Opinions on the SimAudio Moon 260D CD player/transport?

Well, guys, I bought the Neo 260 transport. Couldn't really go wrong for $1000! As I haven't yet purchased a DAC, I have begun to listen to it through the internal DAC in my Hegel h160 integrated amp.

First impressions are positive, but my expectations are modest through the internal DAC, as I have no doubt that a good dedicated DAC will be a serious improvement.

In terms of the build quality and operation of the Moon, I am very impressed, with the one fairly trivial exception of the remote (too long; feels a bit cheap; I much prefer extruded buttons).

Most importantly, it has already resolved the issues that I was beginning to experience with my old EMC-1UP, namely it appears to load and read all CDs effortlessly and perfectly, including some that were problematic for the old player.

I'm thinking seriously about buying a Denafrips Pontus DAC. I wasn't originally planning to spend so much on a DAC, but have read and watched so many glowing reviews of this company and model, that I'm inclined to splurge.

Thanks again for your encouragement on the MOON – I expect that it will be with me for a long time!

Thanks! It's going to be tough to compare them directly, as the EMC DAC surely has its own character. Your suggestion of using the RCA out does make sense as a comparison of the two solely as transports, but in that realm, I expect the MOON to be better. This excerpt is from one of the 260 reviews:

Simaudio’s Lionel Goodfield is quick to point out, the Nēo 260D “is first and foremost a transport; the drive mechanism and suspension are virtually identical to those in the 650D and 750D.

Given that the 750D originally retailed for $13k, and still go for around $5k used, that's saying something. Of course the EMC was fairly expensive in the early 2000s, as well.

I did some A/B listening by changing discs between the two machines last night, but the EMC probably has a better (albeit much older) DAC than the internal HEGEL DAC, and benefitted from the XLR connection to the amp.

Through the internal HEGEL DAC I would say (thus far) that the sound is a touch more clinical than the EMC, and not quite as warm. On the other hand, the pace and (low) noise floor both seem to be a step forward. Soundstages seem similar, though possibly a touch wider through the MOON.

Note that these are all very early impressions, and not achieved under anything close to truly neutral conditions, not least of which because I was not able to carefully match volume output.

@whipsaw 

$1000 is a great price- enjoy!

the standard factory remote is an inexpensive plastic job, but it works beautifully. Sim has a much prettier remote available, that does exactly the same as the plastic remote, but it's not cheap. I have not bought the prettier remote- I prefer to put $ into things that make a difference to how things sound! 

@zavato 

Thanks! I got lucky with a local seller. I agree with you completely in terms of the focus of what we should spend on. Surprisingly, the EMC remote, which is simple and well designed, works perfectly with the MOON. The only exception is that it obviously does not have an open/close function.

Any thoughts on the significance (if any) of the quality of the coaxial interconnect between a transport and DAC?