Simaudio Moon 700i v2

Love my 600i v2. 

Agreed, the 700i V2 aims to be neutral.  I think the word he was looking for to describe the AX-5 is "organic" aka natural, at least that is how it sounded to me.  One thing the 700i V2 has over the AX-5 is volume control.  It's light years ahead.

From the reviews I've read, I thought the 700i v2 was very neutral, not adding any coloration or very little?  This is the integrated I want to still get.

 

 

 

@jc51373, I reviewed amp options with my retailer, and he immediately demoed the Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amp.  He also carries the Boulder 866 amp but strongly recommended the Ayre amp for its excellent build and sound quality.  I eventually sold my SimAudio 700i V2 integrated amp and purchased the Ayre AX-5 Twenty integrated amp.  

Integrated Amplifier decisions are complicated and absolutely required an audition at the store and your home audio system, if possible.  And, yes, it seems everyone on Audiogon has a different opinion.   My comments are based on my experience with several amps. 

I like my new Ayre AX-5 Twenty amp very much. The sound is different in that the sound is more natural and less 'exaggerated' than my previous amps. This is very hard to put into words. The sound is there with no artificial extra stuff around it.

It seems my previous SimAudio 700i V2 integrated amp exaggerated the music, and this Ayre amp does not. The music sounds like music with no extra stuff in the way if that makes sense. I like this description since it describes what I am hearing. 

The music is normal meaning it makes music, never adding color or stripping the musical recordings of their textures, feelings, and dynamics. The music from the AX-5 Twenty amp is relaxed and smooth without sounding dark or laid-back.

My Ayre amp sounds better than my previous Luxman 590ax II amp, my Hypex NCore NC400 Dual Mono Class D Power Amplifiers, my Mola Mola Kaluga Class D Mono Power Amplifiers (very disappointing) and my SimAudio 700i V2 amp. The music sounds natural, relaxed, and just right. I am listening to a classical piano album and love it. The music is sounding right. The sound is different than my SimAudio. It is more natural and less exaggerated. 

Based on my experience with the above-mentioned amps, every amp has a different sound depending on it, the associated equipment, and your listening room. The only way to know what sounds great, is to listen using your components in your home. Obviously, I made some expensive mistakes but, more important, I learned what sound I like and did not like. 

My friend said “my progression of gear were not expensive mistakes but rather a wonderful learning experience. It was an experience that only I could have in my home”. Does this make sense? I hope this help.  Thanks....

I'd love to hear how folks are liking the 700i now that it's been longer. 

I picked up my SimAudio amp today.  Out of the box, my new SimAudio 700i V2 amp sounds very good but I cannot judge. Now I just need to break it in. Bottom line is I really like it so far. It sounds clearer with more musical detail then my previous SimAudio 600i V2 amp.

This amp is heavy weighing 62 pounds. My grandson helped me move it to my shelf. It is the same size (length and width) as the 600i but it is about 1.5” higher.  This amplifier break in will probably take several weeks.

If you like jazz, listen to Houston Person “Dialogues with Houston Person with Ron Carter”.  Available from Qobuz streaming. A great album (also see his other albums).  

My retailer told me that SimAudio offered to “buy back” my 6+ month old SimAudio 600i V2 integrated amplifier at “full price” in exchange for a new SimAudio 700i V2 Integrated amp.

After a long conversation (with my retailer), I decided to accept his offer. The 700i V2 amp has a much better oversized dual-mono power supply.  My retailer said the sound improvement will be very noticeable. I auditioned the 700i V2 amp and liked what I heard using my PMC Twenty5.26 speakers. It was a great opportunity so I ordered the 700i V2 amplifier and am anxiously waiting for its delivery.

The 700i V2 amplifier has its own dedicated power supply for the preamplifier, while the 600i shares its power supply with both sections. The 700i V2 amp also features a considerably larger power transformer with greater reserve capacity.

My retailer highly recommends SimAudio products because of their excellent sound quality, solid construction and great customer service. SimAudio offers that for any new SimAudio equipment you bought new, they will credit you 100% of your $$ investment if you purchased the unit in the last 12 months, and 75% in the last 12-24 months. This is how I upgraded to the SimAudio 700i V2 integrated amplifier. I hope this helps.