PEACHTREE GRAND X-1 INTEGRATED DEFECT PROBLEMS

Just because a unit is labeled refurbished doesn't always mean it was repaired. Most of them are probably returned. Peachtree is sold in some high volume retailers like Crutchfield. Those type of places usually have very liberal return policies. Since most returns can't be sold as new, they usually get labeled refurbs.

Actually if you go to the Peachtree website you can read about the existence of the large quantity (relatively speaking) of refurbs of the X-1. It's unrelated to a defect - it's a matter of a new feature being added after units had been released to dealers.

After releasing the Grand Integrated, Peachtree decided to add an XMOS chip to improve the sound quality out of the USB connector. Naturally, every dealer that had received Grand Integrateds already wanted to send them back to have the XMOS chip (Peachtree called the upgrade X-1) installed. Because those units were returned to Peachtree for the X-1 installation, technically they have to be called Refurbs. They were not actually sold to anyone, they were just returned to Peachtree to have the X-1 modification added. As you'll read on the Peachtree site, Peachtree themselves have some of those "refurbs" on hand, as for some dealers they saved time and inconvenience and just replaced dealer units with new X-1 units rather than make dealers wait for the mods to be installed. Not that there aren't some customer returns out in the market - every manufacturer has some percentage of returns - but in this particular case the refurb situation with Peachtree isn't an issue of a defect, it's a case of Peachtree wanting to add a new feature after they'd already released a large quantity of units onto the market, and those units being sent back to Peachtree for installation of the mod.

I took advantage of the current offer on the Peachtree site, and bought one at $2999. It arrived looking absolutely flawless, not a mark on it, and it works beautifully. Great DAC, truckload of power, and it sounds wonderful. And the build quality is superb - it's every bit as impressive and solid as my ARC integrated.

Visit the Peachtree site, go to "Integrated Amps", and then to "Grand Integrated X-1" and you'll see the details of the X-1 mod and the special offer price on "refurb" units that were sent back by dealers to have the XMOS chip installed.

Thanks for the info Bcgator..relieved. Looks like I'll be getting a refurb.

What speakers will it be pushing?

I'm getting the new Concert series from JAMO. Klipsch informed me last week the new Concert speaker line is just weeks away from being released. A whole new more modern look similar to the Studio series but more attractive.

Nice, should sound great. Take a moment after it's all set up and let us know how it works out.

Bcgator..look forward to it. What speakers are you driving with the X-1?

I have two pairs, Proac D2 and Wilson Benesch ARC, that I mix and match between my living room and my office. Speaker swapping I do for fun, but I swap amps in my office out of necessity - during summer I move the ARC tube integrated into the living room, because it's too hot in my small office, and that's where the X-1 is great because I give up nothing on sound quality to the ARC but the Peachtree puts out very little heat. In the winter, when it gets colder in the house, I'll drag the ARC back into the office and it becomes a music-producing space heater :-)

Sine you didn't reply Bcgator I'll assume your using your Proac's.

The response delay with these forums is awful - seems like it can take up to a day for a response to post. There's another thread on here where it took 4 days for my post to show up. Maybe it's time to upgrade the Pentium 60?

Upgrade the Pentium 60?..Amen to that!. Throw in upgrading their Security firewall program. Its crap. I get hit with pop-up malware about three times a month on Audiogon. Thank God I have Webroot which captures it every time and deletes the bastard.