Peacthree Nova vs. Emotiva for computer stereo setup.

I'll just drop a quick bit on this in case someone wants to run a search in the future, as I recently swapped the two similar priced products and tested the sound quality on my Sierra-1 NrT pair, with a Rythmik F12SE.

Peachtree Nova (80wpc integrated DAC/amp) ~$1300
Emotiva UMC-200 (pre/pro) + Emotiva XPA-200 (150wpc) ~$1100

It's not even a close comparison when I swapped my venerable Peachtree Nova for the Emotiva pair. The Emotiva setup added considerably cleaner, clearer sound. It was a startling and unsubtle difference. The EQ optimization options and sub management were just gravy.

One thing to be aware of is that the Emotiva seperates need a monitor with a HDMI input to access the setup of the UMC-200, which may be a bit beyond what some people want to use for a simple stereo setup. I would say the results were entirely worth it, if you have a spare TV sitting around.

Also if you're a headphone aficionado, the Peachtree Nova's headphone capabilities seemed to be able to pull much fuller sound--particularly in the bass. It also has the ability to activate a tube stage to subtly roll off the highs for extended listening without fatigue.

Thanks for the feedback on the upgraded combo. It's rewarding to discern such a difference between components after spending that kind of money. The UMC-200 has much more flexibility and capability so it will give you room to grow.

If you are planning to keep the Nova, you might be able to route audio from the UMC-200 to the Nova specifically for the improved headphone amplifier. I looked up the specs for the UMC-200 and there are several analog outputs available: two zone outputs and a "mix" output. By using these, you can send audio to the Nova analog inputs, and then hopefully take advantage of your preferred headphone amp system. Just an idea to consider. :)

Enjoy!