SIMAUDIO MOON NEO 240I NOW AVAILABLE
Those clever Canucks are at it again. MOON by Simaudio has taken their amazingly adept Neo Ace streaming integrated amp and removed the streaming bit as well as shaving £710 from the Ace’s asking price. This makes the Moon Neo 240i a rather attractive prospect.
The Moon Neo 240i integrated amplifier represents a new entry point for Moon’s integrated amp range, topped off by the flagship 2x 175w 700i.
In comparison to the 700i, the 240i is equipped with a more modest 50w of Class A/B powers per channel. However, as you all are no doubt aware, these numbers have little or no bearing on actual sound quality. I also happen to know through experience that Moon amps are pretty darned handy at the sound quality end of things.
It may be the ‘entry level’ offering, but it still won’t leave you much change out of £2k. That said, you will be getting the kind of quality you expect from Moon. Personally, I love the look of their kit – and that’s not just me being a biased Canadian, either.
An uncluttered fascia sports an OLED screen as well as a smattering of controls. There’s also a ¼-inch jack for plugging in your headphones.
Digital audio is handled by the 240i’s asynchronous DAC. This supports hi-res files up to 32-bit/384kHz and DSD256 which are fed via the amp’s USB Type-B port.
16 and 24-bit files go by way of the amp’s four additional digital inputs, evenly split between coaxial and optical. The coaxials are good for up to 192kHz, while the Toslink optical inputs don’t allow anything above 96kHz.
Analogue is taken care of by two pairs of RCA line-level inputs plus a high-quality moving-magnet phono stage. The analogue inputs are configurable to ‘pass-through’ mode for use with a home-theatre processor, allowing its own volume control to be used.
Additionally, there’s a 3.5mm input at the front next to the aforementioned headphone port.
MiND control
MiND (MOON intelligent Network Device) is the company’s way of organising, listening to, and enjoying your digital tunes. The MiND app (iOS and Android) streams music from your digital music library to your audio system, allowing playback via your amplifier and speakers. Your library can consist of music stored on your computer, on a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, or you can simply stream music from a variety of internet sources.
The Moon Neo 240i is available now for £1,990.
For more information visit MOON.
Jay Garrett
StereoNET’s resident rock star, bass player, and gadget junkie. Jay heads up StereoNET as Editor for the United Kingdom and Europe regions. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.
Posted in: Hi-Fi
JOIN IN THE DISCUSSION
Want to share your opinion or get advice from other enthusiasts? Then head into the Message
Forums where thousands of other enthusiasts are communicating on a daily basis.
CLICK HERE FOR FREE MEMBERSHIP
Trending
applause awards
Each time StereoNET reviews a product, it is considered for an Applause Award. Winning one marks it out as a design of great quality and distinction – a special product in its class, on the grounds of either performance, value for money, or usually both.
Applause Awards are personally issued by StereoNET’s global Editor-in-Chief, David Price – who has over three decades of experience reviewing hi-fi products at the highest level – after consulting with our senior editorial team. They are not automatically given with all reviews, nor can manufacturers purchase them.
The StereoNET editorial team includes some of the world’s most experienced and respected hi-fi journalists with a vast wealth of knowledge. Some have edited popular English language hi-fi magazines, and others have been senior contributors to famous audio journals stretching back to the late 1970s. And we also employ professional IT and home theatre specialists who work at the cutting edge of today’s technology.
We believe that no other online hi-fi and home cinema resource offers such expert knowledge, so when StereoNET gives an Applause Award, it is a trustworthy hallmark of quality. Receiving such an award is the prerequisite to becoming eligible for our annual Product of the Year awards, awarded only to the finest designs in their respective categories. Buyers of hi-fi, home cinema, and headphones can be sure that a StereoNET Applause Award winner is worthy of your most serious attention.