When you buy from , were also including an exclusive Tips & Tricks" video, available only to customers. This video will give you some additional key tricks, and a few other tips to help you get the most out of your audio gear.
Packaging, Design & Build Quality
The M24 has a slightly smaller cabinet, standing about 8 3/4 tall, 5 wide, and 8 deep. The M25 is almost 10 tall, 6 wide, and 9 deep. The Peachtree M Speakers are beautiful and will feel right at home on your desk or living room side table. The M25 is available in gloss black or a beautiful real bamboo and comes with removable grills.
We think the bamboo version actually looks great with the grill off, plus it gives you quick access to the controls on the front. As weve come to expect from Peachtree, the build quality is impeccable, especially when you consider their modest price.
The woofers and tweeters used in the Peachtree Audio speakers are similar to what you would expect to find in audiophile-level component speakers. The M Speakers feature a 1 silk dome tweeter and custom-designed woofers using a special fiberglass cone material. This material is both light and stiff making it ideal for the midrange and bass frequencies they cover in the M Speakers. The rear-ported speaker design enhances the bass and allows you to get some decent punch from these small-sized speakers.
Peachtree felt that while there were lots of powered speakers on the market, none of them addressed all of the needs of todays music lovers. Many offered very good sound, but with limited connectivity, while some of the ones with lots of inputs missed the boat on sound. Peachtrees extensive experience in both amplifier and speaker design results in the M Speakers being an outstanding product with the best of both worlds, great sound, and connectivity.
All of the connections, DAC, and amplifier are contained in the right speaker. To set them up, simply plug it into AC power and run the included speaker wire over to the left speaker. Plug-in or select a source and youre ready to go!
On the right speaker, you will also find some basic controls on the front, including a dual-purpose knob. Rotate it to adjust the volume or push it in and you can click through the various inputs that well discuss next.
There is a little window on the left side of the speaker with different colored lights that indicate which input you are on. Our only complaint here is that the knob does feel a little less solid than wed like, but considering the price and the fact that it comes with a remote, this is only a minor gripe.
Features & Technology
Today, there are more ways than ever to enjoy music. Many of us are even going back to vinyl for its warm, rich sound. Lets look at all the different ways you can get your music into the M Speakers.
We will start out with a turntable. With most powered speakers, you need a separate phono preamp and more cables, but the M Speakers have a built-in MM phono stage! You can connect your turntable directly to the speakers and you are ready to go!
If you are not going to use a turntable, you can flick a switch on the back, and change the phono input into a standard aux input for more flexibility.
With built-in Bluetooth, youll find streaming music from your smartphone or tablet to be a snap. They quickly connect up and youll be enjoying your favorite playlist in seconds.
If you have an external streaming device like a Sonos Port, Connect, or a Bluesound Node 2i, you can take advantage of the great built-in DAC inside the M Speakers using their optical digital input.
Another way to use the optical input with the M Speakers is with a TV with optical out. The M Speakers will be a huge upgrade from your TV speakers, plus you can get them spread far apart for great separation. This is really awesome for video gaming as the M Speakers have a lot of impact.
For use as a computer speaker, we recommend the USB connection on the back of the M Speakers. It can handle 24/96 Hi-Res Audio files and will really bring your computer music to life. We do recommend a good set of speaker stands for any computer speaker. Peachtree makes a matching desktop stand for these that are a good choice or for an even better one, check out the Iso-Acoustics ISO-130!
A handy feature both M Speakers have is a USB charging port on the rear. You can keep your phone charging cable plugged in there and not have to worry about finding an open outlet.
If you want to up the bass output of either M Speaker, they both include a subwoofer out on the rear panel.
A small, simple remote comes with the M Speakers and makes everything easy to control. You can change inputs, control the volume, and skip tracks, all from the remote. Believe it or not, the remote also comes with tone controls, allowing you to tweak the bass and treble. When you want to put everything back, there is a flat button to return the bass and treble to neutral.
While the flexibility and inputs on the M Speakers are great, it would all be for naught if there was not also some first-class tech inside. The M-series speakers are deeper than you would expect, considering the other dimensions. This allows them to have a small visual face, while still having a decent-sized cabinet. This, combined with the rear-port allows the M Speakers to produce great bass for their size.
Powered speakers like the Peachtree models, by definition, have the amplifier built directly into the speaker cabinets. When the manufacturer knows the exact amplifier and speakers used, it gives them a huge advantage, allowing the manufacturer to save money while perfectly matching the amp and speakers. Peachtree used both their amplifier and speaker expertise when building the M Speakers. Peachtree made some super well-respected passive speakers before the M Series. When you combine their expertise there along with their long history of building great-sounding integrated amps, you have quite the winning combination.
Another great piece of tech inside the M24 is the Hi-Res Audio DAC. It comes from the same technology used in their great Nova series. Youll be able through the USB or Digital inputs to decode audio files that are 24/96. This is quite unique for sub-$400/pr powered speakers!
Performance
The best word we can think of to describe the sound of the M Speakers is FUN. They have that great sensation we always look for in a speaker, allowing the music to flow through without over-emphasizing any aspect over another. The top end is pure and sweet and the bottom does not try to push the bass beyond its capabilities. All-in-all, its a very natural sound pure and clean with lots of detail. It was super easy to hear the bass tonality on, for example, Chicagos Im a Man.
Over the course of our listening, we tested out tunes from Jimi Hendrix, The Avett Brothers, Rolling Stones, Chicago, Led Zeppelin, Stephen Stills, the Beatles, and Mark Ronson. No matter what was playing, we found the M Speakers really got you involved in the music. They have a tendency to make you want to stop what you are doing, turn them up and just listen, which is about as good a compliment as you can pay any speaker
On some of the older recordings, we loved the fact you would pick up the remote and tweak the tone controls just a bit. Bumping down the treble a shade took that edge off so we could enjoy the music.
When you compare the sound of the M24 to the M25, the difference is simply a bigger sound with more bass impact and detail. The M24 is probably the perfect size for a computer speaker, while the M25 has enough output to fill up a pretty good-sized room. Either model pairs well with a good turntable for a pretty sleek complete vinyl playback system.
We preferred them set up in an equilateral triangle configuration. In other words, if they are 6 apart, they sounded best 6 away from them. When you set them up this way, your music will take on a great three dimensional quality with the main vocals floating in between the two speakers
There is one little quirk that once you figure out is no big deal, and it only applies when using Bluetooth, but you have two volume controls to deal with. We discovered you should turn the volume knob on the speaker all the way up, then use the controls on your phone. If you do not, you might find you have the phone turned wide open and you still dont have much volume. This is a quirk with all Bluetooth speakers though. Of course with any source directly connected to the M24, you only have the one volume control on the unit
We have tested other powered speakers that can produce more ultimate output than the M24, but nothing we have heard for the money can beat the sound they can put out in small rooms at their price point. They just sound so musical. The M25 will give you that same great musical sound, but with more output for larger rooms. You will be hard-pressed to find a better speaker for the price points these two models fall within.
Overall Recommendation
If you are looking for a great desktop speaker or are in search of a great pair of small speakers to pair with a turntable, the Peachtree M24 or M25 must be on your list! With their built-in phono stage, USB DAC, digital input, and Bluetooth streaming, you can get music to them any way you can imagine. Their sound is extremely musical, but more importantly, just downright fun to listen to.
Peachtree M25 Quick Specs
Inputs Features USB, Bluetooth, optical, and aux/phono (MM) analog inputs.
- Speaker Driver 1 silk dome tweeter & custom-designed 5 woofer.
Dimensions 10 tall, 6 wide, and 9 deep.
Included Accessories
Grilles, IR Wireless Remote, Control, and connectors,
Protective non-resonant extra-thick ABS fabric mesh grill,
- Remote control has tone controls for a full range of bass and treble control. Basic controls also included on the front of the speaker.
