Integrated amp with dac - opinions?

I heard the Peachtree iNova at a dealer and thought it sounded very natural and musical in the midrange on jazz and vocals. I didn't hear it with more bass-oriented music like rock and electronica though, so I can't comment on the bass performance. Other options to explore would be integrated amps from Bryston and Simaudio which offer internal dacs as an option. I haven't heard the exact integrateds they now offer, but have owned gear from both companies in the past and think highly of their build and sound quality.

try to find one with multiple digital inputs and is preferably upgradable (firm ware upgrades, software upgrades, hot swappable boards) as technology changes. I would probably not purchase anything that did not include a USB input at this point in time either (asynchronus USB). others may disagree

Not sure what your price range is, but the Hegel H300 looks like it would be worth a look. Best of luck.

Hi Max,

I bought a NAD M2 not long ago. After a looong break-in, and spending some time on speaker placement, I can say the sound very much what I was looking for. It is quite detailed, revealing and dynamic - and it circumvents the DAC.

I agree with Jrinkerptdnet - something upgradeable makes a bunch of sense (the M2 is not). I believe the new NAD 390DD is one such amplifier. (I'm not trying to advertise for NAD, just so-happen to know of the 390DD, and of course own the M2)

Hi,

thanks for the replies and suggestions. I'll check all the gear and do some thinking.

Max