peachtree amp vs. traditional amp

I have a Peachtree Nova 300 in my bedroom and it sounds awesome. It is easy to use for streaming also. i highly recommend it.

Thanks Bubba.  Did you compare it to a traditional amp?  I just don't understand why everyone else requires more space/weight to amplify than Peachtree.  Do they have some proprietary technology that no one else has?

The Peachtree is a Class D amp which requires a digital power supply.  They do not generate much heat and do not have many parts so the boxes are quite small.  Most of the other amps are Class AB which means more parts and heat.  Personally, I do not like the Class D sound.  Too cold and sterile for my taste.

Hi Dougmint...Stay away from Class D,IMO it just can’t compare with good tubes or Mosfet Class A/AB...Look at the older Peachtree Audio Nova and Decco...Also if you have the budget look at the WONDERFUL Quad VA-One,the highly musical iFi Audio Stereo 50 and if you want the best there’s the McIntosh MHA 100/150...

I recently changed my office system from KEF LS50 speakers + Parasound A23 amp + Benchmark DAC2 HGC to the following, KEF LS50 + Peachtree Nova 150.

The sound is clearer and better in my opinion over the prior combination. The Peachtree also has a preamp section that I think is better than the preamp section on the Benchmark. However, the DAC section of the Benchmark is better than that of the Peachtree. The Peachtree is also much better at lower volumes than the Parasound A23 amp. So over all, I am getting much more musical satisfaction with the Peachtree based system..

I am going to audition a $10K Luxman integrated amp at the end of the month and I am going to take the Peachtree with me just to see how it stacks up. That is how much I like the Peachtree, I expect the Luxman to be better but I am interested to see how much better.

I am upgrading my office system and moving the Peachtree to the bedroom. This system is a very long term keeper.

I was also wondering if the Peachtree would sound cold and sterile since I bought it used without an audition from A'Gon. I was pleasantly surprised that it did not sound that way. I have had some amps back in the day that did sound cold and sterile, this Peachtree is not in that category.

I have a traditional Odyssey Tempest preamp and Stratos amp setup in my living room. It sounds excellent also. I have had Devialet 400 class D that I grew to be unsatisfied with. I can only speak to the Peachtree Nova 300 driving Salk Song3 speakers with Transparent speaker cables in my bedroom. I am getting really satisfying sound from them. I am starting to realize that there are tons of great products out there that put in the right room can sound excellent. The room is as important as anything else. 
   

anyone knows who makes traditional amps and where to purchase these and what are these?

czarivey:  By traditional amp, I mean the black box amps, made by Dennon, Yamaha, Marantz, etc.  They all kind of look similar.  Usually priced $500 to $2000.  Can be found a Best Buy and Crutchfield.

@bubba12Can you expand on why you grew tired of the Devialet. I am considering this integrated for a future system just for the convenience factor. I have heard this unit and it was OK. I rationalized the convenience would override the OK sound I heard.

BTW - I thought the Devialet was a hybrid Class A and Class D amp.

Op, I would take a look at the Belles Aria integrated an the Rogue Cronus Magnum 2 which are both in the  $2-3K range. I owned the CM2 (just a wonderfully sounding amp) and I’ve also heard the Belles a couple of times and found this amp also exceptional for it’s price. Both these amps will blow away, in my opinion, any “traditional” amp mentioned including the Peachtree (not a fan of class D amps). Another integrated amp you should consider in that price range is the Hegel, but I like to support and buy American made if possible.

My two cents:
If you're looking for a traditional black face amplifier like Sansui, NAD, Etc. you're on the right track for good sounding music however, I can tell you that with today's medium of choice which is digital music, streaming from an I-pad or other internet based source (Tidal is an excellent choice) that older analog components lack a critical component for processing digital music-a DAC (digital/analog converter).
I recently went from a very good standard stereo system BK Sonata with Outlaw pre-amp and outboard DAC to a Peachtree Nova 300. With a tear in my eye I unplugged what was a decades long quest for perfect sound and put it in the garage, The Peachtree does it all and sounds absolutely stunning PLUS it has USB and WiFi so you can easily stream the best sound possible from a digital source thanks to a stellar onboard DAC.
All in one beautiful component. The best investment I've ever made-period 

I own a Peachtree Nova 300 and it sounds great. I think it’s a much nicer looking piece than the typical "black box" gear. In addition to being very musical, it has a great DAC and headphone amp and the fact that it takes up less space was one of the deciding factors for me. Mine went into my computer room where I didn’t have space for the typical larger units.

I also have a Nova 300, and it is a great amp (especially when you consider the cost factor).  It doesn't sound sterile, it can really crank if you need it to, and has lots of bells and whistles if you need an integrated solution.  This said, I have moved it to my bedroom as I wanted to work on more of a tube sound in my listening room. Before I moved it to the bedroom, I had it fed via the USB-B with a Mac Mini that I had all my music in FLAC's on Audirvana Plus using volume bypass, and HTB as I was sharing my mains with the HT and my 2-channel listening.  My goal was to break the system into 2 separate systems that are co-located as I have added speakers and a DAC and preamp thus far.  Still deciding on the tube amp, so I haven't completed the new setup yet. 

For the money, the Nova amps are a pretty good deal IMO.  I realize I'm a bit fickle and make changes too quickly, but I won't get rid of the Nova as it'll work well in either my bedroom or garage setups.  It's worth keeping I'd say.

Warning: Another Peachtree endorsement.

I picked up a Nova500 in December.  Plugged it into a pair of Dynaudio Contour 60s and a streaming box and it’s been a simple answer for great music .  Can you get better?  You bet.  Will you need to spend a whole lot more money?  Probably yes.  

Id be interested in any comparisons or recommendations for high-current hungry speakers for one-box solutions for under $3k.

Peachtree Nova 150 onwer here, It has sounded great to me ever since I pulled it out of the box.

Great bang for the buck. Excellent DAC and preamp.

Try one from one of the vendors that offer 60 days to check it out,
My guess is you won't want to return it,

DS

So I guess I had a bit of the opposite experience to some here.  I have tried both the Peachtree Nova 300 and the Parasound HINT in my bedroom system (using Totem Acoustic Skys).  At lower listening levels, where most of my listening is done on that system, I preferred the HINT.  Regardless of the source (primarily a Bluesound Node 2 but also a Dual 505-2 with a Pickering XV15), it just seemed smoother and more dynamic to me at those levels.  It may be because the HINT is running in Class A under those conditions but I really don't have any way to confirm that might be the reason.  Your ears may vary of course.

I also just got the nova500 that replace my Parasound JC pre/amp setup. Boy this is good. Warning need 300 hour break in. Current setup nova500 to SonusFaber elipsa SE and a pair if JL sub. It is not a cold sounding setup. Transparency is so much greater than the JC’s. Soundstage is also bigger now. 
But some how I have a Luxman L509x In mind. Just maybe ????

But Anyway I like it so much got a second nova500 in me bedroom. Powering a set of Dynaudio special 40.