Would a stereo Sim Audio Moon 861 amp be as powerful as 2 McIntosh 611 monoblock amps?

@mulveling +1

Mike

@overthemoon oh wow thank you for sharing. Can you please tell me what preamp you are using with the moon 860 amp?

Moon 791 - I initially used a 390. 
 

You may want to consider the 761 amp as well. 

You should consider the 761 amp for your speakers over the 861 because your power requirements are low (save your money). I heard the 761 with the Moon 791 preamp / DAC and Paradigm Persona 9H speakers. This is a combo I would never pair together but it was an interesting listen.

I would use the much cheaper (and preferred) Benchmark LA4 preamp with the 761. The Holo Audio Serene preamp over the 791 if you want a bit of warmth.  I have not heard the Raven Revelation tube preamp, but I have been discussing the Raven with the Benchmark AHB2 amps with a fellow A'goner. This person finally got the AHB2 monos and loves the combo.

I mention this because my impression of the Moon 761 was that it was the next (and better) iteration of the AHB2 amp. It sounds a lot like the AHB2 but with a bit more body to it. The Raven and 761 should be a great combo based on the Raven and AHB2 pairing. More like the Serene preamp.

Having a separate preamp allows you to get a great DAC such as the new Schitt Byggi coming out in Aug 2025 for $3500. My Schitt Yggi+ OG DAC + Benchmark HPA4 preamp are an easy pick over the Moon 791. 

@yyzsantabarbara 

Having a separate preamp allows you to get a great DAC such as the new Schitt Byggi coming out in Aug 2025 for $3500

Schiit loves to brag about parts and technical data. I'm not an engineer so such info tells me little about sound. Just wondering whether you have any expectation of how, sonically, the Byggi will constitute an improvement, based upon your familiarity with various past and current iterations of Yggy.