Peachtree Audio Stereo X Class D Power Amplifier Reviewed

Reading Time: 7 minutes

The audiophile hobby often struggles with change, even when looking a game-changing new technology right in the face. When audiophiles find something that we like (think tubes or Class-A power amps), we then stay quite loyal to these concepts – often longer than we should. I am a huge fan of Class-A power amps but I will be the first one to tell you that they are about as wasteful and inefficient as possible. They waste energy. They create a lot of heat. They can be physically large. They run up your electricity bill, but they sound just delicious: not flavored, but open, accurate and inviting.

Today’s modern Class-D power amps can accomplish the same feats, but without any of the downsides. No heat. No fans. No wasting energy. No big, bloated components. Class-D amps have come a long, long way since those ICE amps from 20 years ago that Bob Carver used to change the audiophile subwoofer forever. Those amps, when powering full-range speakers, sounded cold and thin. Decades later, we’ve come a long way (baby).

Enter the Peachtree Audio Stereo X power amp, priced at $1,299. This Hypex-based amp is designed for the budget-minded listener who wants their system to punch well above its weight without the normal costs associated. Peachtree rocks a monster 1,200-watt power supply, which is a rated and tested way to get the best performance from today’s Class-D amps. The Peachtree Audio Stereo X puts out a reported 300 watts per channel into 8 ohms and 600 watts into 4 ohms. How does this affordable new-school amp hang in a growing group of players in this new audiophile market category? That’s the task at hand in this review. Let’s dig in.

The Peachtree Stereo X on the floor at Jerry Del Colliano's new reference listening room. — The Peachtree Stereo X on the floor at Jerry Del Colliano’s new reference listening room.

What Makes the Peachtree Stereo X Class D Power Amp Special?

Using a semiconductor is a whole new way to create an amp, and it has lots and lots of advantages. The most important one is sound or lack thereof. The Peachtree Stereo X isn’t an amp that brings its own flavor to your system, which most agree is a desired omission in a top-performing amp. What you get is a sound that is controlled and powerful, yet open and detailed. Those are some pretty glowing terms for a $1,300 amp.
The Stereo X amp can drive all sorts of different speakers. My reference Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s (read my review) are 90 dB efficient, which puts them right in the middle of the road regarding how hard they are to drive. The Peachtree Stereo X lit up the 802s like a Christmas tree. The amp had no issue whatsoever driving a pair of $31,000 reference speakers. In the time the Stereo X spent in my bedroom system, the MartinLogan Motion Foundation F2 speakers (read my review) at $2,000 a pair were even easier to drive. Both the Bowers & Wilkins Diamond tweeter and the MartinLogan AMT tweeter were happy with the smooth yet resolute sound coming from the Peachtree Stereo X.
For those with really big power needs, with the push of a button, two Peachtree Audio Stereo Xs can be bi-amped. This yields nearly double the power and can drive really demanding speakers or simply provide the reserve headroom that many audiophiles covet.
The build quality of the Peachtree Stereo X power amp is better than nearly all of its competition. Back in the early days of Apple, you’d see Jobs and Woz building these crazy homemade computers that don’t resemble anything the company makes today. In the marketplace now, there are a lot of upstart companies making Class-D amps that push the envelope of technology, but often look very “project box” in terms of their aesthetic. That is not the case with the Peachtree Audio Stereo X, which is a rock-solid amp in terms of build quality. The speaker binding posts are premium-grade and the metalwork on the unit is more than one might expect from a $1,299 audiophile power amp.
At about 12 pounds, you can’t believe how light a very powerful amp can be. I’ve got a pair of $32,000 Nelson Pass XA-160.8 monoblocks being built in Northern California right now for my reference system. In terms of price and size, that is about the opposite of what the Peachtree Stereo X brings to the table and, for many, the diminutive size and weight of an audiophile component like the Peachtree Stereo X a real draw.

Why Should You Care About the Peachtree Audio Stereo X Power Amp?

The value-oriented audiophile needs to be looking at products like the Peachtree Audio Stereo X. Through the recent evolution of technology, you are able to get uber-high-end performance without any of the headaches and at a fraction of the price. This is very appealing to many audiophiles, especially as they build their system. 300 clean watts of power can drive today’s best speakers easily, and Peachtree’s implementation of Class-D Hypex technology is sonically clean, open and engaging. That’s for well under $2,000. So, many audiophiles will be compelled by this value proposition.

A look at the inputs and outputs on the rear of the Peachtree Stereo X HYPEX amp.

Some Things You Might Not Like About Peachtree Audio Stereo X Power Amp

The small form factor of the Peachtree Stereo X amp is appealing to many, but I really like a full-sized chassis. Form factor has little to do with the sound of the amp, but I like my audiophile components to match in terms of size. Call me crazy, if you must. The Peachtree Stereo X is about half of the width of a standard component. It matches well physically with the aforementioned SLP Elector preamp, which is the same size.
While a nicer fit and finish than its competition, there is no audiophile bling when it comes to the Peachtree Audio Stereo X amp. If you are looking for that Vinnie Rossi or Dan D look, you will need to look elsewhere, as this amp is designed more to impress sonically than visually.

Listening to the Peachtree Stereo X Power Amp …

The three-dimensionality that I heard on Norah Jones’ “Don’t Know Why” in 24/192 from QoBuz was riveting with the Peachtree Stereo X in as my big system power amp. The openness of the overall track was gorgeous, as there was no harshness in the highs, but the dynamics were vibrant and addictive. Jones’ voice sounded delicate yet fully believable and realistic as presented in my listening room. The low end, while not booming, was tight and controlled.

On “Breathe (in the Air)” from the Pink Floyd’s all-time audiophile classic Dark Side of the Moon from QoBuz, it took until the vocals came in to really dig how the Peachtree was doing in my reference system. It was doing just fine, as the opening vocals didn’t have a lick of harshness or hash, which is something that I would expect from a much, much more expensive power amp. Later in the track, when the organ comes in, you could really hear the rich, lush texture of the instrument with the Peachtree Stereo X in the loop.

I always want to give an amp a torture test to see how coherent it stays under sonic duress. I did this with Tom Morrello’s “Hold the Line” (featuring grandson), which is a hard rock/hip-hop hybrid that lands much more on the hard rock side and just explodes during the choruses. At serious volume on both of my systems, the Peachtree Stereo X just laughed off the challenge, as 300 watts was more than enough to hold together this all-out new-school jam. Other amps sound folded down or like they were losing the battle, where the Peachtree Stereo X just powered through the challenging track with aplomb.

Will the Peachtree Stereo X Hold Its Value?

The demand for new-school Class-D amps is strong in the marketplace and not many people are selling them yet, so that is a good sign for long-term value. The fact is that, at $1,299, the Peachtree Audio Stereo X doesn’t have much room to depreciate. It is pretty safe to say that your modest audiophile investment will be fairly secure in a Peachtree Stereo X.

What is the Competition for the Peachtree Stereo X?

Orchard Audio’s Starkrimson 25 ($2,500 per pair – read the review) monos are a solid comparable, but it is a GaN (gallium nitride) solution, not Hypex. Leo Ayzenshtat at Orchard is pushing the limits of what can be done with GaN design. His most affordable options are these smooth-sounding monoblocks, but they are almost $900 more and don’t have the option to connect a digital source directly. The fit and finish of the less expensive Peachtree Stereo X is a little sexier than the Orchard option, regardless of price. Both have a clean, open, refined sound. Some consumers might like the stereo chassis over two small monoblocks, but that is a matter of personal preference.

The Buckeye Amps’ PURIFI 1ET6525SAA is another bland-looking but NOT bland-sounding Class-D power amp priced at $1,150, sold direct to the consumer, just like Orchard Audio. This affordable performance-first design uses PURIFI technology, which isn’t the same exact Class-D technology, as GaN or Hypex utilize, but it is in the ballpark. PURIFI puts out much more power than other Class-D designs, so that you get a ton of headroom, which is a total luxury at a budget price.

You might think that I’ve lost my mind when I put a Pass Labs XA-25 into the comparison, as the price at $5,150 is many times higher and it isn’t remotely the same technology. What is comparable are the sound characteristics. Having used the XA-25 for years as my reference amp, it is easy to love how Nelson Pass, one of the most legendary amplifier designers ever, uses Class-A technology (complete with all of its drawbacks) to accomplish amplifier excellence. Does the Pass Labs XA-25 sound better than the Peachtree Audio Stereo X? Yes, but the question is by how much. It isn’t as much as the price difference suggests, thus making the Peachtree a specifically good value.

With the relatively low cost of the Peachtree Stereo X one can go BIG POWER and bi-amp their speakers with the flip of a switch. You just need two amps as seen here.

Final Thoughts on the Peachtree Audio Stereo X Class D Power Amp

Too much energy goes into audiophile products priced in the stratosphere these days. Longtime audiophiles often have had a lot of time to build equity in their audiophile systems, which is what frequently powers this phenomenon. For newer audiophiles, we see the performance that comes from the ultra-high end, but normally can’t justify the price.

The Peachtree Audio Stereo X is already a consumer hit (the black finish was sold out online at the time of writing this review – don’t worry, more are coming), as it delivers bleeding-edge performance and unique connection options, all at a very fair price. For those looking for a new power amp that can handle most modern speakers and can deliver sound that is in the neighborhood of some of the world’s more expensive and exotic amps – the Peachtree Stereo X needs to be on your short list.