[Jodet]

http://www.simaudio.com/en/product/101-230had-headphone-amplifier-dsd-dac.html
 
 
Nice looking unit and they have a good rep.   

 

[upside]

Just received my Simaudio Moon 230HAD today. I will also have a chance to compare it to the Simaudio 430HAD in the next week or so. I will let the 230HAD burn in overnight and have a more critical listen with a few more hours on the clock.
 
Straight out of the box, as a DAC, it sounds very open and dimensional in 32 bit mode. Dynamic, spacious and dead quiet background.
 
All very promising.
 
I'll try some headphones tomorrow.
 
At $1500 CAN this seems like another hit for Simaudio. 

 

[Yamantaka]

  Just received my Simaudio Moon 230HAD today. I will also have a chance to compare it to the Simaudio 430HAD in the next week or so. I will let the 230HAD burn in overnight and have a more critical listen with a few more hours on the clock.
 
Straight out of the box, as a DAC, it sounds very open and dimensional in 32 bit mode. Dynamic, spacious and dead quiet background.
 
All very promising.
 
I'll try some headphones tomorrow.
 
At $1500 CAN this seems like another hit for Simaudio. 

Looking forward to your impressions.

 

[Shmuel]

Agreed!

Impressions highly desirable.

 

[upside]

I will have some further impressions in a day or so. In typical Simaudio fashion the 230HAD seems to take a few hundred hours to settle in particularly on the headphone side. The DAC has been running 12 hours a day for the last week and a bit so I'm getting close to taking a critical listen.
 
I'm also making arrangements to listen along side a 430HAD for comparison.
 
Build quality is very nice with an accurate volume control that makes it easy to get just the right level. I haven't yet used the included remote as the 230HAD sits close at hand but it is nice that Simaudio included one. The 230HAD does not seem to get more than barely warm to the touch. There are a couple of analog inputs - one marked MP on the front and A1 on the back and both fixed and variable outputs on RCAs. The DAC section offers Toslink, 2 SPDIF and USB inputs on the digital side. The RCA outputs are always live even with headphones plugged in so I am mostly using the variable outputs with my Focal CMS 50 speakers to take advantage of the volume control. I am also using an Audioquest Jitterbug on my Windows 10 PC and an Audioquest Diamond USB cable to feed the 230HAD.
 
So far with the Senn HD 800s, Beyer T1s, AKG 702 Annis and Audioquest Nighthawks there is more than enough power to drive them all. I haven't had the volume control much higher than 9 o'clock even with the T1s. The DAC portion really reminds me of the Simaudio 280D I have which makes sense as they share some common design elements.
 
The first thing I noticed is the detail and quiet background with the DAC. An energetic sound with good soundstage size. Compared to the Simaudio 300D V2 I had been using prior to the 230HAD I felt resolution increased markedly. The next difference I noticed was the increase in texture in sounds and how quiet the background is allowing a more dynamic, direct presentation.
 
If the 230HAD is anything like my 280D DAC it will take a bit more time for the bass region to fully flesh out and everything to gel so I'm going to be patient and get at least a good 200 to 300 hours on the clock before posting any final opinions.
 
So far though, I am very happy with the 230HAD and I expect it will only get better with a bit more run in. 

 

[Colgin]

Any further impressions on this amp. I heard this amp very briefly at a local dealer this week and it seemed to drive everything I ran through it nicely.  I listened to the dealer's LCD-3 as well as my own Oppo PM-2 and AKG K7xx that I had brought with me. The Oppo can be a bit soft for a planar (although it has nice extension) and the 230 HAD seemed to give it more punch. I am admittedly not terribly good at distinguishing among different amp and DAC signatures. In another thread referencing the 230HAD I think someone on Head-Fi wrote that in the $1,500 price range there are a lot of choices. So, my question is whether the 230HAD would be good value for money given the cans that I am trying to drive (the aforementioned K7xx and PM-2, with the expectation of adding a Senn HD600 or 650 within the year). I do like the form factor of the 230HAD a lot and appreciate that it comes with a remote control (a rare thing for head amps), since I do not have a desktop setup but rather listen to my cans from my couch with my Hi-Fi setup across the living room. Any additional impressions and thoughts on value (or potentially cheaper alternatives) welcome.
 
BTW, I did listen another time to the TOTL Moon Simaudio amp and that thing was just a beast and really full featured; just way out  of my price range.

 

[upside]

The 230HAD took about 300 hours to fully settle in. Don't get me wrong - it is very nice out of the box but it simply becomes a better, more balanced amp with some time on the clock. Simaudio gear really does need some burn in time to get the best performance. Bass is now more balanced and the soundstage has opened up. The top end which was a bit harsh sounding initially is smooth and detailed at the same time. When I first used my headphones with the 230HAD I found the Sennheiser HD 800s a bit too bright and splashy up top. My HD 800s are unmodded so they can have that tendency with brighter amps. Now the two play very nicely together.
 
I have been comparing my Sennheiser HDVD 800 amp/DAC with the Simaudio 230HAD and there is more life to the music with the 230HAD. Still quite neutral but just better dynamics and energy to the music. The HDVD 800 is neutral to almost a fault where the 230HAD is more engaging overall. Better bounce to the music and the presence region really bring vocals into the room or headphones, if that makes sense. Considering the price differential between the 230HAD and the HDVD 800 I would pick the 230HAD even when comparing the HDVD 800 balanced which is not available on the 230HAD.
 
Bottom line for me is the 230HAD is a keeper. It works very well with all headphones I have and is small enough to move from one system to another as needed.
 
The 230HAD compared to my new 430HAD is another story - as it should be for the price jump.

 

[Colgin]

The 230HAD took about 300 hours to fully settle in. Don't get me wrong - it is very nice out of the box but it simply becomes a better, more balanced amp with some time on the clock. Simaudio gear really does need some burn in time to get the best performance. Bass is now more balanced and the soundstage has opened up. The top end which was a bit harsh sounding initially is smooth and detailed at the same time. When I first used my headphones with the 230HAD I found the Sennheiser HD 800s a bit too bright and splashy up top. My HD 800s are unmodded so they can have that tendency with brighter amps. Now the two play very nicely together.

I have been comparing my Sennheiser HDVD 800 amp/DAC with the Simaudio 230HAD and there is more life to the music with the 230HAD. Still quite neutral but just better dynamics and energy to the music. The HDVD 800 is neutral to almost a fault where the 230HAD is more engaging overall. Better bounce to the music and the presence region really bring vocals into the room or headphones, if that makes sense. Considering the price differential between the 230HAD and the HDVD 800 I would pick the 230HAD even when comparing the HDVD 800 balanced which is not available on the 230HAD.

Bottom line for me is the 230HAD is a keeper. It works very well with all headphones I have and is small enough to move from one system to another as needed.

The 230HAD compared to my new 430HAD is another story - as it should be for the price jump.

Thanks for the additional information, Upside.

 

[upside]

There is a nice review of the Simaudio 230HAD in the latest Hi-FiNews & Record Review (November issue) Magazine if anyone is interested.
 
They seem to like it a lot and I would agree with their assessment.

 

[kfinkel1966]

I have the Marantz HD-DAC1 which is great, but am thinking about upgrading to this unit. Are there any other DAC/headphone amps in the 2k and under range that I should also consider?  My headphones are Sennheiser HD700.  Would I be better served by keeping the Marantz and upgrading the headphones?  Your input is appreciated - thanks!

 

[raybone0566]

I have the Marantz HD-DAC1 which is great, but am thinking about upgrading to this unit. Are there any other DAC/headphone amps in the 2k and under range that I should also consider?  My headphones are Sennheiser HD700.  Would I be better served by keeping the Marantz and upgrading the headphones?  Your input is appreciated - thanks!

I've got all the hd phones and the 700's are pretty good with most amps. You could look at the Eddie current black widow that should be out soon. Inner fidelity has some impressions on it. Or if your looking to try tubes you could consider the schiit mnjoir2 which is a bit cheaper at around 900.00. I've even got a matrix m-stage I got through auction on eBay. Paid only 80.0 and that amp is really good. I'd suggest reading reviews on whatever you look at. That's always been helpful when I buy gear. Good luck and enjoy, I feel the hd700's are better than most people think. They don't get much love here on head-fi

 

[upside]

Another review of the 230HAD in the October issue of Tone Magazine. On page 127 the reviewer has some nice things to say about the 230HAD.

 

[kfinkel1966]

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this unit based on everything I have heard about it.  Music Direct offers a 60 day evaluation period, which should be more than enough time to see if it is a worthy upgrade from my Marantz HD-DAC1.  It will be delivered tomorrow - I am super stoked!
 
I know this unit does not come into its own until around 300 hours of burn in.  Does it matter if there is audible output when the unit is burning in or can I just feed it a never ending stream from JRiver without hearing it through the headphones or speakers?  

 

[Colgin]

I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this unit based on everything I have heard about it.  Music Direct offers a 60 day evaluation period, which should be more than enough time to see if it is a worthy upgrade from my Marantz HD-DAC1.  It will be delivered tomorrow - I am super stoked!

I know this unit does not come into its own until around 300 hours of burn in.  Does it matter if there is audible output when the unit is burning in or can I just feed it a never ending stream from JRiver without hearing it through the headphones or speakers?  

I will be very interested in your impressions. I have been thinking about pulling trigger on the Music Direct site as well due to generous 60-day period.

 

[upside]

  I went ahead and pulled the trigger on this unit based on everything I have heard about it.  Music Direct offers a 60 day evaluation period, which should be more than enough time to see if it is a worthy upgrade from my Marantz HD-DAC1.  It will be delivered tomorrow - I am super stoked!
 
I know this unit does not come into its own until around 300 hours of burn in.  Does it matter if there is audible output when the unit is burning in or can I just feed it a never ending stream from JRiver without hearing it through the headphones or speakers?  

 
You can definitely leave JRiver playing and turn the volume off and it will still burn in. I just left my 230HAD playing Radioparadise at very low volume non stop for the first few weeks when I wasn't around to listen.
 
I don't know if leaving anything plugged in with the volume off will make a difference. Perhaps an impedance device on the outputs will help. The only thing to be sure of is that you don't plug anything into the fixed output as that bypasses the volume control completely : o
 
Congrats on the new purchase.