I began my audio journey with some JVC FXT90s. They were great. I never realized how involving and spectacular music could sound. Unfortunately they went south and I eventually purchased a pair of Sony XBX90EX. These lacked the finesse of the JVCs but they provided a bass that I didn't think I'd come to love. For $100 they were quite good. My friend's dog thought so too, sadly. I took a break from $100 headphones as at that point I lost 2 pairs within 1.5 years so my next purchases would be mostly budget-minded models such as the MEElectronics M9 and NuForce NE600X.
After some time went by, I just couldn't take it anymore. I needed something better. I was moving at this time and so I felt it opportune to invest in a 2.0 speaker system. I initially was looking for a sub $1k bookshelf pair but fortunately caught a crazily discounted pair of floorstanders at Frys--the Energy RC70s. Brand new for $460 a pair, I probably got (legally) the best audio bargain of the century. These speakers originally MSRPd for about $2000 around a decade ago and were still a bargain at that price. To accompany the speakers, I invested in a Denon X3100W receiver, which is what many might consider a lower midrange stereo receiver.
I was rather satisfied with this setup. My room was not the most acoustically friendly but I was immediately floored nonetheless. The Energy RC70s provided me with the best audio experience I have ever had. At night listening to Norah Jones the first time, I remember being startled when imagining myself being at a live performance. In the dark, it felt like I was truly there.
Sadly, I had to move again. This time though, I couldn't really use the speakers given my new housing setup so I knew at some point I would have to invest in some headphones. After a bit of research I purchased the highly touted Yamaha MT220s. For $200 I think they are a great bargain, though not as good as the Energy's were of course! These cans are rather neutral, impeccably detailed, and offer some nice subbass extension and bass-midbass punch.
Because I wanted to be cool I decided to purchase a tube preamp/amplifier, which I found in the Feliks Espressivo per the recommendation of
@inthere. Among many other headphones, he also has the MT220s and found it pairing nicely with the Espressivo.
Now the Espressivo was $320, which is rather entry level. Despite this, you get tremendous value and a nice sounding tube amp. I didn't feel like I needed a DAC with the MT220s as the iPhone has a rather remarkable chip. The MT220s also don't have much scaling opportunity, so I figured I wouldn't be missing out on much. In the back of my mind, however, I was always curious about more expensive kits. Would a $1500 AMP/DAC sound significantly better than my iPhone/Espressivo? If so, would I
actually buy one?
Around this time, Todd had created a thread offering the Moon 230 for at-home trial. I knew I would be able to get my hands on a Fostex X00 as well, so I figured it would be a good time to participate.
Review
The 230 is a rather fairly well-built unit with a reasonable amount of inputs in the back. I appreciate the departure from rigid design with a curved front panel. I like the simple input selector, but I'm not a fan of the bright blue LED. For $1500 I might expect this unit to be a bit more refined in design and finish, but it's more than acceptable.
Now onto the test environment:
Test A
Source: iPhone 6 running Tidal Hi-Fi
Headphones: Yamaha MT220, Fostex X00
DAC/AMP: Feliks Espressivo (iPhone 6 DAC)
The Espressivo makes the MT220s less fatiguing in the treble, more forward in the lower-to-mid mids, and slightly more soft in the bass. It adds a sort of mild haziness to the sound reminiscent of lounges embracing the free spirited smoke of cigarettes or hookah. There is not a substantial difference in sound when comparing this setup to the MT220s with just the iPhone 6, but there is enough of a difference to garner appreciation.
The Fostex X00s, despite being 32ohms vs the MT220s 48ohms were affected a bit more by the Espressivo. These cans were affected in a very similar fashion to the MT220s, but in a slightly less appealing fashion because of the slight low-end muddiness.
Test B
Source: iPhone 6 running Tidal Hi-Fi
Headphones: Yamaha MT220, Fostex X00
DAC/AMP: Neo 230
When pressing play after plugging the MT220s into the Neo 230 I immediately noticed a difference. My aural memory isn't too great and some songs are less revealing than others, so I had to really throw a handful of dynamic tracks together and engage in a tedious listening session to fully articulate this aural experience.
I listened to mostly R&B, Vocals, Rock and Hip-Hop (in that order).
Compared to the MT220 Espressivo setup, the 230 surprisingly maintained a comparable lower end. The subbass was pretty tight and impactful, along with the bass and midbass. I noticed that the mids were slightly recessed, but this and other elements of the sound contributed to a much appreciated larger soundstage. Given that the MT220s are a closed can, despite their ability to offer a respectable soundstage, it is nothing compared to say an HD600. So noticing a wider soundstage was a major selling point for me.
I very quickly noticed better instrument separation and an increased level of clarity. This was slightly hard to believe at first, but certain songs made this unmistakable. The Neo 230 awoke certain elements of some of the songs I listened to, such as the guitar in the left speaker in a song I cannot seem to remember. It did so in such a graceful fashion that I immediately began justifying the purchase. There is a certain airiness to the 230s sound that ties the presentation together and makes it really stand out. The treble is very palatable, with a slight crispness and sparkle that edges over the iPhone 6 DAC with and without the Espressivo amp. The Espressivo naturally dampens the higher end a tad, so when compared to just the iPhone setup I would say that the 230's treble is about as pronounced but it is much more refined.
One might think that a well-crafted tube amp might offer a more colorful and involving listening experience but I must say that in comparison the 230 has it beat. There is a certain quietness to the song that a tube amp can never offer and a certain clarity that really takes away your ability to identify things that "don't belong in a track". It makes listening a lot less stressful if you're a purist and it makes things sound more natural. I would say the 230 offers a more cool take on the music, but it does so in a way many can appreciate. In fact, I don't miss any luscious aspects of the Espressivo when listening to the 230. It wins in just about every sense.
When comparing the Fostex X00 setups, the 230 makes it really feel like you're in a concert hall. Although the X00 is slightly more recessed in the mids than MT220s from my experience, the further recession the 230 adds is delightful. The bass is extremely tight and crisp, and the instrument separation adds nice soundstage width. In all of my tests, the 230 shines in soundstage width. And since the X00s are naturally bassier and a bit recessed in the mids and treble, the 230 does a nice job of blossoming these areas, if you may.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I am going to miss the 230. I can't exactly say it is worth $1500 to me, but it is definitely a kit that unlocks your music chain and a kit that brings it to another echelon altogether. I was in the market for a sub $1000 amp/DAC but because of my fun time testing my friend's X00, I bought the Purplehearts a couple of weeks ago. Because of that, I'm out of the market...but maybe just for now
Thanks Todd!
