Moon Audio has just announced the arrival of the 491 streaming preamplifier (£5950/$6500) and 461 power amplifier (£4450/$5000). These fit into the brand’s high-end Compass Collection, alongside the excellent one-box 371 streaming amplifier we reviewed earlier in March of this year.
Given what they are, it would be easy to think that the new pairing is just the 371 split into two boxes. While the products share plenty of technology and design characteristics, it is fair to say that the 491/461 combination is far more adventurous than the integrated could ever be.
It is true to say that both the 371 and 491 use the same streaming platform. This is the well-established Mind 2 module that we’ve seen in all of Moon’s more recent streaming products, and that’s no bad thing. Our experience with the Mind 2 has invariably been good; it has proven slick in operation and impressively stable.
The module’s feature count leaves no obvious holes with network streaming and features the Connect versions of Tidal, Spotify and Qobuz. AirPlay and Bluetooth are also included, and the Mind 2 is Roon Ready certified.
Things are equally positive on the 491’s preamp section with balanced XLR and single-ended RCA analogue inputs alongside a switchable MM/MC phono stage. This phono circuit is impressively flexible, offering a range of loading adjustments to allow owners to really fine-tune the performance of their cartridge.
There is a choice of two RCA outputs (one fixed and the other variable) alongside a balanced XLR option.
The 491 also has a great range of digital inputs, including USB-C (for use with storage), HDMI ARC (2.0b), AES/EBU, optical and coaxial. We can’t imagine many people getting caught short with those on offer.
You will find a pair of ESS 9039Q2M DAC chips (used in dual-mono mode) at the heart of the digital section, and it gives the 491 great hi-res file compatibility with up to 32-bit/384kHz PCM and DSD256 on offer, provided the input can handle it.
The analogue preamp circuitry is more ambitious than that fitted to the integrated 371 and allows the 491 to drive a wider range of external power amps with more conviction than its junior stablemate.
All the circuitry is fed by Moon’s clever hybrid power supply design that combines elements of traditional linear circuits with switched-mode to deliver a stable, low-noise DC power feed.
Two such power supplies are fitted to the 461 power amplifier and allow it to deliver 150 watts per channel into 8 ohms, doubling that when impedance halves. However, the power amplifier can also be switched to work as a standard monobloc or used bridged, where its output climbs to a mighty 450 watts. This opens up the 461 for use in some pretty ambitious systems.
I was lucky enough to have a short, private listening session with the 491/461 combination at the High End Vienna 2026 show, and the experience certainly left me wanting more. All the usual caveats apply here, of course. It's a show environment, so that is not ideal from a sound quality point of view, and the room is unfamiliar, making any definitive judgments difficult.
Even so, there is no denying that the Moon pairing driving a pair of Dynaudio Contour Legacy floorstanders delivers good results. We listen to three tracks: Muddy Water’s Country Boy, the smooth jazz of Chantal Chamberland’s Besame Mucho, and the harder-hitting electronica of Look by Leikeli47. It's a decent spread of music, even though it doesn’t cover all bases, and proves that the system has a broad spread of talents.
This listening experience brought back memories of the 371. The new combination has the smooth and refined character we’ve come to expect from Moon’s products, and, I suspect, greater powers of resolution than the integrated, though it is hard to be sure.
However, the 461’s extra power (the 371 is rated at 100 watts per channel) is obvious in the scale, authority and bass punch on offer. This system goes loud with ease, even in a generously sized listening space.
Lows are impressively taut and agile, but still display a pleasing degree of texture and subtlety, while the highs combine bite, insight and sweetness well. Voices come through with clarity, and rhythmic drive has a decent sense of momentum.
All in all, the Moon 491/461 combination makes a great first impression. We’re due to get the products in for review in the next few months, and we can’t wait to hear what they do in our test room's more familiar surroundings.
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