All amplifier measurements are performed independently by BHK Labs. All measurement data and graphical information displayed below are the property of the SoundStage! Network and Schneider Publishing Inc. Reproduction in any format is not permitted.
Note: Measurements were made at 120V AC line voltage and through the balanced input unless otherwise noted.
Power output
- Output power at 1% THD+N: 428.2W @ 8 ohms, 618.2W @ 4 ohms
- Output power at 10% THD+N: 515.3W @ 8 ohms, 739.6W @ 4 ohms
Additional data
- This amplifier does not invert polarity.
- AC-line current draw at idle: 0.31A, 0.58PF, 22W
- Gain: output voltage divided by input voltage for unbalanced and balanced inputs: 64.7X, 36.2dB
- Input sensitivity for 1W output into 8 ohms, unbalanced and balanced inputs: 43.7mV
- Output impedance @ 50Hz: 0.0052 ohm
- Input impedance @ 1kHz
- Unbalanced inputs: 23.6k ohms
- Balanced inputs: 45.3k ohms
- Output noise, 8-ohm load, unbalanced inputs, termination 1k ohm
- Wideband: 0.300mV, -79.5dBW
- A weighted: 0.095mV, -89.5dBW
- Output noise, 8-ohm load, balanced inputs, termination 600 ohms
- Wideband: 0.236mV, -80.0dBW
- A weighted: 0.085mV, -90.4dBW
Measurements summary
The Simaudio Moon 400M is a high-powered, solid-state power amplifier, and the least expensive of three monoblock models in Simaudio’s line. Utilizing a full-bridge design, it has two output devices in each of the four corners of the bridge.
Chart 1 shows the frequency response of the 400M with varying loads. The high-frequency response is moderately wide, with a 3dB down point of about 120kHz. Because the 400M’s frequency response is quite invariant with load, the amplifier’s output impedance is quite low. As a consequence, the response with the NHT dummy-speaker load is not shown in the chart.
Chart 2 illustrates how total harmonic distortion plus noise (THD+N) vs. power varies for 1kHz and SMPTE IM test signals and amplifier output for loads of 8 and 4 ohms. What is of interest in these results is that the distortion is relatively constant with power level over a very wide range. In its list of specifications, the 400M’s manual states that the amp’s level of IM distortion is “unmeasurable.” As Chart 2 shows, that is not the case.
THD+N as a function of frequency at several different power levels is plotted in Chart 3. The small increase in high-frequency distortion is one of the 400M’s admirable attributes. At higher powers, the amp’s protection circuitry activated and shut it down before the power sweep could be completed at low frequencies.
The plot of damping factor vs. frequency, shown in Chart 4, is of a value and nature typical of many solid-state amplifiers: high -- in this case, very high -- up to about 1kHz, and then rolling off with frequency.
Chart 5 plots the spectrum of the harmonic distortion and noise residue of a 10W, 1kHz test signal with 8-ohm loading. The area of the AC-line harmonics is relatively free of discrete harmonics, but is up somewhat in level, with what would be a relatively higher noise level in this frequency range. The signal harmonics are dominated by the second, third, and fifth harmonics, with higher-order harmonics being lower but numerous in the spectral plot.
Chart 1 - Frequency response of output voltage as a function of output loading
Red line = open circuit
Magenta line = 8-ohm load
Blue line = 4-ohm load
Chart 2 - Distortion as a function of power output and output loading
(Line up at 200W to determine lines)
Top line = 8-ohm SMPTE IM distortion
Second line = 4-ohm SMPTE IM distortion
Third line = 8-ohm THD+N
Bottom line = 4-ohm THD+N
Chart 3 - Distortion as a function of power output and frequency
(4-ohm loading)
Red line = 1W
Blue line = 10W
Cyan line = 300W
Green line = 500W
Chart 4 - Damping factor as a function of frequency
Damping factor = output impedance divided into 8
Chart 5 - Distortion and noise spectrum
1kHz signal at 10W into a 4-ohm load