Overview
The X2 Power Amplifier
What is it?
The X2 Power Amplifier is our latest high-performance design, built on the acclaimed Hypex NCore X platform. Engineered to pair seamlessly with the Carina pre|DAC, the X2 delivers effortless power, complete sonic transparency, and absolute control—capable of driving any speakers with authority and finesse.
Why did we build it?
In the past five years, power amplification has taken a leap forward. The newest generation of switching designs has not only surpassed traditional amplification in efficiency, but also set new benchmarks for audible clarity and measured performance. These advances elevate every other part of the audio chain, making today’s listening experience more engaging than ever. The X2 was created to fully unlock the sonic gains of the Carina pre|DAC and to establish a new reference point for Peachtree separates.
What makes it unique?
The X2 Power Amplifier is purpose-built to complement the Carina pre|DAC both sonically and visually. Together, they form a system that is powerful, elegant, and uncompromising in musical realism.
Design
Key Features of the X2 Power Amplifier
1. Dual-Mono. Fully Balanced. Utterly Transparent.
Inside the X2 are two completely independent mono power amplifiers that share a single chassis and power cord. In essence, it’s like owning a pair of our Mono X power amplifiers, but in one streamlined enclosure. The result is true dual-mono performance: fully balanced signal paths, immense channel separation, and vanishingly low distortion.
2. Two Trigger Inputs for Seamless System Integration
The X2 features two independent 12V trigger inputs—one assigned to the balanced inputs, the other to the unbalanced inputs. This design allows the amplifier to integrate with two different preamplifiers. For example, you might connect the Carina pre|DAC via the balanced inputs for music playback, and your home theater receiver via the unbalanced inputs for movies. In this setup, the X2 can serve double duty: powering your main speakers with uncompromising quality for both music and film. It’s like “Home Theater Bypass” but even better!
3. Classic Analog VU Meters
Front-panel analog VU meters give you real-time visual feedback of amplifier output, driven directly from the speaker leads. They not only provide useful monitoring, but also bring a touch of timeless hi-fi elegance to the design. Prefer distraction-free listening? The meters can be dimmed or switched off entirely.
The Bottom Line
The X2 Power Amplifier is built without compromise. Every detail, from circuitry to aesthetics, has been refined to deliver pure performance and long-term reliability. It is the ideal partner for the Carina pre|DAC and stands as Peachtree’s ultimate statement of what modern audio should be: transparent, powerful, and deeply musical.
Specifications
Reviews
Review of the Carina 300
- “ I can’t help looking at a company like Peachtree Audio—a product like its new Carina 300 —and think that somebody there is listening.”
- “…one of the most surprising aspects of the Carina 300…. it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with BluOS multiroom wireless music systems.”
- “As adept as the Carina 300 is with iconic jazz and genre-bending rock, it also sounds just as sweet with the modern pop.”
Read the full review here….
Dennis Burger Carina 300 Review Notes
Turntable Grounding:
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to put it to a thorough test. As soon as the turntable was connected and the integrated amp was turned on and switched to the Analog input, I was hit with strong electrical interference and phwomping rumble from my ceiling fan as well as the LED light over my gear rack.
It’s worth noting that the U-Turn doesn’t have a grounding post, instead being internally grounded via the left RCA channel. That’s uncommon, to say the least, so I’m not ready to chalk this one up to a shortcoming of the Carina 300. Just a word of warning: if you’re going to use the amp with a turntable, you’d likely be better off with one that includes a grounding post.”
Turntables without a separate ground utilize a ground path through the RCA input on the connected device and any RF or AC Mains noise picked up by the turntable may be present in the audio pathway. This is a known issue with these types of turntables. We recommend using a turntable with a separate ground terminal/wire OR - if the option is available - using the built-in phono preamplifier of the turntable which helps to minimize the potential of noise from entering the audio pathway.
Bluetooth Antenna:
“The only other setup consideration worth mentioning here is the Bluetooth range. As I pointed out above, the BT antenna is ginormous—the biggest I’ve ever seen. Even bigger than the high-gain antenna of the iFi Audio Zen Blue V2 I keep around as the reference pick for my Wirecutter guide to BT receivers.”
The supplied antenna is provided for maximum range. The antenna can be rotated in any direction to alter its “look” and reception pattern. Bluetooth reception is also available without using the antenna connected but the wireless range will be reduced significantly. Alternatively, any other “RP-SMA 2.4GHz” antennas can be used providing a more desirable antenna size to range ratio. Please note when shopping for alternative antennas: the one supplied provides 5.8dB of gain, so if less range is desired, look for lower gain antennas.
Bluetooth CODECs:
“I do wish Peachtree gave any indication of what BT codecs are supported—either in the manual, on the web, or via the front panel. The product listing simply states, “Bluetooth 5.0 input with HD audio decoding,” which I assume means there’s some form of aptX support. But beyond that, it’s a mystery.”
All Carinas utilize Bluetooth v5.0 including the following CODECs: PCM LDAC, AAC, SBC, APTX, APTX LL, APTX HD and other high frequency encoding, LDAC can achieve 24/96 transmission.
Headphone Amp:
“But on a somewhat less-positive note, the amp just didn’t have enough oomph to drive the LCD-2 cans to satisfying levels. And when I pushed the volume up above 0dB to try and get some extra sparkle out of the song, I triggered some sort of fault-protection mode that functionally disabled the headphone amp until I power-cycled the Carina 300.”
The headphone amplifier provides maximum power from the balanced output. In terms of impedance, we recommend headphones between 32-150 Ohms (unbalanced output) and 32-300 Ohms (balanced output). Please note: the sensitivity of the headphones will affect the loudness as well. For maximum output into a high-performance headphone like the Audeze LCD-2, we recommend using the balanced output.
Audio Pursuit reviews the original Carina
"While $2499 is no small amount of change, the Carina is an absolute bargain."
"I cannot rave enough about the DAC section."
"Simply put, the Peachtree Carina integrated amplifier is insanely terrific."