Peachtree Integrated Amplifiers & Power Amp
Peachtree is back in Da House! Peachtree has made significant upgrades in its products over the years that float my boat- so I’m back on board.
First and foremost is, PT offers tons more power than anybody else for a given buck. There are precious few speakers that won’t benefit from more power!
The products are in a small form factor. It’s easy to find a place for them and they don’t run hot.
And get this, they’re made in North America now, not the Far East! The warranty is 3 years new, so long as purchased from us, a legit authorized dealer. PT will not honor that warranty if you buy on line from an unauthorized dealer or buy used. Protect yourself. Buy new. Get full support. Please buy from us, passionate audiophiles, instead of somewhere.com where you have people wearing headsets while reading the same web info you can.
All these new models use the Bang & Olufsen IcePower Modules which have a particularly ROBUST, dynamic sound. They throw barbells across the room. IcePower Modules do have a more muscular sound than their competitors.
The preamp sections are full solid state to achieve a SN ratio of 107dB+. The prior tube based gear had SN ratio of about 85dB.
Both Nova units are integrated amps. They have built in Sabre DACs. Digital inputs include USB-B, USB-A, one coax and two opts. There are two analog inputs. One is MM that can be converted to line level with flip of a switch. You also get one set of variable RCA outs. They even have an in/out LOOP in case you want to do HT bypass or an outboard EQ. Available in Mocha or black gloss.
Nova 300 $2300: 300×2 (4.37h, 14.02w, 14.25d)
Nova 300 powers 300×2 into 8 ohms, and almost double into four!
Nova 500 $3400: 500×2 (4.37h, 14.02w, 14.25d)
Nova 500 is a true tyrannosaurus, delivering 500×2 into 8 ohms, and almost double into 4! Nova 500 does sound better. Not only does it have more power, but the DAC and preamp electronics are better on N500 vs N300.
Nova 500 runs electronically BALANCED from input to output. It doesn’t have XLR connectors however. You’ll never need more power. It does have RCA outs in case you want to connect a different power amp (you don’t) or a powered sub- you might!
Amp 500 $2000: 500×2 (4.37h, 14.02w, 14.25d)
Amp 500 is a power amp. It delivers the same 500×2 of N500 above, if you already have a preamp you’re happy with. Amp 500 has single ended AND BALANCED INPUTS. Oh yeah!
Why Thunderous Power?
Sooo, with all this sledgehammer power at your disposal, what kind of speakers might benefit?
The clear answer is EVERY speaker other than horn speakers like Klipsch.
Think of any speaker with an array of drivers and integrating crossover. That’s exhibit A. That would include speakers like Brystons. How about Magnepans or stats? Yup. What about hungry old boys like B&W and KEF towers? Yup again. Kef 107s are mostly history, but if there was ever a speaker that sang with big power but was a sissy otherwise- that’s it! Even more efficient speakers like the revealing GoldenEars will benefit from “unlimited” power from the engine room.
FYI: Peachtree is running promos till Dec 31. We will sell at those prices, listed on its site.
Klipsch Cornwall 4 $6000 Per Pair
38h, 25.3w, 15.5d, 100 lbs, 102 dB SPL, 8 ohms
Satin Black Ash, American Walnut, Natural Cherry
When you think about the Klipsch Cornwall, ya gotta be thinking BIG & BOLD. Get outta the way and let ‘er rip. Cornwall 4 is Klipsch’s just improved version of this classic speaker. With no apologies it is especially wide, heavy and can knock you on your fanny at 20 paces.
Cornwall 4 has a new Polyimide (Mylar) midrange driver. The driver is mounted to a new Tractrix horn which employs K’s mumps technology. The tweeter is a 1” Titanium horn loaded design. The 15” composite fiber woofer is improved in strength and speed.
Cornwall 4 has been re-voiced to be more open and airy compared to its predecessor. The dynamic contrast, crossover, bindings posts and input panel have been substantially improved.
Cornwall 4 still uses grain matched veneer panels that come from the same timber. The speakers leave the factory as a meticulously crafted set. Check out the new cosmetics. Even the standard black version has a much more interesting grill style.
Rogue Audio Sphinx V3 Integrated Amp $1600 (100×2)
Rogue’s Sphinx model has been a gem for almost ten years. If you want tube warmth with
solid state control, Sphinx is a real candidate. V3 is the brand new iteration and it’s notched up a bit from the V2.
The main improvement in V3 is that the two 12AU7s tubes are used not just in the input
stage, but also in the drive stage, of internal preamp to amp. The result is that V3 sounds a bit more TUBEY than its prior brothers.
Also, V3 now has a phono section to support MM & MC carts.
If you’re all about singer song writers, there’s no better integrated.
Wharfedale D-310 Speakers $200 Per Pair
(10.6h, 6.2w, 9.12d, Rose, Walnut, Black, White)
Last month we told you of Wharfedale landing at AE. We did not mention its killer little multi-purpose speaker, the D-310. D-310 is a bit less sophisticated in sound and cosmetic finish than the Diamond Series. But there are times when you need to save a few bucks. D-310 might be just perfect for your less than grandiose application.
D-310 is an unassuming 4” 2-way with Wharfedale’s clean, but not bright, high end performance. D-310 is a real speaker, not a tinker toy. The 4” Kevlar driver is tuned to give you respectable bass. It is small enough for your office or surround use, but not so small as to be a pansy performance wise.
The woofer is a 4” Kevlar design. The tweeter is Wharfedale’s 1” Silk design. The grills are cute without being expensive. The binding posts on the back are NICE and will accept bananas or bare wire. D-310 is rear ported to add some muscle. The MDF cabinet is finished with several nice vinyl options spec’d above. In short, D-310 has cut corners where it needs to- to perform well but not run up the price on opulence.
Hegel H390 Finally In Stock! $6000 (250×2)
Hegel announced it would be shipping its brand new, smokin’ hot, killer integrated amp, a couple months back. Wellll, better late than never. At least they got it right before they sent it out the door.
Please read our Oct newsletter for the details. In short, if you’re an audiophile on the hunt for STATE OF THE ART integrated amp with massive control and edge of the art DAC, here’s your new ride.
What A Night For Beethoven!
Dec 22, 1808, was a mere 211 years ago. Too bad we weren’t there! While today’s musicians do well to present a new song or two to a performance, LVB released an explosion of his creativity.
On the same concert program were:
> Symphonies 5&6
> Piano Concerto #4
> The Choral Fantasy
Parts of any of these works would have been great gifts to the world. Any one of these works would have been energetically welcomed. To have all four in one evening, had to be beyond the saturation point. The audience, no doubt, had no idea what hit them.
All of these works are widely enjoyed and employed in concerts today.
Sym #5 and Piano Concerto #4 are absolutely unsurpassed even 211 years later!
