Simaudio Evolution 850P Owner Manual

Owner’s Manual

Evolution Series

850P

Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Important Safety Instructions

1. Read these instructions.

2. Keep these instructions.

3. Heed all warnings.

4. Follow all instructions.

5. Do not use this apparatus near water.

6. Clean only with a dry cloth.

7. Do not block ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

8. Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves or another apparatus that produces
heat.

9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one
wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third
prong is provided for safety. If the provided plug does not fit into the outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of
the obsolete outlet.

10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched, particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the
point where they exit from the apparatus. Unplug mains cord during transportation.

11. Only use attachments and accessories specified by the manufacturer.

12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer or sold with the

apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury
from tip over.

13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.

14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any
way, such as when the power cord or plug has been damaged; liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the
apparatus; or the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.

15. No naked flame sources, such as candles, should be placed on the apparatus.

WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK,
DO NOT EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE.

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850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Important Safety Instructions (cont’d)

The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.

The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.

Marking by the “CE” symbol (shown left) indicates compliance of this device with the
EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) and LVD (Low Voltage Directive) standards of the
European Community

Please read all instructions and precautions carefully and completely before

operating your Simaudio MOON Dual-Mono 850P Preamplifier.

1. ALWAYS disconnect your entire system from the AC mains before connecting or disconnecting any cables,
or when cleaning any component. To completely disconnect this apparatus from the AC mains, disconnect
the power suppy cord plug from the AC receptacle.

2. The MOON 850P must be terminated with a three-conductor AC mains power cord which includes a
protective earthing connection. To prevent shock hazard, all three connections must ALWAYS be used.
Connect the MOON 850P only to an AC source of the proper voltage; Both the shipping box and rear panel
serial number label will indicate the correct voltage. Use of any other voltage will likely damage the unit and
void the warranty

3. AC extension cords are NOT recommended for use with this product. The mains plug of the power supply
cord shall remain readily accessible.

4. NEVER use flammable or combustible chemicals for cleaning audio components.

5. NEVER operate the MOON 850P with any covers removed. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. An
open unit, especially if it is still connected to an AC source, presents a potentially lethal shock hazard. Refer
all questions to authorized service personnel only.

6. NEVER wet the inside of the MOON 850P with any liquid. If a liquid substance does enter your MOON 850P,
immediately disconnect it from the AC mains and take it to your MOON dealer for a complete check-up.

7. NEVER expose the MOON 850P to dripping or splashing of liquids and no objects filled with liquids, such as
vases, shall be placed on top.

8. NEVER block air flow through ventilation slots or heatsinks.

9. NEVER bypass any fuse.

10. NEVER replace any fuse with a value or type other than those specified

11. NEVER attempt to repair the MOON 850P. If a problem occurs contact your MOON dealer.

12. NEVER expose the MOON 850P to extremely high or low temperatures.

13. NEVER operate the MOON 850P in an explosive atmosphere.

14. ALWAYS keep electrical equipment out of reach of children.

15. ALWAYS unplug sensitive electronic equipment during lightning storms.

16. WARNING: Do not expose batteries or battery pack to excessive heat such as sunshine, or fire or the like.

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850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................... 6

Unpacking........................................................ 7

Installation & Placement ................................... 7

Connecting the 850P Preamplifier & Controller ...... 8

Front Panel Controls ........................................ 9

Software Setup .............................................. 11

Rear Panel Connections .................................. 16

SimLink™ .......................................................17

Operating the 850P ........................................17

Remote Control Operation ...............................18

Balanced Operation ....................................... 20

Specifications ................................................ 21

Quick Reference: Setup Menus ................ Appendix

www.simaudio.com

Simaudio Ltd., 1345 Newton Road

Boucherville, Quebec J4B 5H2 CANADA

Date Code: 20140909

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850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Introduction

Thank you for selecting the MOON 850P Dual­Mono preamplifier as a part of your music/cinema
system. This preamplifier has been designed to offer
state-of-the-art high-end performance in an elegant
package, while retaining all the sonic hallmarks on
which Simaudio has made its reputation. We have
spared no effort to ensure that it is the finest two­channel preamplifier available. We have been
building high-performance audio equipment for over
30 years, and the know-how gained through our
cumulative experience is an important reason why
MOON preamplifiers are so musically satisfying.

Your new preamplifier is a true dual-mono design,
whereby each channel operates completely
independent of the other. The performance of
your 850P will continue to improve during the first
400 hours of listening. This is the result of a “break-

in” period required for the numerous high quality
electronic parts used throughout this preamplifier.

Before setting up your new MOON 850P, we
encourage you to please read this manual
thoroughly to properly acquaint yourself with its
features. We hope you enjoy listening to the
MOON 850P dual-mono preamplifier as much as
the pride we have taken in creating this fine audio
product. We understand the power and emotion of
music and build our products with the goal of
faithfully capturing these elusive qualities.

The information contained in this manual is subject
to change without notice. The most current version
of this manual is available on our official website at
http://www.simaudio.com

Your MOON 850P dual-mono preamplifier incorporates many significant design features to achieve its “world­class” level of performance. This is an abbreviated list of the more important features:

2-chassis design with one chassis (Controller) housing
the power supply, digital controller circuitry, software
processing and the LED display. The other chassis
(Preamplifier) contains ONLY audio circuitry.

Our proprietary M-Octave Damping system that virtually
eliminates the sonically degrading “microphonic effect” by
mounting the main audio circuit board on an 8-point
floating suspension.

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.

An oversized dual-mono power supply features 6
stages of DC voltage regulation and choke filtering.

SimLinkTM controller port allows for 2-way

communications between other compatible MOON
Evolution Series components.

M-Ray volume control circuit based on the R-2R resistor
array configuration that uses thin film surface mount
resistors with 0.1% tolerances, resulting in no sonic
degradation of the audio signal regardless of the selected
volume setting.

530 individual volume steps in 1dB and 0.1dB
increments.

M-Lock circuit for “user selectable” maximum volume
setting lock-out for each line input.

Power supply voltage regulation includes i2DCf
(Independent Inductive DC Filtering); 1 inductor for each
and every IC in the audio circuit’s signal path – 40 stages
in all.

Full unsolicited RS-232 bidirectional feedback.

Gain offset for each line input with a ±10dB range.

Each line input is fully configurable to be “home theater
ready”, where the volume control of the 850P is
bypassed.

Four-layer PCB tracings; The advantages include better
ground and power supply circuit layouts resulting in a
much shorter signal path and dramatically improved
signal-to-noise ratio.

Ultra rigid chassis construction to minimize the effects
of external vibrations.

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850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Unpacking

The MOON 850P preamplifier and power supply/controller should be removed from its crate with care.

The following accessories should be included inside the box with your preamplifier:

AC power cable

9
9

‘FRM-3’ Full Function remote control with three ‘AAA’ batteries (USA and Canada only)

9

Three (3) color-coded cables to connect the 850P preamplifier to it’s power supply/controller chassis

9

‘SimLink’ cable with 1/8” mini plug terminations on each end

9

This owner’s manual

9

Warranty and product registration information (USA and Canada only)

Once the 850P is unpacked, inspect it thoroughly
and report any damage to your dealer immediately.
We suggest that you keep all of the original
packaging, storing it in a safe, dry place in case

Please write the serial number of your new MOON 850P in the space provided below for future reference.

Serial No.: ________________

you’re required to transport this product. The
customized packaging is specially designed to
protect the 850P from any potential damage during
transit.

Installation & Placement

The MOON 850P dual-mono preamplifier is very
heavy and should be placed on a solid, level surface.
You should avoid placing it near a heat source or
inside a closed cabinet that is not well ventilated as
this could compromise the preamplifier’s
performance and reliability.

If the surface you have chosen isn’t perfectly level,
each of the four (4) legs of both your 850P and it’s

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power supply / controller are height adjustable;
carefully using your fingers, you can either raise
each leg by turning the cone underneath clockwise,
or lower each leg by turning it counterclockwise.

We strongly recommend that you leave these cones
mounted to the component at all times for reasons
related to both performance and aesthetics.

7

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Connecting the 850P Preamplifier & Controller

Figure 1: Connecting the MOON 850P Preamplifier (bottom) and 850P Controller (top)

There are three (3) connections that must be made
between the MOON 850P Preamplifier’s chassis
and its separate controller chassis as shown above
in Figure 1; First, using one of the two supplied 4­pin XLR cables, connect the end with the male pin
socket to the plug labeled “DC Power Output Right
Channel” located on the rear panel of the controller.
Connect the other end of the cable, with the female
socket, to the plug labeled “DC Input R” located on
the rear panel of the preamplifier. Next, using the
other 4-pin XLR cable, repeat the same process
between “DC Power Output Left Channel” and the
“DC Input L” socket. Finally, using the supplied 8-pin
Ethercon cable (both ends are identically
terminated), connect one end to the plug labeled
“Communications Output 1” located on the rear
panel of the controller. Connect the other end of the
cable to the plug labeled “Comm” located on the
rear panel of the preamplifier. You will notice that
there are two sets of each output connector on the
controller, however only one of each is required to
operate this preamplifier; the other connectors are

for possible future use with other components. Do
not attempt to modify the lengths these cables –
they are specifically designed for optimal
performance.

Connect the supplied AC power cable to the IEC
receptacle, located on the rear panel of the
preamplifier’s controller chassis. Ensure that the AC
wall outlet you use has a functioning ground. For
the best sonic performance, it is preferable that you
plug your 850P preamplifier directly into a
dedicated AC outlet and avoid using an extension
cord.

The MOON 850P is equipped with our M-Octave
Damping system, whereby the main audio circuit
board is coupled to the chassis using an 8-point
floating suspension that is designed to eliminate
distortion caused by the “Microphonic effect” of
airborne vibrations. All audio connectors are directly
mounted to this main audio circuit board. As a

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8

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

result, a dual-layered rear panel is required to
accommodate this suspension, with the outer layer
affixed to the 850P’s chassis and the inner layer –
with the audio connectors – affixed to the main
audio circuit board.

connect cables to (or disconnect cables from) the

Front Panel Controls

Consequently, when you

850P, this inner rear panel will move slightly – This
is normal.

independant of each other, only coming into physical
contact when either connecting or disconnecting
cables.

These rear panel layers are completely

Figure 2: Front panel of MOON 850P dual-mono Controller

The front panel will look similar to Figure 2 (above).
The large display window normally indicates the
current volume level and, whenever you change the
input, it will briefly show the selected input.

The “Standby” button disengages the input section
from the rest of the 850P’s circuitry and turns off
the digital display. However, when in “Standby”
mode all audio circuitry remains powered up to help
maintain optimal performance. When switching
back from “Standby”, both the ‘input’ and volume
settings are re-established from the previous
listening session. The blue pilot LEDs will not be
illuminated, on both the Preamplifier and Controller,
when the 850P is in “Standby” mode.

The “Monitor” button provides for a dedicated loop
to be used with either a component that can record
& playback (Cassette Deck, DAT, CD-Recorder, etc.)
or a signal processor such as an equalizer. Pressing
this button allows you to 1) monitor the recording
as it occurs on the recording device or 2) engage
the effects of the signal processor. The monitor
component’s outputs must be connected to the

850P’s “Tape Monitor In” and its inputs must be
connected to the 850P’s “Tape Monitor Out”. The
monitor output level is fixed and independent of the
850P’s volume setting. The LED immediately to the
right of this button will illuminate when the
“Monitor” function is engaged.

The “Mute” button reduces your volume setting to
zero. Pressing the “Mute” button a second time will
return the output volume to its previous level. As
well, adjusting the volume level while the “Mute”
function is engaged will effectively defeat the muting
function.

The “Display” button allows you to adjust the
brightness of the large digital display window. It also
provides you with the option of turning off the
display. There are three (3) different levels of
brightness; The default is medium. Pressing the
“Display” button once will increase the level to
medium. Pressing the button a second time will
further increase the brightness to the highest
setting. Pressing the “Display” button a third time
returns the display to its default setting of medium.

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9

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

If you want to turn the display off, press and hold
the “Display” button for 2 seconds. When the
display is turned off, it will still come back on for a
short period of time whenever you press any of the
buttons located on the front panel or the remote
control, using the brightness level that was
previously set; the display will automatically turn off
again once you are done. To turn the display back
on, simply press and hold the “Display” button for 2
seconds.

The “Input X” and “Input W” buttons allow you to
choose which input source you wish to listen to. The
MOON 850P dual-mono preamplifier has a total of
seven (7) inputs; The first three (3) inputs are fully­balanced and use XLR connectors labeled B1, B2
and B3. The next four (4) inputs are single-ended
and use RCA connectors labeled S1, S2, S3 and S4.
Assuming that you’re currently listening to a source
component connected to input B1, the “X” allows to
sequentially scroll forward through the available
inputs from B2 to S4. The “W” button allows you to
sequentially scroll backwards from S4 to B2.
Holding down either the “X” or “W” input buttons
will allow only a single change of the selected input.
You must press the button again to select the next
or previous input.

The rotary “volume” control determines the gain
setting, which ranges from ‘0.0dB’ (no output) to
’80.0dB’ (full output). This control does not function
like a typical volume: When you rotate the dial,
either clockwise to raise the volume or counter­clockwise to lower the volume, you are actually

engaging a precision optical encoder which selects,
via a relay network, very high quality thin film
resistors that the audio signal passes through. The
result is a proprietary gain circuit, called M-Ray,
that doesn’t degrade the audio signal regardless of
the setting, unlike
Since this circuitry operates in a fully balanced
differential mode, no noise is introduced to the
audio signal. Futhermore, since there are no actual
moving parts, this technology has a minimum life
expectancy of one million rotations.

The MOON 850P preamplifier provides a range of
five-hundred and thirty (530) unique volume
settings. This is achieved as follows: Within the

0.0dB to 30.0dB range, you can increase and
decrease the volume in 1.0dB steps. From the

30.0dB to 80.0dB range, you can increase and
decrease the volume by either 0.1dB or 1.0dB steps;
By rotating the volume control slowly, the level will
change by 0.1dB increments. A quicker rotation will
change the volume in 1.0dB increments.

Note: To change the balance between the left and
right channels, please refer to the section “Remote
Control Operation”.

The “Setup” and “OK” buttons are used for
programming the numerous software functions
available on this preamplifier. The next section,
entitled “Software Setup”, explains their usage in
detail.

all potentiometer based circuits.

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10

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Software Setup

The MOON 850P preamplifier includes powerful
software that allows you to configure it to meet your
specific needs. For each of the seven (7) inputs,

label

you can assign a
assigned name (i.e. B1, S1, etc.), assign a

volume
volume
bypass

source component’s volume instead) and
input completely when it’s not in use. As well, you
can assign any and all inputs to activate each of the
850P’s two
facility to reset all software settings back to their
factory defaults.

Please refer to the accompanying quick reference

1. To enter the Setup mode, begin by pressing the

2. Rotate the volume control clockwise until

3. Rotate the volume control clockwise until “B1”

4. “LABEL” will appear in the display. Press “OK”.

5. “AUX1” will appear in the display. By rotating

level of less than 80.0dB, create an
level ranging from –10.0dB to +10.0dB,

the volume control (to exclusively use the

12 Volt triggers

“Setup” button; “SETUP” will appear in the
display window.

“INPUTS” appears in the display. Press “OK”.

appears in the display. Press “OK”.

the volume control clockwise, you will scroll
through more than 25 generic choices appearing
in alphabetical order (AUX1 … CD … TUNER,
etc.), various MOON source model names (i.e.
ANDROMEDA … ORBITER, etc) and finally a
choice called “CUSTOM” which allows you to
create your own text label of up to 8 characters
in length (refer to the example at the end of
this section for more details). W you assign the
‘’B1’ input label to “MiND” (for the

intelligent Network Device

are also automatically configuring this
component’s internal software which will allow it
to operate with the MiND app, provided that the
proper SimLink connections have been made
with your other MOON components. Functions

to replace the factory

maximum

offset

disable

. Finally, there’s a

the

MOON

music streamer), you

diagram for a snapshot of the entire Setup menu
layout.

When you are in Setup mode, there are three (3)
front panel items used to program this preamplifier;
The “Setup” button for navigating up and down
through the various menu levels, the rotary volume
control for scrolling through the available choices
within each programmable item, and the “OK”
button for confirming and saving your selections.

What follows are step-by-step examples of how to
configure an input, assign the two 12 Volt triggers
and reset the software back to the factory default.
We will begin by walking through all 5 available
options for the “B1” input:

available using the MiND app are discussed in
the next section.

6. When the label name you wish to assign to the
B1 input appears in the display, press the “OK”
button. “SAVED” will briefly appear in the
display followed by “LABEL”.

7. Press the “Setup” button and the label you’ve
just assigned to the B1 input will appear in the
display.

8. At this point you can (i) continue configuring
other options for the B1 input (see the next
step), (ii) configure another input such as B2
(rotate the volume control clockwise to access
the B2 input), or (iii) leave the Setup mode
(press the “Setup” button once and “INPUTS”
appears in the display; the press it again and
“EXITING” will appear in the display).

9. The next option to configure for the B1 input is
the maximum volume setting. Press “OK” and
“LABEL” will appear in the display. Then slowly
rotate the volume control clockwise until “MAX
VOL” appears in the display. Press “OK” and the
factory default of “80.0dB” will appear in the
display; this is the maximum volume level.

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11

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

10. The maximum setting can be changed by
rotating the volume control. A slow rotation
makes 0.1dB adjustments and a faster rotation
results in 1.0dB adjustments. Once you’ve
found a desired setting, press “OK” and
“SAVED” will briefly appear in the display
followed by “MAX VOL”. The lowest possible
setting is 40.0dB.

11. The next option to configure for the B1 input is
volume offset. This allows you to compensate
for the different output levels amongst your
various source components you will be
connecting to the 850P. Slowly rotate the
volume control clockwise and “OFFSET” will
appear in the display. Press “OK” and the
factory default of “+6.0dB” will appear in the
display.

12. You can adjust the volume offset in either 0.1dB
(slow rotation) or 1.0dB (faster rotation)
increments to either +10.0dB by rotating the
volume control clockwise or –10.0dB rotating
the volume control counter-clockwise. Once
you’ve found the appropriate setting, press “OK”
and “SAVED” will briefly appear in the display
the “OFFSET”.

13. The fourth configurable option is the volume
bypass feature for use with home-theater
processors and source components that have
their own volume control. When activated, the
volume control of the 850P is bypassed and the
volume level is adjusted using the component
connected to the input. Slowly rotate the
volume control clockwise and “BYPASS” will
appear in the display. Press “OK”.

The MOON 850P is equipped with software that
allows the MiND app to control various features of
this preamplifier. With the MiND app you will be able
to adjust the volume level, mute the output, place
the preamplifier into ‘Standby’ mode and then place
it back into operational mode. As well, when you
begin playing a music track from the MiND app, the
850P will automatically switch to the input
configured for the MiND. With the MiND app, you
are essentially controlling your entire MOON system

____________________________________________________________________________________

14. The factory default of “BYPASS N” will appear in
the display. Use the volume control to alternate
between “BYPASS N” and “BYPASS Y” and then
press “OK”. Next you will be asked to confirm
your selection as “SURE ? N” will appear in the
display. Rotate the volume control until “SURE ?
Y” appears in the display. Press “OK” and
“SAVED” will briefly appear in the display
followed by “BYPASS”. When you set the
volume bypass to “Y”, the volume setting you
saved for the input with “OFFSET” will be
maintained.

15. The fifth and final configurable option for the B1
input is to disable it when it won’t be used.
Slowly rotate the volume control clockwise and
“ENABLE” will appear in the display. Press “OK”.

16. The factory default is “ENABLE Y” which will
appear in the display. Use the volume control to
alternate between “ENABLE N” and “ENABLE Y”.
Press “OK” and “SAVED” will briefly appear in
the display followed by “ENABLE”. When an
input has been disabled it will appear only in the
Setup menu as “B1 N/A”.

17. You have now passed through all five
configuration options for the B1 input. At this
point, you can (i) repeat the above process for
the another input by pressing the “Setup” button
and then use the volume control to select the
next input to configure, (ii) exit from the Setup
procedure by pressing the “Setup” button three
times or (iii) continue with the Setup procedure
and either assign the 12 Volt trigger outputs or
reset the 850P back to factory default status
(see the following examples).

using a hand-held Apple (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch,)
or Android device.

You don’t need to LABEL an input with “MiND” to
achieve these aforementioned functions, but you
must configure one input for MiND functionality. An
example for this scenario would be the
streaming device feeding a digital signal to a

750D DAC /Transport

analog signal to the MOON 850P.

, which then outputs its

MiND 180 D

MOON

12

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Only one of the five inputs may be configured for
the MiND. “B1” is the default input. If, in the
previous section, you already assigned the “MiND”
label to one of this preamplifier’s inputs, then there’s
nothing required to do here – The corresponding
input has been automatically configured for MiND

1. You may either continue where we left off in the
previous example by pressing “Setup” twice to
return to the main menu and the turn the
volume control until “MiND” appears in the
display OR enter into the “Setup” mode from the
beginning by pressing the “Setup” button and
rotating the volume control until “MiND” appears
in the display.

2. Press “OK” and “MiND:B1” will appear in the
display.

and cannot be changed until you change the input
‘LABEL” assigments. However, if you haven’t
assigned the “MiND” label to one of the 850P’s
inputs, the following example shows how to
configure an input for MiND functionality:

3. Rotate the volume control clockwise until the
input you want to configure appears in the
display.

4. Press “OK” and “SAVED” will appear brielfy in
the display followed by “MiND”.

5. Press the “Setup” button and “EXITING” will
appear in the display.

Assigning a custom label to an input:

1. Using the example from the previous page for
configuring an input, repeat steps 1 through 5.

2. When “CUSTOM” appears in the display press
the “OK” button. The display will show
“……………………………” .

3. Rotate the volume control clockwise to scroll
through the 26 letters of the English alphabet,
first in uppercase and then lowercase, followed
by the numbers 0 through 9, and finally several
miscellaneous symbols including the space
character. When you see the letter, number, or
symbol you wish to use, press “OK” to select it
and then repeat this step for the next character.

4. You must assign all 8 characters when creating
a custom input label; If your label requires only
5 characters, you will need to input a blank
space for the remaining 3 characters.
you decide to create a custom input label for
MiND, it must be spelled exactly as it appears
here – the software is case sensitive.

5. Once you’ve filled the last position, press”OK”
and “SAVED” will briefly appear in the display
followed by “INPUTS”.

6. Press the “SETUP” button to exit from the Setup
menu

Note: If

The MOON 850P is equipped with two 12 Volt
trigger outputs. When an input is assigned to a 12
Volt trigger, the device connected to the trigger will
automatically start-up whenever you switch to that
input. The default setting for all seven inputs is on.
When you set the IR input to “Y”, all inputs

1. You may either continue where we left off in the
previous example by pressing “Setup” twice to
return to the main menu and the turn the
volume control until “TRIG 1” appears in the
display OR enter into the “Setup” mode from the

____________________________________________________________________________________

previously set to “Y” for that trigger will
automatically be set to “N”. Then the trigger will be
controlled exclusively by an external IR signal. The
following example shows how to configure one of
them:

beginning by pressing the “Setup” button and
rotating the volume control until “TRIG 1”
appears in the display.

13

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

2. Press “OK” and “B1 : Y” will appear in the
display.

3. To disable the 12 Volt trigger, press “OK” and
“B1 ? Y” appears in the display; rotate the
volume control to alternate from “Y” to “N” .

4. Press “OK” and “SAVED” will appear brielfy in
the display followed by “B1 : N”.

5. To configure another input, rotate the volume
control until that input appears in the display,
then press “OK”.

6. Repeat steps 3 and 4

7. When you have finished with all of the inputs for
the “TRIG 1” press the “Setup” button and
“TRIG 1” will appear in the display. From this

If you want to control the MOON 850P using a
wired aftermarket infrared remote control receiver

1. You may either continue where we left off in the
previous example by pressing “Setup” twice to
return to the main menu and the turn the
volume control until “INFRARED” appears in the
display OR enter into the “Setup” mode from the
beginning by pressing the “Setup” button and
rotating the volume control until “INFRARED”
appears in the display.

2. Press “OK” and “NORMAL” will appear in the
display.

point you may go to four different locations in
the Setup menu:

• To configure the second 12 Volt trigger
output, rotate the volume control until
“TRIG 2” appears in the display then press
“OK” and repeat the above process
beginning with step 3.

• To exit from the Setup procedure, press the
“Setup” button again and “EXITING” will
appear in the display.

• To reset the software settings back to their
factory defaults, rotate the volume control
until “RESET” appears in the display (see
the next example).

• To configure the inputs (previous example)
rotate the volume control until “INPUT”
appears in the display.

with a universal remote control, you can disable the
IR sensor located on the front panel as follows:

3. To disable the MOON 850P’s front panel IR
sensor, rotate the volume control to alternate
from “NORMAL” to “DISABLED” .

4. Press “OK” and “SAVED” will appear briefly in
the display followed by “INFRARED”

5. Press the “Setup” button to exit from the Setup
menu.

The MOON 850P is equipped with a rear mounted
IR input for use with aftermarket wired infrared
remote control receivers. In the event that you want
control the MOON 850P with a universal remote
control and
change the RC-5 remote control system codes. This
procedure is recommended when you have a large
custom install setup that uses multiple integrated

NOT the one included (FRM-3), you can

____________________________________________________________________________________

amplifiers and/or preamplifiers that operate on the
RC-5 standard and you need to make each
component unique w.r.t. remote control operation –
up to 4 components. Before making the following
change, you should have a basic understanding
how to program a universal remote control. The
following example shows how to change the IR
codes that the MOON 850P will recognize:

14

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

1. You may either continue where we left off in the
previous example by pressing “Setup” twice to
return to the main menu and the turn the
volume control until “IR CODE” appears in the
display OR enter into the “Setup” mode from the
beginning by pressing the “Setup” button and
rotating the volume control until “IR CODE”
appears in the display.

2. Press “OK” and “DEFAULT” will appear in the
display.

3. To change the RC-5 system codes, rotate the
volume control to scroll through the available
sets of RC-5 compatible codes: “SYS11”,
“SYS14”, “SYS15”, and “SYS19”.

Reset the MOON 850P software settings back to their factory defaults:

1. You may either continue were we left off in the
previous example by turning the volume control
until “RESET” appears in the display OR enter
into the “Setup” mode from the beginning by
pressing the “Setup” button and then rotating
the volume control until “RESET” appears in the
display.

2. Press “OK” and “RESET N” will appear in the
display.

3. Rotate the volume control until “RESET Y”
appears in the display.

4. Once you’ve decided on one, Press “OK” and
“SAVED” will appear briefly in the display
followed by “IR CODE”.

5. From this point you can (i) exit from the Setup
procedure by pressing the “Setup” button again
and “EXITING” will appear in the display or (iii)
continue with the Setup procedure by disabling
the infrared remote sensor, changing the IR
codes, resetting the 850P back to factory
default status (see the following example),
configure the 12 Volt Trigger Output or
configure more inputs (examples on previous
pages).

4. Press “OK” and “SURE ? N” will appear in the
display.

5. Rotate the volume control until “SURE ? Y”
appears in the display.

6. Press “OK” and “SAVED” will briefly appear in
the display followed by “RESET”.

7. Press the “Setup” button again and “EXITING”
will appear in the display.

____________________________________________________________________________________

15

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Rear Panel Connections

Figure 3: Rear panel of MOON 850P Preamplifier

The rear panel of the MOON 850P dual-mono
preamplifier will look similar to Figure 3 (above).
There are two rows of connectors; the top row
contains single-ended RCA inputs/outputs and the
bottom row contains balanced XLR inputs/outputs,
as well as the three input connections from the
separate digital controller chassis. There are three
(3) pairs of balanced inputs on XLR connectors (B1,
B2, B3) and four pairs (4) of single-ended inputs on
RCA connectors (S1, S2, S3, S4). As a result of this
preamplifier’s dual-mono design, the left channel
inputs are located on the left side and the right

channel inputs are locted on the right side. This
preamplifier is also equipped with a single-ended
monitor loop; the input and output connectors for
each channel are located on their respective sides of
the rear panel. The 850P has two (2) pairs each of
balanced outputs and single-ended outputs. Both
balanced outputs are variable; One single-ended
output is variable and the other one is fixed,
meaning that it bypasses the volume control. Don’t
hesitate to use high quality interconnect cables. Poor
quality interconnect cables can degrade the overall
sonic performance of your system.

Figure 4: Rear panel of MOON 850P Controller

The rear panel of the MOON 850P controller will
look similar to Figure 4 (above). It is equipped with
full-function bi-directional RS-232 port control and
status for custom integration or automation. This is
located in the upper-middle section and uses a DB9
connector. Immediately to the right of the RS-232
port are two (2) “SimLink” connectors labeled “in”
and “out” on 1/8” mini jacks. Please refer to the

next section entitled SimLink for more details. Your
MOON 850P preamplifier has a 1/8” mini jack input
for use with aftermarket infrared remote control
receivers. The “IR in” connector is located on the
upper right section of the rear panel. Across the
lower section you will find the 3 pairs of output
connectors that are used for powering the
preamplifier chassis. To the right of these

____________________________________________________________________________________

16

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

connectors are two 12 Volt trigger outputs, each on
a 1/8” mini-jack. Finally, on the far right side are the
“AC Fuse” socket cover; the power “main switch”;
and the “AC Input” IEC receptacle for the power
cord. All rear panel connectors have been chosen
because they provide the best possible connections
for your unit. A poor contact will degrade the signal

SimLink™

The SimLink™ provides communication features
between various MOON components. For example,
if you were to connect the 750D DAC/CD Transport
to the 850P Preamplifier via the SimLink™, pressing
the X (play) button on the 750D would cause the
preamplifier automatically switch to it’s designated
input for the CD Player.

input with the name “750D” for this feature to

. If you were to adjust the brightness level of

work

the large digital display window using the “Display”
button on the 850P, the brightness level of the
750D’s display will automatically adjust to the same
brightness level as that of the 850P. Conversely,
since the SimLink™ is a true bi-directional
connection, adjusting the 750D’s brightness level
will automatically adjust the brightness level of the

850P.

You must assign the

substantially, and plugs and sockets should all look
clean and free of dirt and corrosion. The easiest way
to clean them is to remove the cables from their
sockets and push them back in again. This
procedure requires that your preamplifier and the
rest of your components be completely turned off.

A third feature of SimLink™ involves the “Standby”
function. By pressing down and holding the
“Standby” button for 2 seconds on the 850P, all
other MOON components connected via the SimLink
will go into “Standby” mode along with the 850P.
The same logic applies when switching from
“Standby” to active mode.

The connection rules for the SimLink™ are very
basic. You must always connect the supplied cable
between one component’s “SimLink™ Out” jack and
another component’s “SimLink™ In” jack. If you
inadvertently connect the cable between either two
“SimLink™ In” or two “SimLink™ Out” jacks, the
SimLink™ communication feature will not function.
Also, there is no master component in a SimLink™
chain; no one particular component operates as the
main communications controller.

Operating the 850P

We recommend that you leave your MOON 850P
dual-mono preamplifier powered up at all times to
maintain optimal performance. In the event that
you plan to be away from your home for a few days,
powering off the preamplifier may not be a bad idea.

Turning on your MOON 850P for the first time

Prior to turning the preamplifier on for the first time,
make sure that every cable is properly connected to
avoid any problems. Flick the main rocker switch,
located on the rear panel of the controller, labeled
“POWER” to the ‘1’ (on) position to place your 850P
in to standby mode. Next, briefly press the push

.

On and Off Sequence

To avoid having any annoying noises (ie. “thumps”
and “pops”) emanate from your speakers when
powering your 850P on or off, you should always

Once fully “broken-in”, please keep in mind that
your 850P will require several hours of playing time
before it reaches its peak performance after you’ve
powered it up again.

button labeled “Standby” located on the front panel.
You will hear a very faint click sound confirming that
everything is in order. The blue LED’s on both front
panels will illuminate, indicating that the 850P is
now powered up and ready for use.

power up your 850P preamplifier before powering
up your amplifier. As well, always power down your
850P after powering down your amplifier.

____________________________________________________________________________________

17

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Remote Control Operation

The MOON 850P Dual-Mono preamplifier uses the ‘FRM-3’ full function, all
aluminum backlit remote control (figure 5). It operates on the Philips RC-5
communication protocol and is can be used with other MOON components such
as CD Players, DAC’s, Integrated Amplifiers, as well as other Preamplifiers.

The ‘FRM-3’ remote uses three AAA batteries (included). To install them, use a
Phillips head screwdriver #1 to remove the three screws located on the rear
plate; insert the batteries in the correct direction and then screw the rear plate
back into place.

To operate the 850P with this remote control, you must first press the AMP
button located on the second row from the top.

power button switches the 850P between ‘Standby’ and ‘On’ mode.

The

The Balance W and Balance X buttons control channel balance; Pressing the
left arrow button causes a decrease in the volume level of the right channel;
pressing the right arrow button causes a decrease in the volume level of the left
channel. The balance adjustment operates in 1% increments. When the balance
is equal for both channels, “Å 00 Æ” will briefly appear in the front panel
display. The range for the balance control varies from “Å 100” for left channel
only to “100 Æ” for right channel only.

The Input S and Input T buttons allow you to sequentially scroll through
each of the preamplifier’s inputs, performing the identical function as the ‘Input’
buttons located on the 850P’s front panel

The Mute button, located between the input and volume buttons, reduces your
volume setting to zero, performing the identical function as the ‘Mute’ button
located on the 850P’s front panel.

The VolS and VolT buttons increase and decrease the volume level. From 30
to 80dB, holding either button down results in 1.0dB volume changes;
repeatedly pressing either button very briefly results in 0.1dB volume changes.

The Disp button allows you to adjust the brightness of the digital display
window. It also provides you with the option of turning off the display,
performing the identical function as the ‘Display’ button located on the 850P’s
front panel.

Mon engages (and disengages) the Monitor loop, performing the identical
function as the ‘Monitor’ button located on the 850P’s front panel.

Figure 5: FRM-3 Remote Control

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18

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Remote Control Operation (continued)

Backlight Function

Your FRM-3 features a backlight capability that
allows you to effortlessly operate this remote control
in a darkened environment. Since battery lifespan is
substantially reduced when the backlighting feature
is activated, the FRM-3 includes 3 different
operational modes to preserve the batteries:

Default Mode (#1): The backlight is triggered on by
either moving the remote control (via an internal
motion detector) or by pressing any button on the
remote’s keypad; The backlight will remain
illuminated for a full five (5) seconds after the last
event (motion or pressed button). To activate the
“Default Mode”, press and hold the “CD” button for
three (3) seconds. The backlight will illuminate once,
very briefly for confirmation.

Button Mode (#2): The backlight is triggered ONLY
by pressing any button on the remote’s keypad - the
internal motion detector is deactivated; The
backlight will remain illuminated for a full five (5)
seconds after the last button is pressed. To activate
the “Button Mode”, press and hold the “AMP” button
for three (3) seconds. The backlight will illuminate
twice, very briefly for confirmation.

Off Mode (#3): The backlight feature is completely
disabled. To activate the “Off Mode”, press and hold
the “DAC” button for three (3) seconds. The
backlight will illuminate three times, very briefly for
confirmation.

Remote operation with multiple MOON components

Figure 6: Remote Operation with SimLink™ and 12V Trigger

____________________________________________________________________________________

19

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

In figure 6 we have a 180 MiND Music Streamer
connected to a 750D DAC via their respective
SimLink™ ports (using a 1/8” mini-jack cable), and
the 750D connected to a 850P Preamplifier also via
their respective SimLink™ ports. Finally, the 850P is
connected to a 870A amplifier via their respective
12V Triggers (also using a 1/8” mini-jack cable);The
12V trigger output on the 850P is connected to the
12V trigger input on the 870A. When you launch

Figure 7: Remote Operation with 12V Trigger

In figure 7 we have a 850P Preamplifier and a pair
of 880M amplifiers connected together via their
respective 12V triggers; The 12V trigger output on
the 850P is connected to the 12V trigger input on
the top 880M (using a 1/8” mini-jack cable). T

12V trigger output from this 880M connects to the 12V

he

the MiND App on your Apple smart device (full list
on the MiND page of our website)
system’s ZONE, the 180 MiND will turn on, as will
the 750D, 850P and 870A; The 850P will
automatically switch to the “MiND” assigned input,
as described previously in the “Software Setup”
section. To shut down the system, press “Off” for
this ZONE in the MiND app.

trigger input on the bottom 880M (also using a 1/8” mini­jack cable).

control (or its Standby button), both 880M’s will
turn on automatically. The same rule applies when
you put the 850P into Standby mode.

When you turn on the 850P via remote

and select this

Balanced Operation

When using an unbalanced interconnect, the audio
signal runs through both the center wire and the
shield/ground wire. Any noise picked up by this
interconnect (ie. nearby magnetic fields such as an
AC power cord) will be reproduced by the integrated
amplifier, then heard through the loudspeakers.
Conversely, a balanced interconnect has three
separate conductors; one for the ground and two for
the actual signal. These two signals are identical
except that one is 180 degrees out of phase with the

____________________________________________________________________________________

other. For example, when one conductor is carrying
a signal of +10 Volts, the other will be carrying a
signal of –10 Volts. When these two inverted
signals on a balanced line are output from the
MOON 850P, any noise picked up by the
interconnect will be eliminated since a differential
circuit amplifies only the difference between these
two signals: Noise on a balanced interconnect will be
equal on both conductors and therefore cancel out.

20

850P Reference Dual-Mono Preamplifier

Specifications

Configuration ................................................ Fully balanced, dual-mono

Power Supply Transformers ............................. 2 x 150VA (audio); 1 x 10VA (controller)

Power Supply Capacitance ............................. 50,000µF

Circuit Topology ............................................. Open Loop

Balanced inputs (XLR) .................................. 3 pairs

Single-ended inputs (RCA) ............................ 4 pairs

Monitor Loop (RCA)........................................ 1 pair

Input Impedance .......................................... 11,000Ω

Input Sensitivity ............................................ 200mV – 4.0V RMS

Balanced outputs (XLR) ................................. 2 pairs

Single-ended outputs (RCA) ........................... 2 pairs (fixed and variable)

Output Impedance ......................................... 50Ω

Gain Control ................................................. M-Ray (Fully Discrete R-2R)

Gain .............................................................. 9dB

Signal-to-noise Ratio (20Hz-20kHz) ................. 130dB @ full output

Maximum Output Voltage (Balanced) ............... 15 Volts

Maximum Output Voltage (Single-Ended) ......... 7.5 Volts

Frequency Response ...................................... 5Hz - 100kHz +0/-0.1dB

Crosstalk @ 1kHz .......................................... -130dB

Intermodulation Distortion ............................. Unmeasureable

THD (20Hz - 20kHz) ..................................... < 0.0005%

Remote Control ............................................. All Aluminum Full-Function Backlit (FRM-3)

Display Type................................................... 8 character dot matrix LED

Power Consumption @ idle ............................. 25 Watts

AC Power Requirements ................................. 120V / 60Hz or 240V / 50Hz

Shipping Weight ............................................ 151 lbs / 67 Kgs

Dimensions – Preamplifier (W x H x D, inches).. 18.75 x 4.0 x 16.5

Dimensions – Preamplifier (W x H x D, cm.) .... 47.6 x 10.2 x 41.9

Dimensions – Controller (W x H x D, inches) .... 18.75 x 5.5 x 16.5

Dimensions – Controller (W x H x D, cm.) ....... 47.6 x 14.0 x 41.9

Balanced Input and Output Pin Assignment:

Pin 1........................... Ground

Pin 2........................... Positive

Pin 3 .......................... Negative

NOTE: If you require the RS-232 codes for your 850P, please visit the "Contact Us" page
and complete the "Information request" form on our website at

Fuse Replacement: For the 120V version use a 0.4A slow blow (5 x 20mm size).

For the 230V version use a 0.2A slow blow (5 x 20mm size).

www.simaudio.com.

____________________________________________________________________________________

21

S4: Y S4: Y

IR: N IR: N

Quick Reference: MOON 850P Setup Menus

SETUP

MiND TRIG 1 TRIG 2 INFRARED IR CODE FIRMWARE RESET

MiND: B1* B1: Y B1: Y NORMAL* DEFAULT* V.03 RESET N

INPUTS

MiND: B2 B2: Y B2: Y DISABLED SYS 11 RESET Y

B1 MiND: S1 B3: Y B3: Y SYS 14

B2 MiND: S2 S1: Y S1: Y SYS 15

B3 MiND: S3 S2: Y S2: Y SYS 19 SURE ? N

S1 MiND: S4 S3: Y S3: Y SURE ? Y

S2

S3

S4

LABEL VOL MAX OFFSET BYPASS ENABLE

CD MAX 79.9dB +9.9dB BYPASS Y ENABLE N

AUX MAX 80.0dB * +10.0dB BYPASS N * ENABLE Y *

DVD . .

PHONO . .

SAT +5.9dB

SACD MAX 40.0dB +6.0dB *

. SURE ? N

SURROUND

TAPE . SURE ? Y

TUNER 0.0dB

TV .

VIDEO .

ANDRMEDA -10.0dB

MiND

SUP.NOVA

650D

750D

CUSTOM:

A … Z

a … z

0 … 9

( ) : . , < > - # * * Denotes factory default setting