Simaudio
 

Anyone have any experience with Simaudio amps. I'm curious as to how the sound compares to other solid state amps. Thanks in advance.

Simaudio/Moon makes some really fine gear. I had a tough time deciding whether to do a Simaudio or Esoteric system.

I lived with the Simaudio i-7 integrated amp and then the P-7 pre and W-7 power amp for about a week each and I really liked them both with my Thiel 2.4s. I decided to go with my current Audio Research electronics but the Simaudio was excellent and I could easily have chosen either the integrated or the separates. They are very resolving, tonally neutral and well balanced, and can deliver quite a wide macro dynamic envelope. Just very solid and very musical SS amps. If your musical tastes lean towards the lush then these are not for you unless you pair them up with lush sounding speakers (like older gen Sonus Faber speakers for example) but if you are seeking a modern, musical and neutral sound, then Simaudio is right up there.

I rank Simaudio just below the very best of solid state, like Soulution, Boulder, maybe one or two others. I bought Sim because I thought it offered the best performance for the price. Although Sim has raised their prices so much that gap has narrowed.

The 600i and 700i are tremendous values compared to the cost of comparable separates.

Would you guys consider it a musical amp with good harmonics?

The P-7 pre that I had "in my opinion" was neutral in tone to just a touch on the warm side & also very accurate to the recording as in not colouring the music. It certainly did not restrain the flow of the music or hinder the harmonics to my notice.

I think bzr is spot on, and I'm not sure I would call Sim "musical". For me, the audio world seems to be either neutral (Soulution) or euphonic (older McIntosh), although most brands seem to be moving closer to neutrality (newer McIntosh).

If by "musical" you mean euphonic, I'm not sure Sim qualifies. Although it would definitely be warmer than Boulder or Soulution. You'd have to list the other SS gear you are considering as it becomes a question of relativity. And synergy with your speakers will be the most important part of the equation. I like Sim, particularly as a value proposition, but it certainly won't be the best choice for every speaker or every room.

Before I shifted to Moon P8 and W8 I listened to EAR, Naim 135, Pass, Musical Fidelity M3. I definitely bought the Moon combo. Moon are very happy with Dynaudio by the way.

"Would you guys consider it a musical amp with good harmonics?"

Too many high end transistor amps fit this description. Simaudio does too.

"I'm curious as to how the sound compares to other solid state amps."

This is too hard to describe not knowing what other solid state amps you have spent extended listening to and are familiar with. The sound will also vary depending on what loudspeakers you are driving.

Simaudio sounds like fully balanced zero-feedback designs. The sound reminds me of Ayre amplifiers. I own the Moon W-5. The sound is spacious, airy, articulate, fast, detailed, very good driver control with cone type loudspeakers. They made the Bel Canto sound thin. They don't have the absolute grip and sound textures from bass control compared to Krell or (traditional power supply) Levinson. Simaudio I found more dynamic than the McIntosh and perhaps not as warm. They sound different from the Pass labs. The preamp you are using will also influence your results.

The musical fidelity and ARC amps I have heard, most have been tube transistor hybrids. I don't consider them to be solid state. It's been too long since I've heard Boulder amps, and their stuff has evolved.

The newer Simaudio amps have gotten quieter with blacker backgrounds but also the prices have escalated. Much to do with the plummeting American dollar against the Canadian dollar.