Overview
Carina
Carina is a name in the Italian language that roughly translates to “pretty" and is derived from the Latin word Carus that means “beloved." We are confident that Carina looks and performs better than anything else in its price range - and many products that cost significantly more. Should Carina earn a place in your system it will win your heart and mind too!
The Carina GaN
The Carina GaN is a 200 watt-per-channel integrated amplifier incorporating the revolutionary Gallium Nitride (GaN) technology introduced in the revolutionary Peachtree GaN 1. The Carina GaN provides a musical path to your speakers that is remarkably short, direct and pure. Want to hear all of the intricate details in your music that have always been there but you couldn't quite hear them before? That is exactly what the Carina GaN does that other amplifiers fall short of. The Carina GaN accepts five digital audio inputs including USB-C and Bluetooth v5 plus a versatile analog audio input that is switchable between Moving Agent (MM) phono, AUX and Home Theater bBypass. The Carina GaN will drive virtually any speaker with remarkable clarity, authority and finesse.
What makes the Carina GaN special?
First and foremost is the GaN amplifier module. It has several inherent advantages in a high power application like a power amplifier. A GaN-FET power stage provides a precise high-power reproduction of the Class-D PWM signal with extremely high linearity and relatively low distortion compare to MOS-FET. This linearity eliminates the need for ANY feedback, ultimately allowing for exceptionally clean and transparent midrange and high frequencies along with strong and remarkably well controlled low frequencies. GaN-FETs track the complex audio waveforms so much more accurately than MOS-FETs resulting in significantly more transparent and natural sound. The difference is something even a casual listener can hear and appreciate.
The Carina GaN is designed so that it does NOT require a traditional digital-to-analog-converter (DAC) for its digital sources. The GaN-FET power stages functions as a “power DAC” creating the analog waveform that drives the speakers WITHOUT thinned for a separate DAC! Just a super short and direct path from your music sources to your speakers. Carina GaN also use a separate regulated power supply for the amplifier module making it more like a separate preamplifier and power amplifier that share the same chassis. And for any analog sources the Carina GaN utilizes a high-performance AKM solution to achieve a remarkably accurate signal for the GaN-FET power module to operate optimally with these sources.
The Carina X
The Carina X is a 300 watt-per-channel integrated amplifier incorporating the NCore X technology recently introduced by Hypex. The X technology takes traditional class-D power amplifier design to the highest level. Unlike the Carina GaN, the power amplifier in the Carina X uses a MOS-FET power stage with high amount of global negative feedback to achieve remarkable measured performance and sonic transparency. It is the only class-D power amplifier, that we have heard to date, that achieves most of the same sonic attributes we experience when listening to the Carina GaN. Similar to the Carina GaN, the Carina X utilizes a separate power supply for the amplifier modules making it more like a separate preamplifier and power amplifier that share the same chassis.
The Carina 300 & Carina 150
Both of these units incorporate the NCore power amplifier technology from Hypex. The Carina 300 and Carina 150 provide exceptional performance at their respective price points and exceed the transparency and sound quality of ALL of our previous designs. They are only outmatched by our Carina X and Carina GaN in terms of ultimate sonic transparency and sound quality. The Carina 300 is a great match for less sensitive speakers, larger rooms or for listeners who simply enjoy their music at higher levels. And given just how good Carina sounds at those higher levels, we get it! The Carina 150 is designed for higher sensitivity speakers (90dB+), smaller rooms of for listeners who enjoy their music at more moderate levels but still expect an exceptional listening experience.
Why we made Carina
Carina was designed as a high-performance yet flexible platform that would provide the very best results from digital and analog source devices and interface with any type of power amplifier we chose. Every portion of the platform is meticulously designed with an eye for sonic purity, simplicity and sound quality. The result was a new price/performance benchmark for integrated amplifiers. Add in the more intuitive user interface of the OLED display and timeless Peachtree Audio cosmetic design - Carina could, very well, be the last integrated amplifier you will ever need or want.
Carina highlights
Digital
- Two ESS 9068 DAC chips, dual mono (one for the left channel, one for the right channel)
[The DACs in the Carina GaN are only for the headphone and preamp outputs] - Accepts HD audio input up to 768k PCM and 512k DSD
- Digital to analog filter settings including ow-pass rolloff and oversampling on/off
Analog
- Analog input configurable as Phono (Moving Magnet), AUX or Home Theater Bypass
Preamplifier
- Fully balanced circuitry
- High-performance, hybrid volume control (combination analog resistor ladder with digital attenuation)
- User selectable full-digital volume control option for silent operation
- Bluetooth v5 input with HD audio codecs
- Stereo (Preamp) analog output for connecting to a powered subwoofer or external power amplifier
Amplifier (Carina GaN)
- Power DAC topology [The Carina GaN amplifier performs the digital to analog conversion function]
- 200 watts-per-channel GaN power amplifier with zero global negative feedback
- Separate regulated power supply [Same output power from 4-8 Ohms]
Amplifier (Carina X)
- 300 watts-per-channel Hypex NCore X power amplifier
- Separate power supply
Amplifier (Carina 300 and Carina 150)
- Hypex NCore power amplifier module
Other
- Peachtree Audio industrial design made from aluminum and real wood available in high gloss mocha or piano black finishes
- High-visibility OLED front panel display with an intuitive dual knob user interface
- Fully-balanced headphone amplifier with a 4.4mm T/R/R/R/S output and standard 1/4" unbalanced output
- Trigger input and output for power on/off control to or from other devices
- Hand-held wireless remote control with integrated commands for Bluesound devices (NODE, VAULT, etc.)
How does Carina sound?
Carina integrated amplifiers are our best sounding integrated amplifiers ever - period. Even better than the highly regarded nova series, the Grand Integrated and the original nova and decco amplifiers that came before. How does Carina compare to the nova150/300/500? Simply stated, model for model, Carina is better. It has a superior DAC section, a more transparent volume control, a better phono preamplifier, more transparent and natural sounding power amplifiers and a fully balanced headphone amplifier. Each of these functions has taken advantage of recent advancements in parts quality and design and integrated into a cohesive design that achieves remarkable sound quality from source to speakers.
Features in Carina that are not available in the nova series:
- Dual DAC chip design
- HD audio input up to 768k PCM and 512 DSD
- Fully balanced circuitry from the DACs to the power and headphone amplifiers
- Fully balanced headphone output
- High-performance, hybrid volume control (combination analog resistor ladder/digital attenuation)
- Bluetooth v5 input with HD audio decoding
- OLED front panel display with large characters
- Numeric volume control range
- Trigger input for on/off control from another device
Design
Dual DAC and Balanced Analog Design
The Carina X utilizes two ESS Technology 9068 DAC chips in dual-mono mode with one chip dedicated to the left channel and the other to the right channel. ESS is a leader in audiophile DAC design and manufacturing and their 9068 is the successor to the 9038 which, in turn, is the successor to the venerable 9018. The 9068 achieves excellent THD+N (120dB) and DNR (128dBA) and is also the world's first audio DAC with a built-in MQA hardware renderer. The 9068 DAC chip performs exceptionally well on its own, but when two are used in dual-mono mode, the measured performance and sonic transparency is elevated to an even higher level. Peachtree Audio was the first premium audio brand to implement ESS DACs in its products beginning with the original decco in 2007 and has continued to use their DACs ever since.
To help ensure that the high quality analog signal from the DACs is preserved, the current to voltage converter stage features ultra low distortion op-amps, along with a balanced, class-A, discrete output stage to drive the volume control with a low source impedance. The volume control in the Carina X is designed to preserve the integrity of the sound even further by utilizing a high-performance resistor ladder (with .1% tolerance resistors) and digital attenuation hybrid design. This type of sophisticated volume control circuit is rare in a product in this price range, but provides ultra-precise control of the output level while maintaining exceptional channel balance throughout the volume range. With such a high quality DAC and preamplifier design in front of them, the power and headphone amplifiers are able to perform while providing greater transparency, less background noise and ultimately, remarkable sonic clarity.
New Digital Features
The Carina X utilizes precision femtosecond crystal oscillators (digital clocks) to minimize phase noise and jitter. A custom designed FPGA with clock management and an additional phase lock loop reduces jitter even further, providing a level of control typically reserved for stand alone DACs. The DACs in the Carina are capable of supporting PCM up to 768kHz and DSD up to 512kHz via the USB-C input. These are the highest input sampling rates we have ever supported in our products and are available for users that want to experiment with sample rates. The Carina X also includes a digital filter setting for fine-tuning the sound of the DACs with 3 settings; L-FAST, H-FAST and M-SLOW. Each filter has an objective (measurable) and subjective (audible to most) effect on the sound. We encourage people to audition all three settings to determine the one that sounds the best to them. Most people will hear the differences in the high-frequency reproduction where they are most readily heard. There is also a no oversampling (NOS) setting in the Carina X, which sends the original digital signal straight to the modulator without any oversampling. This mode is useful for users to experiment with software-based oversampling features in products such as Roon.
Phono Input
The Carina X provides the vinyl lover a purpose-designed built-in moving magnet phono input. A high-end AKM analog-to-digital converter maintains the lowest noise floor possible for the delicate phono signal. No vinyl or using an external phono preamp? Just switch the input to AUX.
Streaming
We recommend using a Bluesound NODE or similar in conjunction with the Carina X and streaming high-resolution audio from services such as Qobuz, Apple Music and amazon music HD. In our experience, the sound quality of all of these streaming services is impressive. The libraries are huge and the convenience is unmatched!
Bluetooth
The Carina X has a built-in Bluetooth v5 receiver with HD audio decoding. It provides a convenient way to stream wirelessly from any Bluetooth enabled device. The Carina X also has a setting that only turns on the internal Bluetooth receiver when the Bluetooth input is selected. This minimizes the amount of RF inside the amplifier when using any of the wired inputs.
Amplification
The Carina X utilizes a 300 watts-per-channel stereo Hypex NCore X power amplifier with a separate power supply that provides power to drive virtually any speaker with ease and authority while maintaining low noise and terrific dynamics. The speaker outputs are high-quality 5-way binding posts. The Carina X also provides a high-performance balanced headphone amplifier with a 4.4mm T/R/R/R/S output, plus a 1/4” unbalanced output for regular headphones. The power and clarity of the headphone amplifier is remarkable for an integrated amplifier and the balanced output is typically only found on dedicated headphone amplifiers!
Timeless Design
Peachtree Audio prides itself on making products that not only sound great, but look great and are easy to use. All of our products are meticulously crafted out of metal and wood and integrate with a wide range of interior designs from traditional to contemporary to post-modern. Carina introduces a high-quality OLED front panel display with large characters and a dual-knob user interface that retains the ease of use our products have always been known for along with the visual feedback many have requested. This display provides more information than our previous amplifiers and can be easily viewed from most listening positions.
Integration Features
Hand-held wireless IR remote control with integrated commands for Bluesound devices like the NODE, VAULT, etc.
Stereo preamp output for connecting a powered subwoofer or an external power amplifier
Trigger input and output (1/8”) for power on/off control to or from another device
Specifications
Carina X Specifications
Reviews
Review of the Carina 300
- “ I can’t help looking at a company like Peachtree Audio—a product like its new Carina 300 —and think that somebody there is listening.”
- “…one of the most surprising aspects of the Carina 300…. it’s designed to integrate seamlessly with BluOS multiroom wireless music systems.”
- “As adept as the Carina 300 is with iconic jazz and genre-bending rock, it also sounds just as sweet with the modern pop.”
Read the full review here….
Dennis Burger Carina 300 Review Notes
Turntable Grounding:
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to put it to a thorough test. As soon as the turntable was connected and the integrated amp was turned on and switched to the Analog input, I was hit with strong electrical interference and phwomping rumble from my ceiling fan as well as the LED light over my gear rack.
It’s worth noting that the U-Turn doesn’t have a grounding post, instead being internally grounded via the left RCA channel. That’s uncommon, to say the least, so I’m not ready to chalk this one up to a shortcoming of the Carina 300. Just a word of warning: if you’re going to use the amp with a turntable, you’d likely be better off with one that includes a grounding post.”
Turntables without a separate ground utilize a ground path through the RCA input on the connected device and any RF or AC Mains noise picked up by the turntable may be present in the audio pathway. This is a known issue with these types of turntables. We recommend using a turntable with a separate ground terminal/wire OR - if the option is available - using the built-in phono preamplifier of the turntable which helps to minimize the potential of noise from entering the audio pathway.
Bluetooth Antenna:
“The only other setup consideration worth mentioning here is the Bluetooth range. As I pointed out above, the BT antenna is ginormous—the biggest I’ve ever seen. Even bigger than the high-gain antenna of the iFi Audio Zen Blue V2 I keep around as the reference pick for my Wirecutter guide to BT receivers.”
The supplied antenna is provided for maximum range. The antenna can be rotated in any direction to alter its “look” and reception pattern. Bluetooth reception is also available without using the antenna connected but the wireless range will be reduced significantly. Alternatively, any other “RP-SMA 2.4GHz” antennas can be used providing a more desirable antenna size to range ratio. Please note when shopping for alternative antennas: the one supplied provides 5.8dB of gain, so if less range is desired, look for lower gain antennas.
Bluetooth CODECs:
“I do wish Peachtree gave any indication of what BT codecs are supported—either in the manual, on the web, or via the front panel. The product listing simply states, “Bluetooth 5.0 input with HD audio decoding,” which I assume means there’s some form of aptX support. But beyond that, it’s a mystery.”
All Carinas utilize Bluetooth v5.0 including the following CODECs: PCM LDAC, AAC, SBC, APTX, APTX LL, APTX HD and other high frequency encoding, LDAC can achieve 24/96 transmission.
Headphone Amp:
“But on a somewhat less-positive note, the amp just didn’t have enough oomph to drive the LCD-2 cans to satisfying levels. And when I pushed the volume up above 0dB to try and get some extra sparkle out of the song, I triggered some sort of fault-protection mode that functionally disabled the headphone amp until I power-cycled the Carina 300.”
The headphone amplifier provides maximum power from the balanced output. In terms of impedance, we recommend headphones between 32-150 Ohms (unbalanced output) and 32-300 Ohms (balanced output). Please note: the sensitivity of the headphones will affect the loudness as well. For maximum output into a high-performance headphone like the Audeze LCD-2, we recommend using the balanced output.
Audio Pursuit reviews the original Carina
"While $2499 is no small amount of change, the Carina is an absolute bargain."
"I cannot rave enough about the DAC section."
"Simply put, the Peachtree Carina integrated amplifier is insanely terrific."