dB
- Jitter measured at the master clock < 3.0ps
- Power supply: 69,000uf of filtering for the preamplifier stage
- CH/CH tracking: 0.025dB
- Stereo separation: 96dB
- Defeatable 80Hz high-pass output
- Selectable Home Theater Bypass input
- Independent discrete outputs
- Dimensions: 4.8 x 17.5 x 16.5 (inches) Including feet, knob, and connectors
- Weight: 28 lbs
- Warranty: 3 years parts and labor 6 mo. tubes
- Design and final assembly in U.S.A.
- The DAC is galvanically isolated, which is necessary when dealing with electrical noise generated by a computer's USB output. Elimination of this noise via USB is among the most important reasons that the USB section performs so well.
- Reclocks any digital signal to less than 3 picoseconds of jitter (digital timing errors). This is super low jitter and can be 1000 times lower than a typical computer and 100 times less than many CD players.
- The DACiT's USB input accepts data up to 24/96 to handle high-resolution audio downloads.
- Streaming devices can be attached to the DACiT via optical or coax which is also transformer coupled to prevent superfluous noise from entering the signal path. The DACiT thinks they are all high-end CD players. So if you have an Apple TV, Sonos or other streamer that you want to hook up to your existing system, the DACiT is your ticket to performance.
- Inputs: 1 x USB, 1 x coax, 1 xoptical
- Outputs: 1 x L&R RCA
- DAC: ESS Sabre 9023
- Output: 2v
- Output impedance: 200 ohms
- S/N:120dB
- Ground isolation: Transformer coupled inputs
- USB isolation: Galvanic
- Power supply: External 100-240v, 50-60Hz, 9V-1A
- Jitter at master clock: < 3pocoseconds
- Power consumption: 1w
- Chassis and housing: All metal
- Remote control: Included
- Dimensions HWD: 2 ½” x 6 ½” x 6 ½"
The March 2013 Stereophile review had the following quores:
"My first impression of the Peachtree decco65: Someone with a good ear has
voiced the amplifier"
"This is
seriously good, seriously listenable digital sound, wedded to an amplifier that
comes closer than most to being the electronic equivalent of a Mini Cooper. It's
nearly impossible to use without smiling."
220 in Cherry
Peachtree 220 (From $1399) is a hi-quality 220wpc power amplifier that uses the new series X amp modules from ICEpower. The X series has the best high-frequency response we have heard from a digital amp. The input stage is a custom Peachtree buffered design to make it easy to work with all preamps both tube and solid state. Low impedance loads are no problem for this amp as it puts out over 400 watts into 4 ohms. Good-looking cosmetics round this amp off with black lacquer, rosewood or cherry cabinets available. Rosewood & Cherry are $1499. A 2-year warranty is included.
The iDAC uses the new 32-bit/192K ESS Sabre Hyperstream chip which uses a patented jitter-reduction circuit and handles signals up to 32 bits and 500kHz sampling rates. This allows even inexpensive transports, and computers to sound great by dramatically lowering incoming timing errors that smears the audio signal and adds the digital edge audiophiles hate. The system has less than 3 picoseconds of jitter when measured at the master clock. The DAC uses a class A output stage and all inputs are transformer coupled to reduce noise. It has 11 regulated power supplies, uses over 450 parts and has a very large multi tap power supply. The USB input stage goes further by being galvanically isolated to eliminate the computer ground noise problems that plague most USB DACs. Add Peachtree's unique filter options and you have a world-class DAC at an affordable price. It's now easy to bring your preamplifier, receiver or integrated amplifier into the computer age. The iDac is a stand-alone DAC with a pure digital iPod dock that delivers 1’s and 0’s from your iPod directly to its high resolution converter. Plug in an iPhone or iTouch and you can stream thousands of Internet radio stations right thru the DAC. The iDAC is one of the finest $1000 DACs made even without the dock. It's an even better value with it. The iDac has four additional high-resolution digital inputs (2 x coax, 2 x Toslink) for your CD player, computer, Apple TV cable box, Sonos or anything else digital. The improvement in all of your digital sources is guaranteed to be nothing less than startling! One available at $799.00
When you experience the 24bit/192kHz resolution available through the iDac’s inputs you enter a whole new world! It’s like 3D for your ears, finally approaching the open musicality of vinyl but with a signal-to-noise ratio that a turntable could never match. Even standard MP3 recordings take on new life and sound better than you’ve ever heard them! The iDac also features a 24bit/96kHz high-resolution USB input for your computer. Until now recording engineers were the only group to hear music at this resolution on a regular basis. Now you can too. The iDac is plug-n-play so you‘ll never have to search the web for elusive hard-to-install USB drivers. The setup is simple and will easily outperform your redbook CD player—all from the the computer you use every day! The iDac includes both component and S–video outputs. Place your iPod into the dock and watch TV shows, movies, YouTube all on your HDTV. Or gather ‘round after a big day and watch the movies you’ve created on the fly with your new iPod touch. Add just the right playlist for atmosphere and enjoy home movies like never before! All that for only $999!
For complete specs on the iDac, click here.
