[R Giskard]

No, Simaudio is not a conglomerate but something strange happened to them. Last year I could have swore they went under. They "introduced" several new products which were identical to the previous products and only the model numbers were changed. Even the manuals stated this. They also cut their guarantee periods from 10 years to "dealer discression" which immediately meant one year for Europe. Heck of a way to inspire confidence in potential customers who always thought Simaudio lacked pedigree and breeding compared to the high-end bunch.
 
I liked the sound of their CD players but now they only offer the 260D transport. The 650D and 750D are ridiculously expensive and like I said, even if they sound excellent, one would hardly choose them over established brands. Incredibly, the 260D designation is identical to one of their previous players and there is no way you will find a review of the current machine if you google the term.
 
I like the look of the 430HA but I am not sure I appreciate those low cost connectors on the back. It belongs on something that costs a 100 Euro, not something that will undoubtedly cost 2000 Euro or more. I just don't like this sort of stuff. I am also not sure what "transconductive" class of operation means... Would anyone care to explain? Perhaps the  amplifier works in class-A till certain outpit has been reached like some class A/B amplifiers do, I don't know. It looks rather nice though and Simaudio has done a lot to create an impression of quality and a nice "Moon" logo to top it all off. Still good stuff but overpriced in my opinion.

 

[bmichels]

Time will tell if it is a new king in town

 

[Velomane]

I noticed the release got pushed back from 3rd quarter to 4th of this year.

 

[bmichels]

  I noticed the release got pushed back from 3rd quarter to 4th of this year.

 
As usual.... 

 

[Velomane]

 User manual now available link is direct to the pdf

 

[Nomax]

 

[Velomane]

I must have missed your post, Nomax. Are you a proud new owner? How's the sound?

 

[Nomax]

TWO WORDS about the Sound AMAZING&HEAVENLY!!





REGARDS NOMAX

 

[4N6]

Nomax... You are a man of few words.

We're looking forward to more impressions! This looks like a terrific amp.

 

[Nomax]

About the Combo MOON NEO 430 HA&ABYSS AB 1266

Special thanks to member Plakat for translate my german words to english


Dear friends,

some may already know me, others don't. This is not may main playing field due to my lack of knowledge of the language. Sorry for that.

As I may call quite a lot of headphones my own, am still enthusiastic about this hobby even after 20 years and have contact with some makers and developers, I've seen and heard quite a bit over the years that excited or disappointed me.

I've never been a fan of planar magnetic headphones. I knew the Audeze LCD3, but have to say that for USD ~2000 the comfort, fit and finish was rather disappointing (earpads mounted with double-sided tape in that price range -- NO Chance!)

On to the Abyss!
Crazy Americans... another planar magnetic headphone, was my first thought when I saw the early photos on the net. Which idiot is going to buy that? Me? USD 5500,- for a planar magnetic headphone???

One day my local dealer came into play and said, he had never seen something that ugly, but at the same time extraordinary and unique, as this headphone.

Which was the main reason for me to invest $5500: in the premium segment I value uniqueness above other things.


Regarding comfort
I came to a perfect solution by watching Joe's video and bending the headband in/out. 660 gram can be astoundingly comfortable, even for a longer time.

Personally I'd whished for a second set of earpads in velour, or memory foam for the leather pads.


Regarding sound
To me personally the Abyss is less of a headphone but more of a speaker. I'm still having a hard time putting into words what the AB1266 offers in musical performance.

Tyll of Innerfidelity said, its funny to listen to the Abyss.

Yes, its really fun, my friends, it puts a smile on my face again and again -- and thats what its all about for me: that an extraordinary product gives me joy for a long time, by its workmanship and its sound.

Now on to the MOON NEO 430 HA!

Its a beauty!

A perfect all-in-one solution, perfect sounding DAC, crossfeed, remote control, digital volume control (WOW! a real hammer!), enough power for my ABYSS and all my other headphones!

The only negative point is the rather cheap plastic remote, besides that everything is top!

For everyone looking for a lower priced solution and is willing to abandon some of the features of the MOON NEO, I can recommend the Violectric V281, which does very well with the ABYSS.

I think I've arrived at my final destination and found my DREAM TEAM:
MOON NEO/ABYSS-BEAUTY&BEAST=STATE OF THE ART

Kind regards

NOMAX

 

[Icenine2]

More impressions please1

 

[musicmaniac22]

To R. Giskard,
 
I just came across your post while researching the MOON 430HA Headphone amp on this site. As a long time owner of numerous Simaudio models over the years, I feel compelled to comment several issues you mentioned here.
 
They launched the Neo series in early 2013 and though many of the components kept the same model numbers, there were indeed enhancements made to the internal circuitry, especially the integrated amplifiers and line-stage preamplifier. I heard the difference myself as I upgraded to one of the newer Neo integrated, and cosmetically these newer units are much more appealing.
 
Regarding their 10 year warranty, it has been around for ages and continues to be 10 years in North America. The discretionary aspect is for distributors outside of North America ONLY.
 
As for the Neo 260D CD Transport that comes with an optional HD USB DAC, this is a completely different product than the original MOON 260D - the CD Drive mechanism has a much better suspension (similar to the 650D & 750D) and a completely different DAC & analog stage. And yes, there are nearly a dozen of great reviews out there according to their website, and some are available online.
 
  http://www.simaudio.com/en/product/29--cd-transport-with-optional-dac.html
 
In my opinion, the company continues to offer great products at a fair value and they have done so for well over 30 years, always building them in Canada. In this day and age, its becoming harder and harder to get what you pay for, but at the very least with these guys you do get what you pay for.

 

[Theogenes]

About the Combo MOON NEO 430 HA&ABYSS AB 1266

Special thanks to member Plakat for translate my german words to english


Dear friends,

some may already know me, others don't. This is not may main playing field due to my lack of knowledge of the language. Sorry for that.

As I may call quite a lot of headphones my own, am still enthusiastic about this hobby even after 20 years and have contact with some makers and developers, I've seen and heard quite a bit over the years that excited or disappointed me.

I've never been a fan of planar magnetic headphones. I knew the Audeze LCD3, but have to say that for USD ~2000 the comfort, fit and finish was rather disappointing (earpads mounted with double-sided tape in that price range -- NO Chance!)

On to the Abyss!
Crazy Americans... another planar magnetic headphone, was my first thought when I saw the early photos on the net. Which idiot is going to buy that? Me? USD 5500,- for a planar magnetic headphone???

One day my local dealer came into play and said, he had never seen something that ugly, but at the same time extraordinary and unique, as this headphone.

Which was the main reason for me to invest $5500: in the premium segment I value uniqueness above other things.


Regarding comfort
I came to a perfect solution by watching Joe's video and bending the headband in/out. 660 gram can be astoundingly comfortable, even for a longer time.

Personally I'd whished for a second set of earpads in velour, or memory foam for the leather pads.


Regarding sound
To me personally the Abyss is less of a headphone but more of a speaker. I'm still having a hard time putting into words what the AB1266 offers in musical performance.

Tyll of Innerfidelity said, its funny to listen to the Abyss.

Yes, its really fun, my friends, it puts a smile on my face again and again -- and thats what its all about for me: that an extraordinary product gives me joy for a long time, by its workmanship and its sound.

Now on to the MOON NEO 430 HA!

Its a beauty!

A perfect all-in-one solution, perfect sounding DAC, crossfeed, remote control, digital volume control (WOW! a real hammer!), enough power for my ABYSS and all my other headphones!

The only negative point is the rather cheap plastic remote, besides that everything is top!

For everyone looking for a lower priced solution and is willing to abandon some of the features of the MOON NEO, I can recommend the Violectric V281, which does very well with the ABYSS.

I think I've arrived at my final destination and found my DREAM TEAM:
MOON NEO/ABYSS-BEAUTY&BEAST=STATE OF THE ART

Kind regards

NOMAX

 
So jealous!! Please do let us know what other thoughts and impressions you have as you continue your listening! There are very few of these in the wild at the moment, so you're just about our only source of information on this beast!
 
Just out of curiosity, have you heard the Schiit Ragnarok, by any chance? I'd be interested to know how they compare...

 

[alinto]

I just received my 430ha. I have about 5 hrs on it. I was using a bryston bha-1 and can say the sennheiser hd800 sound better on it than on the bryston. I get less of those grimace moments on brightly recorded music. The moon is very well built and in my opinion , a handsome unit. I want to let it burn in more before making more comments.

 

[Theogenes]

I just received my 430ha. I have about 5 hrs on it. I was using a bryston bha-1 and can say the sennheiser hd800 sound better on it than on the bryston. I get less of those grimace moments on brightly recorded music. The moon is very well built and in my opinion , a handsome unit. I want to let it burn in more before making more comments.

Looking forward to your thoughts, man!!