MOON by Simaudio doesn’t unveil a brand new statement lineup of components every year and has never fast tracked anything to market; in the 24 years that I have been listening to their products, that has never been the case and it explains why the company based out the Montreal suburbs, has such a strong following all across the globe.
Their least expensive products like the MOON by Simaudio LP110 V2 Phono Preamplifier are superior performers and that only makes you want to experience their more advanced products because the engineering and build quality is so high.
MOON has announced its new North Collection of high-end products and the mixture of network streamers/DACs, integrated amplifiers, power amplifiers, and network players/pre-amplifiers appears to be rather substantial; from a design and sonic perspective.
It is definitely not entry-level.
Northern Exposure?
Aside from the new aesthetic design is surpassed only by the improvements in its performance, made possible by the passionate team of engineers and technicians dedicated to delivering an uncompromised music listening experience, says Moon.
The maker says that the North Collection embodies the spirit of Canada, each product reflecting the company’s passion for premium audio design and exceptional sound reproduction, delivering features and performance that will delight music lovers around the world.
The North Collection incorporates ground-breaking technologies—including the MOON Distortion Cancelling Amplifier (MDCA) circuit that reduces distortion and noise, the MOON Damping Base (MDB) that raises the bar on mechanical isolation and updated volume technologies for more control.
Premium converters in the North Collection were designed and tuned by the MOON Digital Engine (MDE) to heighten every digital performance and intelligent MOONLink connectivity ensures the symbiotic interoperability of all the devices.
Operating the North Collection is said to be effortless with the intelligent BRM-1 remote control featuring the tactile MOON volume knob, ground-breaking touch controls, visual feedback and lavish refinement. This device is calibrated to deliver the celebrated MOON precision which ensures a perfect performance.
Beautiful new OLED colour screens feature on four of the products in the North Collection. These advanced displays showcase artist names, track listings and album cover art in fine detail, as well as full volume and setup menus. The combination of the BRM-1 remote and the new OLED screen elevates the experience to an exclusive tier.
The North Collection
641 Integrated Amplifier ($11,000 USD)
Design features
- MDCA – MOON Distortion-Cancelling Amplifier
- MOON Transistors
- Dual Mono Configuration
- M-VOL3 – 3rd Generation Improved Electronic Gain Control
- MOONLink
- 4.3’’ LCD Color Graphic Display
Specifications
- Output Power (Stereo 8 Ω) 125 W
- Output Power (Stereo 4 Ω) 250 W
- Input Sensitivity 300 mV – 6 V
- Input Impedance 22 kΩ
- Gain 37 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 90 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
- Crosstalk –109 dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio 109 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (@ 1 W)0.008%
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (@ 125 W)0.003%
- Intermodulation Distortion 0.06%
- Damping Factor 700
- Power Consumption (Idle) 38 W
- Power Consumption (Full Power Standby) 37 W
- Power Consumption (Low Power Standby) 2.5 W
- Shipping Weight 57.5 lbs / 26 kg
- Dimensions (width x height x depth)
- 18.95 x 4.03 x 18.32 in
- 48.1 x 10.2 x 46.5 cm
618 Network Player / DAC
681 Network Player / DAC ($12,000 USD)
Design features
- 6 Digital Inputs
- 1 HDMI with ARC
- Mind2 Module
- MDE-1 DAC Technology
- MHV MOON Hybrid Volume Control
- Fully-Balanced Configuration
- 4.3” Graphic Colour Display
- BRM-1 Intelligent Remote Control
Specifications
- Analog Input Impedance 50 Ω
- Analog Output Level 2 Vrms / 3.5 Vrms / 6.5 Vrms
- Crosstalk –125 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 100 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio 125 dB
- Dynamic Range 125 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (@ 0 dBFS) 0.0003%
- Intermodulation Distortion 0.0002%
- Power Consumption (Idle) 15 W
- Power Consumption (Full Power Standby) 12 W
- Power Consumption (Low Power Standby) 5 W
- Shipping Weight 40 lbs / 18 kg
- Dimensions (width x height x depth)
- 18.95 x 4.03 x 16.80 in
- 48.1 x 10.2 x 42.7 cm
761 Power Amp
761 Power Amplifier ($14,000 USD)
Design features
- MDCA – MOON Distortion-Cancelling Amplifier
- No Global Feedback Design
- MOON Transistors
- Dual Mono Configuration
- Monaural Mode Toggle Switch
- MOONLink
- Multicolour LED Indicator
Specifications
- Output Power (Stereo 8 Ω) 200 W
- Output Power (Stereo 4 Ω) 400 W
- Output Power (Mono 8 Ω) 600 W
- Input Sensitivity 1.1 V
- Input Impedance 47 kΩ
- Gain 31 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 100 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
791 Network Player
791 Network Player / Preamplifier ($16,000 USD)
Design features
- 6 Digital Inputs
- 1 HDMI with ARC
- 3 Analog Inputs
- MM/MC Phono Stage
- MiND2 Module
- MDE-2 DAC Technology
- M-VOL3 Volume Control
- Fully-Balanced Configuration
- 4.3” Graphic Colour Display
- BRM-1 Intelligent Remote Control
Specifications
- Analog Input Impedance 22 kΩ
- Maximum Gain (Line Level) 10 dB
- Phono Input Gain 40 dB / 54 dB / 60 dB / 66 dB
- Phono Input Capacitance 0 / 100 pF / 470 pF
- Phono Input Resistance 10 Ω / 100 Ω / 1 kΩ / 47 kΩ
- Output Impedance 50 Ω
- Crosstalk –125 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 200 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Analog Preamplifier) 120 dB
- Dynamic Range (Digital Input, Fixed Output) 125 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise 0.0004%
- Intermodulation Distortion 0.0003%
- Power Consumption (Idle)25 W
- Power Consumption (Full Power Standby) 22 W
- Power Consumption (Low Power Standby) 5 W
- Shipping Weight41 lbs / 19 kg
- Dimensions (width x height x depth)
- 18.95 x 4.03 x 17.66 in
- 48.1 x 10.2 x 44.9 cm
861 Power Amplifier ($22,000 USD)
Design features
- MDCA – MOON Distortion-Cancelling Amplifier
- No Global Feedback Design
- MOON Transistors
- Dual Mono Configuration
- Monaural Mode Toggle Switch
- MOONLink
- Multicolour LED Indicator
Specifications
- Output Power (Stereo 8 Ω) 300 W
- Output Power (Stereo 4 Ω) 600 W
- Output Power (Mono 8 Ω) 800 W
- Input Sensitivity 1.4 V
- Input Impedance 47 kΩ
- Gain 31 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 100 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
- Crosstalk –119 dB
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio 119 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (@ 1 W) 0.002 %
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise (@ 300 W) 0.001%
- Intermodulation Distortion 0.002%
- Damping Factor 900
- Power Consumption (Idle) 85 W
- Power Consumption (Full Power Standby) 75 W
- Power Consumption (Low Power Standby) 1.25 W
- Shipping Weight 125 lbs / 58 kg
- Dimensions (width x height x depth)
- 18.95 x 8.26 x 24 in
- 48.1 x 21 x 60.9 cm
891 Network Player
891 Network Player / Preamplifier ($25,000 USD)
Design features
- 6 Digital Inputs
- 1 HDMI with ARC
- 3 Analog Inputs
- MM/MC Phono Stage
- MiND2 Module
- MDE-3 DAC Technology
- M-Ray2 volume Control
- MDB MOON Damping Base
- 5.0” Graphic Colour Display
- BRM-1 Intelligent Remote Control
Specifications
- Analog Input Impedance 22 kΩ
- Maximum Gain (Line Level) 10 dB
- Phono Input Gain 40 dB / 54 dB / 60 dB / 66 dB
- Phono Input Capacitance 0 / 100 pF / 470 pF
- Phono Input Resistance 10 Ω / 100 Ω / 1 kΩ / 47 kΩ
- Output Impedance 50 Ω
- Crosstalk –125 dB
- Frequency Response 2 Hz – 200 kHz (+0 dB / –3 dB)
- Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Analog Preamplifier) 125 dB
- Dynamic Range (Digital Input, Fixed Output) 125 dB
- Total Harmonic Distortion + Noise 0.0003%
- Intermodulation Distortion 0.00006%
- Power Consumption (Idle) 30 W
- Power Consumption (Full Power Standby) 27 W
- Power Consumption (Low Power Standby) 5.5 W
- Shipping Weight 54 lbs / 25 kg
- Dimensions (width x height x depth)
- 18.95 x 5.53 x 17.66 in
- 48.1 x 14 x 44.9 cm
Availability: The NORTH Collection is expected to be available October 1, 2023.
For more information: simaudio.com
