[walkern]

Got my Music Direct Spring catalog yesterday and it lists a new Peachtree Audio DAC*IT for $999.  If you go to Peachtree Audio's website and 'pre-order' the little bugger you can pay $449 plus shipping.  The DAC*IT uses the Vout Sabre 9022 chip which has gained some favorable response over at DIY Audio.  Not sure if it is up to the standards of the 9018, but DACs with those chips (even kits) seem to start at $750 and go up.  The USB input will accept 24 bit /96k sample rates, and the optical and coax inputs (1 each) will accept 24/192. 

So, if you can live without your $449 for a couple of weeks and trust the folks at Peachtree Audio, the DACs are alleging to ship toward the middle of this month.  I couldn't resist, and ordered one for myself.  Seems like a really good deal for a top notch piece of gear.

Neil

[pjchappy]

Cool!  I'm still very happy with the DAC in my Nova. 

I do wish they would come out with a new DAC/Pre combo (vs. the Nova, which also has an amp), with 24/192 capability via USB (3.0, if that's what is needed for 24/192 ).

Regardless, this looks like a great product at a very good price.

Here are the details: DAC*IT

Here is where you can pre-order it: DAC*IT pre-order

Paul

[srb]

From the 9022 ESS News Release:
 
"The ESS 9022 combines the highly acclaimed Sabre^TM DAC and a high performance 2Vrms output driver into the ideal D/A converter for applications such as Blu-ray players, CD/DVD players, set-top boxes, digital TVs and game consoles.
 
The ESS 9022 Sabre^TM Premier DAC is the highest performance product of its class at 2Vrms line level with a single 3.3V power supply.  With bill of materials reduced to just a few passive components externally, audiophile sound and quality are now accessible and affordable to consumers."
 
"The ESS 9022 is sampling in a 16-SOP package and priced at $0.98 in quantities of 10,000"
 
The ESS Sabre 9022 is apparently also used in the NuForce uDAC-2 ($129 MSRP).
 
It has been said many times (and rightly so) that the quality and implementation of power supply and analog output stage are at least, if not more important than the DAC chip itself, so hopefully Peachtree has done a very good job in that respect and that it will be a great sounding DAC for the price.  Oh, and the input switching is remote controlled!
 

Got my Music Direct Spring catalog yesterday and it lists a new Peachtree Audio DAC*IT for $999.  If you go to Peachtree Audio's website and 'pre-order' the little bugger you can pay $449 plus shipping.

Not sure what's going on with the Music Direct printed catalog, but I think the yet-to-be-released DAC*IT is $449 regular price and is simply available for pre-order.  The ESS 9016-based 6-input (w/iPod dock) Peachtree iDAC is $999.
 
Steve
 
 

[walkern]

I too was rather surprised to see the $999 price in the Music Direct Catalog.  Maybe it's a misprint?  I was guessing that the 'regular' price would be $500 or maybe $550, with a bit of a bonus for early adopters.  In any case, I am hoping they did their homework and have designed the unit with a proper power supply.  Fingers crossed.

[eclein]

I saw that today also and was thinking it looked like a neat unit. But at $449 it just became even better, that could be my next DAC. Do let us know how it sounds when it finally ships out and nice detective work there, very nice. Thanks

[Rclark]

it's $449 preorder price Eclein, that's not it's permanent price. When he let's you know how it sounds it will be full price.

[eclein]

I know and hopefully its not $999 because I don't have the cash right now or I'd order one. The Virtue DAC is due soon but that might be a bit more money than $449.

[Charles Xavier]

I too was rather surprised to see the $999 price in the Music Direct Catalog.  Maybe it's a misprint?  I was guessing that the 'regular' price would be $500 or maybe $550, with a bit of a bonus for early adopters.  In any case, I am hoping they did their homework and have designed the unit with a proper power supply.  Fingers crossed.

449.00 online

http://www.musicdirect.com/p-42656-peachtree-dacit-silver.aspx

[Rclark]

I'm in the same boat as you Eclein. I think I will wait and see what the Virtue Dac looks like.

In the meanwhile my XDA-1 doesn't exactly suck. It's a very nice instrument. But I do want to take it up a few notches.

 Although in my case, I can't imagine it sounding better, so upgrading is a scary proposition. The XDA-1 does everything I could possibly want, and it sounds totally revealing and clear and with great bass... So the need to upgrade comes from reading these forums. Grass is greener, etc.

 But I do love the Virtue Amp, so we'll see what the DAC is like. If the hardware blows away the specs in my XDA-1, and reports are that it sounds good, and it has lots of capability, then I will probably go with that one. I can wait it out in the meanwhile, I'm not in a hurry on a DAC.

 Already one area I see where the XDA is better than this new DAC here is the 2volt output. XDA-1 puts out 12 volts, 2 amps! There is great synergy between this DAC and my Virtue amp, to my noobish ears.

[Noseyears]

It could be a nice alternative for the Rega dac i think.

BTW...Why Everything does have an "i"?

iPod, iGrado, iDac?

[WC]

I do wish they would come out with a new DAC/Pre combo (vs. the Nova, which also has an amp), with 24/192 capability via USB (3.0, if that's what is needed for 24/192 ).

Paul

Look for the DAC/Pre combo later this year. David Soloman at Peachtree has given some indications that they will be coming over on AVSforums. I wouldn't expect the pricing to be much different than the current Decco2 and Nova are selling for but they will most likely have upgraded DACs in them.

[Mxyzpltk]

I think there might be some confusion over the two peachtree DAC only devices, they have the iDAC that retails for $999 that uses a 9016, and the DAC-iT for $449 that uses the 9022.

http://signalpathint.com/index.php/iDAC/Specifications.html
http://signalpathint.com/index.php/DAC-iT/dacit-specifications.html

If not, please excuse me.

[srb]

I think there might be some confusion over the two peachtree DAC only devices, they have the iDAC that retails for $999 that uses a 9016, and the DAC-iT for $449 that uses the 9022.  If not, please excuse me.

You are excused!  Actually, I don't think there was any confusion:
 

The DAC*IT uses the Vout Sabre 9022 chip which has gained some favorable response over at DIY Audio.  Not sure if it is up to the standards of the 9018, but DACs with those chips (even kits) seem to start at $750 and go up.

The ESS Sabre 9022 is apparently also used in the NuForce uDAC-2 ($129 MSRP).
 
Not sure what's going on with the Music Direct printed catalog, but I think the yet-to-be-released DAC*IT is $449 regular price and is simply available for pre-order.  The ESS 9016-based 6-input (w/iPod dock) Peachtree iDAC is $999.

Steve

[Mxyzpltk]

You are excused!  Actually, I don't think there was any confusion:
   
Steve

Thanks 

I meant that there was a confusion between the two dacs at the sites that posted the $999 price tag, and not a confusion here in the thread that was not already clear, I see now that I didn't express myself good.  Anyway, I'm keeping my eyes and ears open for the DAC-iT, it might just be the dac I'm waiting for.

[srb]

I meant that there was a confusion between the two dacs at the sites that posted the $999 price tag, and not a confusion here in the thread that was not already clear,

Gotcha.  The Music Direct website correctly lists the Peachtree DACiT @ $449 and the iDAC @ $999.  But their recently mailed Spring 2011 Catalog, although correctly listing the iDAC for $999, incorrectly listed the DACit also for $999.
 
Steve

[JDarby - Stereomojo.com]

You might want to check out our DAC blind shootout. DAC's from $750 to over $4,000, panel of 6 judges who didn't have any idea what they were listening to. Pretty surprising results.

http://www.stereomojo.com/Virtue%20Audio%20Nirvana%20Cables%20Review/VIRTUEAUDIOCABLESREVIEW.htm

[Cheerwino]

I think this is the link you intended: http://www.stereomojo.com/Stereomojo%20Six%20DAC%20Shootout.htm/StereomojoSixDACShootout.htm

[Ultralight]

JDarby, THAT was a surprising review indeed, not that the 2nd place unit did not get raves already in other circles but for the $, obviously an over performer.  I don't want to list it here so as not to have a spoiler for the results.

Question though - for USB out only, would the lower bit rate of the 2nd place unit be inadequate?  That's all that I run - USB output.

Thanks,
UL

[walkern]

I believe the designer of the second place finisher is working on an updated version that will handle 24 bit 192K data via USB, so you may wanna just give that puppy a little more time?

[kyrill]

I took the plunge and ordered 3x Dac*it. They still can be modded inside as the sabre chips only needs 3.3 V which is the exact voltage the PIO4 batteries deliver.
What persuaded me is the low ps of the clock, the price, the (very) good reviews of Peachtree gear and the very favorable postings in forums of the this particular sabre chip which does not need I/V conversions.

I need a 6 channel dac for my DEQX to bypass the inner dacs of the DEQX

it is a jump in the deep as i could not find one review of the dac*it it should have shipped half June which is 10 days ago