Moon 700i Integrated Amplifier
 

The Moon 700i integrated amplifier looks good. Sim Audio is manufacturing this gorgeous (175 watts per channel into 8 ohms, 350 watts per channel into 4 ohms) intergrated amplifier. Available with an all silver face, or a black and silver face. All switching is software controlled, all inputs are able to be labeled by the end user, and the 700i has balanced inputs for your best source component. This is a very attractive integrated amplifier. Retail is $12K.


http://www.simaudio.com/images/lg_moon700iblk.jpg . . . . . . http://www.simaudio.com/images/lg_moon700i.jpg



http://www.simaudio.com/images/lg_moon700ii.jpg

Dan...I think the Simaudio stuff is very very good. I lived with the predecessor to this amp the i-7 for a week, as well as the separates version (P-7 and W-7) also for a week before I ended up pulling the trigger on my ARC stuff. I could have easily lived with either the Simaudio integrated or separates I had in for home audition. :thumbsup:

Cyril.......I have been intrigued by Sim Audio's products for several years. I have never auditioned any Moon components, but that hasn't diminished my interest. When I saw Tom's for sale ad on his Moon Supernova CD player it rekindled my curiosity.

The Moon 700i integrated amplifier is a work of art, both outside and inside. I think I'll try to find a dealer for an audition.

The I7 compared very well to my Levinson integrated amp, both are so good the choice would be very difficult. The I-7 was 150 Wrms but did not double it's output at 4ohms. The new I-700 has slightly more power, 175 Wrms, doubles it's output at 4ohms and newly designed output transistors. Both have Sim Link which is a very attractive feature that links other Sim products. Input selection, diplay brightness and on/off functions work as one, each input can be named and volmue trimmed. Sim's warranty is 10yrs.

The sound is very fast, tight, and powerful. Although smooth they are not as warm and romantic as the MA7000.

I think Stereophile just reviewed this recently? I do like the easy to read display.

:yes: very neutral presentation. No added romanticism/warmth. Amplifies the signal it is fed with no editorializing.

Simaudio Moon Evolution 700i integrated amplifier | Stereophile.com


http://www.stereophile.com/images/311sim.1_0.jpg

We reviewed the 600i and 700i together in issue 37, in case you are curious about the differences between the two.

Excellent amplifier!

Jeff.......Thank you. I will have to return to issue 37 of ToneAudio and read the review again. To be honest, I felt Fred Kaplan, in his Stereophile review, did a disservice to the Moon 700i by spending a large part of the review telling us in snippets what he had written elsewhere on the Krell integrated amp. Fred starts out telling us how useless these types of comparisons are, then promptly gets right into a full tilt comparison. I wasn't impressed with his review at all, and were I Sim Audio, I would have been extremely disappointed in his effort.

TONEAudio #37 is ready to download here: http://www.tonepublications.com/MAGPDF/TA_037.pdf

I have owned some of the smaller Moon Integrated's and they were very nice. The 700i sounded great at RMAF last year.
I think anyone in the market for a good integrated should keep SimAudio on their list.

Jim