Peachtree Audio - Page 53

Originally Posted by flocked

I'm extremely frustrated and I really hope that you can help me. 4 Weeks ago I bought an iNova and I really love it. At the same time I also bought the Wharfedale Jade 5, also superb speakers.

But there is a problem: If I connect the Jade 5 speakers with the iNova, I always hear loud crackle at the right speaker (recording: d.pr/SpeL ) at higher household noise level or louder. It is unimportant, which of both speakers I connect, it is always only the right speaker ( = the speaker connected to the right output). The left Jade 5 always works without any problem.
I sent the iNova to the german distribution (Robert Ross Audiophile), but they couldn't find any fault. I also bought a second iNova and it is still the same problem.
The strange thing is that the Jade 5 works perfectly with a other AV-receiver. I can't imagine that the speakers are broken. As I said, the left speaker at the iNova always works without any crackle.
I had the chance to test the iNova with some cheap 100 speakers and there wasn't any crackle, even at the same loudness.

I tried it with many speaker cables (with banana, without) and different audio sources (usb, analog, digital and iPod) and it is always the same problem.

Now I don't know what to do. This is my first hifi purchase and it is a lot of money for me! Could you please help me?

Originally Posted by Terrya

Out of curiosity, what's your source, and to what input is it connected? Do all sources do this?

Originally Posted by flocked

Yes, all sources do it. I tried it with usb, ipod, analog and digital. It is always the same problem.

Originally Posted by Tugg McGroyn

Good question. On the Peachtree site it looks like the Pre is available now and the Integrated is on pre-order for availability in Dec. 2011. So... they should both be out. But, like you, I haven't seen anything from anyone who's actually used them.

Originally Posted by palmfish

I put down my headphones today and listened to some music through my speakers today. I couldn't get over how flat and lifeless my system sounded. I'm starting to suspect that maybe my AC outlet isn't providing enough juice for my system.

I currently have a power strip plugged into the wall and all of my components plugged into the power strip.

Originally Posted by unrecognized

Try listening to your amp and source plugged directly into the outlet and not the power strip.

Originally Posted by palmfish

Thanks for the tip. I was wondering about this myself, so I did try it. Without being able to A/B, I can't say that it made much, if any difference.

Yesterday, I replaced my Nova with my old Carver Receiver and hooked up all of my components via analog RCA. Well, suffice it to say - problem solved.

I had written off that 27 year-old leviathan and moved it to my office last year when I got the Nova and never realized what I was missing. With the Carver at the helm, my speakers have punch and sound alive with dynamics. My headphones sound as good as they did with the Nova (which is to say, very good).

Before making the switch, I did extensive blind testing (with the help of my daughter) with both the Nova and the Carver headphone outs comparing the Nova's DAC portion with the built-in DAC in my Squeezebox Touch and Cambridge Audio DacMagic. My conclusion is that it was difficult to impossible to tell any of them apart from each other - they all sounded very nice with sometimes subtle differences that were not consistently repeatable.

So, in the end, I find the Nova to have unmatched digital/analog pre-amp switching capabilities and a solid DAC, combined with a good headphone amp and less than stellar speaker amp. The tube is pure gimmick - I never use it even though the blue glow looks cool. Some might like the warmth it gives harsh low bit rate digital music (and it does smooth these out), but I'm just not a believer in adding distortion to make music sound "better."

I can recommend it as a hub for a dedicated headphone system, but not for a loudspeaker system. Mine will be going up for sale on Audiogon.

Originally Posted by Terrya

I've managed to enjoy my Nova since I first bought it in 2009, but I always considered the amp like a bonus. As a pre-amp, switching device, headphone amp, DAC, it's pretty damn nice for the price. The amp is nice and musical, although not super robust. (@80w into0 6 ohms) I finally added a Parasound Halo to the mix when my wife offered it as a Christmas gift. That, and finally streaming lossless files through usb through a V-Link to the coax input on the Nova has dramatically improved the sound of my system. I never thought server music would sound this good in my home. It's sounding pretty incredible, really, and the Nova is still right in the middle of it all.

Originally Posted by palmfish

That's awesome - sounds like a great setup.

I thought about adding a more powerful amp and using the Nova strictly as a pre, but I had the Carver lying around doing basically nothing and, more importantly for me, it has tone controls.

I can't count the number of times I've started listening to an album from "back in the day" and it just sounded too bright, to thin, too thick, too muddy, etc. With the Nova, there's nothing I can do about it, but with the Carver, I can tweak the sound and make it listenable.

I don't know why manufacturers stopped including tone controls - well, I do actually, but that "purity of the signal" is bull$%&* if you ask me. Recordings go through so many switches, opamps, relays, pots, caps, etc. in the studio that one or two more won't make any difference.

My biggest issue now is that the Carver is so big that it doesn't fit in my cabinet properly. I've got my Nova up for sale now (head-fi and Audiogon) and when it's sold, I may just sell the Carver too and buy a more modern integrated like a Cambridge Audio or NAD.

I suppose that's the fun of this hobby. The never-ending quest for something better...

Originally Posted by Terrya

I thought long and hard about whether pulling the Nova was a viable option, but concluded that as a preamp/control center/DAC it was hard to beat. I still love it's form too. It's gonna stay put. In fact, I'm done with hardware for a while. I knew early on that I might want to add an amp. Now that I've done that, the next place to spend money is loudspeakers, and after some recent speaker auditioning, I came to the conclusion that I'd have to break the bank to make a significant improvement there, so I'm done. It's time to sit back and enjoy the music. Any money spent will be on source material.

As far as tone controls go, I worried that it might be an issue, but it hasn't been. My old Speakeralabs have sounded pretty happy. And while I understand your sentiment about the tube, I tend to have it engaged with most digital sources, even hi-resolution material. I like how it very subtly takes the edge off digital sources, in a good way to my ear. I've been kicking it in and out while listening to vinyl, more out than in recently. It's nice to have the option.

I have an old Sherwood S-9910 that sounds great. Very robust and super musical. Big and powerful like your Carver. I love it's sound. It's playing behind me as I type here in my office. It deserves better, but at least it's playing music rather than living in a closet, and there's no way I'm ever letting go of it.

Anyway, good luck dialing in your system. I'm disappointed to hear that you'll let your Nova get away, but we each follow a different path as we put our audio systems together. That's part of the fun.

Originally Posted by palmfish

I know how you feel about your Sherwood. I feel the same about my Carver - plus, it just sounds so good.

It's looking like I may be keeping the Nova after all. I knocked $300 off what I paid for it (full retail $1200) and so far I've only gotten lowball offers. I'm not going to take a $500 wash on something that's only 8 months old.

I'm still in a spending mood, so maybe if the Nova doesn't sell I'll experiment with amps. I can try it as a pre with my Carver and if that sounds good, maybe I'll buy an Emotiva 2-channel amp for it. The Nova does have one feature I really miss with my Carver - a remote control!

BTW, thanks for you input, it's been really helpful.

Originally Posted by Terrya

For $700 keeping the Nova as a preamp/dac makes sense. Or moving it to another room. Whatever. It's worth way more than $700 imo.

My Sherwood doesn't have a pre-input, so I was unable to run that test. I did run line level out to the Sherwood for a time, (as an experiment) taking advantage of the dac in the Nova. It sounded pretty nice. After that it ran the speakers on my front and back porch, again with digital source material through the Nova. I loved that setup, but I built a custom media cabinet that was a better fit for the house, and with limited space, the Sherwood moved into the office.

Anyway, I know about what you're going through. Carefully assembling a nice budget system takes time. After sitting static for most of the last 15 years I spent the last 5 years putting a system together that I'm really happy with. And since the economy has put a huge dent in my income, I'm done whether I want to be or not. But I want to be done, so it's good. Now I just have to be careful when visiting HDTracks.

Originally Posted by palmfish

I think we have a bit in common. I seem to go in 10 - 15 year increments. I bought the Carver with other gear in 1985. Put together my first home theater in 1999, then replaced my home theater with all new gear in 2009. I had the Carver wrapped in a pillowcase in my closet from 1999 until just a couple of years ago. That's when I started enjoying 2-channel again and went on an explore to put together a new living room stereo system.

I used to really be into hi-fi but got away from the hobby for a long time after I got married and had kids. Getting back in is fun.

I'll let you know how it all ends up. I think I'm OK with it either way. If I keep the Nova and buy an amp, I can still move my Carver back to my office rig. It's overkill, but at least I'll be using it.

Originally Posted by Terrya

I suspect there are many of us who have followed a similar path. An active lifestyle and a thin budget took me away from quality listening at home. A few years ago I recognized that while I'm still pretty busy outdoors doing fun things, I'm spending more time at home, and while at home I want to enjoy good sound. And so it began again.

Originally Posted by palmfish

I sold my Nova yesterday. Kinda sad to see it go - it's a cool piece of gear.

Originally Posted by Dr_Mark

I got a Grand Pre last night, the unit is built like a tank. Out of the box it sounds very open and airy. Looking forward to some serious listening when it has a 100 hours or more on it. If you get one, FYI the manual is not the best.

Also got an integrated, it's still in the box, I hope to get it opened up tonight and hooked up.

I'm running a Mac mini USB to the Grand Pre. First off the Mac saw the grand at 24/192, good start. I'm using XBMC as my player for now. This is an all in one video/music solution.
The settings I used out of the box were solid state; I didn't fire up the tubes for more than a minute. The initial sound was a bit harsh. So I let it run for 4 more hours and came back for a listen. The sound was a lot more pin-point and specific. With good music or better this DAC is really good, with great music it excels. Very open and airy, I was surprised to see how well it pinpoints the instruments. One issue I still have is a little harshness at the high end. The holographic openness on great music is surprising.

To keep the all cables sound the same crowd happy, I am using a $3.00 USB solution for now. I have my dealer out looking for a higher end solution.

Response from Peachtree on cables.
We all use AudioQuest Carbon or Diamond. The Forest is a good choice for just a little more money than a generic Belkin.

Now the tube portion, I had my son turn the tubes on an hour ago, so the Grand Pre will have some time to break that part in later today.

With minimal hours on it I would recommend this DAC, other DAC's I have used or heard are the Rega $1k, the Cambridge and Arcam rDac both around $400. If the Grand Pre continues to break in, it will be a keeper in my system.

I am using FLAC files, Parasound A51 amp, and Dali Helicon 300 MKII's.

Originally Posted by intermediatic

Palmfish,

No matter how good the Nova as a DAC, it is lacking as an amp for many applications. I tried feeding it into an Adcom 545 mk ii for my b&w 602s (I have since moved to 603s). What a difference! Anyone with a decent set of speakers should spend the $150 to try this. The Nova is underpowered.That's why your Carver sounds better. For all we have been taught about the wattage wars, an underpowered amp will feel flat and lifeless. Why not feed the Nova to the Carver? It may work well. In the end, I wound up creating a verbal bi amp set up with two 545 mk ii units, one for each channel, feeding the woofers and tweeters in the speakers separately on the channels of each amp. If anyone can figure out how to improve a Nova that much for only $300, I am all ears!

Originally Posted by intermediatic

Palmfish,

A phono input is golden. I bought a little musical fidelity rig for that. Even with an Oppo BDP 95, there is no question in my mind that a half decent $800 setup (in my case audio note iq-1 cartridge and thorens 160 mk 2 plus that preamp) blows digital away. I haven't gone to a serious USB setup with my Mac mini. The Nova USB was disappointing I that regard. I am told 24/192 USB gives vinyl a run for its money. I will believe it when I hear it. For now, after twenty years with this crappy format, I vow to buy no more shiny coasters when vinyl is available.

Originally Posted by intermediatic

Palmfish,

A phono input is golden. I bought a little musical fidelity rig for that. Even with an Oppo BDP 95, there is no question in my mind that a half decent $800 setup (in my case audio note iq-1 cartridge and thorens 160 mk 2 plus that preamp) blows digital away. I haven't gone to a serious USB setup with my Mac mini. The Nova USB was disappointing I that regard. I am told 24/192 USB gives vinyl a run for its money. I will believe it when I hear it. For now, after twenty years with this crappy format, I vow to buy no more shiny coasters when vinyl is available.