Simaudio MOON LP5.3 RS or 300LP?

Sorry for the delay, have had the AudiaFlight in system for the last 2 months, including a couple of days continuous run in, using CD and an RIAA inverter. Should be properly run in. So today I put the 5.3RS/PSX 5.3 back in the system and.... much to my distress I prefer the Sim Audio!!
They are both exceptional phono stages, and I could live with either, but when auditioned back to back in my system, the Sim just sounds better, slightly less edge on the top end but all the detail and decay of the notes is there, and a very detailed bass line, a lot more prominent than the Audia. Both are stunningly quiet. The bass on the Audia is recessed, and lacks the detail of the Sim, seems a little wooly and diffuse, and soft. Both are fast, can't fault either. There is just one discrepancy in this test, the cartridge is loaded at 100 Ohm in the Audia, and 400 Ohm in the Sim.

Test Records so far Cafe Blue, Soular Energy, Voodoo, Quattro Neuvo, will work through some more (less "audiophile") music over the next few weeks before going back to the Audia for a final judgement. I might find the bass a little overwhelming with time.

Just to put it in context, the system is Lyra Atlas, Kuzma 4 Point, ClearAudio Master Solution, Ayre KX-r/MX-r, B&W 802DII, interconnects balanced Audioquest Black diamond, van den Hull Revelation Speaker Cable. Power cords Tsunami/ Nanotech.

Well, I bought some 0.1% resistors and changed the loading to 400 Ohms on the AudiaFlight. I can now appreciate the unit, and at this stage I think it is faster, and has better resolution than the SimAudio. Now that the tone and the bass is sorted, it is just beautiful to listen to.
My only question is what were they thinking when they designed the loading options 7, 9, 10, 23, 30, 90, 100, 980 Ohm only!! 5 options between 7 and 30 Ohms, and then in the critical zone between 100 and 1000 Ohms only 2 options. The change in loading has transformed the sound, now to try some other values! I think I will be able to tailor the sound to my exact preference.

You may want to try the Simaudio Evolution 610 lp phono stage. That was the ticket for me to vinyl enjoyment.

Since my last post I've added a braided power cable of my own design using Furutech conductors and Sonar Quest silver plated copper IEC/mains connectors.

On the signal side I've replaced the Eichman Silver Bullet RCA's with KLE Innovations Silver Harmony RCA'a on my Stager Silver Solids interconnects - a significant upgrade

The LP 5.3 RS is now performing extremely well - way above it's original levels.

It is much more dynamic, detailed, spacious with a bass responce that goes very deep while maintaining amazing control with textures never before heard in bass lines. And that's without the external power supply!

I would definately rate it as "Best Bang for the Buck"

Regards

Moonguy, you might be right!! I have gone back to the 5.3RS, just more musical than the AudiaFlight, I can now hear clearly when the clarinet takes over from the flute in Rach 2. The AudiaFlight is just too screechy to pick the tonal differences! I have tried everything to get the Flight to sound right, and just can't seem to win. What are the differences in sound lp310/5.3RS vs the lp610? I think I really stumbled on a winner, by chance, with the 5.3, unfortunately I will not be able to audition the 610 in my system, so will have to buy unheard, so perhaps if you have listened to the lesser models you can let me know what the improvements are.