Sim Audio Moon 240i

A friend of mine brought over his Sim Audio Moon 240i integrated amplifier and left it with me for a week so I could compare it to my current reference System comprising of Rotel 15 Series mkI separates (RC 1590 / RB 1582).

I connected it to my pair of Bowers and Wilkins 705s2 bookshelf speakers excluding my DB4S subwoofer as the Moon 240i does not have a subwoofer out. Initially I connected the subwoofer to the left pre-out but the results were completely different compared to the mono subwoofer outs on the Rotel preamp that I normally use. This is actually an interesting discovery for me. A dedicated subwoofer out is an absolute necessity for me. I found connecting my subwoofer to the 240i’s pre-outputs had nowhere near the effect that a dedicated subwoofer out delivers. So for me, I think every integrated amplifier should have one.

Regarding inputs, the 240i comes with a plethora of inputs. Dual digital optical inputs  and dual digital coaxial inputs along with three analogue inputs, a pair of pre-outs, some 12 V triggers  loaded with signal switching capabilities, and very good speaker binding posts.

The build quality is amazing. Extremely strong case with robust heatsinks on both sides. It's got the Marantz rounded front edges look going for it but it doesn't have that useless porthole display. Instead you get an extremely visible, relatively large, and bright display with large numbers that ramp up and down smoothly making it very easy to see the volume level unlike my Rotel display on the 15 series which looks as though it's from the early 90s. You can tell the toroidal transformer is massive in the 240i because when you lift the unit it's really heavy on the left side. The buttons are solid, it goes click with authority when you turn it on like a proper amplifier does and the remote control is really classy. The remote isn't backlit and it's really black so you can't see the numbers in low light but because it's such a nice looking remote that doesn't matter and there's only a few buttons I would use regularly with it so it's pretty easy to remember where those buttons are without having to see the indicators on the buttons.

The operating system for customizing the product to the users needs is pretty extensive. You can label and hide individual inputs, offset volumes for each input for level matching when switching from one imput to another, and each input can be assigned a maximum volume so you don't accidentally blow your system if the volume get jacked up unexpectedly. The 540i doesn't have tone controls which is unfortunate for me personally. I know a lot of people don't like them but I do enjoy using them from time to time with certain kinds of music. You can adjust the left and right balance and I found it to be very effective. Adjusting one increment to the left or right is very noticeable whereas with the Rotel equipment you have to adjust at least five points left or right in order to hear any difference.

Regarding the sound. I frequent listening to metal, jazz, EDM music, and some country so these are the genres of music I used during this review. I listen to some EDM first. Without being specific about the track I cycled some of my favourite selections from my personal EDM playlist and I really enjoyed the experience. I couldn't pinpoint it but there was something different about the way the 240i imaged. It seems slightly tonally different from my Rotel equipment as it sounded a little more glossy or glass like if that means anything to the reader. Think Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar tone on Tin Pan Alley as opposed to the guitar tone on Deep Purple's Smoke On The Water which is reminiscent of Rotel's heavier, darker tone. Either way it was different in a good way and I liked it.

Moving to some jazz I found the 540 to be incredible. Most integrated amplifiers are capable of producing a satisfying experience with jazz and this integrated doesn't disappoint. One of my favourite jazz songs is November 99 by Manu Katche from their album Neighbourhood. It's such a great album and for me it checks all the boxes for what a good jazz album should sound like. Listening to the song, the 540 was very good at presenting the nuances of this piece of music with fantastic clarity. I especially like the sound of the kick drum in this song as it is quite pronounced and it sounded just as good with the 540 as it does wit my Rotel separates.

Moving to country, rock, and metal is where the 540 seems to struggle a bit. I would say that it's a personal preference of mine to have recessed midrange and I found the mid range on the 540i to be more pronounced and bumped up compared to the Rotel equipment. I also found that overall scale and authority or grunt were lacking with these genres of music. This is probably because the 540 offers 50 W per channel and the Rotel has 200 W per channel which is better suited for the Bowers and Wilkins 705s2 as they can dip down to 3 ohms which is pretty demanding  for a 50 W amplifier. The 540i's the high frequencies seemed a little abrasive with music like this and I often found myself reaching for the remote to turn it down when listening at moderate volumes. So for me that would be a dealbreaker if I were in the market but if you don't really listen to those genres there's music that really won't matter.

So in conclusion the Moon 540i from Sim Audio is a very capable integrated amplifier with all of the connections one would ever need in a two channel system. It has a sound and build quality that would please most audio enthusiasts just as long as you're not running low impedance speakers while annoying your neighbours listening to heavy metal at concert volume levels.

Thanks for reading  and happy listening!