Peachtree Audio nova125 Integrated Amplifier

Sam Tellig has posted a review of the Peachtree Audio nova125 integrated amplifier ($1499) at Stereophile. His conclusions:

“Even so, I found the sound somewhat bass-heavy and slightly congested. What was I hearing? The original jazz recordings from the 1950s and ’60s that I was playing? The Rega? The cork mat? The EAR 834P? The tubes? Listening to vinyl did confirm my suspicion that the nova125 sounded innately warm and slightly soft—perhaps just the ticket for whatever comes into its asynchronous USB input, assuming you can use it…

What I didn’t hear was top-tier resolution. All the air wasn’t there, which became immediately apparent when I turned on my Music First Audio Baby Reference preamplifier (ha!) and Quicksilver Silver 88 tubed monoblocks. Comparatively, for me, the nova125 suffused the music with a slight velvet fog. Call it the Mel Tormé of integrated amps. Better that than the Eddie Fisher. Incidentally, I heard little or no difference with the tube buffer in or out of the signal path.”

You can read the full review here.