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With matching Peachtree D5 speakers
  For a quick iDecco plus refresher, the iNova combines a digital-direct iPod dock; a 32-bit Sabre ESS 9016 DAC; a class A preamp with defeatable single 6N1P triode buffer (7V out for 2V in on both transistor and triode); a headphone port tapped from the same hybrid preamp stage (100/300/150mW into 8/150/300Ω); and an 80wpc into 6Ω Mosfet amp based on TI op amps and a Scott Nixon design. There are two analog inputs one of which can be configured as home-theater bypass with the push of a rear-panel switch. There are 5 digital transformer-coupled inputs (2 x coax, 2 x Toslink all 24/192; 1 x galvanically isolated USB on a 24/96 Tenor transceiver).

With Everything But The Box Terra III speakers
There are two analog outputs. One is fixed to use the iNova as standalone DAC. The other is variable to use the iNova as preamp, variable DAC or to add a powered subwoofer. There are also component video outputs and a digital filter switch. The internal power supply is linear and feeds 11 regulated sub-power supplies.


The suede-textured plastic remote provides for input selection, tube bypass (the blue upfiring LED inside the tube socket means the valve is active), volume, mute, power (indicated by the power switch light ring going from red to blue) and five controls for the iPod (menu—a short hold on this button selects the highlighted item—last/next track and up/down for list scrolling). The shipment also includes five Apple inserts to fit the dock to one of the compatible iDevices. The iNova with sandblasted aluminum fascia and valve window comes in either Black gloss or real wood veneer (Rosewood, Cherry). Dimensions are 5 x 14.75 x 14" HxWxD. Weight is a healthy 26lbs.
This board's 16-pin socket connects directly to the iPod dock
Shy of spinning CDs, LPs, applying RIAA correction and receiving radio broadcasts, the iNova does everything a modern listener could want in a single box (whose oval-ish profile makes it quite unboxy at that). It even comes with a built-in upgrade path. There the integrated first becomes preamp and finally converter only. This makes room for a costlier power and pre amplifier. This isn't necessarily to prep you for more peachy stuff. Peachtree Audio doesn't make it. Quite yet.* This simply has your best interest at heart. Future-proof your investment against the upgrade bug. After all, that bloodsucker bites most audiophiles even if only because sameness no matter how good eventually gets boring.
The main DAC board
"Some of the differences between iDecco and iNova include going from an ESS Sabre 9006 to the ESS Sabre32 9016. The USB input receiver chip on the iNova supports 24/96 where the iDecco was limited to 16/48. The iNova does 24/192 via coax or optical whereas the iDecco was limited to 24/96. The NOS/NAL toggle passes bit-perfect data in the non-upsampling mode and upsamples everything to 24/192 in NAL. The USB transceiver is a Tenor. We have upgraded 60+ caps to tighter tolerances throughout the signal path to improve bass control and punch. This makes a marked difference especially obvious when using the iNova as a full-featured integrated amp. As for the power rating, this was an internal decision we put some serious thought into. We have found that over half of our customers were—or are—buying the integrateds with what used to be ERA and are now Peachtree speakers. Those have a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. It isn't that unusual to find that companies which have a popular system approach, for example Linn, rate their amplifiers at the impedance of the matching speakers. We definitely don't want to come off as trying to artificially boost the power rating. Our measured iNova maximum continuous power, two channels driven, is 63wpc into 8 ohms."
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* With the Grand Pre DAC/pre expected to come in around $3.000 by the end of this year, Peachtree Audio is taking off its gloves to punch well outside current perception as a high-value brand of quality 'transitional' hifi.


With RCA/XLR i/o ports, the best Sabre chip and a full complement of all 24/192 digital inputs from USB to BNC, remote control and a headphone port, the company's David Solomon predicts "a high level of success since there isn't much competition given the features, performance and price."


In short, the iNova is a turbo-charged iDecco. Think more power, more socketry, upgraded capacitors, better tube, fancier converter. Think 80% price increase. At $1.799 for a complete digital/analog music center, add speakers and you're good to go in an office, bedroom, on the desk top and as a big rig if speaker choices remain reasonably sane.

Jon Derda, Jim Spainhour & David Solomon of Peachtree Audio
   David Solomon: "Handling US operations, I do a lot of Music Matters events to train dealers how to properly interface computers, iPads and Apple TVs with our gear. A year ago only one out of 50 attendees knew of Pandora or Spotify. Today everyone knows 'em and 30% of our customers rely on them as their exclusive sources. Hardly anyone knows of MOG yet but a year from now it will be just as ubiquitous. That's the trend. If a dealer has no music computer, iPad or Apple TV to demonstrate with, I won't come. This is the future. We embrace it. Think about it. The technology involved in an iPad, iPhone or Droid as slick remote GUI would have cost thousands of dollars just a few years ago. Now many already own it. And by the way, with the Grand Pre and forthcoming new models we'll shift production back to the US. We invest about 2 years of R&D into each of our products.


"When we imported Musical Fidelity for the US, our greatest success came from their products which were priced between $500 and about $3.500. With Peachtree Audio we're pursuing exactly the same sector - except that we're firmly focused on PC audio and making the associated sources which so many people use sound their very best. That's also what the 6N1P cathode follower in the iNova is for. Yes it adds about 20dB of noise over the transistor path but it also mellows out the digital harshness of digitally compressed and lossy files. For well-recorded full or high-resolution material you can bypass the tube with the remote. We put you in control. Ditto the digital filter. NAL measures better but you might prefer NOS. The switch let's you decide and change your mind."