Fungi Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 It appears the Nova is now available for $1199. Sounds like it'd be decent enough pricing if the DAC is done well and the headphone amp isn't terrible. 6922 tube amp?
Hopstretch Posted July 1, 2009 Report Posted July 1, 2009 Interesting tidbit from the Web. Peachtree are now developing a variant of the Nova that will be just a DAC/Pre without the integrated amp. It will use the ESS9016 and have upgrades to the power supply, output stage and board components. Target price is $1199. Could be a nice product for folks of the desktop audio persuasion!
morphsci Posted July 1, 2009 Report Posted July 1, 2009 Interesting tidbit from the Web. Peachtree are now developing a variant of the Nova that will be just a DAC/Pre without the integrated amp. It will use the ESS9016 and have upgrades to the power supply, output stage and board components. Target price is $1199. Could be a nice product for folks of the desktop audio persuasion! Hmm, do you have a link? I've never heard of the ESS9016 just the 9018 and 9012. Does sound like something to look into.
matt fury Posted July 6, 2009 Report Posted July 6, 2009 I think I'm ready to buy a Nova, but goddamn, I really wanna find one used.
Hopstretch Posted July 6, 2009 Report Posted July 6, 2009 Hmm, do you have a link? I've never heard of the ESS9016 just the 9018 and 9012. Does sound like something to look into. Sorry Jim, I missed this. The info came from Jim Spainhour, who runs Peachtree. Yes.. The Pre-Dac will have the new ESS9016 with upgrades to the power supply, output stage, and board components. As we are now working on 6 new products simultaneously it's hard to pin down an ETA but I'll guess Nov. 2009 - Feb 2010 time period. I guess there are two possibilities. He meant the 9006 and miswrote. Or he meant the 9018 and miswrote. I suspect the latter, as the Nova already uses the 9006 and the implication seems to be it's a newer DAC chip.
morphsci Posted July 6, 2009 Report Posted July 6, 2009 Sorry Jim, I missed this. The info came from Jim Spainhour, who runs Peachtree. I guess there are two possibilities. He meant the 9006 and miswrote. Or he meant the 9018 and miswrote. I suspect the latter, as the Nova already uses the 9006 and the implication seems to be it's a newer DAC chip. Thanks Andrew. It is probably the 9018 as you said. I am definitely watching out for this one. I will be very interested in what it is priced at as the tab on my Buffalo just keeps rising.
Sherwood Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 I just pulled the trigger on a Nova. I'm anticipating having a fairly mobile lifestyle over the next few years, and something boxed up all pretty with an ESS DAC and a warranty seemed too good to pass up. I will, of course, wax poetic about it on here within 5 minutes of plugging it in.
morphsci Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 Even without hearing the Nova I really like the way it looks. Very refreshing compared to the usual audio non-style. I will be interested in how it sounds.
Sherwood Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 My expectation is that the DAC will be excellent, the preamp will be perfectly serviceable, and the amp section will fall somewhat flat. Jim's announcement that they'll be making a DAC/preamp only model in the same form with the same price reinforces that idea, to me. Nonetheless, sometimes it's handy to have an amp section in a device like that. I should get it in a few days, and I'll be sure to write back here with how it sounds through speakers, estats (through transformer), and dynamics (through the headphone out). Fun!
penger Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 Have any idea why there's such a huge space set aside? It's vented but there's nothing there. Picture from 6moons review, btw.
luvdunhill Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 Have any idea why there's such a huge space set aside? It's vented but there's nothing there. Picture from 6moons review, btw. I think that's where the magic pebbles go.
penger Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 So I sent them an email and David Solomon said that it's for a Sonos ZP90.
Sherwood Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 The space is to hold a sonos box. The Decco had one, too.
Dusty Chalk Posted July 10, 2009 Report Posted July 10, 2009 Jacob's Shatki stones.Man, I had Shatki stones once, those things are the most painful to pass.
Sherwood Posted July 13, 2009 Report Posted July 13, 2009 well, my Nova arrives wednesday. I don't have any dynamic cans in house, but it will be employed running a transformer and a set of Lambdas. I'm hoping that 80 watts doesn't prove too much. I really should have waited a few months and picked up the Decco 2, but I didn't know about it, and I was impatient to boot.
n_maher Posted July 13, 2009 Report Posted July 13, 2009 I actually really want one of these for the soldering rig, pretty f'ing cool if you ask me.
matt fury Posted July 13, 2009 Report Posted July 13, 2009 well, my Nova arrives wednesday. I don't have any dynamic cans in house, but it will be employed running a transformer and a set of Lambdas. I'm hoping that 80 watts doesn't prove too much. I really should have waited a few months and picked up the Decco 2, but I didn't know about it, and I was impatient to boot. why would you prefer the decco 2?
Sherwood Posted July 13, 2009 Report Posted July 13, 2009 why would you prefer the decco 2? I'm really in it for the DAC, and the convenience. I'll never use it to drive large speakers. The only differences between the Nova and the Decco 2 are 40 fewer wpc, two fewer digital inputs, and no HT passthough. And, of course, 300 dollars. Same DAC, same topology, same everything else. Since I won't need more than 3 digital inputs, and since 80 wpc is gross overkill for my application, I'd sooner save the $300.
Sherwood Posted July 13, 2009 Report Posted July 13, 2009 Not really. The designer (not Jim) said early 2010, along with the Nova DAC/Pre. Nothing's set in stone right now.
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