Hands on: Moon 371 review

The Moon 371 streaming amplifier is a big deal for the Canadian hi-fi brand. Not only is it the first component to be announced in the company’s new Compass Collection, but it also introduces a core development in Moon’s clever power-supply technology, MHP. But more on that later…

Taken at face value, the Moon 371 (£6250 / $6500) is a thoroughly up-to-date take on what a modern high-end streaming amplifier should be. This product includes amplification, DAC, streaming platform and all connections – so you simply need to add speakers to create a neat system.

We've had a demo of the new streaming amplifier at Moon's HQ in Canada – here are our first impressions and more details about the product.

Features & compatibility

The basics are promising. This is a powerful unit that is claimed to output 100 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load and doubles that output as impedance halves. That ability to double power output with a halving of impedance is rare among amplifiers, and pretty much unheard of among those that stream.

In practical terms, that means the 371 is likely to drive pretty much any speaker you like; indeed, Moon’s personnel were quite bullish about this, claiming the unit to be happy enough to work with speakers that cost up to three times its price.

Beyond muscle, what we have is a very well-equipped unit. The 371 packs Moon’s latest MiND 2 streaming platform, which means it will be able to play music files from any server or storage on your home network, as well as access all the usual popular streaming services such as Spotify, Qobuz, Tidal (and their Connect versions) and more. It also features AirPlay and is Roon Ready.

File compatibility is good, with up to hi-res 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 files on the menu.

Physical connectivity is pleasing, and includes balanced and single-ended analogue inputs, two coaxial, optical, USB-C, and HDMI ARC. There is also a 6.3mm headphone socket on the front panel and a preamp-out on the rear.

Interestingly, the HDMI isn’t specified as e-ARC. When quizzed about this, Moon claims that the advantages of e-ARC don’t really translate into a stereo product like the 371.

Fans of vinyl records haven’t been ignored. This streaming amplifier has a switchable moving magnet/moving coil phono stage. Great care has been taken to ensure that it retains the transparency of the line stages and that noise and hum levels are low.

The moving-magnet gain is set at 40dB, and that rises to 60dB for moving-coil cartridges. These are fairly typical values for such inputs and should work well for most partnering cartridges.

Given that the 371 is intended to be a fuss-free but high-quality product, it is understandable that Moon hasn’t gone as far as offering variable cartridge-loading options for the MC stage.

The impedance values chosen for the 371 should work well with most conventional moving-coil cartridges on the market. Those who are after the last word in phono stage performance are encouraged to look towards one of the dedicated phono stages that the company makes.

Build & design

Our first impressions of the 371’s build are that it is of a high standard. In the metal, the unit feels solid and is beautifully finished. We particularly like the newly designed heatsink on each side, a design that manages to look discreet and elegant while losing nothing in terms of efficiency.

We find the subtly updated styling pleasing. It instantly dates some of the older products in the company’s portfolio, but retains all the elegance and curves that are part and parcel of Moon’s DNA. The 371 is available in black or Moon’s distinctive two-tone look.

The 371’s large 17cm front-panel colour display is crisp and easy to read from a distance. It helps that the text font thoughtfully increases in size when the volume level is changed.

Design & engineering

Take a look inside, and you will find a neat and clean circuit layout. This streaming amplifier features two of Moon’s signature technologies, MHP (Moon Hybrid Power) and MDCA (Moon Distortion Cancelling Amplifier).

We have come across MHP before, such as in the Moon 681 network streamer; it combines elements of a switch-mode design with those of a traditional linear power supply. However, in the 371 streaming amp, its use marks a major landmark in the technology’s development.

Up until now, an MHP supply has been used only on the company’s streamers and digital-to-analogue converters, components that have fairly consistent power requirements.

This is certainly not the case with an amplifier, which has to work from whisper quiet to party levels, and can be connected to pretty much any kind of speaker. Moon’s engineers have put around two years of development into bringing the new design to the market.

The claims for this new generation of MHP over conventional switch-mode or linear power supply designs are improved stability, very low noise and less vulnerability to mains supply issues. Moon is really proud of this development, so don’t be surprised to see it spread to future amplifier products.

MDCA is something we have been impressed with in the past. It is a clever amplifier circuit design that reduces distortion to very low levels by comparing the input signal to the output and correcting any errors.

While that description makes it sound like a conventional feedback circuit, the configuration is rather different from that, and in our experience, delivers an unusually clean and pure-sounding performance. That proves true for the 371, too.

Sound quality

Moon’s listening room is large, we would guess around 5 x 7 x 11m (hwd). In general terms, it is a nice sounding space that uses an interesting mix of acoustic treatments to give a balanced, natural and clear sound.

Given that we’re listening in an unfamiliar room, with a system we have never heard before, it is hard to make any definitive judgment on the 371’s absolute abilities during our demo.

The 371 is connected to a Technics SL-1210GR/Ortofon 2M Black record player and is driving a pair of Dynaudio Legacy Contour floorstanders.

Our first impressions are of an unusually big and spacious presentation.

We’re listening mostly to the likes of Celestial Echo from Malia/Boris Blank and Yosi Horikawa’s Fluid. These superb recordings play right into the hands of the Moon, highlighting the product’s impressive sound staging abilities, authority and scale.

The system's presentation is wonderfully sumptuous and refined with these tracks, yet there remains a backdrop of rhythmic coherence and punch that keeps a tight grip on our attention.

Tonally, the 371 seems to mirror the clean, smooth and even-handed approach of other Moon products we have heard. When it comes to detail resolution and precision, there is plenty to be impressed by here. Voices come through with clarity, while the bass has a good degree of punch and tunefulness. There is plenty of finesse when the music requires.

Is the 371 a little too well-behaved to deliver the likes of Kendrick Lamar or Nirvana with the attitude and aggression they demand? At this stage, we’re not sure, really. That judgment has to wait until we get the unit back into our test rooms and use it with speakers we are more familiar with.

The performance with vinyl is tidy, detailed and balanced, but it is hard to make a definite judgement, as we need to try the Moon with a more familiar record player to be sure; but the signs are good.

Early verdict

What we do know is that the 371 is a carefully developed streaming amplifier that is packed with a range of useful features.

Our first impression of its sound quality is overwhelmingly positive, but we need more time with the unit to solidify our thoughts. We’re expecting a review sample soon, so watch this space.

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