Simaudio has a whole load of additions to its Moon range of high-end components here at CES 2012, with a 'true 32-bit' digital to analogue converter, an add-on streamer device and even a no-holds-barred $12,000 phono stage for the vinyl enthusiast.
The new DAC is the Moon 380D, which will be available in April: it uses Simaudio's own M-AJiC32 asynchronous jitter elimination system, and the ESS Sabre32 Ultra DAC running in 32-bit Hyperstream, which means it's using no fewer than eight DACs per channel.
Eight digital inputs are provided – two AES/EBU XLRs, two S/PDIF electoral on phonos and one on BNC, two S/PDIF optical and one USB – and all are capable of handling 192kHz/24-bit content.
The DAC uses a fully balanced differential analogue stage, with short signal paths, and has two independent toroidal transformers feeding separate digital and analogue power supply sections.
The Moon 380D starts at $3900 – all these US prices exclude sales tax –, and can be supplied with the company's M-eVOL volume control fitted: this allows adjustment in 0.5dB steps, and has both single-ended and balanced outputs. It adds $600 to the price.
Also available as an option, or as a standalone unit, is the $1250 180 MiND music streamer (left), able to take content from network storage at up to 192kHz/24-bit and output it digitally.
It can be used with wired or wireless networks, having IEEE 802.11 b/g/n built-in, but the wireless is limited to resolutions up to 16-bit/48Hz, while wired will deliver the full 192kHz/24-bit.
The 180 MinD – it stands for MOON intelligent Network Device, by the way – supports WAV (PCM), FLAC, FLAC HD, AIF, AAC, ALAC, MP3, WMA-9 and OGG Vorbis file formats, is capable of gapless playback, has vTuner internet radio and delivers audio via S/PDIF electrical or optical, or AES/EBU XLR digital outputs.
It can be controlled using the company's SimLink remote system, or using iOS or Android control apps, and will be on sale in April.
Finally there's the Moon 810LP phono preamplifier, part of the company's Evolution Series, and described as 'our all-out assault on phono preamplification'.
It offers a huge range of configuration options, including 64 impedance settings, 16 each for capacitance loading and gain, and selectable equalisation curves for both RIAA and IEC standards.
The audio circuitboard is mounted on a five-point gel-based floating suspension, is powered by a system including four stages of Simaudio's M-LoVo DC regulation and 24 stages of Independent Inductive DC Filtering.
It's available from next month – and did we mention it's $12,000?
Simaudio products are distributed in the UK by Renaissance Audio, who tell us that UK pricing will be £950 for the 180 MiND, £8450 for the 810LP, and from £3200 for the 380D.
Renaissance expects for have information on UK availability shortly.
