Peachtree Gan 1 beta testing sign-ups open

[Joffy1780]

I actually would like to hear it. This is an interesting technology that needs a decade or two of development. Bruno Putzey himself acknowledges the potential, but given the current state of the art he will continue with silicon in his designs. He is at the ragged edge of Class D and having wrestled with the design ever since UcD and making it incredibly well measuring and sounding (in addition to being light, cool, simple and cost effective) he is probably right in sticking to silicon for now.

When GaN performs better than Purifi I will switch. But with all those caveats I can see the potential. And because I'm inquisitive I would like to listen to it with different speakers whose impedance curves I already know and see the results.

I won't switch (at least not now) but for new technologies to mature they need early adopters, so more power to you, guys!

I would like to see it tested and measured.

 

[BlissfullExistence]

This is exactly what is helpful, someone who has actually spent time with the unit. Would you recommend it sir? Any caveats?

Meanwhile, unless you are the type to take pride in your close-mindedness, you'd be foolish to write the Peachtree GaN 1 off.

I paired it with some reasonably resolving floorstanders (Focal 1038 Be's) and the presentation was to my ears a thing of beauty. Got goosebumps from Eva Cassidy's Fields of Gold. Played the same song yesterday with no attendant horripilation.

On the other hand, I can only compare it to a Yamaha A-S3200. Which at five times the expense seemed less engaging: less bass control, less distinct instrument placement, notably.

Hate it from a distance if you think that is the way. I love having it right here with me.

 

[goryu]

This is exactly what is helpful, someone who has actually spent time with the unit. Would you recommend it sir? Any caveats?

Helpful if your subjective preferences are the same. Are they?

 

[Gruvytune]

Hello
I've had one as part of the prelaunch program. I'm running my Apogee Duettas with it. The mids and highs are very good. The bass is good down to about 30h then it's absent. At least subjectively it's not there.

 

[Joffy1780]

Hello
I've had one as part of the prelaunch program. I'm running my Apogee Duettas with it. The mids and highs are very good. The bass is good down to about 30h then it's absent. At least subjectively it's not there.

Your Duettas are not going to play below 30hz, so maybe that is the reason?

 

[georgehifi]

$735 for 200wpc.....GaN FET... www.classdaudio.com

Yeah but it's not digital all the way like the Peachtree GaN-1 or even better Peachtree's Carina.

Cheers George

 

[goryu]

But is it load dependent like the Peachtree amp?

 

[georgehifi]

But is it load dependent like the Peachtree amp?

Do you know what the output impedance of the GaN-1 and Carina are??
I'd and others would be interested to know , if you can show an independent legit graph measurement.

Cheers George

 

[goryu]

Do you know what the output impedance of the GaN-1 and Carina are??
I'd and others would be interested to know , if you can show an independent legit graph measurement.

Cheers George

I believe this is the module used in the Peachtree GaN 1. Note most of the testing was done in closed loop configuration, while Peachtree supplies the amp in open loop mode.

GaN Technology in Audio Power Amplification

In this review of the GaN Systems amplifier evaluation kit, Stuart Yaniger shares his explorations of the features and benefits of GaN (gallium nitride) power semiconductors, and explains why the technology is not only enabling great sounding audio amplifiers but is also bound to completely...

audioxpress.com

 

[georgehifi]

I believe this is the module used in the Peachtree GaN 1

It's not, that's just the Eval Board from 3 years ago, my friend has one. I saw a pic of the GaN-1 some one pulled appart a beta version of it, it's half that size and totally different to look at, if I can find it again I'll post it up.

Cheers George

 

[georgehifi]

Here is the one I believe is the one in the 1st Beta testers Peachtree GaN-1 so the dismantler says. Very different to the Eval board above in goru's post (both circuit boards though, look to be made by AES.)

IMG-8428 hosted at ImgBB

Image IMG-8428 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Cheers George

 

[goryu]

Same people who designed the previous modules in the Peachtree GaN amps.

 

[MaxBuck]

Yeah but it's not digital all the way like the Peachtree GaN-1 or even better Peachtree's Carina.

Cheers George

What do you mean, "digital all the way?" Every amplifier ultimately is an analog device.

 

[georgehifi]

Every amplifier ultimately is an analog device.

Only from it's output devices to the speakers, not from the input.

Cheers George

 

[MaxBuck]

Only from it's output devices to the speakers, not from the input.

Cheers George

No amplifier can be "digital all the way." No sound would come out.

 

[georgehifi]

No amplifier can be "digital all the way." No sound would come out.

Should have been clearer, "analog from it's output stage to the speakers" digital all the way from it's inputs to the output stage.

Cheers George

 

[MaxBuck]

Should have been clearer, "analog from it's output stage to the speakers" digital all the way from it's inputs to the output stage.

Cheers George

What this thing is, is a DAC attached to a power amplifier. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it's not particularly groundbreaking. What you refer to as the "output stage" is, in fact, the amplifier section.

 

[georgehifi]

What this thing is, is a DAC

Yes it has been called a power-dac when Wadia made a very low wattage one years ago, for desktops.
But these don't even have a dac, it done by DSP by my reading.

What you refer to as the "output stage" is, in fact, the amplifier section.

They are just the output devices giving out analog to the speakers, everything in front of them is digital

 

[MaxBuck]

But these don't even have a dac, it done by DSP by my reading.

Of course it contains a DAC. Otherwise, again, no music would come out.

I don't doubt that these folks might convert digital input into analog output differently from other manufacturers, but digital to analog conversion is happening nonetheless.

 

[georgehifi]

What I'm saying it doesn't contain a "D/A Chip" they believe they do it better using DSP PCM to PWM conversion fed into the output stage GaN-fets