Comparing the Peachtree Nova to the W4S Dac 2 :eek:
punk-roc
Posts: 1,150
Well, I will start off by saying I am a total novice, but figured people might be interested in one person's opinion of the W4S Dac-2 compared to the Peacthree Nova. Not claiming perfect science here either.. just my experience.
A little backstory first... I purchased the Nova brand-name in Feb. 2010 and used it mostly as a Pre-amp/Dac and briefly as an amp for my SDA-2's (before I realized they really needed more power). My main rig sees a lot of use and the Nova would see at least 2 if not 4+ hours of use a day.
My main rig is composed of a Netbook (wirelessly streaming from my NAS full of FLACs) connected via Kimber USB cable to the W4S. My amp is a Parasound 1200ii and currently runs some stock SDA-2's (except for RDO-194s). With Kimber Hero ICs throughout and most recently some Kimber 8TC speaker cables.
I really liked the Nova and thought it did an excellent job as a USB Dac between my Netbook and Preamp. After all the praise for the W4S Dac's (and suggestions that the DAC setup in the W4S may be better than the Nova) and my realization that I really didn't need the amplifier section on the Nova I decided to purchase the Dac-2 and give it a whirl.
I picked three songs I know well and listened to each song (once with the Nova and then with the W4S). The songs were; Black Keys - Tighten Up, Cake - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, and Tool - The Patient.
Low-End: Both DACs allow some decent bass to come through. The W4S's bass was tight and authoritative without being over-powering. It was easy to differentiate the different Bass guitar notes played in the various songs and I was able to pick up a few nuances I hadn't noticed before.
The Nova's bass was good as well, but seemed a little more pronounced than the W4S at a similar volume level. I would characterize it as boomier and maybe a tad sloppier. The low-end sometimes seems to over-power the mids and highs a bit as you increase the volume. Where it seemed as the W4S had a good balance through the volume range (and definitely more detailed/tight at similar volume levels compared to the Nova).
Highs and Midrange: When compared at similar volume levels, the Nova's midrange and highs seem far more pronounced as well compared to the W4S. With long listening sessions the highs can sometimes get a little fatiguing (which I've been trying to fix some with different ICs/Speaker cables, etc). When I listen to the Cake song listed above on the W4S the highs seemed a little more natural and less forced or pushed as they can sound with the Nova.
Overall Impressions: I really like my Peachtree Nova and if you need an integrated with a USB DAC I think it would be a very good option. I like the source selection and motorized volume knob more on the Nova than W4S and aesthetically I like the look of the Peachtree over the W4S.
I find my self gravitating toward natural, detailed sound with authoritative, but well-controlled low-end (or at least what I consider natural and detailed
). I think that is why I find myself utilizing more Kimber cable products since I seem to feel they help bring these qualities out of my system.
The W4S Dac-2 seems to present a more crisp, authoritative low-end that doesn't over-power the midrange or highs of any particular song and just seems to convey a more natural or honest reproduction of the particular track. And since I don't need the amplifier section of the Nova it was a no-brainer to make the swap permanent.
Hopefully, this sparks a little conversation from some of our more educated and smarter audio-members to further flesh out the experience with the W4S (Face!)
Jason
A little backstory first... I purchased the Nova brand-name in Feb. 2010 and used it mostly as a Pre-amp/Dac and briefly as an amp for my SDA-2's (before I realized they really needed more power). My main rig sees a lot of use and the Nova would see at least 2 if not 4+ hours of use a day.
My main rig is composed of a Netbook (wirelessly streaming from my NAS full of FLACs) connected via Kimber USB cable to the W4S. My amp is a Parasound 1200ii and currently runs some stock SDA-2's (except for RDO-194s). With Kimber Hero ICs throughout and most recently some Kimber 8TC speaker cables.
I really liked the Nova and thought it did an excellent job as a USB Dac between my Netbook and Preamp. After all the praise for the W4S Dac's (and suggestions that the DAC setup in the W4S may be better than the Nova) and my realization that I really didn't need the amplifier section on the Nova I decided to purchase the Dac-2 and give it a whirl.
I picked three songs I know well and listened to each song (once with the Nova and then with the W4S). The songs were; Black Keys - Tighten Up, Cake - Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, and Tool - The Patient.
Low-End: Both DACs allow some decent bass to come through. The W4S's bass was tight and authoritative without being over-powering. It was easy to differentiate the different Bass guitar notes played in the various songs and I was able to pick up a few nuances I hadn't noticed before.
The Nova's bass was good as well, but seemed a little more pronounced than the W4S at a similar volume level. I would characterize it as boomier and maybe a tad sloppier. The low-end sometimes seems to over-power the mids and highs a bit as you increase the volume. Where it seemed as the W4S had a good balance through the volume range (and definitely more detailed/tight at similar volume levels compared to the Nova).
Highs and Midrange: When compared at similar volume levels, the Nova's midrange and highs seem far more pronounced as well compared to the W4S. With long listening sessions the highs can sometimes get a little fatiguing (which I've been trying to fix some with different ICs/Speaker cables, etc). When I listen to the Cake song listed above on the W4S the highs seemed a little more natural and less forced or pushed as they can sound with the Nova.
Overall Impressions: I really like my Peachtree Nova and if you need an integrated with a USB DAC I think it would be a very good option. I like the source selection and motorized volume knob more on the Nova than W4S and aesthetically I like the look of the Peachtree over the W4S.
I find my self gravitating toward natural, detailed sound with authoritative, but well-controlled low-end (or at least what I consider natural and detailed
). I think that is why I find myself utilizing more Kimber cable products since I seem to feel they help bring these qualities out of my system.The W4S Dac-2 seems to present a more crisp, authoritative low-end that doesn't over-power the midrange or highs of any particular song and just seems to convey a more natural or honest reproduction of the particular track. And since I don't need the amplifier section of the Nova it was a no-brainer to make the swap permanent.
Hopefully, this sparks a little conversation from some of our more educated and smarter audio-members to further flesh out the experience with the W4S (Face!)
Jason
2-Channel - So far...
Pre: Dodd ELP
DAC: W4S-Dac2
Source(s): Computer and Denon 2910
Amp: Parasound HCA-1200II
Speakers: LSi9s - Vr3 Fortress Mod
Pre: Dodd ELP
DAC: W4S-Dac2
Source(s): Computer and Denon 2910
Amp: Parasound HCA-1200II
Speakers: LSi9s - Vr3 Fortress Mod
Post edited by punk-roc on
Comments
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I made the same transition, Nova to DAC-1. The Nova is a nice all in one component for it's price, but the DAC section of either W4S DAC is superior."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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You ended up with the Dac-1 and not the 2 eh? Did you think the 1 was close enough to the 2 for your needs?
Jason2-Channel - So far...
Pre: Dodd ELP
DAC: W4S-Dac2
Source(s): Computer and Denon 2910
Amp: Parasound HCA-1200II
Speakers: LSi9s - Vr3 Fortress Mod -
Initially I ended up with a DAC-1, then upgraded to a DAC-2 for the Asynchronous USB, HT Bypass, and preamp functions. Other than the USB input, the DAC-1 and DAC-2 are virtually identical SQ wise."He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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Pretty similar to my own comparisons of the Peachtree and W4S, though I thought the Wyred was superior in pretty much every category. Don't get me wrong, I thought the Peachtree was good, but not quite what I was looking for. I don't think I will be replacing the W4S any time soon.
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That's where I fell as well. I just liked the overall sound of the W4S more. The Nova definitely does well, but the more pronounced highs and slightly sloppier bass (compared to the W4S, I wouldn't say the Nova was sloppy in general) of the Nova really made me like the W4S
Jason2-Channel - So far...
Pre: Dodd ELP
DAC: W4S-Dac2
Source(s): Computer and Denon 2910
Amp: Parasound HCA-1200II
Speakers: LSi9s - Vr3 Fortress Mod
