SimAudio Moon North Collection

I own the older 760A Amp and recently reviewed the newer 761 amp from the North Collection for about a month. The 761 is authoritative - everything sounds more precise, attack is amazingly quick, everything starts and stops on time without sloppiness. But, I can say the same thing about the older 760A or many other well built solid-state class ab amplifiers though. Throughout the year, I switch between the 760A and an Octave RE320 w/SSB.  There's nothing in the newer 761 that I don't get from the older 760A. The 761 won't deliver that smooth tube purity.

So aside from the increase in price, I'm not sure why Moon designed an amp that has no special attributes over predecessors.  Purely a financial decision I assume.

Looking at their product manual and web content, I'm not sure their engineering heart was in this North Collection. The launch of HiFi Rose makes the tiny mobile screen on their Preamps look ridiculous. 

I think the company may be on the edge of bankruptcy or a serious leadership crisis. Just my 2 cents.

yyzsantabarbara Did you get a chance to compare CODA to the new Moon North?

@audphile1 Four weeks ago I drive from LAX airport to a HiFi store that had my speakers and the Moon North. Unfortunately, that arduous drive was not successful because the dealer closed early for some unstated reason.

This Thursday I make the reverse commute to LAX. I am trying to figure out how I can leave early to hit the store. The timing may not work out.

BTW - my early issues with my Livingroom system which uses the CODA have been resolved exactly as I wanted after I switched the Schitt Yggi+ LIM DAC for the Yggi+ OG DAC. I really have no issues with both my systems today. My desire to go and listen to the Moon is just for curiosity. I bought some speakers from this dealer so I do not think they would mind.

Cool. Good to hear you found synergy. Good schiit. 
Hope to hear your thoughts on Moon North!

What a timely thread! I’ve been a fan of the Simaudio Moon amps for a while traversing from the 330a, 760a, and 860a-v2; I’ve been demoing at home the 641 and 681 components and have been extremely pleased with the design direction they have taken, and results achieved, with the new North series. The 641 stereo integrated amplifier is a marvelous amp. I can’t praise it enough. I have had a coda csib, which is another stellar overachiever. IMHO, I believe the 641 is next level, pretty much across the board. The 641 has an uncanny ability to generate a “detached from electronics” kind of tone; music springs forth in a buoyant and round manner, full of color and vitality. I honestly don’t know how they engineered such an organic and beautiful rendering of sound, as I’m hearing with this amp. The top end is truly exquisite at this price point and from my experience as good as any amp I’ve ever heard in my home systems. I can’t say the same thing about the 860av2, however, as I felt that amp was too stark, too hard-edged, too cool. There was something about it I was not able to get to sound right to me, despite cable swaps, source swaps etc. The new north amp signature is different, it definitely possesses the core signature of the later generation of moon amps- lucidity, clarity, focus, accuracy, speed, low noise, etc but it does so in a more engaging manner and fluidity-ness.
I strongly encourage listening to the 641 or 761 when you can.