Peachtree Audio

This year, I’ve had five different integrated amplifiers in my system. My benchmark is a Hegel H190 though my current fave is a Rogue Sphinx V2. The Carina 300 couldn’t be more different than the Sphinx. Its sound stage is wider, much more detailed and more layered. It also has a quieter background. Its internal DAC is very good and is only bettered by my SMSL VMV D1se. Though it’s so very detailed, it is not hard to listen to for long periods. The balance seems right. The only source I have going into it is my WiiM Ultra which through puts over the air TV, apps from my Apple TV and music streams via the WiiM home app. The Carina offers a very good and capable volume control. The screen is very nice and the remote fits very well in my hand. We will see id over the next few weeks the sound changes as it breaks in. But right now, I couldn’t be more impressed!

I “downgraded” from the Peachtree separates to the Carina GaN to simplify my system and because I also just purchased the efficient Wharfdale Lintons that just don’t need so much power. Well I can’t say where the improvements come from since I just changed two components at the same time. It doesn’t really matter because what I have now is the incredible sound that I’ve not achieved in many years with other high end components. I just love the soundstage front to back and side to side. All instruments sound fantastic and bass is punchy. All music sounds better now and I just love sitting back and enjoying music in a way that I’ve missed for a long time. I am so pleased I added the Carina to my system.

I owned a Nova65SE for many years and absolutely adored it. When I felt like it might be time to trade up, I tested several amps that were considerably more costly than the Nova and I was disappointed in all of them. There was a brittleness and excessive brightness to them that just didn’t play well with my speakers (Paradigm Studio 10s that I’ve had for years). So I decided that I’d give a Carina a go, and there it was. The body and smoothness, the realism, the stereo stage. Maybe the Carina/Paradigm combo works particularly well together, or maybe I’m just a big fan of the Peachtree sound, but this thing is magic.

I have been searching for a minimalist, small footprint (size and weight) system solution. I own a streaming audio player with multiple digital outputs (no analog), and a very good volume control. I have a few speaker choices, but I wanted an amplifier that would work well with my Magnepan LRS+. After reading a few of the audio websites I landed on the GAN1 and everything I read indicated it would be a great addition to the system. I received the unit within days of ordering. Setup was a breeze and within minutes the LRS+ were providing what I can only describe as shockingly good sound in my room. Soundstage is tremendous. Bass is plentiful and well controlled. I have added a REL sub today to fill in the bottom octave, but the performance of the GaN1 and Magnepans alone is better than the many other combinations I have tried. I also swapped in a pair of Q Acoustic Concept 30 bookshelf speaker and was very pleased with the results. The resulting reduction in the numbers of components in my system was also a goal, which is achieved by using the GaN1. Highly recommended!

The sound and performance are incredible. IMO one of the best values out there for class D operation. Similar performance in class a AB or A amplifier would cost 4 or more times what Peachtree lists for..

Coming from 6 years with the nova150, most recently driving a pair of KEF R7s, here's what stood out most:
-significant reduction in hiss when speakers are plugged in with nothing playing
-clearer & more satisfying even at low volumes (i.e., fuller sound), possibly due to a "blacker" audio background
-deeper soundstage, where distance of each instrument / vocal from the listener is immediately obvious
-more life-like, with better reproduction of textures & timbres

I was already extremely pleased with the nova150 in all of these respects, but the Carina GaN has shown me what I was missing.

I bought the Gan1 to partner the NodeX in my TV system. I have had it now for a couple of weeks and I'm really impressed. It works seamlessly with the node, using a trigger cable.
Most importantly the sound, it's a sub £2000 system and I doubt you'll find a better sounding system (just add speakers). Wide soundstage, excellent instrument separation and a lovely natural sweet sound signature.
Buying online was quick and easy, all the shipping and taxes are worked out at checkout.
Highly recommended
Mark (UK)

I ordered the GaN 1 when Peachtree started the early bird sale event. I have been playing around the GaN 1 for more than 2 years. I am very pleased I managed to get a warm and robust sound effect by adding the iFi spdif ipurifier2 and the iFi ipower elite to raise the bar of the GaN 1 sound quality effectively.

With any new technology, there’s skepticism. When I unpacked the amp I thought. OK, this thing weighs practically nothing. Which Traditionally would mean not the best gear, I knew this would be the case ahead of time, but my brain was stuck in the past. I moved my 70 pound mono-blocks out and put this thing in and thought OK here we go.
Over the past 6 months I have been enjoying this little amp in a way that’s hard for me to explain. It has a lively large soundstage. Great detail, but it does not come off as harsh. The bass is ample and sounds like a beefy amplifier with great reserves. To be fair, I’m not saying it’s better than my mono-blocks, I don’t think it is, but they cost 10 times the price of this thing. What I will say is when they’re not in the system and the GaN 1 is, I don’t really miss them. It’s different, but it’s still amazing. I do think it’s one of the best values that I’ve heard in hi-fi. Put a Sonos port, WiiM ultra, or node in and you’ve got an instant high end stereo for under 2k and it will fit in any apartment or room. I’ve been a longtime fan of Peachtree, but I think this may be one of their best products ever.
I do wish it had an auto signal sensing turn on, but most things these days have a 12 V trigger.

This Intergrated amplifier is perfect for what most people need in their audio rooms. I find the sound quality to be noticeably better than my Nova set ups of which I have a couple. I highly recommend giving this a try, I can't imagine you will be anything but happy with the product.

I bought the Carina GaN to replace my Nova500, I was a little worried about the power output downgrade but after a weeks' worth of listening, I'm sold. The sound quality difference is amazing, and I haven't missed the extra output of the Nova500 in the least. I still own a couple of PreDac's and four Amp500's, they have their place. But for detailed listening, the Carina GaN is my choice. Just an amazing piece of audio equipment with the style to match.

For starters I am using this in a second system in very large open living area, paired with Forte IV. The combo of Node streamer with the GaN1 is perfect for that role where you want the system to disappear yet provide quality sound. This is very different than a dedicated room where you can have the gear be the focal point and have speakers 8ft out into a room,

The GaN1 looks like Mac space gray in person. Sonically I would say that the combo of streamer and Amp punches well above its price point. The soundstage is much larger than the much more expensive Integrated that I replaced. Imaging is very good and overall tone is very accurate to the recording. Well recorded vocals sound spot on when I compare them to my reference system and poor recordings sound poor but tolerable.

The stand outs for me is that 1.) this amp does not sound thin at all, 2.) the bass slam/ attack and control are fantastic. If you put on any electronic music you will release the amount of bass that your system can effortlessly produce.

I owned a Peachtree Nova 150 before and when I saw the trade-in opportunity, I wanted to utilize it to experience the GanFET amps with the DAC less PowerDAC technology Peachtree Audio uses.

My setup:
Speakers: LS50 Meta (Passive)
Subwoofer: REL T7/X using High Level.
Source: Amazon Music HD via USB(Computer)
Room: 400 SQFT;

I didn't have much expectation from the unit but it blew me away with its performance.

1. Resolution: Phenomenal increase in resolution across the frequency range its not even a comparison with Nova 150. Even the subtlest of details just shine through which was inaudible with my Nova 150.

2. Imaging and Soundstage: Again, mind blowing increase soundstage width and depth and pinpoint accuracy in imaging. Its a spotlight effect on the different layers of music.

3. Excellent Low volume performance. I hear all the details and soundstage at 60db to 65db sound level in a quiet room.

4. Sound Signature: Neutral and Transparent.

For digital sources, this is one of the best integrated amplifier you can get for the money. Extremely happy with both the product and prompt response from customer support.

Highly Recommended.

My previous setup was a DAC/preamp by Benchmark (DAC 1 HDR) and power amp by Peachtree (220). DAC 1 HDR was a jewel at the time of its purchase, this gear by Benchmark was universally judge one of the best DACs in the market for CD listening, but not for other sources, because it could not manage sampling rates over 44.1 KHz. This limitation has become a problem to me, having several hundred of tracks in HD audio. Being so happy with my Peachtree 220, my search for an updated product was firstly in the catalogue of this brand, I preferred an integrated amplifier to a pre-only, the old gears were meant to be part of a desktop setup. As Carina 150 arrived home, the first test I made was with Toto song Hydra, 16 bit/44.1 KHz in my Cambridge Audio CX C (transport only) CD reader, and the same song, 24 bit/ 192 KHz via Mac Studio. The difference was now audible. The dragon's roar at the incipit of the song (one of the most difficult sound to reproduce by digital devices due to its low volume and frequences) is now clear, well defined, in the correct spatial position of the scene, just like I heard, more than four decades ago, with the vinyl version. This is enough for me to say that Carina 150 fulfills my needs and my desires. Now I will enjoy listening to my music collection to find out new details in my favorite songs. Furthermore, I will always consider that Carina 150 has a price that is roughly a third of my previous system.

I evaluate reproduced sound quality both personally and professionally; the Library of Congress retained me to find them the most accurate monitoring equipment for their project of transcribing the content of all their millions of sound recordings for permanent preservation, and very little of all the best residential and professional equipment made that grade. On the personal side, I rely on my Quad ESL 57s, nicely restored by Wayne Picquet, as a standard for midrange clarity and crisp transient response, but have not had good luck matching them with power amplifiers. That's now no longer true. Straight out of the box with maybe an hour warmup, the GaN 1 had the Quads happily, even effortlessly, delivering the clearest, cleanest sound I've ever heard from them. No tubes, no flea-power voodoo. Thanks!