MOON by Simaudio

891 Preamp & 861 Power Amp

US$25,000 & US$22,000 RRP, respectively

As streaming services add ever more content and the quality of our networking infrastructure and digital-to-analogue converters improves, modern audiophiles are becoming more attracted to simpler solutions to consume their music. Yet despite the proliferation of one-box 'just add speaker' systems, there are still sound arguments for keeping your pre- and power amplifier stages separate. As well as theoretically better audio quality, another benefit is the ability to add 'legacy media' such as CD players, cassette decks, or turntables into the system mix.

Enter the headlining act from MOON's North Collection, its latest series of stylish separates. The MOON 891 preamplifier, DAC and streamer is partnered by the MOON 861 stereo power amplifier in this heavyweight duo. While this brace of high-end hi-fi hardware might be the North Collection's star couple, the twin-chassis MOON 850P pre and MOON 888 mono power amp remain the Canadian brand's flagship pairing, should that be your aim.

UP CLOSE

The MOON 891's ample 140x481x449mm [HxWxD] chassis features the company's so-called MOON Damping Base. This combination of gel and spring decoupling is designed to cancel out sound-spoiling resonances. Its fascia sports a crisp, colourful display that remains surprisingly readable at a distance – the text is large enough to still see album titles from my listening position (around 2.5 metres), while the volume is presented in a slightly larger font.

The buttons on the front speak for themselves. With Setup, you enter a menu where you can adjust inputs (name, volume levelling and 'hide', for example). Vinylistas will surely appreciate that you can convert an analogue input from line level to phono. In this mode, the input is further switchable between moving magnet and moving coil, and you can adjust capacitance and resistance, amongst other settings.

Another option in the setup menu is pairing the exceptional BRM-1 remote control, which is hewn from a single aluminium billet – giving it a seamless look and confidence-inducing heft. The centre of the wonderfully weighted dial sits a quality OLED screen, so there is no need to worry if you cannot read everything on the 891's display. Thanks to its Bluetooth smarts, the remote also lets you access input selection and volume from your chair without even requiring line-of-sight. Still, my favourite fact is that this gadget can also take a glass of wine in its face thanks to specially designed channels that divert the spilt beverage away from essential electronics.

Pairing it is quick and easy, and there's hardly any lag between command and action, which isn't always a given. There are two buttons to scroll back and forth through input choices, a standby button and, of course, the glorious volume dial linked to MOON's all-new M-Ray2 volume control. This uses no less than 620 steps of volume by combining discrete resistor values, enabling 0.1dB increments. Alongside other enhanced components for optimal volume control performance, it's something that the Simaudio team is particularly proud of.

At the rear of the 891, you find single-ended inputs (one pair goes to an MM/MC phono stage while the other is line level), balanced in, single-ended out, balanced out, a pair of coaxial and optical inputs, AES in, HDMI-ARC in, USB and Ethernet and two more connections for an optional external power supply.

Wireless options are also catered for via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Digital input goes via MOON's MDE3 DAC, which boasts FPGA reclocking, dual eight-channel ESS Sabre 9038pro DAC chips in mono mode, and an ultra-low jitter clock. A hybrid power supply dubbed MHP: MOON Hybrid Power is fitted. Input section is powered by the switch-mode power supply, while the rest of the circuit is fed by a linear power supply, taking advantage of its filtering effect. Overall, then, the 891 presents as a very well-made and thought-out product.

With a fighting weight of over 60kg, the MOON 861 power amplifier measures a not inconsiderable 210x481x609mm [HxWxD]. It is capable of a claimed 300 watts into 8 ohms and 600W into 4, guaranteeing that it can drive any loudspeaker. However, if your listening room is stadium-sized, there's a monaural switch to double up on 861s and have one per channel. The amp sports two large toroidal transformers, behind which is a thick plate separating them from a row of capacitors. MOON fits its own transistors, and this amplifier is said to eschew global feedback and instead apply a signal correction to the output signal via a custom-designed circuit.

Around the back are both balanced and single-ended inputs and two large terminals for speaker cables. There are also RJ-45 ports to connect the 861 with the 891 via MOONLink, which lets the pre and power amps communicate with one another. This also means everything can be controlled via the app, and it provides you details regarding your system and the ability to update devices at the touch of a button. I had no issue connecting either of the two different sets of banana-plug terminated speaker cables I used during my time with the MOON units.

Both of these North Collection components are well-built and have high-quality construction. The styling is unmistakably MOON with a more refined, sleeker, smoother, and dynamic appearance. Simaudio is rightfully proud to have made the casework in-house, and the black anodised aluminium quality is impressive. Everything feels nicely finished, considered and practically bomb-proof. Some might want more bling for their money, but for me, the subtle details – such as the concave cooling fins and flush-mounted MOON plaquette on the lid that disguises more cooling – absolutely exude class.

At the same time, the relatively low-key design means these components will slip into any environment without upsetting the ambience or clashing with your decor. By the standards of a complete high-end hi-fi system, this combo takes very little time to set up – from unboxing to playing music. All you need to do is connect them up, let the 891 onto your home network, plug in your speakers, and you're away.

THE LISTENING

The 891/861 combo does what MOON is famous for: captivating the listener with delicacy, depth and detail. There's impressive control, too, and the result is a highly satisfying sound that isn't the least bit 'in your face'. Music flows through my reference Audiovector R6 Arrete loudspeakers in such an unforced and natural way that those expecting to have their wigs blown off at first listen should look elsewhere. Instead, this amplifier duo beguiles the listener with its sheer speed and transparency.

Its excellent bass grip is aptly demonstrated by Chase & Status' Baddadan. This London electronic music duo is renowned for dancefloor fillers and knows how to utilise low frequencies. The MOON combo served up a deep and powerful foundation for the music, showing consummate control. The bassline was precisely layered and insightful, and this skill transferred to make Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 – also known as the Fate Symphony (Schicksalssinfonie) – a joy. Its lower range ability proved that it could deliver nuances and distinct low register threads just as well with classical as it does with dance music. At the same time, it presented the midband and treble cleanly and accurately too.

This combo's high-range sound is detailed and insightful yet not overly analytical or harsh. With Kate Bush's Wuthering Heights, there was no wince-inducing moment when she went up to her highest register within her four-and-a-half-octave range. This recording has been likened to the sound of nails on a blackboard by some, but through the MOON duo there was no trace of any such hardness.

Stereo imaging is so good that music sounds ethereal. With good recordings, it takes little to imagine musicians being there right in front of the listener – be it an orchestra or a five-piece rock outfit. The detail being fed into my loudspeakers by this MOON combo let them show off their profound soundstaging abilities, whether it was left to right, up or down and front to back. These amplifiers were further distinguished by their articulate transients and bold dynamics, from plaintive woodwind instruments to bombastic percussion.

The midband is really special. Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive from Slippery When Wet is a slice of late nineteen-eighties country-tinged stadium rock. Thanks to the lush and layered production values of Bruce Fairbairn (Aerosmith's Pump, INX's Elegantly Wasted, etc.), there is much to hear with the right equipment. With this track's acoustic guitars and other sound design elements woven in between atmospheric synth pads, the MOON duo fully conveyed the self-confidence of a young band on the way to massive success. Don't forget that this album transformed them from a support act to an arena-filling, Monsters of Rock headlining band. Via the 891/861, guitars had a true-to-life tonality with a natural-sounding decay, and Jon Bon Jovi's voice was lustrous and impassioned.

It should come as no surprise to learn that the 891's phono stage is no afterthought, especially given just how good the little 110LP v2 is. As it offers gain options of 40dB, 54dB, 60dB, and 66dB alongside input resistance and capacitance settings, it didn't take long to dial in my Aidas Cartridges Malachite Silver moving coil. Portishead's Roseland NYC Live LP sounded grippingly emotive. The instrumental separation through the MOON amps was remarkable and a noticeable step above their 791/761 stablemates.

By the way, the streamer built into the MOON 891 preamp sounds more neutral than my reference 680D and more insightful, too. Although my current DAC still has plenty of mileage left in it, I would definitely be interested should MOON announce, say, a streaming headphone amp at this level, which could combine and better my current 680D plus 430HA/D combo.

Playing another orchestral piece via Roon, this time Rimsky-Korsakoff's The Snow Maiden: IV Dance of The Skomorokhi played by the State Academic Symphony Orchestra of Russia under Evgeny Svetlanov, and the noiseless background was most impressive. It sure is easy to see why many prospective purchasers will opt to have a great three-in-one product such as the 891 paired with a potent and well-sorted power amp such as the 861 or even the 761 if your budget won't stretch that far.

THE VERDICT

The 891 and 861 sit atop MOON's prestigious North Collection with good reason. The former is the brains of the outfit and a masterclass in multidisciplinary componentry. It's certainly not cheap, but it's a proper top-tier DAC, streamer and preamplifier that's hard to beat in any respect. The latter has reference levels of power and control and serves the music rather than attempting to impress the listener.

The only downsides of this combination are mundane practicalities. You might need to check that your equipment rack or system support shelves are wide enough to accommodate these behemoths and strong enough, for that matter. In other respects, the duo is impossible to criticise, provided you have the funds. The sound is superlative, the build and finish excellent, and the functionality seriously impressive. If you're at all interested in this super-versatile dynamic duo, then an audition is essential.

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