MOON 340i
Contents
MOON… It sounds like a bit of a ‘yoga, meditation’ brand. But what’s in a name? And know that MOON is actually Simaudio. At least that’s the producer. So it’s actually MOON by Simaudio. Maybe that’s a little less meditation yoga style…
MOON’s products are entirely developed and manufactured in-house. And they’re proud of it. In our interview with Costa, he also mentions that it is a brand for generations. Often when the enthousiast at home – father or mother – is ready for something new, it passes on to one of the children. I can assure you that as a son, I would have been very happy to ‘inherit’ a MOON system.
Everything
The MOON 340iX we tested is one step above 240i. Our model is modular, but does not have the MiND streaming board (at the time of writing version 2), but we do have the dac-board (version 3).
In full, a version with dac-board and streaming, a MOON 340i D3PX will then come to a whopping 5200 euros. But to be fair: it’s still very good money for the functionality and performance we’re about to talk about. By the way, the X stands for a balanced input. Without dac and streamer you save 1000 euros. We recommend all options if you don’t already have a modern dac and streamer: it’s really worth it.
To the MOON?
We unpack the Canadian, put it in the rack and let it warm up for a while. That’s what this amplifier needs as well. An hour later the muscles have warmed up and we hear that the edges and roughness have disappeared. Nice… time for music!
The MOON seems to be in between everything. It’s not exactly the most precise amplifier – the Ayre and Yamaha are a bit more pointed and detailed and sometimes a bit tighter in the imaging – but in terms of fluidity and spaciousness and in a certain sense speed, this compact amplifier knows how to convince without any problems. And make no mistake about the low punch and strength. No: it’s not Hegel in terms of thrust, but we do hear a lot of detail and roundness at the bottom. More detail than the Hegel H390, which can be heard in the song of Massive Attack: The Spoils.
Adele’s Lovesong on the album 21 is a very good test track when it comes to detail, fluidity and purity. The guitar playing in the beginning must be easy to follow and there must be a natural rhythm and fluidity audible (the harmonics and reverb). the MOON does this with a remarkably good balance in detail, fluidity and involvement so we drown in the song in no time. That says it all…
Same goes for Steven Wilson’s Pariah. Ninet Tayeb’s voice has a natural hoarseness and a nice edge when she uses some extra power. This is often lost on less transparent systems. Not on the MOON. Lovely!
Judgement
The MOON 340i is an amplifier that knows how to come along on almost all levels. It may not be the most precise or fast amplifier of this set, but it is well balanced. And that might be even more important. After all, what good are loads of details if the imaging or involvement is missing? Or to enormous force at the bottom if the detailing is missing there? MOON knows how to find a perfect balance with the 340i. An excellent all-rounder with a very attractive price tag.
| Good for those who love | Less good for those who love |
| A little pietsie added heat | Bling… |
| Balance in view | Stacks of devices |
| Simplicity | … ultra definition |
Specifications
| Model | MOON 340i D3X |
| Inputs | 1x XLR, 4 x Cinch, 1 x optical, 2 x coaxial, 1 x USB. Optional Ethernet. |
| Speaker terminals | Spade, banana, bald |
| Headphones | Yes |
| Exits | 2 x single ended (fixed and variable) |
| Power | 100 watts / 8 ohms, solid state |
| Expandable | Yes: dac and streaming |
| Price | 4200 – 5200 euro |