PecanPi® Reviews and Specifications

Reviews

PJ Evans – The MagPi (Issue 117, May 2022)
“Verdict 9/10” and “A small black box with an audio monster inside.” and “This will not be a disappointing product to those who care deeply about how their music sounds.”

Fernando Meza – Asociación de Audiófilos (April 2022)
“Audio quality: 9/10
Construction: 9/10
Design: 8.5/10
Benefits: 9.5/10
Price: 9/10
Average: 9/10″

David Vivian – Hi-Fi Choice 5-Star Review (February 2022 Issue)
“Wonderfully refined, yes, but with a real talent for texture and tempo in a spacious soundstage.” and “…if you want high-quality streaming on a budget, I can’t think of anything that over achieves with the aplomb of the PecanPi”

Ew Chee Guan – Audiophile DIYer (December 2021)
“The sound quality is very good. Bass is tight and fast, and highs are silky and airy, with a satisfying sound stage. Some might find that the price tag looks a little bit higher than any other sound card out there, for all high-quality parts, such as the expensive PCM1794A, Crystek clock, and OPA SoundPlus series op-amps, I think its definitely worth the price and highly recommended…”

Jon Mamonski – The Wizard of Oz. Tech (November 2021)
“…PecanPi Streamer is absolutely superb, awe-inspiring and sets a new benchmark for the quality of a streamer DAC…” and “Has a great analog feel and sound to it.”

Srboljub Stojanovic – iiWi Reviews (October 2021)
“PecanPi is probably the best sounding DAC and streamer for the money that I’ve ever heard…” and “When it comes to performance, that’s top-notch. When it comes to value, that’s also top-notch.”

Renato da Silva – DIY Audio & Tools (October 2021)
“Extremely well defined and present bass, high frequencies with the subtlety they should have and without any strident sound. In complex reproductions, the level of layers and separation between instruments reaches a surreal level of intelligibility.”

Marc Mamiye – HighStrungAudio (August 2021)
“The moment you turn this on, you realize right away that something special is happening here. You get an explosive sense of pace rhythm and timing right out of the gate.” and “The PecanPi Streamer is a breakout product with performance that way exceeds its price point.”

Trav Wilson – Headphonesty (April 2021)
“Clarity is terrific, and at no point did I feel that the PecanPi stood in the way of the music. Rather it passed it along with all details, tonality, and nuances fully intact. It’s natural and solid sounding.” and “It sounds essentially transparent, without any undue coloration or distortion. Detail seems especially good in midrange reproduction, putting it in league with decent performing stand-alone DACs…”

Randy M. – The Cheap Audio Man (March 2021)
“In a word the PecanPi by Orchard Audio sounds brilliant. It is the best sounding streamer that I have ever heard.”

Clive Meakins – Enjoy The Music.com (February 2021)
“What an amazing single box streamer/headphone amplifier!” and “Without a doubt, the ULTRA performs very well indeed. It produces a very even and balanced sound that is highly transparent, spacious, and…”

Harris Fogel – Mac Edition Radio
“The PecanPi USB combines absolute silence with effortless dynamic range, and amplification. There is no sense of grain or grit, no matter how hard the unit is driven, even at full volume, nor is there any distortion, drift, crosstalk, or lack of musicality. We tested it with a variety of phones and IEMs, and in all cases it was a superbly musical, and invisible product. At no time could any of us discern an “Orchard Audio Sound” as it just got out of the way and let you feel the music.“

The Hans Beekhuyzen Channel (August 2020)
“…the PecanPi sounds impressively clean and immersive, the stereo image is wide and deep..” and “Strings and voices are impressively natural…quite remarkable is how well sibilance is controlled.”

Ryan Herrera – RH Audio Reviews
“…just shows how the PecanPi Streamer can produce instruments with speed and clarity, vocal with natural progression, and all control on a dime!” and “The Orchard Audio PecanPi Player is an amazing product for $500 hitting far above its class, able to play 24 Bit Audio /192 kHz with sweet detail, and delightful recreation.”

David Blumenstein – Dagogo.com (Septermber 2019)
“I have been listening to the PecanPi for a solid number of weeks. I have forsaken all other players here in its favor. And the device has come through admirably, holding its own connected to various systems in various rooms.”

Adam LaBarge – The Audio Beatnik
“Frankly, I was shocked at the level of detail the PecanPi DAC offered, and I was amazed that the LCD-2 headphones still gave me more than I thought possible.” 

Frans Keylard – audiophilestyle.com
“The bass is huge and the imaging is precise. Way better than I thought possible. I even forgot about wanting to add a sub-woofer.” and “At louder volumes (90-100 dB) the DAC exhibited its prodigious talents in a way that impressed the hell out of me.”

Paul Rigby – The Audiophile Man
“The PecanPi sits within an attractive price point and at that price, it offers plenty: impressive sonic abilities being top of the list. Specifically, an attractive blend of dynamic force, rich imagery, and layered detail.”