Peachtree Audio deepblue Review

How do I review this product without sounding like a book of audiophile adjectives exploded on my keyboard? The Peachtree Audio deepblue music system will likely be reviewed countless times and have more HiFi one-liners written about it than I've ever heard. To use an idiomatic phrase I guess it is what it is. deepblue is a surprisingly better product than I thought could come from its smallish size. There are only so many ways to rearrange drivers in a small chassis. Most products like this offer different spins on the same thing. Average performance using average components sold at above average prices. The deepblue music system offers much better performance than I've heard from anything in its class and at a better price than even commodity components from giants of this industry. A $399 product that sounds this good and is very easy to use is a dream come true for audiophiles looking to spread the word about our wonderful hobby. Take note, the new HiFi ambassador to the world is here and its name is deepblue.

[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

The deepblue Music System

Call it what you will the deepblue Bluetooth Music System, or simply deepblue, looks like a few dozen other products currently on the market. That's where the similarities end. Peachtree Audio didn't create a "me too" product just to throw its hat into the ring of table top audio. Peachtree worked with highly respected engineers in both analog and digital audio on this ground-up design. The somewhat visible elements, behind the speaker grill, are what most people will immediately see. deepblue's 6.5" long excursion bass driver is complemented by two 3" inverted aluminum cone mid-range drivers and two 1" soft dome tweeters with ¾” voice coils. deepblue supplies 240 watts of power to the drivers in this active design with the help of a very substantial power supply.

The element of deepblue that people don't see, even though it can make or break a component's sound quality, is the Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Peachtree's DSP engineers worked their magic on deepblue and it really shows (sounds). deepblue features Proprietary Volume Equalization that adjusts the frequency response automatically to provide the best sound quality when listening at low levels. On the opposite end deepblue employs digital compressors to prevent the amplifiers from clipping and producing audible distortion through the speakers at high volume. Peachtree took the Apple approach by making a few decisions for the end users and preventing them from having a less than desirable experience with the product.

deepblue features two connection methods or inputs. One wired 3.5mm stereo input located on the rear of the device is nice to have but is obviously not what makes deepblue so enticing. The other input is via A2DP Bluetooth. Almost every phone, tablet, and computer with Bluetooth support will work with deepblue. Measurement freaks and spec specialists may be sighing at the site of A2DP rather than AptX. But, I challenge them to listen to deepblue and complain about A2DP. Sure, it would be nice if deepblue supported other Bluetooth capabilities or even high resolution but that's not the point of this device. Another cool capability of deepblue is AVRCP device control. Devices like the iPhone support AVRCP thus can be controlled by deepblue's remote. Selecting track back/forward or play/pause from the deepblue remote will pass the command through deepblue on to the iPhone or similar AVRCP device enabling this passthrough control.

deepblue The Ambassador

I don't remember ever having a product at home for review that has impressed more people that deepblue. Right now I have a dCS Vivaldi stack worth nearly $70,000 that only delivers digital audio to my preamp or amplifier. This stack provides over the top sounds quality and impresses me every day I spend listening to my system. However, it fails to impress civilians (non-audiophiles) after I mention the price. deepblue on the other hand has impressed every person who has entered my house since it arrived a few weeks ago. This includes my wife, mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, etc… Even my one year old daughter is attracted to the blue lights. What's more, the deepblue is positioned in my living room, just inside the entry way, enabling us to use it all the time. When my daughter wakes up in the morning I bring her downstairs and play little music I'd like her to like (Miles Davis or Pearl Jam), then I play Bruno Mars and she dances like there's no tomorrow. Not quite into the nuances of high end audio my daughter loves bass. deepblue's remote features buttons to adjust the bass for different tracks or depending on the location of the unit. It's nice to crank up the bass for my daughter and bring it back down of myself.

After my daughter leaves for the day I frequently beam The Adam Carolla Show podcast from my iPhone to deepblue. Great sound is great sound whether it's a podcast or wind symphony. Readers who haven't heard their favorite non-audio programs through a great system should really give it a shot. Not only will it sound better, but a system like deepblue enables listening at lower volume levels because everything is much clearer than other playback options.

Over the last few weeks I've played countless albums and tracks through deepblue. Some music was stored in a lossless format on my MacBook Pro but most was streamed from services like MOG, Rdio, Spotify, and Pandora at varying MP3 bit rates. I frequently thought of tracks during the day and wondered how they'd sound through deepblue. Connecting through Bluetooth is beyond easy so I was able to think of a track and pay that track within seconds. The slowest part of the equation was me and my ability to type into MOG or the other streaming apps. No after what music I put through deepblue I was impressed by the sound quality. deepblue produces sound that's far larger its physical size. All may favorites, both audiophile and civilian music, were very enjoyable via deepblue. An additional variable is how this music sounds in other environments as the soundtrack to our lives. While making dinner, watching my daughter, having friends over, etc… music takes on a whole new meaning. When this music sounds great the meaning can be even more powerful to those of us who care about sound quality.

A final story about how good deepblue sounds and how the new HiFi ambassador (deepblue) speaks to people. My father-in-law is a truck driver who is home mainly on the weekends. Once in awhile he'll create a list of music he wants to hear on my main audio system. When he came over last week he had just heard ZZ Top play La Grange on Howard Stern and wanted to hear it through my Spectral / TAD system. This time I suggested we stay in the living room with the rest of the family and crank it on deepblue. The first thing he noticed was the great sound quality from such a small device. Soon after he asked what all civilians ask, "what's that cost?" When I told him $399 he was surprised mainly because everything else in my house is more expensive than an automobile. He didn't jump for joy at the price because he's a pretty reserved guy. What I did see from him was a look of satisfaction that this level of sound quality and ease of use was attainable. If he wanted deepblue in his house, or even truck, he wouldn't have to circle the globe in his truck just to cover the sales tax on the unit.

Conclusion

Peachtree Audio's deepblue music system will impress all but the most jaded audiophiles. deepblue may not be for everyone, just 99.9% of us who enjoy music that sounds good for a good price. Peachtree's use of DSP to compliment it's amplifier and driver design has elevated deepblue beyond the competition in this crowded market. It's the best small table top type of audio device I've heard to date. deepblue also reminds me of the popular water cooler question, "what stereo should I buy?" The answer to this question is the best stereo one can buy is the stereo he listens to most. deepblue won't force people to listen to more music but at least it sets people up for success if listening to more music is their goal. When the ambassador speaks everyone listens, or can't stop listening. deepblue = CASH List = No Brainer.

Product Information:

• Product - Peachtree Audio deebblue Bluetooth Music System
  
• Price - $399
  
• Product Page - Link
  

Photo Gallery: