Simaudio Neo 430HA Owner Manual

Owner’s Manual

Series

430HA

Headphone Amplifier

430HA Headphone Amplifier

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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430HA Headphone Amplifier

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 Nēo

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 supply cord plug from the AC receptacle.

2. The MOON 430HA 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 430HA 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 430HA 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 430HA with any liquid. If a liquid substance does enter your MOON
430HA, immediately disconnect it from AC mains and take it to your MOON dealer for a complete check-up.

7. NEVER expose the MOON 430HA 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 430HA. If a problem occurs contact your MOON dealer.

12. NEVER expose the MOON 430HA to extremely high or low temperatures.

13. NEVER operate the MOON 430HA 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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430HA Headphone Amplifier.

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Table of Contents

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

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

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

Front Panel Controls ......................................... 8

Optional Digital Inputs .................................... 10

Rear Panel Connections ................................... 11

Balanced Operation ........................................ 12

SimLink™ ..................................................... 12

Operating the 430HA ...................................... 13

Remote Operation .......................................... 14

Specifications ................................................ 16

www.simaudio.com

Simaudio Ltd., 1345 Newton Road

Boucherville, Quebec J4B 5H2 CANADA

Date Code: 20141119

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430HA Headphone Amplifier

Introduction

Thank you for selecting the Nēo 430HA Headphone
Amplifier as a part of your hi-fi reproduction system.
This Headphone Amplifier 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 among the finest headphone amplifiers
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
Headphone Amplifiers are so musically satisfying.

The performance of your 430HA will continue to
improve during the first 300 hours of listening. This
is the result of a “break-in” period required for the

Your Nēo 430HA Headphone Amplifier incorporates many significant design features to achieve its “world-class”
level of performance. This is an abbreviated list of the more important features:

Fully balanced, pure analog amplifier includes a discrete

transconductance circuit topology

Selectable gain setting (14d or 20dB)

Defeatable analog Crossfeed circuit for better

'spacialization' and listening comfort

Balanced Outputs hidden behind sliding front panel window
(2x 3-pin XLR, 1x 4-pin XLR), as well as a 1/4" TRS jack, and
both fixed & variable line-level single-ended RCA stereo pairs

An oversized power supply using 2 toroidal transformers in
conjunction with 8 stages of DC voltage regulation

4 stages of our M-LoVo (MOON Low Voltage) DC regulation
circuit; a highly sophisticated circuit that is virtually free of
noise, yielding an exceptionally fast, precise, and stable DC
voltage. This circuit, found in the Evolution series 810LP
Phono Preamplifier and 740P Preamplifier, results in a power
supply with a virtually unmeasureable noise floor

M-eVOL2 volume control circuit using MDAC's (operating in a
current steering R-2R configuration) which alter the audio
signal's amplitude, yielding no sonic degradation of the signal,
regardless of the selected volume setting. This circuit offers
530 steps and channel matching of 0.1dB

numerous high quality electronic parts used
throughout this headphone amplifier.

Before setting up your new Nēo 430HA, we
encourage you to please read this manual
thoroughly to properly acquaint yourself with its
features. We hope you enjoy listening to the Nēo
430HA Headhone Amplifier 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

Optional Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) with four (4)
digital inputs (S/PDIF x 2, TosLink x 1 & USB x 1) allowing for
use with virtually any digital source; Supports DSD64,
DSD128 and DSD256 (USB input only); Supports PCM
16/44.4kHz to 24/192kHz (all inputs) and up to PCM
32/384kHz (USB input only)

EuP compatible eco-friendly power (less than 0.5W) in
standby mode with defeatable 20 minutes inactivity "auto
shut off"

12 Volt trigger output for remote operations

RS-232 port for (i) full unsolicited bidirectional feedback and

(ii) firmware updates

IR input for external control

SimLink™ controller port for 2-way communications with

other compatible MOON components

Rigid chassis construction to minimize the effects of
external vibrations

Optimized selection of very high quality electronic
components

Low operating temperature for an ultra-long life
expectancy.

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