Monos Sim Moon M400 versus Pass 260.8


Not too long ago I wrote asking about Sim Moon 861 due to the great reviews.

My financial situation has changed and someone suggested the M400. But others have suggested the Pass 260.8.

I have found Pass hit or miss with the few models I have auditioned in terms of musicality and involvement. Maybe as a critic noted there is a touch of restraint. They are also 100lbs each versus the M400’s 33lbs. The prices for both are doable. And I must have balanced capability.

It is difficult for me to audition both. I like the fact with Sim one can ’audition’ a component for a year and receive 100% towards an upgrade.

Has anyone had a chance to hear both and have any thoughts? My pre is an arc ref10.

Thank you.

roxy1927

Showing 2 responses by mgrif104

I haven’t heard the Pass amps you reference. I’m sure they are very good. 

I have heard the M400s and know them to be quite good. However, am I correct that what you really wanted was the Simaudio North 861?  I auditioned the 861 and own the 761 which has the same sonic qualities - just a bit less effortlessness. Is the 761 in budget? They’re very close. Both the North amps are significantly better than the still very nice M400s in my opinion.

And if not, I’m curious if you know how much power you need. If not too much,  the Atma-Sphere Class D monoblocs are fairly similar in sonic signature to the 761 as I own both sets of amps and have compared them directly. Yes, I like the 761 better and it certainly has more headroom.  But it was also 2.5x the cost. The Atma Sphere monos are remarkably good overall sonically, and a spectacular value. I’d favor those over the M400s unless I needed more power than they offer (100 W into 8 ohms).  Please note - they do take > 400 hours to break in. 

Just an option to consider. Hope this helps a bit.

@roxy1927 

Yes - in my view, the North 761 amp is significantly better than the M400s. it is quite close to the 861. 

 

If your room is large and/or you listen at medium to high volumes, I might suggest you skip the Atma Sphere monos as I can imagine them running out of steam. However, if you listen at modest volume or are in close proximity to your speakers, they might be more than enough. 

But, if you can swing it, the 761 will likely be very pleasing to you - assuming you’ve heard the 861.

And, none of them will heat your room up.