SIMAUDIO S MOON EVOLUTION 780D

Transcription

1 FETURE INTERVIEW YRE S CHRLEY HNSEN ON PONO, PROGRESS & THE QUEST FOR PERFECTION STEREOPHILE VOL.39 NO.8 UGUST 2016 ONLINE UTHORITY: PCM, DSD, DXD, US, PTX THE SL-1200GE 50TH NNIVERSRY LIMITED-EDITION TURNTLE k P.37 SIMUDIO S MOON EVOLUTION 780D STREMING DC DOES IT LL! 2 SUPER SPEKERS FROM PS & SONY 2 GRET-SOUNDING PREMPS FROM ROGUE & VTL 3 HIGH-PERFORMNCE TURNTLES FROM TECHNICS, SONY & GEM DNDY POWER POP S ILL LLOYD ON THE ETLES, DFINGER & THE WHO k UGUST 2016

2 EQUIPMENT REPORT MICHEL FREMER Moon by Simauio Evolution 780D D/ PROCESSOR Simauio saw isc-base igital auio in its ea-view mio at least as fa back as 2011, when it intouce the Moon Evolution 650D an 750D two iteations of what it calle a igital-to-analog convete CD tanspot. These wee actually multiple-input CD playes, but Simauio was eviently so eage to istance itself fom the spinning isc that it went with a pouct categoy that, in spite of its cumbesome, un-on name, ew a clean line between the isc-eaing an signal-pocessing functions while bestowing upon the fome secon-class citizenship. With the new Moon Evolution 780D Steaming DSD DC ($15,000), Simauio has altogethe eliminate the spinning isc. If you buy a 780D an want to play CDs though it, you ll have to a a CD tanspot o a playe with a igital output (the Moon Evolution 650D an Neo 260D emain in pouction). While this may seem exteme to some, fo most of us, stepping away fom the CD tay can t come fast enough. Thee s nothing paticulaly nostalgic o pleasant about inseting a CD in a playe no wam glow pouce by emoving, fom a flimsy-hinge jewel case, a col-looking plastic isc an watching it get swallowe. Counting off the secons on a fluoescent sceen isn t as entetaining as, say, watching a stylus couse though the gooves on an LP. The smate altenative to aing a CD tanspot to the 780D woul pehaps be to a a Meiian Sooloos Digital Music Seve an ip you CDs to one of its outboa 4T Stoe units, o buy an pple Mac mini an o similaly, accessing you libay via an pple ipa using the excellent Roon softwae evelope by the fome Sooloos team. Once you have instant access to you igital music, you e unlikely to want to go back to manually inseting iscs. Of couse, ipping a lage libay takes time. If you go that oute, befoe ipping you CDs, consie teating them with Essence of Music (essence-of-music.com), a liqui ecommene to me by a well-known ecoing enginee who is no fan of CDs. Essence of Music is claime to euce bi-efingence, aka bi-efaction: the efaction of light in an anisotopic mateial (an exteme example woul be calcite) in two slightly iffeent iections to fom two ays. pplying Essence of Music is a time-consuming two-step pocess, an thee ae poblems of chemical incompatibility with some hybi SCD/CDs mae befoe 2004 but it eally woks. (Too late fo the moe than 3200 CDs I ve aleay ippe to my Sooloos!) Desciption Though house in an aicaft-gae aluminum case that looks ientical to those of Simauio s ealie CD playes, the Moon Evolution 780D offes a fa wie ange of capabilities. It can ecoe PCM files of sampling ates up to an 384kHz, as well as DSD files at , , an MHz o DSD, DSD2x, an DSD4x. Given how few ecoings ae available at such ulta-high esolutions, o we eally nee the ability to ecoe them? Well, why not be eay? The 780D s femtosecon clock is claime to pouce lowe jitte an istotion than the clock in the Moon Evolution 750D. Convesion choes ae hanle by a ual-mono pai of ESS9018 Sabe DCs, each of which contains 16 iniviual DC cicuits. The 780D featues the Moon Hybi Powe (MHP) powe supply, which inclues, among othe components, conuctive polyme capacitos, high-spee igital switching, an analog linea egulatos; aitionally, the 780D has a ozen stages of DC voltage egulation. The 780D povies nine igital inputs: one ES/EU, SPECIFICTIONS Desciption Steaming D/ convete. Digital inputs: ES/EU (XLR), S/PDIF (2 RC, 1 NC), S/PDIF (2 TosLink), luetooth with Qualcomm aptx auio suppot an Ethenet RJ45, US Type (high-esolution auio). nalog outputs: 1 pai balance (XLR), 1 pai single-ene (RC). Sample ates suppote: PCM to 32-bit/44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.2, 192, 384kHz; DSD (via US only) to , , MHz. Fequency esponse: 2Hz 100kHz, +0/ 0.3 (full ange). THD at 1kHz, 0FS (-weighte): <0.0001%. Intemoulation istotion: <0.0001%. Dynamic ange: 124. Signal/ noise: 124 at full output. Channel sepaation: 120. Intinsic jitte: 150 femtosecons RMS. Maximum analog output level at 0FS (XLR, RC): 2.0V. nalog output impeance (RC): 100 ohms. Dimensions 18.6" (476mm) W by 3.9" (100mm) H by 16.6" (427mm) D. Weight: 35.2 lbs (16kg). Seial numbe of unit eviewe Q Pice $15,000. ppoximate numbe of eales: 85. Waanty: 10 yeas, pats & labo. Manufactue Simauio Lt., 1345 Newton Roa, oucheville, Quebec J4 5H2, Canaa. Tel: (450) US: Simauio Lt., 2002 Rige Roa, Champlain, NY Tel: (450) Web: ERIC SWNSON 58 ugust 2016 Q steeophile.com

3 The 780D soune faste but not so fast that it misse the music s point. steeophile.com Q ugust

4 thee electical S/PDIF (two RC, one NC), two TosLink optical S/PDIF, one US, an one fo Simauio s Moon intelligent Netwok Device (MiND) music-steame application, accessible via Ethenet connection o built-in WiFi (moe about this shotly). The ninth input oesn t have a ea-panel jack, as it s fo aptx luetooth connection. Each input can be name an pogamme by the use, an selecte with scoll buttons on the font panel. Of the inputs escibe above, the fist six ae fo esolutions up though 24-bit/192kHz. The seventh (US) is fo all of those plus PCM up to 24/384, as well as DSD an DXD. If you aleay have a ecent Simauio Moon CD playe, a simple SimLink connection between playe an DC automatically selects igital input 2 (S/PDIF) when you push the playe s Play button. (This can be change with the Setup menu.) lso on the ea panel ae single-ene (RC) an balance (XLR) analog outputs, an input fo the supplie WiFi antenna, an RS-232 pot, an two inputs fo Simauio s optional extenal Moon Evolution 820S powe supply ($8000) which, when I eviewe it in 2014, 1 significantly impove the soun of the Moon Evolution 650D. Unlike some othe steaming DCs, the 780D lacks a hi-ez colo sceen to isplay album at an othe metaata. While the 780D s long, low, ol-fashione, e-chaacte ot-matix isplay may seem an unusual choice, I think it was a smat one. Most people will be oing all of thei music selecting an infomation gatheing using a hanhel evice that will no oubt have a lage, highe-ez sceen than can easily be built into a font panel. Ove time, I think moe companies will ecie that big isplays ae a waste of 100 ohms, the output impeance at all auio fequencies was still low, at 246 ohms balance an 149 ohms unbalance. The impulse esponse with ata sample at 44.1kHz (fig.1) was typical of a finite impulse-esponse (FIR) econstuction filte, with the symmetical inging to the sies of the single sample at 0FS mapping the filte s coefficients. This filte gives a vey fast olloff with 44.1kHz ata (fig.2, e an magenta taces), with complete supmoney an faceplate eal estate. To the left of the isplay ae fou buttons: Stanby, Display, an Input Up an Down. To the ight of the sceen ae fou moe buttons, fo navigating the 780D s menus: Setup, Up, Down, an OK. In egonomics an appeaance, Simauio s new FRM-3 backlit emote contol, with motion etection, is a majo impovement ove the emotes inclue with the 650D an 750D CD playes. MiND, which is integate into the 780D s enclosue when fist intouce by Simauio, it was an outboa box 2 suppots a numbe of file fomats: C, IFF, LC, FLC, FLC HD, MP3 (VR/CR), OGG Vobis, WV, an WM-9. It also offes vtune Intenet Raio compatibility an suppot fo Tial along with a UPnP Renee (Univesal Plug & Play) an DLN 1.5 compatibility. Setup an Use The Moon Evolution 780D will pesent no geat challenge to those with expeience configuing home-theate eceives an peamplifie-pocessos; othes might suffe vaious levels of ifficulty an fustation, which ae best avoie by having the eale o the wok. The wite of the 780D s manual has tie commenably ha to succinctly explain eveything in clea, convesational pose, but unless you e well vese in the latest igital evelopments, pepae to be confuse. Fo CD playback, I use an ES/EU cable between 1 See 2 See MESUREMENTS Imeasue the Simauio Moon Evolution 780D with my uio Pecision SYS2722 system (see the Januay 2008 s We See It, Souce mateials wee WV an IFF testtone files, playe with Pue Music 3.0 on my Macook Po unning on battey powe. pple s US Pobe utility ientifie the pocesso as the MOON US DSD HD UDIO fom SIMUDIO LTD, an confime that the 780D s US input opeate in the optimal isochonous asynchonous moe. The uio- MIDI app inicate that the Simauio DC opeate at all PCM sample ates fom 32 to 384kHz, with a bit epth of up to 32 intege. The 780D opeate successfully with both DSD64 an DSD128 ata fe it via US. The maximum level fom both the balance an unbalance outputs was 2.07V, with coect absolute polaity. Though a little highe than the specifie V sec Fig.1 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, impulse esponse (one sample at 0FS, 44.1kHz sampling, 4ms time winow). Fig.2 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, wieban spectum of white noise at 4FS (left channel e, ight magenta) an 19.1kHz tone at 0FS (left blue, ight cyan), with ata sample at 44.1kHz (20/vetical iv.). Hz Fig.3 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, fequency esponse at 12FS into 100k ohms with ata sample at: 44.1kHz (left channel geen, ight blue), 96kHz (left cyan, ight magenta), 192kHz (left blue, ight gay), 384kHz (left blue, ight e) (1/vetical iv.). Hz steeophile.com Q ugust

5 the 780D an my 650D CD playe, S/PDIF between the 780D an my Meiian Sooloos, an Ethenet to join the 780D to my wie netwok. (I built this netwok myself, when the walls of ou house wee opene uing a enovation.) I an a US cable fom my laptop to the 780D s US input. So fa, setting up an using the 780D was no iffeent fom what it ha been fo the 650D. I wasn t inteeste in luetooth steaming (though I i en up tying it fom my iphone). What I was eally inteeste in was easy access fom my listening chai to the lage itunes libay on my office imac an, moe impotant, to the music stoe on two ha ives I keep on an office shelf. One of these, a 2T ive, contains the ata of hunes of DVD-uio iscs I ve collecte but ha neve listene to, fo lack of any convenient way to play them. fien geneously i the ipping fo me. The othe, a 3T ive, contains othe stuff I ve accumulate ove the yeas. One file I on t know whee I got it, o fom whom is Glyn Johns s secon mix of the eatles Let It e, an jeez, it shoul be elease in hi-ez (o, bette, The Moon Hybi Powe (MHP) supply takes up a lot of space insie the 780D. on vinyl, if the tape still exists). lso on that ive ae 75 legally obtaine 24/192 maste files fom lue Note Recos that I pomise not to istibute. So I on t. Until now, the only way to listen to eithe ive was to bing it into my listening oom, connect it to my laptop, an un it though JRive Meia Cente. It wasn t exactly convenient, so, big supise, I in t o it vey often. Now I was anxious to expeience easy access to these many albums via a steaming DC. ut how? My ives on t have Ethenet connectivity (toay, many new ones o), an fo the puposes of this eview I wasn t going to invest in a NS (Netwok ttache Stoage) ive, though they e getting it cheap a 6T Westen Digital NS costs aoun $250! ecause the Moon Evolution 780D s most attactive featue is its ability to steam music via MiND, I foun it cuious that the instuction manual petty much ignoes this. Instea, the use is tol to visit ou website to ownloa measuements, continue pession of the aliase image at 25kHz of a full-scale tone at 19.1kHz (cyan, blue taces). 1 lso evient in this gaph is that the 780D s hamonic istotion is vey low, with the secon hamonic lying at 100 (0.001%). Fig.3 is a moe conventional way of showing fequency esponse, plotte with ata sample at 44.1, 96, 192, an 384kHz. The ultasonic olloff follows the same shape, but with a shap cutoff just befoe half the sampling fequency with the thee lowe ates. Note also the supeb channel matching in this gaph: the left an ight taces pecisely ovelay each othe. Channel sepaation was also supeb, at >120 in both iections below 3kHz, an the Moon Evolution s noise floo was both vey low in level an fee fom any powe supply-elate spuiae. When I fe the 780D ithee ES/ EU ata epesenting a 1kHz tone at 90FS with fist 16-bit ata (fig.4, cyan an magenta taces) an then 24- bit ata (blue, e), the incease in bit epth oppe its noise floo by almost 24, suggesting esolution of close to 20 bits. This is state-of-the-at DC pefomance. No hamonic-istotion components can be seen, but the 24- bit ata unmask what appeas to be a spuious tone at close to 5.1kHz. Howeve, this is vey low in level. With its high esolution an oveall low level of noise, the Moon 780D s epouction of unithee 16-bit ata escibing a 1 My thanks to Jügen Reis, of ML, fo suggesting this test to me. V Fig.4 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, 44.1kHz ata, spectum with noise an spuiae of ithee 1kHz tone at 90FS with: 16-bit ata (left channel geen, ight gay), 24-bit ata (left blue, ight e) (20/vetical iv.). Hz sec Fig.5 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, wavefom of unithee 1kHz sinewave at 90.31FS, 16-bit ata (left channel blue, ight e). Fig.6 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, spectum of 50Hz sinewave, DC 1kHz, at 0FS into 600 ohms (left channel blue, ight e; linea fequency scale) Hz steeophile.com Q ugust

6 PDF vesions of both the MiND Setup Guie an MiND pp Use Guie. No oes the manual povie URLs fo these ownloas an you be mistaken if you think that if you visit ou website it will be easy to fin whee to ownloa the PDFs. No oes Simauio povie the exact seach tem neee to fin the MiND app on pple s pp stoe. I tie evey combination of Sim, Moon, Sim Moon, MiND, etc. Nothing. No coul I fin whee to ownloa the manuals until I calle Lionel Goofiel, Simauio s hea of public elations an maketing. lthough he assue me that the eale woul o all of this fo the custome, in my opinion that s no excuse fo not poviing fa bette instuctions. I ownloae the app an ea the manual, but still ha no iea how to integate my ha ives into the netwok. nothe call to Goofiel pouce the answe, which was povie (sot of) in the list of MiND steaming capabilities. ut eally, a pouct like the 780D nees a manual that hols you han, not a list of bullete capabilities! I on t cae if the eale oes the setup. ette that the custome leans how it all woks, an how best to integate souces into the MiND netwok. Don t you think? Using the MiND app with an ipa gain, I won t ty to escibe something that s best expeience visually, othe than to wite that, like magic, all of the files on my two ha ives, plus what s in my itunes libay an available via my Tial subsciption, wee easily accesse via the app. Up poppe all those 24/96 DVD- files, 24/192 files, an itunes 16/44.1 files. You can seach fo files by atist, title, compose, gene, style, playlist, etc. If thee s album at, it appeas. Via my ipa sceen I coul select a tack to play immeiately, o put the entie album at the top o bottom of the queue. Eveything that s playe goes in the queue, whee it can be save an ecalle o the entie queue can be ease. Thee wee glitches. The Seach function in t pouce some albums I know to be on those ha ives. Sometimes, the ives woul isappea, an I have to go back to the main compute an emove an einstall the UPnP Renee to get them to eappea. Thee wee othe poblems that pobably wee solvable but that on t meit The 780D s ea panel. Note the Ethenet socket. measuements, continue sinewave at pecisely 90.31FS was exemplay (fig.5), with zeo DC offset in the left channel (blue), an just 25μV positive offset in the ight (e). The thee DC voltage levels escibe by the ata ae well iffeentiate. With unithee 24-bit ata, the Moon output a well-fome sinewave espite the vey low signal level (not shown). Fig.6 confims the vey low level of hamonic istotion, even into the emaning loa of 600 ohms. With a full-scale tone, the secon hamonic lies at 106 (0.0005%), the thi at 110 (0.0003%), an no supplyelate spuiae ae evient. Intemoulation istotion is also extemely low, though the spuious tone at 5.1kHz again can be seen, along with anothe at 10.2kHz (fig.7). Teste fo its ejection of wo-clock jitte S/PDIF ata fe via 15' of geneic TosLink cable the Simauio 780D pefome supebly well with 16-bit J-Test ata (fig.8), with no siebans visible, an with the o-oe hamonics of the low-fequency, LS-level squaewave extemely close to the coect levels (geen line). With 24-bit J-Test ata, whethe via TosLink, US, o ES/EU (fig.9), the noise floo was vey clean, though the low-level tone at 10.2kHz was still pesent. I can t quibble: Simauio s Moon Evolution 780D offes supeb measue pefomance. John tkinson Hz Hz Hz Fig.7 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, HF intemoulation spectum, DC 30kHz, 19+20kHz at 0FS into 100k ohms, 44.1kHz ata (left channel blue, ight e; linea fequency scale). Fig.8 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, highesolution jitte spectum of analog output signal, kHz at 6FS, sample at 44.1kHz with LS toggle at 229Hz: 16-bit TosLink ata (left channel blue, ight e). Cente fequency of tace, kHz; fequency ange, ±3.5kHz. Fig.9 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D, highesolution jitte spectum of analog output signal, kHz at 6FS, sample at 44.1kHz with LS toggle at 229Hz: 24-bit ES/EU ata (left channel blue, ight e). Cente fequency of tace, kHz; fequency ange, ±3.5kHz. steeophile.com Q ugust

7 etaile esciption in the context of a eview, especially given the safe assumption that softwae upgaes will always be fothcoming. Soun The Moon Evolution 780D took a long while to beak in. It soune goo out of the box, but ove time its soun elaxe a bit, loosene an opene up. I m gla this eview was elaye fo a month o two: as goo as the soun was uing the initial listening peio, it s since gotten much bette. etween that paagaph an this I selecte ox of Rain, fom the 24/96 eition of the Gateful Dea s meican eauty (DVD-, Wane othes), an thee it was. I still pefe the LP. The bass fom the hi-ez file is astonishingly eep an tight, but souns a bit pushe, an the top oesn t sing as on the oiginal vinyl. This isn t the 780D s fault. It s a compute, afte all: gabage in, gabage out an a lot of gabage went into many of those ealy DVD- files, whose masteing enginees wee clealy tying to make a point about bass. That sai, Miles Davis s Kin of lue (24/96, Columbia/Legacy/HDtacks) emonstate the 780D s sweet, etaile, spacious sie. It s aleay ol news fo anyone who aleay has a steaming DC, so paon my enthusiasm, but: We e finally getting the convenience long pomise by igital auio. Especially exciting was the ability to seamlessly switch between hi-ez 24/192 PCM an DSD. I playe a 24/192 ip I mae of an LP of The Soun of Jazz, with illie Holiay, Count asie, Re llen, Leste Young, an othes, all ecoe in steeo in 1957 (Columbia CS 8040). I ve playe this file many times, at auio shows an at home, an this was as open, pecise, an analog-like elaxe as I ve hea it the spaciousness was simila to what I hea fom Kin of lue, but with a fa moe natual spea of instuments an voices acoss the stage. illie Holiay sings Fine an Mellow backe by Mal Walon s ll-stas, incluing Leste Young (he fome beau), Coleman Hawkins, en Webste, Doc Cheatham, Jo Jones, an othes. The ege usually pesent in Holiay s voice in the igital vesion, which is not thee when I play the LP, was gone, yet the top en especially the eveb of Columbia s 30th Steet Stuio was uniminishe, as on the LP: moe so than I m use to heaing fom igital playback, an with geate efinement an elicacy than fom the aleay vey fine 650D, in compaisons with the 780D. Paticulaly excellent wee the elicacy, sweetness, an textual esolution of the cymbals in Fine an Mellow. mong the 780D s stongest suits wee the soliity of its sounstaging an its geneous epouction of space. With ecoings that inclue such infomation, it pouce stages of withs, epths, an heights that, a ecae ago, seeme impossible fom igital souces. Of couse, the 780D s abilities to ecoe up to DSD4x (DSD256), an to seamlessly switch between PCM an DSD, ae majo. I playe a wie vaiety of DSD files fom my laptop via JRive, incluing Jeff uckley s Gace (Columbia), Ro Stewat s Evey Pictue Tells a Stoy (Mecuy), Pink Floy s Wish You Wee Hee (Columbia), an John Coltane s Giant Steps (tlantic). Not that playback was glitchless. Moe than a few times while playing DSD files, JRive ha a meltown an went into buffeing moe. Spinning ainbow cicles ensue, an then the pogam efuse to close, even with a foce quit. SSOCITED EQUIPMENT nalog Souces Continuum uio Labs Calibun tuntable & Castellon stan; Kuzma 4Point, Sweish nalog Technologies toneams; Lya tlas & tlas SL & Etna SL, Otofon nna & 95, Miyajima Labs Zeo (mono) & Maake catiges. Digital Souces Simauio Moon Evolution 650D CD playe & Moon Evolution 820S powe supply; Lynx Hilo /D-D/ convete; Meiian Sooloos Digital Meia System; JRive Meia Cente, Pue Vinyl, Vinyl Stuio. Peamplification Ypsilon MC-10L & MC-16L step-up tansfomes; Tu-Life uio, Ypsilon VPS-100 phono peamplifies; atzeel NH-18NS peamplifie. Powe mplifies atzeel NH-458 monoblocks. Louspeakes Wilson uio Specialties lexania XLF. Cables Inteconnect: Snake Rive uio oomslang (S/ PDIF), Stealth Saka & Ina, TR Labs Zeo Evolution & Zeo, Teesonic Claison Gol, Wiewol Platinum Eclipse. Speake: TR Labs Omega Evolution SP, Wiewol Platinum Eclipse 7. C: uioquest (high-cuent pototype), Shunyata Reseach Zi Ton Sigma nalog & Sigma nalog HC & Sigma Digital. ccessoies uioquest Niagaa 7000 powe conitione; Oyaie C wall box & eceptacles; SC Tube Taps; RPG D & Skyline & bffuso panels; Stillpoints petue Room panels; Synegistic Reseach UEF poucts (vaious); Symposium Rolleblocks & Ulta platfom; Finite Elemente Pagoe, HRS Signatue SXR, Stillpoints ESS stans; uiohama Cable Cooke; Fuutech DeMag eco emagnetize & DeStat; uioesksysteme Gläss, Loicaft PRC4 Deluxe eco-cleaning machines. Michael Feme Sometimes it woul quit when foce, but then the only way to open it again was to shut own an estat the compute. None of this was the fault of the Moon Evolution 780D, but it s a eality of compute auio. Maybe my laptop lacke sufficient RM. Having instant access to so much geat music was a musical powe tip that was only intensifie by yet anothe impovement in igital soun. This is not to say that CDs suenly soune textually supple an thee-imensional. Switching between 16/44.1 an 24/96 (an up) files was like emoving a glass wall fom in font of the speakes. Sonic Upgae Playing the highest-esolution ecoings, whethe 24/192 o DSD, the Moon Evolution 780D soune like an evolutionay athe than a evolutionay impovement (though a genuinely majo one) ove the soun of the 650D. It was easy enough to compae the two I still have the 650D by evisiting many of the same files. I neve hea the Moon Evolution 750D, which a few ownes an wites escibe to me as souning somewhat moe etaile than the 650D, but at the cost of being ovely analytical, a ta hash an bight, an almost too evealing of less-than-pefectly ecoe an/o mastee music; oveall, the 650D was sai to be moe pleasant to listen to. I eviewe the 650D in the Novembe 2011 issue, 3 an now I listene again to many of the ecoings I use fo that 3 See steeophile.com Q ugust

8 eview, incluing Makus Schwatz & Lakou ooklyn s supebly ecoe an musically engaging Equinox (24/96 WV, Sounkeepe). The 650D soune wame but also thicke as if I wee playing an LP of the album with a spheical athe than a line-contact stylus. The 650D soune slowe, the 780D faste but not so fast that it misse the music s point. The 780D s epouction of Equinox was emakably moe tanspaent, with fa moe pecise an elicate initial tansients, even using the Moon Evolution 820S outboa powe supply with the 650D but not with the 780D. In fact, while the 820S pouce a big sonic impovement with the 650D, it wasn t eally necessay with the 780D at least, not in my system. With the best hi-ez ecoings, the 780D s tanspaency an gaceful yet supebly etaile tansient pefomance combine with an absence of glae, gain, an othe igital atifacts to pouce what was among the most tanspaent, if not the most tanspaent igital soun I ve hea. It in t soun at all thin o fowa o bight at least not on goo souce mateial. Yet in no way woul I escibe the soun as unpleasantly analytical o lacking in textue. The 24/192 file of Joni Mitchell s Fo the Roses pouce, along with elicacy an flow, an in-the-stuio immeiacy an tanspaency that I ve aely expeience fom a igital souce. It ivale the oiginal LP. n though the souns wee vey iffeent, in this case they wee iffeent but equal: Even afte 44 yeas of play, the vinyl still ha moe thee thee, if not the 24/192 file s spooky, in-the-stuio tanspaency. I imagine that the 750D pouce a simila immeiacy an tanspaency, but minus the elicacy an flow, which coul be why some people pefee the less-esolving 650D. ut given a goo ecoing, the 780D elivee both, without souning analytical o unpleasant in any way. Howeve, not even the finest DC can make me appeciate the soun of 16-bit/44.1kHz CDs. Though the 780D they soune about as goo as they can, but that s not goo enough fo me to sit own an pay full attention especially when, at the push of the MiND contol, I can hea a highesolution file. O I can put on an LP. Fom bottom to top, the Moon Evolution 780D bettee the aleay-pleasing 650D. The 780D is anothe step fowa fo igital soun quality, an especially in tems of access an convenience of music. I m not sue if I m eay to say that the 780D is the pomise of igital fulfille, but it s bought us close. Conclusions The pice of the Moon Evolution 780D is high. If, like me, you have a wall full of SCDs, it s beyon fustating to know that all that hi-ez music is still locke out, unable to be ecoe by this well-built, well-engineee, supebsouning, an othewise vesatile DC. No is it (yet) compatible with Roon o MQ. Pehaps Simauio will say something about these limitations in a Manufactue s Comment. ut othewise, Simauio has uppe its igital game in evey way. If it meets you nees, an you have the hi-ez igital souce mateial now o plan to get it soon an if you can affo it the Moon Evolution 780D Steaming DSD DC is well woth a listen. Q steeophile.com Q ugust

9 Simauio Moon Evolution 780D Eito: I woul like to exten my thanks to both Michael Feme an John tkinson fo a ock-soli affimation of the highest oe to anyone who has expeience the Moon Evolution 780D s efeencegae pefomance. oth MF s listening expeiences an J s measuements ae tue testaments to what the 780D is capable of. When a custome puchases a Moon 780D (o any othe one of ou poucts) fom an authoize Moon etaile, they ae paying fo much moe than just the pouct; they eceive unpaallele suppot an sevice, along with a 10-yea waanty (upon egistation) an access to a unique two-yea tae-up pogam. In the case of the 780D, as well as of ou othe steaming DCs, the etaile povies all the suppot necessay to get you up an unning. Unfotunately, when eviewes eceive such a component, this type of suppot isn t eaily available an they must contact Simauio iectly, as in MF s case. I manage to get his 780D to successfully steam music via the MiND in a vey bief peio by playing etaile s avocate. In the en, MF s level of enthusiasm fo steaming via the MiND went though the povebial oof. With egas to Roon an MQ, both of these featues ae une vey seious evaluation fo [a] futue geneation of the Moon Evolution 780D. Finally, MF mentione his fustation with his wall full of SCDs being locke out by this DC. Without getting into specifics, thee exists both hawae an softwae to easily extact an ISO file fom an SCD isc an then ceate DSD files (in DST o DSF fomat) on a compute, the en esult being a wealth of exceptional-souning music in DSD. Thank you again, Steeophile! Lionel Goofiel Public Relations & Maketing Moon by Simauio