Simaudio Moon Evolution 820S power supply Subtle & Not-so-Subtle Changes

Sidebar 3: Subtle & Not-so-Subtle Changes

During this review I added a variable to the mix: Shunyata Research's new ZTron Alpha Digital AC cable ($995). It's less expensive than the company's top cords, but demonstrably more efficacious for removing power-line noise than some of their earlier, more expensive efforts. Shunyata backed this claim up with a paper-shredder demo at the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show, showing the reduction of AC line noise with an oscilloscope.

Before the 820S's arrival, I'd tried the ZTron Alpha Digital and a stock power cord on the Simaudio Moon Evolution 650D. The audible differences were similar to but far more subtle than the 650D's sound with and without the 820S.

Compared to one of Shunyata's more expensive power cords, one not specifically designed for digital components, the ZTron Alpha Digital produced even subtler differences. (All of these comparisons were made during the summer, when air-conditioners make power lines particularly noisy.) The 820S's filtering abilities made power-line noise a nonissue during my comparisons of AC cords, though if I were spending $17,000 on a DAC-CD transport and outboard power supply, I'd consider spending another $995 on a ZTron "just because"—or, at least, I'd ask a Shunyata dealer for a loaner to try.

The addition of the 820S produced such a major improvement in the sound of the 650D that I was moved to play with S/PDIF cables between the Meridian Music Server and the 650D. I swapped out a few brands; they all sounded different, but the best-sounding was Snake River Audio's Boomslang digital interconnect ($595 for 1.37m). This solid-silver, solid-core, woven (not coaxial) interconnect reduced glare and excess brightness without attenuating the high frequencies, and increased transparency.—Michael Fremer

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Simaudio Ltd.
1345 Newton Road
Boucherville, Quebec
J4B 5H2 CANADA
(877) 980-2400
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COMMENTS
audioz's picture

On each side of the power supply, are the dual Pi Filters connected in series or parallel to each other ?

audiolab's picture

Here in good ole Blighty, Hokey Pokey is the name for Honeycomb (the sweet confection aka Cinder toffee), also to a rather heavy ice cream made with clotted cream and the afforementioned sweet. Whatever ! either way it is still very much "what it's all about"

musicmaniac22's picture

Based on this review and my own curious nature I went to a MOON dealer and gave it a listen with the 650D since I purchased this DAC/Transport earlier this year (and am loving it). The dealer only had a 740P preamp in-house, but I still experienced the immense impact of the 820S. I was able to arrange a loan for the weekend. The loan became a purchase. Michael is dead-on with his review as my 650D now sounds flawless. For anyone with a MOON evolution component, I recommend checking out this PS - its a substantial upgrade and worth the high cost.

bengal_finch's picture

its a tangy feeling,

today i paid my shipper for the new 820S along with my broken sim 650D for a repair from the sim dealer. there is no doubt this new power supply 650D will shine more smoothly. as my country don't have sim dealer so i got no chance to get a demo test. my all time favorite Bricasti M1 dac, i want sim supersede it with musicality. My MBL nobel rig with ref MBL1621a transport eagerly waiting for the new 3 pice cd audio reproduction. lol i always looked at DCS stangely why they have 4 pice cd reproduction system. really looking forward for a sim transport. my one curious concern about the 820s factory interconnector, how they comply with our after market ac power cord!! haven't got a feed back from sim yet. above all i am excited for my new 820s.

bengal_finch's picture

My experience with SIM Audio 650D is around 4 years old. Wadia 16i still is in operation brought in 1995 with vrds transport. due to my respect on good transport, i brought MBL1621A.

820S no matter how you hooked it up with 650D, will shine regardless. But the how much brightness it will glow depends on your skill. skills on cables. i normally use cardas clear/beyond on my rig and also have Wireworld silver/platinum electra. 820S don't go well with platinum but work fantastic with cardas clear. but as my system is hybrid and i set up it such way way that its satays not bright. as a result John mayer born and raise cd seems too dull on my rig. but if i pluged platinum electra it gain much high frq but sound stage become to big and i felt agitated due to edgy highs. in contrast the silver electra 7 is a wonder cable. please buy one and try on your digital end. i should say its better than platinum electra. well for the first few month i used cardas clear with 820S and its really performed well. but the diff between the Bricast m1 and 650D stays very close. on old recording like robert cray, eric clapton, ccr guitar played well with Bricasti M1, on the other hand sim audio 650D took Sarah brightman Harem, Chris Rea Auberge on such a level which M1 fails, yet still stay close. SIM 650D with 820S is a BIG show, it should take over Bricasti M1 with huge gap but it didn't happened.

now things changes when i buy Siltech Prince speaker cables very recently!!!. When sim played its flys and Air all around regardless what cd i played. so yes cables played a big role. before hook up the 820S, 650D's gel based transport proves useless. but 820S drag the sim transport to upper level and its project cd"s with big soundstage with extended high freq, yet a realistic sound environment created which some time seems MBL1621A cd pro fall behind. but in terms of details sim transport fails to 1621A, yet sim will give you a flavor that you can able to live if you won't given the option to compare with MBL1621a. which was impossible without the mighty 820S lately.

so yes, 820S takes the performance of 650D in such a level, that you need good speaker cables to send it to your speakers to listen. but please don't forget, cd pro, essoteric vrds are not for show off, few days back sim used to have a cd pro 2 based cd player andromeda, its discontinued now. and esoteric also not selling vrds to any third party, cd pro production stopped. cd sales declining at double digit last year. so..... 650D is a good dac and with the help of 820S its performance not only increased it transport also gain life. we r looking forward sim to rent us a better study strong transport in the recent years.

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