Chris_Johnsen

One solution is, of course, using an Airport Express. However, I simply had too many dropout problems with that set-up. I chose to purchase USB Booster which, via CAT5 cabling runs 20ft to my Nova from my MacBook Pro. I got it from CablesToGo.com. I'm very happy with the sonic results.

A quick comment to the forum regarding the new Signature Edition version of the Oppo blu-ray uni player, the BDP 83, and the Nova digital inputs. My friend who recently had his Oppo upgraded to the Signature Edition is running it through the Nova via S/PDIF coax AND analog RCA inputs. Whereas the original version of the player sounded better through the Nova's digital input, the upgraded Signature Edition sounds noticeably better through the Nova's analog inputs. That's how much better the upgrade makes the Oppo uni player. The Signature Edition is still a steal at $899.

Rascal, Our experiences with the Decco and D5's have apparently differed when it comes to the bottom end. I found that, when driven by the Decco's 50Wpc, the bass put out by my D5's was nothing short of surprisingly full, taut and well-delineated for a speaker of its size. Furthermore, when I inserted the Usher Be-718's I was rewarded with even deeper, yet equally taut and well-defined bass. At no point would I call the bass mushy, nor would I blame it on the Decco. Perhaps it was a speaker placement issues and you were experiencing some room boundary effects? If I was trying to drive a full range floor-stander (which I will be hearing next week or so in the Monitor Audio RX8's but with the Nova) perhaps then it would not exhibit the last bit of control in deep bass but in a mini-monitor that extends only down into the mid-50's? I can't see it being the Decco. I haven't heard mushy bass through my D5's, Ushers, Gurus or even my Von Schweikert VR4jrs, which are full range floor-standers. That's simply my experience though, with several different types of speakers in two different rooms (living room and home office). I certainly haven't experienced it with my Nova either. That said, when finances allow, I will be experimenting with external amps to see how that might improve the Nova's sound. I'm still pondering the First Watt, perhaps tubes, or a bang for the buck amp from Odyssey or Wyred4Sound. A modded PS Audio A100 might be interesting too. Cheers, Chris

Is it the new NAIM rig?

I haven't had any experience with Maggies but it was always my understanding that they loved as much wattage as you could give them to sound their best. I'd be concerned that the Nova's 80Wpc might come up a little short. Perhaps if you only listen to acoustic folk and chamber music... ;-) By the way, I was just at a friend's house last week for a listening session for his new Guru monitors driven by a Nova and including a VPI Scout 'table. Man, those Guru's sounded FANTASTIC driven by the Nova with uncompressed digital files and vinyl, with the vinyl sounding especially magical. Sweet, open top end, great midrange and some nice heft on the bottom end for a speaker of this size. I also like how they are designed to be placed on a table and against the wall. It sure makes placement easy. I have another listening session set up at another friend's house in a week or so where he'll have his Nova driving a pair of the new Monitor Audio RX8 floor-standers. I'm curious to hear how they sound and I will report back. The RX8's list for $1,750 but you should be able to squeeze a dealer to take at least $225 off. I'm told the Guru's have lost their US Distributor and you can find dealers that are selling these $3K speakers for around half price. A killer deal for an amazing pair of speakers. I like them as much as my Ushers, though I think the Ushers have a bit more on the bottom. CJ

I first used my Nova with my D5's, as my Ushers were pulling main system duty in the living room in place of my Von Schweikert VR4jrs. I loved the sound the pair made together, however, when I swapped out the D5's for the Ushers the improvement was significant, as it should be for a speaker costing 3x as much. Better top end, fuller, more gorgeous midrange, I mean now I could really hear the body of a guitar, or the acoustics of a room much more clearly. There was an additional clarity and image separation as well. More bass extension was also an added benefit of the Ushers. I squeezed even more out of the combo by adding the Bel Canto 24/96 Link and using the S/PDIF input instead of the USB input. There was definitely an audible difference when adding the Bel Canto, subtle but magical. The devil is in the details after all. Personally, my concern about downsizing to the D4's would be the loss of what bass these mini-monitors have. I did not find the bass on the D5's to be mushy at all, but rather taut and fairly well delineated. Of course, your room could, and probably is, different than mine so you have to go with what you think sounds best. I can't argue with pairing the D5's with your main system, they are impressive little speakers. I miss mine. Happy New Year! CJ

Rascal, A very affordable and excellent sounding option I suggest is Paul Speltz anti-cables. $10/ft and they sound great. A very nice "bang for the buck" option for your already great "bang for the buck" system. http://www.anticables.com/ Cheers, Chris

Keith, I haven't heard the Nova with B&W 805's but I have two friends who replaced their entry-level Rotel gear with the Nova and have noticed an appreciable improvement in the sound of their systems. Add to that clear benefit that you can pop your Sonos unit right into the back of the Nova and you have a no-brainer purchase (IMHO). Good luck! Chris PS: I've become quite the Nova evangelist amongst my friends. I've literally sold 5 units via recommendations to friends who wanted a taste of what high end audio is all about while enjoying a real bang for the buck.

Rascal, I ran the D5's with a Decco for over a year until I upgraded to the Nova and Usher Tiny Dancers. In short, the D5's sounded terrific with the Decco and the 50W never had a problem driving the D5's in my 200sq ft office. My guess is you'll love the combo. If you're like me, you'll love it so much you'll eventually upgrade to the Nova, which sounds even better, has more inputs, more power and an even better headphone amp. Chris

One of the many things I like about the Nova is that with two pre-amp outputs I can add an amplifier of choice to upgrade the sound. I still have my eyes on a used First Watt F5...

I've had the new Peachtree Nova in my office system for about a week now and I'm very impressed so far. It sounded great right out of the box but I expect improvement as it breaks in, if my experience with the Decco is any indication of what to expect. For those interested, Chris Martens over at the AVGuide.com blog has posted a very positive preview of the new Nova as well. Check it out: http://www.avguide.com/blog/first-look-peachtree-audio-nova-hybrid-integrated-ampusb-dac?src=Playback Peachtree Nova; Usher Be-718's; MacBook Pro w/2TB ext HD; 33K AIFF files.

Tubes, I'm getting the NOVA in this week and will report back soon. I have extremely high expectations and all the early feedback I've heard from its appearance at conventions has been very positive. Supposedly there are several units out for review and it's expected that the unit is going to garner raves and then the price will rise to $1,499. I'm glad I'm in at $1,199. As I mentioned in my earlier post, I've had the DECCO for 16 months and although the DAC is substantially different than the one in the NOVA, I've been extremely happy with the unit, not only the sound of the 16/44 DAC but the 50Wpc Class A/B amp, as well. Build quality is excellent and it has driven my era D5 mini-monitors and my Usher Be-718 monitors to perfection in my small office. Before they announced the NOVA I was going to purchase a Nelson Pass-designed First Watt F5 amp as an upgrade to the internal amp but decided to but the new NOVA with it's improved DAC. After I'm done playing with the stock unit for 12-18 months I'll probably look to add a new tube or solid-state amp as well. Full report in a couple of weeks when the NOVA arrives! Best, Chris

I've been enjoying the Peachtree Audio Decco for the past 16 months as the heart of my home office system, along with ERA D5 mini monitors and using a 17" MacBook Pro with uncompressed AIF files as a source. The Decco, which has a Scott Nixon-designed 16/44.1 chip with no filters or oversampling, sounds fantastic. Since you can now find the Decco for $499 NEW (it was $899 for the piano black model when I bought one of the first ones), it qualifies as a genuine steal. The headphone jack sounds very good in it as well. Rumor has it that here is a Decco II in the works. I've just ordered the Peachtree Audio Nova to replace my Decco, primarily because of the new ESS SabreDAC, higher power (80Wpc), and the improved internal headphone amp. To say I'm excited about receiving this new piece of gear would be an understatement. If it performs as well as I hope it will then there is a good chance I'll order another to replace my BAT VK300x SE integrated amp and Cullen Circuits upgraded PSA DLIII in my living room. Of course, should I fall into some serious cash I would opt for the Sonic Studios Amarra system. A man can dream...