Peachtree Audio is a relatively new company, with a history that begins in 2007 when Jim Spainhour and David Solomon (both with some good experience from the audio market) presented an integrated amplifier named Decco. The Decco is now a piece of audio history, being the first amplifier with a USB port (the idea of audio streaming was not something very common at that time). Also, Decco was a design cornerstone for Peachtree as it appears that it largely determined the basic aesthetics of almost all of the company's products.
My first contact with Peachtree was around 2009 when we reported about a new product, the replacement of Decco, an integrated amplifier with an AB output stage which was known as the Nova. Since then the technology has changed significantly and Peachtree followed along, now offering a full product line with five integrated amplifier models, as well as a DAC, a preamplifier, a power amplifier and two USB-S/PDIF converters.

A quick look at the series is enough to gain some understanding of their basic philosophy. The company seems to have a clear view as to the structure, capabilities and technologies used, with what it appears to be a good mixture of a fresh perspective with some more traditional or even classic design approaches. Mixed, analogue and digital, front ends capable of high-res audio processing are combined with tube preamp stages which in turn may be connected to switch-mode power amplifiers, while a prominent user interface minimalism does not seem to be an excuse for over-simplify the whole design.
Take, for example, the amplifier pair of this review: The NovaPre preamplifier includes analog and digital inputs in a hybrid design offering a user selectable, tube based buffer stage and the possibility to listen through both a discrete, class A output stage and an operational amplifier based output stage. On the other hand, the 220 power amplifier is a small, lightweight and low temperature class D design capable of 220/400W at 8/4 Ohm loads, based on ICEpower modules. Interested? Well, who wouldn't be?

Dimitris Stamatakos

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Original Publilcation: 2014/06/17	Last Follow Up: 2014/06/17	Original Language: Greek (Translated)

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