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Peachtree Nova , Dac 1 Pre, Bel Canto Dac 3?

What are folks views on saving some money going with a Peachtree Nova which has the DAC, Pre, and Amp vs buying an independent DAC and Pre-amp and then choosing an independent amp like the MC275?

I would like to go with a nice classic tube amp and then get a high quality digital signal to it through a modern DAC.

The Peachtree is just coming out, but will it really be able to compete with a Dac 1 Pre and a classic MC275? The power is about the same, and both DAC's are highly rated. But will the amp in the Peachtree make it a long lasting piece?

These guys at Signal Path have really made a cool sounding new piece of equipment and I am doing some system planning and weighing options on the new gear and wondering about the classic old gear.

Thanks guys. I realize this may be premature since the Nova is coming out in a few weeks, but I am in planning mode.

scott
128x128scottlanterman
8 responses Add your response
dwhitt
347 posts
 
i have owned the decco since it came out and use it with server, internet radio, cd and found that the amp is outstanding . the dac and pre are excellent, i can't say it is a bel canto dac, but for the money, i believe it is 90 percent there. i have enjoyed my piece for over two years with excellent results....the thing i like with the peachtree , it is small and looks very nice....i paired it with era speakers which they also sell with the unit....using the sub and i listen to mostly jazz, detail is excellent...i give it a A , the canto is more expensive and using more cables gets expensive too...goood luck and good listening...
ibog1
54 posts
 
Scott,

Issue 62 of HI FI plus(one issue back)has got a great review on a few outboard dacs. They liked the Cambridge Audio one alot, especially for the money. You may want to look into getting an outboard dac and running your digital media through it. I have an MC 275 and find it to be a very nice sounding powerful amp. Did you decide on speakers? I followed your last thread.
scottlanterman's avatar
scottlanterman OP
24 posts
 
I decided on the Spendor S8e. My wife and I liked the sound in the show room, and now I am thinking about how to have some fun with them when I get them home. I hope that they will last a long time and that they will end up being a good value.

I have a digital music collection and it sounds pretty muddy now, so I am hoping to getting it sounding good in 2009.

Scott
dwhitt
347 posts
 
spendors are great speakers....get a good dac and you are in business......they like power, the spendors....
bongofury
1,160 posts
 
Music Hall announced a new DAC at CES that has a warm versus lean sound. I think you will start seeing favorable reviews--it had a nice buzz.

I think this will pair nicely with a nice clean amp and efficient speakers like the Peachtree/ERA combo. I love the ERA4s and the only other speaker that competes with it is DALI's new Lector 1s--both offer incredible value for small speakers--both are nicely balanced for smallmonitors.

Benchmark's products are a tad cold and lean.
superfuzz
4 posts
 
I've not heard either, but I'm going to take a wild guess and say that the Nova poweramp cannot compete with and is not even in the same league as a McIntosh MC275 at 3 times the price. If I could afford one, I'd also spring for a good preamp and DAC, like the Mytek Stereo 96ADC.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Why not use a Peachtree Decco as a DAC and line stage feeding a McIntosh MC275? I heard a Peachtree used as a front end to a SS biamped system powering a Magnepan display and it was pretty impressive, particularly in the areas of transparency, speed, clarity, and dynamic transients. A similar setup would be a Benchmark DAC-1 Pre and MC275.
bostonwheeler
5 posts
 
In my own equipment purchasing strategy, I assume that quality analog components should be good for the long term, but digital components will need to be upgraded/updated periodically due to technological evolution. For example, it's not hard to imagine that USB will be superceded by a new and better digital interace within five years. Therefore, I like to have the DAC separate from the rest of my gear. With an all-in-one box like the Peachtree, if you want to add a new digital interface, you're basically looking at a whole new device. Of course, some people like to update all their equipment periodically, in which case, a new digital interface would be excellent impetus for upgraditis.
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