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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
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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