[Cheeseboy]

I am shopping for a system for a friend.  We think that we want sonmethinig like the Peachtree Nova at the Peachtree Decco price.  What is out there in this configuration?  Another option might be a DAC preamp and a used amp of sorts.  Any ideas?

[srb]

Can you give further clarification?  The Decco is "something like" the Nova, but with less power, lesser DAC, fewer inputs and no HT Bypass.

What features do you need/want?

How much power?
How many digital inputs / how many analog inputs?
If a USB input is required, what resolution (16/48, 24/96, 24/192?) ?
Is a Home Theatre Bypass input required?

Steve

[Sparky14]

Peachtree is already the best bang for the buck all-in-ones.

The others that I have seen (Bel Canto, Wyred4Sound) are more $$, but I like them both.

Yeah, you can create a cheaper version by the external dac path and an old amp....but then that isn't New Age anymore.

[Cheeseboy]

Here is my shopping list for the gear.  40 watts is fine, 2 Pre Outs for sub or future amp, Composite video out (Would be nice to have), USB in, coaxial in, Optical in, Remote volume minimum, 2 aux in.  I don't think the highest resolution would be needed.

I hope I covered it all. 

The system will run a pair of bookshelf speakers and a 10 inch powered sub.  It will be fed by an Apple TV box, Blue Ray DVD, Cable Box, Laptop and cd changer.  The system will be used for a 2.1 home theater as well.  We are thinking if we do this right we can drop the Cable Box.

The small living room is 16 ft by 18 ft.  The TV is on the long wall.

[srb]

I would have to agree that with your wish list of preamp output, subwoofer output, 2 analog inputs and possibly 4 digital inputs, it's going to be hard to find anything less expensive than the Peachtree Nova.

If you were to go with an integrated amplifier + an external DAC, you could do something like a Cambridge Audio 651A at $800 (75W/ch, preamp out, mono subwoofer out) and an Emotiva XDA-1 DAC at $200 (remote input select), but you would also need a universal remote to tie it all together and make it more seamless.

It might just make more sense to wait until a used Peachtree Nova comes up for sale at ~ 800 or maybe a bit less for a more elegant all-in-one solution.

Steve

[Doublej]

You could use an AVR or an AVR with pre outs so that you can add a separate two channel amplifier.

There is a German company that makes something close to or what you are looking for but the name escapes me at the moment. I think the price is sub $1000.

[JLM]

The upcoming NuForce DDA-100 is in the breed of what I think of as "New Age" integrateds (throughly modern design, compact, high efficiency, no "silly" tubes, reportedly high-end sound/very low jitter) at a projected retail price of $500:

"The DDA-100 directly converts incoming digital audio data into the pulse-width-modulated signal that turns on and off the output transistors. The DDA-100 includes four digital inputs (1 x USB, 3 x S/PDIF); however, no analogue inputs, in keeping with the direct digital intent. Power output is rated at 50Wpc into 8 ohms."

[charmerci]

That Emotiva dac/pre-amp coupled with one of their inexpensive amps looks like a good deal - and they're on sale now too.

[srb]

That Emotiva dac/pre-amp coupled with one of their inexpensive amps looks like a good deal - and they're on sale now too.

Cheeseboy requested a subwoofer output and two analog inputs which is why I had proposed an integrated amp and the DAC as a possibility.  Perhaps the XDA-1's single ended or balanced outputs could be used to drive the subwoofer, but that setup would still not offer any analog inputs.

Steve

[Doublej]

Not a perfect fit but darn close.

http://www.teac.com/consumer_electronics/reference_series/a-h01/

[Cheeseboy]

These are some great suggestions.  I would have never found the NuForce and the Teac.  Both of these are great alternatives to recommend to friends.   Don't take this the wrong way JLM I like the "silly" tubes for myself.  Others in my circle may not like them. 

I did find some older Peachtree product on thier website as refurbished.  Any good experiences with the Peachtree Refurbs?

The Decco 2 ($549) looked like a good ticket.  2) Aux, 1) USB, 1) Optical, 1) Coax, Pre Out and Sub Out, 40 Watts, Sabre DAC, Silly Circuit, Remote control. 

The Decco OG ($499) appeared to not have the Sabre DAC chip.  The Nova Refurb was $899.

[JLM]

Don't take this the wrong way JLM I like the "silly" tubes for myself.  Others in my circle may not like them. 

No worries, as the Aussies would say, everything is light and breezy.

[Cheeseboy]

The NuForce has wonderful potential.  One of the ways I can see that NuForce could be more proactive in the marketplace would be to advocate a PWM digital input on ICE/Digital based sub amps.  The market could use this kind of new thought.  Don't all digital amps have this potential follow a digital word/time code as an input? 

They need to acknowledge at least one aux input.   

[mca]

How about a used nova? I will be putting one up for sale soon.

[Cheeseboy]

The factory refurbished units are priced at $899.  What are you going to list the unit for here at AC?

[richidoo]

Sonos' Connect:Amp has 50w amp, one analog input. It can stream internet radio, spotify, pandora. Control by PC, mac, cell phone, tablet. Add as many zones as you want, each with its own separate analog input that can be shared in any other zones. The Connect player has no amp, but has digital and analog line outputs. They have a Sonos Subwoofer now that will require no signal connection, because all Sonos zones are sample perfect sync. They also have self contained speaker/amp units now. I use the Connect unit's digital output to feed my digital music collection from the network to my DAC in the main audio system.

Love mine, going on 5 years now. I'd give up my audiophile system before I gave up the Sonos. The new age is about easy control, easy access to music anywhere, convenience and design.

http://www.sonos.com/system

[eclein]

Boy that TEAC looks interesting, anybody heard one yet?