Power!Power!Power!

REVIEW
180 TONE AUDIO NO.53
The MOON 880M does run in Class-A
mode for the first 10 watts, and the transition
to Class-AB at higher levels and
power peaks is achieved seamlessly.
The Amplifier or the Egg?
Visiting the Simaudio factory last
summer, I had the privilege of listening
to the MOON 880Ms for the first time,
driving a pair of Dynaudio Confidence
C1 II speakers in Simaudio’s listening
room, which is about 20 feet by 30 feet
and expertly tuned to take the room out
of the equation. Upon returning home,
my own pair of C1s was somewhat
disappointing in comparison. As one
who loves a good rationalization, I
chalked it up to the better room tuning
and went about my business.
After properly treating my listening
room, that experience was still missing
by a substantial margin. The MOON
880Ms in my room convince me that
it’s the amplification making the big
difference. Though it may come across
as controversial to some, especially
those who think that speakers are nearly
everything, I propose that the amplifier
affects the system’s overall sound just as
much as the speakers do, if not more.
Pairing the MOON 880Ms with some
excellent but modestly priced speakers
(like the splendid KEF LS50s or the
Harbeth Compact 7ES-3s) makes for
a bigger, more spacious and detailed
sound than connecting a $50k pair of
speakers to the best $1,000 integrated
amplifier you can find. (continued)