Simaudio MOON Evolution Andromeda Reference CD Player - Dual Chassis

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Flagship CD player from Simaudio and about the best modern player you can purchase.

Super neutral, quiet, and full of features. Plus I just love the large display that you can see across the room.

The Andromeda consists of two pieces, the transport/controller and the power supply.

It will ship to you with the very high quality original Simaudio remote control, and a set of optional coupling feet to join the power supply to the transport/controller. Also included are the specialty "umbilical" cables used to connect the two units.

Click below to add our recommended matching cables from Kimber Kable, all brand new as SkyFi is an official Kimber dealer.

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Better

Kimber Kable - RCA Interconnects - Best

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Better

Kimber Kable - BALANCED XLR Connectors - Best

Kimber Kable - Coaxial Digital Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Digital AES/EBU (XLR Connector) Interconnect

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Better

Kimber Kable - Power Cords - Best

From an excellent Stereophile review by Brian Damkroger:
Even a cursory examination of the Andromeda confirms that this level of design and execution has been maintained throughout. It's a top-loader because such a configuration provides more stability and precision than a drawer-type transport. The mechanical stability is further improved by mounting the Philips CD-Pro 2 M transport assembly in a heavy, isolated subchassis of its own, and still further by floating the subchassis with Sim's proprietary gel-based Delta suspension.

Once the signal is extracted from the CD, it's processed to 24-bit/705.6kHz by a 16x-oversampling Burr-Brown DF-1704 digital filter, then converted by four Burr-Brown 24-bit PCM1704U-K converters to generate a truly balanced signal. These aren't just any Burr-Brown DACs; each chip has been extensively measured and characterized to be part of a matched set of four. To keep jitter as low as possible, the Andromeda uses Sim's Alpha Clocking Circuit, an externally generated, PLL-synchronized clock signal.

Impressive indeed
No matter how you look at it—in terms of design, execution, build quality, appearance, or most significant, performance—Simaudio's Moon Evolution Andromeda Reference CD player is an impressive audio component. It's impressive, too, that Sim has remained confident enough in their design approach to continually refine it until it has reached this level of execution. With the Andromeda, Simaudio makes a simple, matter-of-fact assertion that this is the way a CD player should be designed, and this is how "Red Book" CDs should sound.

I can't disagree. I don't know if the Andromeda is the best-sounding CD player available today, nor do I really know how good CDs can ultimately sound. What I do know is that today, in my system, the Simaudio Moon Evolution Andromeda Reference is as good as it gets. I'm very, very impressed.
Last retailed for $12,500.

From our SkyFi YouTube Channel:

Significant Simaudio Design Features:
- Internal 24-bit/352.8kHz upsampling using BurrBrown DF1704 Digital Filter with 8X oversampling. 
- Four precision-matched 24-bit BurrBrown PCM1704U-K “Digital To Analog” converters. 
- Full unsolicited RS-232 bidirectional feedback. 
- Digital input for use as a digital-to-analog converter with either a digital music server or external transport. 
- Custom proprietary toroidal transformer design with lower magnetic, electrical and thermal loss, yielding an improved power transfer and lower regulation factor. The result is increased current speed and better dynamics. 
- Separate digital and analog power supplies housed in an external chassis. 
- Philips CD-Pro 2-M transport mechanism mounted on our new gel-based Delta suspension. 
- Alpha Clocking Circuit with PLL synchronization yielding a very precise 5PPM digital clocking circuit. 
- Power supply voltage regulation includes I2DCf (Independent Inductive DC Filtering); 1 inductor for each and every chip (i.e. OpAmp, DAC, Digital Filter, etc.) in the audio circuit’s signal path — 56 stages in all. 
- C4 Aesthetics: 24 end-user selectable cosmetics combinations: the MOON Logo can be chrome (standard), gold or pewter; leg cones can be chrome (standard) or gold; Front panel cheeks can be silver (standard) or black; Brushed/Anodized front face-plate can be silver or black. 
- Top loading drawer with custom design disc clamping system for improved stability and long term reliability. 
- A capacitor-free signal path using a DC servo circuit and proprietary 6db/octave analog filter. 
- Four-layer PCB tracings; 1 on top for ground plane, 1 on the bottom for power circuitry and 2 in middle for the audio signals. The advantages include better ground and power supply circuit layouts resulting in a much shorter signal path and dramatically improved signal-to-noise ratio. 
- Extremely rigid chassis construction to minimize the effects of external vibrations. 
- Accurate matching of the very finest quality electronic components in a symmetrical circuit design.

Simaudio MOON Evolution Andromeda Reference CD Player - Manual

The SkyFi Testing Process for CD Players:

We start with a visual inspection of all internal components to make sure that there are no signs of heat stress or damage. Capacitors are checked for telltale signs of predictive failure including bulging, shrunken wrappers, or physical leakage. We also inspect resistors and other passive components for signs of overheating. When the unit is first powered on we check the drawer mechanism function.

After the visual inspection we connect the CD Player’s RCA outputs to our Sencore PA81 Power Analyzer which simulates a real world input impedance and allows us to monitor the output on an oscilloscope. We start with a test CD with precision test signals to verify proper output on both channels. If the CD player has balanced outputs these are also tested at this time. If this check passes, we move onto evaluation with actual music CDs. We listen for clicks, skips, and drops during playback. At this time we also check the transport functions including skip, ff, rw, play, pause, repeat, and programming if applicable. If the unit has a remote control, all remote control functions are verified.

If the CD player is capable of SACD playback we test its ability to read SACD layers on multiple discs including standard and hybrid SACDs. At this time we also check the unit’s digital outputs where applicable. If SACD layers are being properly read we should see the digital outputs mute during playback. On redbook CD playback we verify that each digital output maintains proper lock on our bench DAC.

After bench testing is completed, CD players are set up for testing on our long term test rig. During extended testing we make sure that unit can play through several different discs from beginning to end with no skips or lock ups.