Audio Video News

Simaudio Moon 280D Streaming DAC: $3,000

A few months ago the upscale Moon division of Canada’s Simaudio released the latest update of the 280D streaming DAC (digital-to-analog converter) it introduced back in 2015. Though the model number remains the same, 280D has been received a number of significant upgrades, making it one of the top music players in its price category. The streamer is now Roon Ready, meaning it is fully compatible with the Roon music-management system audiophiles love, and employs an asynchronous DAC that decodes MQA files as well as native DSD up to DSD256 and PCM up to 32 bits/384 kHz, including DXD.

Moon’s software-based MiND 2 (Moon intelligent Network Device) streaming module has also been updated with support for Airplay 2 and Spotify Connect in addition to providing ready access to hi-res streaming through Tidal and Qobuz, CD-quality streaming via Deezer Hi-Fi, and aptX-enabled streaming over Bluetooth. The 280D also boasts a balanced analog stage, provides eight digital inputs, and accommodates synchronized multiroom playback on multiple MiND 2 devices, all controllable through an easy-to-use app. All of these new capabilities are put to good use in a device that promises overall outstanding sound quality. As reviewer Howard Kneller put it, the 280D excels at converting digital sources to analog and streaming music from local sources and online music services with a “high level of fidelity.” Add to that a generous 10-year warranty and the Moon 280D is easy to recommend.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Outstanding performance and build quality
Multiroom wireless streaming capability
Compatible with AirPlay 2
Roon Ready
Minus
Lacks front panel display
No HDMI input

Full Review Here (posted 7/7/21)

Rotel RSP-1576MKII Surround Sound Processor: $3,500

Rotel is one of those brands you don’t necessarily hear a lot about even though it has been building quality audio gear for more than 60 years, while earning the respect of audiophiles around the world. The RSP-1576MKII is an update of 2018’s RSP-1576 that brings the outstanding Dirac Live room-correction system into the mix. Sporting the same clean lines as its predecessor, the 1576MKII provides Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing and supports system configurations with up to 7.1.4 channels with a clear emphasis on audio performance, as evidenced by its 24-bit/192kHz Wolfson digital-to-analog converters (DACs), homegrown toroidal transformer, and distortion-reducing circuit layout. Rounding out its capabilities are aptX-enabled Bluetooth streaming, a moving-magnet phono stage, and seven HDMI 2.0b inputs.

Unlike the “lite” version of Dirac Live that tops out at 500 Hz, the full bandwidth version offered here does a stellar job of removing room anomalies from the sonic equation. Whether watching movies or listening to music, Al Griffin found that “Dirac Live sounded surprisingly good, with none of the brightness and glare that other systems like Audyssey MultEQ XT32 can introduce.” The Rotel brought a “wonderfully dynamic quality” to the chaotic soundtrack of John Wick 3 and made Bill Frisell's "Blues Dream" (from the CD With Dave Holland and Elvin Jones) really shine. “Holland's standup bass had a rich, rounded quality, but there was a linearity to it that made it easy to distinguish the full range of high to low notes as he dug into his solo." The RSP-1576MKII lacks onboard network streaming and support for Dolby Vision — features that will surely be missed by some — but it never falls short in its achieving its mission of delivering top-notch sound.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Dolby Atmos and DTS:X processing
Dirac Live room correction
Fully backlit remote control
Minus
No Dolby Vision passthrough
Music streaming options limited to Bluetooth
Lacks setup and control app

Full Review Here (posted 3/3/21)

NAD Masters M28 Seven-Channel Power Amplifier: $4,999

The latest entry in NAD’s prestigious Masters Series, the impeccably built M28 is one of the first power amplifiers to employ the super-efficient and highly regarded Eigentakt Class D modules from Denmark’s Purifi, a distinction shared by its Top Pick of the Year sibling — the M33 streaming amp. The M28 is a unique product intended to compete sonically with some of the best amplifiers in the world. And compete it does, delivering 200 watts into each of its seven channels at 8 ohms or a foreboding 340 watts per channel in 4 ohms while offering the choice of balanced or unbalanced inputs.

The NAD powerhouse was adept at handling the subtle and no-so-subtle intricacies of two-channel music — including the aggressive bottom end on the organ transcription of Pictures at an Exhibition — and had no trouble driving seven speakers in a 5.2.4 movie setup. “The most jaw-dropping sound with the NAD M28-powered system came from Blade Runner 2049,” observed reviewer Tom Norton. “Watching it, I heard deep, hard-hitting bass and remarkable ambience that enhanced every scene.” Simply put, the NAD Masters M28 is an exceptional amplifier.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Exceptional performance
Exceptional build quality
Dimmable power indicator light
Minus
Pricey

Full Review Here (posted 1/27/21)

Linn Majik DSM Streaming Integrated Amplifier: $3,835

Almost 50 years after Scotsman Ivor Tiefenbrun built his first turntable — the iconic Sondek LP12 — Linn is firmly established as the crown jewel of Scotland’s hi-fi community and remains a family business dedicated to high-performance audio. The unassuming Majik DSM combines a 24-192/DSD-capable wireless streaming device with a preamp and 2 x 50-watt power amp to form an all-in-one component you can control using an intuitive app or standard remote. In addition supporting Tidal, Qobuz, AirPlay, TuneIn, and Calm Radio, the Majik DSM is Roon Tested and boasts five HDMI 2.0 ports with 4K/HDR10 video passthrough, including one with Audio Return Channel (ARC), plus optical, coaxial, and USB digital inputs. There’s even a selectable RCA line/phono analog input and headphone output. Want to stream via Bluetooth? No problem. Add speakers and you’re good to go.

But the parade of features doesn’t stop there: Near the top of the list is a DSP-based room-correction system Linn calls Space Optimisation that uses acoustic modeling (instead of the usual microphone-based room measurements) to compensate for room anomalies below 80 Hz. The system works like a charm and is even user adjustable, making it easy to dial in the bass just the way you want it. Reviewer Howard Kneller put SO to work with the torturous synth bass line on London Grammar's "Hey Now" from 2013’s If You Wait and was impressed with how it subdued destructive room interactions and brought out detail that would otherwise be obscured. Listening to Lee Morgan's trumpet on "Are You Real" from the Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers' album Moanin', Kneller was captivated by how the versatile Majik “captured the instrument's intense, brilliant sound” while conveying Blakey's percussive strikes with precision and “pop.” What you have here is a serious streaming system guaranteed to delight audiophiles.

AT A GLANCE
Plus
Great sound quality
Multiple HDMI inputs (w/ARC)
Effective Space Optimization room correction
Built-in phono stage
Minus
Dealer setup recommended
Small speaker terminals

Full Review Here (posted 3/17/21)