ANALYSIS: AUDIO Home Entertainment
Sim Audio Moon CD player
system back in ‘74), the system comprises a DAC, preamplifier and monoblock amplifiers whose sculptural aluminium form looks more like hypercar design than conventional stereo separates. Every component is hand assembled, individually calibrated and produced in extremely limited numbers (less than 200 per piece). I’ve had an early listen and can confirm that the performance matches the ambition, but perhaps that’s almost beside the point. Products like Luna remind consumers that
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Music fans orbit MOON Similarly ensuring it’s covering all bases, MOON is now shipping its 491 network player preamplifier, part of its premium Compass Collection, along with the matching MOON 461 power amplifier. Sharing Moon’s signature style, the MOON 491 offers comprehensive
connectivity,
built around the brand’s proprietary MiND 2 streaming platform. The streamer is Roon Ready, works with UPnP sources, and has AirPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. Streaming service support includes Qobuz Connect, TIDAL Connect, and Spotify Connect. A generously-sized colour screen displays album art and track details. There’s even an integrated phono stage, which (unusually) supports both MM and MC cartridges.
The Moon 491 network preamp retails for £5,950, with the 461 amplifier priced at £4,550. Toppy prices, but you can always go higher…
Absolute luxury
When it comes to the absolute high-end, Hi-Fi has always been as much about aspiration (and obsession!) as practicality. Very few retailers are likely to have customers walking in asking for a £540,000 music system (although I’ve been told by some specialist outlets that this does happen, occassionaly). Even fewer will have one on demonstration.
FiiO Dm15 portable CD player
Yet the Luna Series from British manufacturer Abbingdon Music Research serves an important purpose. Designed over seven years and handmade in Southport (alongside much more modest offerings from sister brand iFi Audio), Luna is
audio engineering compromise.
Developed with renowned American engineer John Curl (who famously worked with The Grateful Dead on their Wall of Sound live sound
AMR Luna system pursued
great audio continues to push the envelope of what is possible - and that sense of aspiration filters all the way down the market. So what do we really know? Only that today’s music lover is increasingly format-agnostic, happy to stream on Tuesday, spin vintage vinyl on Friday and play their cherished Taylor Swift CD collection on Sunday. Everyone wins. That’s got to be music to every retailer’s ears.
without
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