Peachtree Audio nova500 Amplifier with DAC
"The most powerful Peachtree amplifier EVER!
This is it..the one you’ve been waiting for and the one we’ve always wanted to build…the incredible new nova500. The nova500 is five audiophile-designed products in one: a digital-to-analog converter (DAC), a preamplifier, a power amplifier, a moving magnet phono preamplifier and a headphone amplifier all seamlessly integrated into a single, beautiful aluminum and wood chassis that is the hallmark of Peachtree Audio.
The nova500 is designed to provide the ultimate link between all of your source devices and your speakers with the most powerful and “cleanest" amplifier section we have have ever offered. But the nova500 isn’t designed to simply reproduce music loudly. It is designed to deliver music the way the creators intended; with the ease, authority, musicality and emotional impact provided by the worlds best recordings.
The DAC
The DAC section in the nova500 includes an amazing new ESS 9000-Series PRO Sabre DAC and utilizes four DACs per stereo channel. In other words, eight DACs in total to provide stunning dynamic range from any source with minimal background noise to distract from the music. All of the specs for the DAC exceed 120dB, generally considered the maximum dynamic range of human hearing! But most importantly, this digital-to-analog-converter provides a level of refinement and musicality that we have found to be simply beyond reproach. Peachtree was the first audiophile company to offer ESS DACs built into its products, and it is only fitting that our latest and greatest integrated amplifier includes their latest and greatest DAC!
The Preamplifier
The preamplifier section in the nova500 was designed from the ground up by the engineers at Peachtree Audio specifically for the nova500. Its architecture is based on the preamplifier section of the nova300 and nova150, but takes it a significant step further by implementing fully differential circuit paths from input to output. This ensures that the ultra-low-noise musical signal provided by the DAC is maintained all the way through the preamplifier, and any external noise or interference that finds its way to the circuit board is cancelled out so it does not negatively affect the sound quality of the music! The ensures that the nova500’s power amplifier section is being driven by the absolutely cleanest possible signal from the preamplifier.
The Amplifier
The amplifier section in the nova500 features the stunning new 1200AS2 from ICEPower. It is, simply stated, the best sounding, most powerful amplifier section we have ever offered in any product - period. The nova500 is capable of driving virtually any speaker with the utmost ease and authority. Chances are, you've never heard how good your speakers can actually sound until you hear them driven by the nova500. The nova500’s ability to reproduce complex music passages at any volume level is simply jaw dropping even if only listening to a modest pair of 2-way speakers. But to truly appreciate the amplifier section in the nova500, connect it to a pair of high-end floorstanders and be prepared to be completely blown away! The power and finesse of the amplifier section in the nova500 is, we believe, a game changer.
The Headphone Amplifier
The headphone amplifier section in the nova500 is a custom-designed power amplifier specifically engineered to get the best sound quality and output capability from any headphone including difficult to drive, high-impedance, high-performance headphones. The headphone amplifier is a fully discrete linear design that does NOT utilize a chip-based amplifier. It is a full power amplifier tailored to the specific needs of headphone listening and can easily drive anything from power hungry 600 Ohm dynamic-drivers to easy to drive planar-magnetics and everything in between. The headphone amplifier in the nova500 makes discreet listening sessions a welcome delight!
The Phono Stage
The phono section in the nova500 is designed to allow direct connection from a moving magnet or high-output moving coil cartridge equipped turntable. It is custom-designed to enable the best sound quality reproduction from your vinyl collection and eliminates the need to add an external phono amplifier product to the nova500. And if you don’t use a turntable, the input doubles as a standard line-level analog audio input with the simple press-and-hold of the input button