Simaudio MOON 780D v2

摘要

When is a DAC not a DAC? When it turns into a multifunctional network-connected music player, that's when! Increasingly, the lines between products that exist to convert digital inputs into analogue audio and full-blown network players are becoming blurred. So, just as there are players provided only with digital outputs - network transports or bridges [see p52] to be paired with an outboard DAC - so we now have DACs with network capability built-in. Add an app running suitable UPnP control software, and you have a complete streaming solution. For the network neophyte, all that can be a bit confusing, but a 'DAC with benefits' perfectly describes Simaudio's MOON 780D v2. Available in black, silver or two-tone black/silver, this £13,500 unit is the Canadian company's reference DAC, complete with a built-in streaming section developed in-house. Neither is this the only streaming DAC in the company's range. For those with more restricted budgets, there's also the lower-spec 680D, yours for £8900, and the entry-level 280D MiND2, at £2950. Oh, and the digital-output-only MiND2 'network transport' at just £1950, and the 390, which combines streamer, DAC and analogue preamp. You pays yer money, and takes yer choice...