Peachtree Audio Nova (Review)

[Pixel55]

Intro
As most people around here I crave for maximum visual quality when watching a movie, but around the same time I started another quest: sound quality, in multichannel and in stereo. The first would be a straight forward and easy process, but the latter would take literally years to conclude.

My goal was from the start to build a decent low cost stereo system in the bedroom, where I spend most of my time, and have another system in the living room, dedicated to multichannel. But while in the visual arena the choice is relatively easy, with a handful of manufacturers, in the audio field, and specifically, stereo, things are more complex. To make things worse, I’d be using the system in a slightly different position than most. It's what I call a "vertical setup".



The choice
More than 1 year was spent designing the best solution to suspend my speakers in mid air, and only after that was finished I could start looking for an amp. The first component I bought was a used pair of B&W 302 speakers, for 200 dollars., they have a reputation of being excellent for their size and age. Next, I needed amp and DAC, to connect to my PC, where I have my music. And here I broke a golden rule, which is to never buy without listening first. I’m quite limited physically, so driving around from shop to shop listening to different gear wasn’t an option, but I urge everyone to do so. It helps tremendously in making a good choice, and on top of that, it can be fun.

Not being able to do the advised, I spent months consumed with indecision, reading hundreds of reviews, and browsing the forums till exhaustion, but finally took the plunge, opting for a brand that kept appearing on my radar when searching digital all-in-one solutions: Peachtree Audio. I found a promotion of their Nova model for around 1000 dollars, and didn’t think twice.


*not my photo

Peachtree Audio is a company founded not that long ago, with their first product introduced in 2007. The Decco was the world's first integrated amplifier to feature a USB input, allowing its onboard digital-to-analog converter to process music files directly from a computer, and since then they’ve been growing at a rather nice pace, introducing the Nova, the iDecco and Decco2. More recently the iDac and iNova made headlines too, and by now they suit pretty much all needs for everyone wanting the most from their digital library.

Apparently, to many persons built-in iPod docks or accessories that allow such connections are a big feature attracting costumers, but to me, the biggest attraction was without doubt the flexibility and all-in-one approach.

Cost
Admittedly, 1000 dollars is a lot of money, at least if the objective is to assemble a budget system, but to the cost equation should be considered that the Peachtree Audio Nova is not only a decent amplifier and pre-amplifier, but also headphone amp and DAC. Basically, everything a person needs besides the speakers.

It’s certainly possible to spend 300 dollars or so on a entry level amp plus another 300 in a DAC, or even less, and get very reasonable sound quality - especially if one resorts to the used market, which strongly I encourage (I bought almost all my multi-channel gear used) – my option was due also to the convenience of having one box, avoiding extra clutter. If that’s not an issue, buying separates is a good alternative, and has the benefit of an easier upgrade path.

Deign and build quality
Besides having a nice art-deco classic look, the build quality of the Nova is very good, feeling sturdy and solid. Colour wise I have the wood finish, the alternative being matte black, and haven’t regret it. 18 months on, the only minor complain I have is the front panel from certain angles looking dirty, due to the fingers grease staying on the somewhat textured surface. A tiny problem, but still worth noticing. The lights when powered are blue, giving it a cool but elegant appearance.

Flexibility
Perhaps the strongest point of the Nova is how flexible it is. In fact, I’m almost ashamed of only using it to simply connect it to a PC. It can by-pass to an AV, send the signal to a powered subwoofer, be used only as pre-amp, only as DAC, and be connected through USB or several SPDIF. One of the connections is even made purposely to accept high jitter sources. I think most persons use it just as I do, but in any case, it's nice to know it can serve other purposes.

Amp
The Nova delivers 80 watts of power amplification per channel, plenty for most speakers, and under normal use I never surpass even one third of the volume knob. Half is seriously LOUD with the speakers I’m using, can’t see this being a problem for anyone. Regarding quality, don’t have a comparison, but as usual with these things, you get what you paid for. I’m certain there are better amps out there, but believing other reviews, it’s an amp similar to others in the 500-600 price bracket. If it was just an amp it would be too expensive, though.


*not my photo

Headphone amp
Part of the reason of my choice was the bonus of having a Class A headphone amplifier. My Sennheiser 595 headphones benefits from a dedicated amp, and they sound great through the Nova. It’s a very nice extra feature, and to someone like me who uses headphones occasionally it's very convenient, without having to buy another separate. I read somewhere that by itself it's an headphone amp comparable to others costing more than 500 dollars, so it surely is good to have it for "free".

DAC
Many persons may be wondering what the hell is a DAC. Well, DAC is a Digital to Audio Converter, and takes digital information and transforms it into an analog sound your ears can hear. All digital sound thingies have them. DVD and CD players, portable music players, sound cards, everything needs a DAC. But, and here comes a problem, electronics inside them are usually the cheapest possible, and therefore most sound rather bad. The Nova, and all dedicated DACs, try to go the opposite path.

And judging from the reviews, it delivers. This amateur reviewer won’t pretend to have done extensive comparatives, but based on a side by side with a DACMagic, another well known and respected DAC, my ears preferred the Nova. The Sabre DAC chip inside the Nova is loved by many, and i’m not an exception.

USB vs SPDIF
I bought the Nova to connect it to my PC with a USB cable, but I’m currently using the SPDIF instead. The reason is simple: SPDIF delivers better quality, and allows 24-96. It won’t go higher than those 96kHz, though, which is annoying, but for everything less, and using Foobar, it sounds beautifully.


Value and conclusion
Before I started the search I thought it’d be easier to find a system that performed well and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. I ended up spending more than expected, but as far as amp is concerned, the Nova should keep playing and performing very well, and keeping my ears happy. Given the relatively high cost I can’t give 10 out of 10, because I’m sure I‘d be almost as satisfied with an amp a bit cheaper, but for everything it does, it’s certainly a solid 9.

9/10

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Pros
Powerful, good sound quality, flexible, and even comes with a remote. It performs very well with all types of music.

Cons
Pretty much nothing against this do-it-all. If I have to mention one regret with the Nova, then it would be the 96kHz limit. 18 months ago it seemed 96 would be enough but nowadays sometimes I come across 192kHz files, and the Nova can’t play them. It’s not a big issue, but as years go by 192 and up may become more frequent.

PS: Probably vertical setup is not so hilarious when your body has physical limitations that make that vertical setup mandatory. ;)