Anyone try the simaudio sim Moon lp5. phono stage?


There is a new simaudio phono stage the MOON LP 5.3. Has anyone tried it and care to comment on it?
pedrillo

Showing 2 responses by audio13

I have this phono stage, but it is part of my first analog rig, so it's hard for me to say how much or what exactly it is contributing to my overall sound (vs my other components). I'm using it with a VPI Scoutmaster and a Shelter 501. I can say that I am now a full analog convert as I definitely love the sound. One of my concerns about going to analog had been the noise level, but I have found analog (with this simaudio phono stage) to have an unbelievably low noise floor. I also wanted to use the Shelter cartridge and didn't find many great options for a compatible phono stage at around this price point. Finally, while I am using it single ended now, I liked the idea of being able to go balanced later.
FWIW -- I just saw that Fremer has a little review on this phono stage in the March issue of Stereophile on page 32. He seems to like it and concludes that:

"Given its sturdy build, flexible configurability, balanced outputs, black backdrops even when run single-ended, and its tight, deep bass, the LP 5.3 is silly good and easy to recommend. And at $1400, it's a steal, a bargain, a best buy, and a no-brainer."

How are his reviews generally? Any good?