This tale of altered expectations began a few years after my birth, at AXPONA 2022, where I covered several stellar-sounding rooms that included Simaudio Moon electronics. By the third such room, I'd resolved to contact Simaudio, check in with Jim Austin, and see if there was a product that made sense to review in my system.
Simaudio co-owner…
The two amps were shipped on separate pallets, in not very sturdy mediumweight cardboard boxes strapped down and covered in layers of plastic film. I placed the 860A v2s on the same Grand Prix Audio Monza amp stands and Wilson Audio Pedestals I use for the reference D'Agostino Progression M550 monoblocks. Cables were my usual Nordost Odin 2s.
Because Costa stressed the balanced nature of…
Description: Solid state, class-AB power amplifier, bridgeable as monoblock. Inputs: 1 balanced (XLR), 1 single-ended (RCA). Outputs: 2 pair binding posts. Output power: In monophonic mode (as auditioned), 750W into 8 ohms (28.75dBW), 1500W into 4 ohms (28.75dBW). In stereo mode, 225Wpc into 8 ohms (23.5dBW), 450Wpc into 4 ohms (23.5dBW); Input impedance: 47.5k ohms. Voltage gain: 31dB. Frequency response (full range): 10Hz–55kHz (+0/–3dB). Crosstalk @ 1kHz: –110dB. THD (20Hz–20kHz @ 1W): 0.005%. THD (20Hz– 20kHz at 200W): 0.03%. Intermodulation distortion: <…
Digital sources: dCS Rossini Apex DAC, Clock; Synology 5-bay 1019+ NAS; Uptone Audio EtherRegen with AfterDark Giesemann Emperor Double Crown Master Clock, Roon Nucleus+ music server, and Nordost QNET Ethernet Switch, all powered by Nordost QSource linear power supplies (2); Small Green Computer Sonore Deluxe opticalModule, Linksys mesh router and Arris modem, all powered by HDPlex 300 linear power supply; Apple 2017 iPad Pro and 2017 MacBook Pro laptop with 2.8GHz Intel i7, SSD, 16GB RAM.
Preamplifier: Dan D'Agostino Momentum HD.
Power amplifiers…
I performed the measurements of the Simaudio Moon 860A v2 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. I initially preconditioned the amplifier by operating it at 1/8 power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the top panel's temperature was 106.4°F/41.4°C and that of the heatsinks 132.3°F/55.8°C. I ran the amplifier for another 30 minutes at 1/3 power into 8 ohms, a level that results in the maximum heat dissipation in the output devices. The top panel's temperature had risen to 113.4°F/45.3°C and the heatsinks were now too hot to touch, at 144.0°F/62.…
As Brian Damkroger is based on the West Coast, it made sense logistically for BD to measure the bulky, heavy Avantgarde Duo SD iTRON G3 loudspeaker and send me his test results to analyze. He used the Room EQ Wizard (REW) system (footnote 1), operating at 44.1kHz with a calibrated UMIK-1 microphone and the soundcard in his computer. A Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ processor output the REW signal via a balanced XLR cable to the Avantgarde's input, with the level set with pink noise so that the response measurements were taken at an SPL of 80dB. As it wasn't practical to raise…
You can read Stereophile's review of the HP1 here.
In honor of what would have been Joseph Grado's 100th birthday, the HP100 SE blends the company's rich heritage with contemporary design. "Although Uncle Joe left us 10 years ago, he will always be a presence at Grado Labs," says John Grado, CEO and nephew of Joseph…
The updated MK2 versions replace the previous DAC501 and DAC502, improving upon their predecessors with advanced DAC chips and upgraded circuitry. The result is said to be a notable improvement in transparency and openness.
Weiss’s proprietary discrete…
My reporting at this year's event is going to be logistically different from prior years. Instead of taking place at one venue, this year's edition is being held at two neighboring, parking-lot-sharing venues. These include the usual one, the Westin Toronto Airport, and, joining it, the Holiday Inn…