Dynamics, Neutrality, Power, Looks

Not as full as soupier amps such as a plinius

I bought this amp about three months ago and I love it. The I-5 has such beautiful musicality that before every listen I just can't wait. What is presented is what is there, nothing more and nothing less, and that's what should be expected of a product of this value. The only thing that the I-5 adds is a quickness which greatly contributes to the dynamics and excitment during each listen. Mated with the right stuff the I-5 is to die for. I rarely go over 25 on the volume(it goes up to 50), and there always seems to be more power on tap, not bad for a 70wpc integrated.

The I-5 is more suited for classic rock and jazz than for classical, that is not to say that the I-5 isn't good for classical, but it shines with vocals and foot tapping music. This amp needs to be mated with good gear and you will see that every improvement can be heard. From listening to Dave Matthews to Diana Krall to Pat Matheny, I always enjoying coming home and giving a listen to my system because of this amp.

I have tried other integrateds, I am restricted on size because I am in a dorm, and let me tell you that the I-5 is one of if not the best integrated that I have heard. All the aforementioned amps are not as good as the I-5 with the exception of the Plinius, but that is a different sound. The Levinson is only tad worse than the I-5, but truthfully I felt that it was uninvolving. The krell sucks and was harsh as most low end krell stuff is and the creek was good like the I-5 but gave me less of what the I-5 does well. If you want a integrated for the long haul, you have to try the I-5, you will not be dissapointed.

Associated Equipment:
B&W Nautilus 805s
Cal Audio Labs CL-15
Acoustic Zen Hologram Speaker Cable
Acoustic Zen Matrix Interconnect
PS Audio 300 Powerplant
Two Analysis Plus Power Ovals for CD player and Amp
Synergistic Research AC Master Coupler for the Powerplant

Similar Products Used:

Plinius 8200, Levinson 383, creek 5330, Rega, krell 300il

Very detailed, yet not clinical. Expansive soundstage. Life like imaging.

Will reveal any weaknesses in the rest of your system

This is an update to the review I posted in October of 2000. Since then, I have upgraded many parts of my system, and experimented with many tweaks. During this time, I have gotten to know this amp very well, at the same time gaining much listening experience and more knowledge in this hobby.

I am currently running the Moon I-5 with a Theta Pearl transport, Bel Canto DAC 1.1 and ProAc Tablette 50 Signature speakers. Sometimes my Sonus Faber Concertinos make it back into the system, but for the most part I use the excellent and revealing ProAcs. I'm also running an NHT SW3P subwoofer. Everything is connected with Kimber Illuminations D60 digital cable, Cardas Golden Cross and DH Labs Silver Pulse interconnects, and Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cable. All electronics are plugged into a Monster HTS2000 power conditioner with Absolute Power Cords.

While I have never auditioned any of the Moon I-5's rivals such as the Plinius 8150/8200, Rowland Concentra, or Electrocompaniet EMC, I can say this is an excellent amp that most would be very happy with. It is very detailed and satisfying for those who enjoy hearing all the low level nuances of musical instruments and human voices. But it is never overly analytical or clinical sounding. It has a slightly warm character that prevents this.

The Sim Audio does great justice to the ProAcs Tablette 50 Sigs. The Moon I-5 has great pace and allows the ProAcs to sing without stumbling. The I-5 is only rated at 70wpc, but I feel this is a conservative rating. It plays the ProAcs and Sonus Fabers quite loudly before clipping.

In my room, the Sim Audio is a bit on the thin side. Changing to the Cardas interconnect and Analysis Plus speaker cables which are both considered to be full-bodied, has brought the sound to a balance I like. The I-5 seems to be effected by isolation tweaks more than anything else in my system. Black Diamond Racing Cones #3 while they did tame some hot spots, also deadened the sound and muddied the bass to a level I didn't care for. Placing a BrightStar Little Rock Isolation Platform on top of the I-5 also over deadened the sound. Harmonic Technology Pro Silway II interconnect sounded quite good with the Sim. Very similar to the Golden Cross, smooth yet detailed, but with a more neutral midrange.

In my current configuration, the Moon I-5 is very quick and alive. Soundstaging is huge, and the placement of instruments and vocalists is well focused. When John Coltrane plays "My Favourite Things", it's almost as if he's standing off to the right of center playing in my room. Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Sunny Sumter and Kendra Shank are all reproduced with vitality and realism, but always with warmth and emotion. I must admit, when I play some old favorites like Boston, Earth Wind and Fire, Chaka Khan, Van Halen and the sort, the sound can be thin and buzzy. I'm not sure how much of this can be attributed to the I-5, but my system often has a tough time with popular music. That's why it's a bit mystifying that Tupac Shakur and the Crystal Method sound full-bodied without being harsh. The Sim Audio seems to sound it's best with acoustic as opposed to electronic instruments. Modern jazz artists such as David Benoit, Marc Antoine, Lee Ritenoir, Brian Culbertson all sound dynamic and satisfying. But the Moon I-5 is at it's best when reproducing more intimate recordings such as small classical ensembles or jazz artists like Russell Malone, Christian McBride, Stan Getz, Dave Brubeck, Larry Willis and Antonio Carlos Jobim. I also greatly enjoy the way modern flamenco artists like Robby Longley, Jesse Cook, Ottmar Lieber and Oscar Lopez sound through the Sim. The lifelike reproduction of female voices is intoxicating, while guitars and pianos are downright spooky.

Like any piece of equipment, to achieve the sound you want the Sim Audio Moon I-5 must be matched to complimenting components. If you're looking for an amp that can create huge, macho sound this may not be the ticket. But if you spend most of your time listening to music in intimate settings, the Moon I-5 should surely be auditioned.

Natural harmonics, very transparent and highly detailed. First rate on vocals. Gorgeous soundstage and imaging.

I have heard quite a few amp/preamp combos and integrated amps. The best to date had been the Bryston 3B-ST and BP25 preamp, they gave excellent bass control, oodles of detail and low noise floor. I was quite happy with the sound until a buddy brought his Sim Audio Moon I-5 integrated amp to my place. I hooked it up stone cold, right out of the box which had been in his trunk for a good hour (in this Canadian winter). It was immediately noticeable that there was a certain transparency and delicacy that was absent in my current setup.
The Moon I-5 had a lightening quick sound, it attacks and lets go of the notes faster than anything I have heard. This makes for great dynamics, but even more so it makes for a tight clean crystal clear sound.
Of great importance to me when judging audio gear, I like to listen to piano. A good piano recording does a great job of separating the champions from the wannabees. The Moon I-5 reproduces piano as naturally as the real thing. We listen to a bit of everything from rap to jazz to classical. The Moon I-5 has the bass weight for rap, the dynamics for classical, and the high caliber imaging and soundstaging for an incredible jazz listening experience.
One of the strongest attributes of the Moon I-5 is vocal reproduction. Diana Krall and Nat King Cole come across live and vivid. Sim Audio uses no feedback in their designs which is, I think, what is responsible for the natural, musical and 3 dimensional sound.
The Sim Audio Moon series also come with a 10 year warranty which makes it an unbeatable value. It's also the best looking gear out there (see www.simaudio.com) which is a nice bonus.
Easily 5 stars for value and 5 stars overall. Sim is the one to beat, but the other manufacturers have to catch up first.

Similar Products Used:

YBA integre, Audiolab 8000A, Sim Audio PW5000, Bryston B60

I had been looking for some time to find a good match for the Totem Tabu speakers I purchased - also fantastic! - and auditioned many different products from ARC VT100 mk2, BAT VK200 & VK500 to Krell FPB 200 and on and on. They all sounded great, but the price was just too much of a stretch for my budget. Then I read a great review in FI magazine about the Moon I-5 and was intrigued. I sent off an email to SimAudio asking them if they had any experience with driving the Tabu's with the I-5 because I wondered if they would be too much of a load for the 70 watts. To my surprise, I recieved a personal note from Jean Poulin himself telling me that his personal system was comprised of the Moon I-5 and Totem Tabu's - which he felt were the best of the Totem's amd I concur - and that the match was one of those magical ones where everything just comes together. Now I knew I had to audition the I-5 and that proved to be my biggest problem since, to my knowledge, there are currently no dealers in Colorado who carry SimAudio products. Finally I found a source for the I-5 through Galen Carol Audio of Texas who sent me an I-5 to audition. The rest is history. You can supply all the appropriate descriptions and superlatives and they would fit. My final system now consists of the Moon I-5 with a Theta Miles for the Digital front-end, a Rega 'table w/BPS though a Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 and of course, the Totem Tabu's. All connected together with DHlabs Silver Sonic cables (does anyone still think they need to spend more?) This is my killer system and although with each of the components in the 2K range it isn't a cheap system, it is one that I can honestly say performs to goose-bump levels. I plan to settle back now and stop wondering if there is something better out there and just enjoy the music.

It is an excellent amplifier but requires careful system matching (as it does sound forward). Quite possibly my next amplifier but I still have to mull over spending the extra amount as it recently costs more to purchase.

Great integrated amp at an incredible price!!! I bought it last week from A&B Sound, the same place I bought my Energy C-8 speakers. Again, the service I got from Len Gerling was exellent and the USD-CAD exchange rate make the I-5 the sales of the century. I did not have a chance to listen to it first but with the recommendation from Len Gerling and the review of the I-5 on www.soundstage.com/arc_ts_amplifiers.htm, I went ahead and purchased it. It turns out to be the best purchase I've ever made and the review on soundstage.com and those on this web site about the I-5 are very truth. This int-amp sounds so good that I don't know why anyone would spend a lot more money on separate components. I wouldn't. Highly recommended. Give it a listen if you can find one.

Extended highs, tight controlled lows, accuracy and soundstage.

Rated at 70/ch but more like 65/ch according to actual measurements. Could use more power, least 80 actual.

I've submitted the review earlier this year, but I would like to add further observation. I would rather comment without further rating however, this scrip won't allow me to place comment otherwise, so it leaves me no choice. First time I submitted the review, I have had the I-5 for about 2 month then because there was a screw loose inside (unit was working fine otherwise) of the unit I've exchanged it with a new unit and broke it in all over again. I've enjoyed the new unit without any complain until today, but when I got home to turn on my tv last night (as my tv's reg. output is damage, I've hooked it up to the I-5 to get the sound out of my tv) there was something different in what I was hearing. I quickly turned off my TV and stared to play my Ultech UCD-100. There was ceratainly a difference, sound has opened up more, it's like slight fog has been cleared up, the exact word would be more "transparent". The soundstage now has more depth and realisic height than before. Everthing was more palpable. I didn't sleep all night, just listening to my CD collection all over again. I knew I-5 was something special but I couldn't believe I was hearing all this from a integrated unit. Now, I have had this unit for about 8 month, and I do listen to music at least 1-1/2 a day usually more and I watch my TV on top of that. And it took this unit all this time to be fully brocken in? Hard to believe but I have no other explanation. Who knows, sound may inprove even further.

Similar Products Used:

Bryston, Arcam, Classe.

Smooth yet detailed, very refined. Can even raise the level of lesser associated components.

None in my system!

My old amp broke down and wasn't worth repairing, so I set off to buy a new integrated amp. I read great things about this amp here and in other reviews, so I went for an audition. I was impressed right away, and felt that the performance was higher than the Celeste I-5080 and PW-5000 to justify the higher cost. It was about Cdn$1200 and $600 respectively than the lower models, but the better build quality and styling and more refined sound quality together with the 10 year warranty sold me.

After a few days of break in, I was hearing real "high end" sound for perhaps the first time in my system. I can't believe that increase in fidelity I got from my dated and far more pedestrian components. My source is a 7 year old Rotel RCD-965BX which has had it's day in the sun, but that was ages ago. Loudspeakers are Mirage M-790s which are still holding up well, and are now producing musical fidelity that I never thought was possible with them. Cables include a 0.5m run of Straightwire Maestro (which is worth more than the CD player today!) and a 6ft run of Kimber 8TC.

The cost of the I-5 is almost double what I paid for my CD player and speakers combined 7 years ago. I bought it with the plan of upgrading the rest of my system when finances permit, which is still my goal. However, I never thought that I would be blown away by the sound even with the "mid-fi" stuff that I owned. I guess it's a testament to what great amplification can do for even a modest system. The soundstage was deeper, wider. Clarity and detail were significantly upgraded and I never thought that before, I wasn't even hearing all the nuances from an entry level CD player! As for weaknesses, there is no way I can know at this time, since they would mostly be attributed to the CD player and speakers.

If you are thinking of taking that huge plunge into high-end audio, the I-5 is a great place to start. You can reap huge benefits right up front, and yet have a component that you can build a very fine system around.

Highly recommended even at US prices. If you live in Canada, you get a price break of 40-50% which makes this the high-end steal of the millenium!

Musicality, accuracy, build quality, overall terrific sound!

No phone stage or headphone jack

I've had this amp for a month or two now and have had the chance to break it in and put in some serious listening time. My verdict: Holy Cow! I expected a lot from this integrated based on what I had heard and read about it before purchase but it has exceeded my most optimistic expectations.

The is a very neutral, detailed and musical amp. It possesses great speed and rhythm. I always feel like it is keeping up with the music and presenting in it in an accurate and exciting way. It is not overly "warm" but neither is it bright or fatiguing. To my ears, it simply presents the music in a highly natural and engaging manner. I find it incredibly easy and enjoyable to listen to.

At 70wpc, it is not a powerhouse but it can play at pretty high levels and still maintain its composure. It may not be able to pin you into the back of your chair but it seems to have a good amount of oomph for its size.

As a bonus, the thing appears to be built like a tank and has a 10-year warranty. Also, I had a minor problem with the amp when it first arrived and the folks at SimAudio were extremely responsive and helpful in resolving it.

To me, the service and warranty are big plusses because based on my relatively short time with the amp, I am confident I will be living with it for a long, long time.

A really great integrated amplifier.

Associated Equipment:

Rotel RCD-991 CD player
Vandersteen 2C Speakers
Old Thorens Turntable
JPS Labs UltraConductor Interconnects

Clean power, heavy, built like a tank, gold!

I will mention again how good this amp is, you just cant beat this Canadian made ampt for the price! If you have Energys Con-series speakers, or PSB Golds, this will be the baby to push out the best sound with top of line speakers. The amp being Canadian, there is no duty on these products(speakers as well), you may want to email me, I will give you a Canadian supplyer, who will give you the best deal, and with the exchange rate, you will have the best, for the least amount of dough! When you see and feel this amp,you will find out why Iam so excited!