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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6

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Unpacking

The Nēo 430HA Headphone Amplifier should be removed from its box with care.

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

9

AC power cable

9

‘CRM-2’ remote control with two ‘AA’ batteries

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 Nēo 430HA 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

Please write the serial number of your new Nēo 430HA in the space provided below for future reference.

Serial No.: ________________

case you’re required to transport this product. The
customized packaging is specially designed to
protect the 430HA from any potential damage
during transit.

Installation & Placement

The Nēo 430HA requires only minimal ventilation
to maintain an optimum and consistent operating
temperature. However, you should avoid placing it
near a heat source as this could compromise the
headphone amplifier’s performance and reliability.
As well, it should be placed on a solid level surface.
The 430HA uses toroidal transformers; even though
they are well shielded, you should not place the
preamplifier too close to source components
sensitive to EMI, such as a turntables.

If your Nēo 430HA is equipped with the DAC
option and you intend to use the USB input
connection (PCM or DSD) with a Windows­based computer, you will need to install our
USB HD DSD driver, which can be downloaded
from the support section of our website.

Note: Apple-based computers don’t require
this driver.

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7

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Front Panel Controls

Figure 1: Nēo 430HA Front panel

The front panel will look similar to Figure 1 (above).
The large display window indicates the selected
input and volume level setting. If your Nēo 430HA
includes the Digital-to-Analog converter (DAC)
option, the digital input signal’s sampling rate will
briefly appear in the display window. Refer to the
section entitled “Optional Digital Inputs” on page
10 for further details.

The “Standby” button disengages all internal
circuitry from the power supply, except for the
controller circuit and the IR receiver. The blue
indicator LED turns off when the Nēo 430HA is in
“Standby” mode. When switching back from
“Standby” to the “on” mode, the blue LED directly
above the display window will illuminate and the
current ‘input’ will be memorized from the previous
listening session. When you press and hold the
“Standby” button for approximately 3 seconds, all
components connected to the 430HA via SimLink™
will also switch between “Standby” mode and “on”
mode. Please refer to the section entitled SimLink™
for further details.The 430HA will automatically go
into standby mode after approximately 20 minutes
of inactivity. To disable this feature, please refer to
the “Mute” button details on the following page.

The “Gain” button allows you to switch between a
low gain (14db) setting and a high gain (20dB)
setting. The default setting is low gain. When you
engage this button, the corresponding setting wil
appear briefly in the display window as either “Lo”
or “Hi”. The high gain setting should be used in
situations when (i) your source component
connected to the 430HA has a low output signal (ii)
your headphones have either a low sensitivity or low
efficiency rating. When you press and hold the

“Gain” button for approximately 3 seconds, the
current version of installed firmware will appear
briefly in the display window.

When your Nēo 430HA is equipped with the
optional DAC, pressing the "Display" button allows
you to alternate the contents of the display
window’s right side between the volume level and
the sampling rate of the digital input signal for the
four (4) digital inputs (D1, D2, D3 and D4).
When the volume level is displayed and the digital
input signal’s sampling rate changes, the new
sampling rate will appear briefly. The volume level
will always be displayed on the right side for the
three (3) analog inputs (A1, A2, B1). The “Display”
button also allows you to turn the digital display on
and off. If you want to turn the display off, press
and hold the “Display” button for 3 seconds. When
the display is turned off, it will still illuminate for a
short period of time whenever you press any of the
buttons located on the front panel or the remote
control; 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 3
seconds.

The “Xfeed” button engages the Nēo 430HA’s
internal Crossfeed circuit. When activated the red
LED, located to the right of this button, will
illuminate. The Crossfeed circuit is designed to
reduce listener fatigue that may result from stereo
recordings with extreme channel separation. This
feat is accomplished by (i) blending a small amount
of the music from the left channel into the right
channel and (ii) blending a small amount of the
music from the right channel into the left channel.

Note:

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8

430HA Headphone Amplifier

The two (2) buttons labeled ◄ INPUT ► allow you to
sequentially scroll, either forward (►) or backward
(◄) through all of the available inputs. Depending

DAC option installed: “A1”, “A2”, “B1”, “D1”, “D2”, “D3” and “D4”

The above abbreviations correspond to the labeling
of the rear panel inputs. “A1”, “A2” and “B1” are
intended for use with any type of source component
that outputs an analog signal: “A1” and “A2” for
single-ended sources using RCA connectors; “B1” for
balanced sources using XLR connectors. If you have
installed the DAC option, “D1”, “D2”, “D3” and “D4”
will appear after “B1”.

The “Mute” button mutes the output signal to the
headphone outputs, as well as both the fixed and
variable line output connectors (refer to the section
entitled “Rear Panel Connections” for further
details). As well, the volume level setting will no
longer appear in the display widow. Pressing the
“Mute” button a second time will reinstate the
volume back to its previous level. When the output
signal is muted, the red LED to the right will
repeatedly flash on and off. Note: Adjusting the
volume level while the “Mute” function is active will
immediately de-activate the “Mute” function.

The Nēo 430HA is
compatible. This is a European standard that
effectively limits the off and standby power
consumption to no more than 0.5W. When the
function is active, the unit will automatically turn off
after 20 minutes of inactivity. The “Mute” button
allows you to activate and de-activate the
function as follows;
button for approximately 3 seconds to toggle
(default setting) or off. The display will show "EuP"
or "No EuP", respectively, whenver the
changes. The
430HA is both powered down and placed into
“Standby” mode.

EuP

Basic Unit: “A1”, “A2” and “B1”

Energy Using Product (EuP)

EuP

EuP

press and hold the “Mute”

EuP

on

EuP

setting

setting is maintained when the

on whether or not the DAC option is installed, the
order of the inputs is as follows going forward (►):

The “MP” button (for Media Player) has its input
connection located above the headphone jack for
easy access. It uses a 1/8” mini-jack connector
which is the most common type of connection found
on portable media players. When selected, the
corresponding red LED, located to the right of the
button, will illuminate. When the “MP” input is in use
the display window automatically turns off. The
“Display” button allows you to turn the digital
display on and off.

The rotary “volume” control determines the volume
level, 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
very high quality metal-film resistors that the audio
signal passes through. The result is a proprietary
volume circuit, called M-eVOL2 that doesn’t
degrade the audio signal regardless of the setting,
unlike
circuitry operates in a fully balanced differential
mode, no noise is introduced to the audio signal.
Furthermore, there are no actual moving parts, so
this technology has a minimum life expectancy of
one million rotations. The Nēo 430HA Headphone
Amplifier 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.

all potentiometer based circuits. Since this

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9

430HA Headphone Amplifier

There are three (3) different headphone outputs
located on the front panel of the Nēo 430HA. The
first is the “Phones” jack, located directly below the
“MP in” jack. This is used for connecting a pair of
single-ended stereo headphones to the 430HA. The
input connector uses a standard single-ended ¼”
TRS jack.

The two other headphone outputs are hidden behind
the right side of the display window. To expose
them, simply slide the display window to the left.
This is done by placing one of your fingers into the
contoured groove, located on the far right side of
the window, and gently sliding it to the left until it
stops moving; when the groove is vertically aligned

Optional Digital Inputs

The Digital Input option includes four (4) separate
inputs: “D1” uses an optical Toslink connector, “D2”
and “D3” use S/PDIF on an female RCA connector
and “D4” uses a type-B USB connector. The “D1” is
intended for use with a source equipped with a
TosLink digital output such as a satellite dish
receiver or DVD player; The “D2” and “D3” inputs
are intended for use with a source equipped with a
S/PDIF digital output such as a network player,
music server or CD transport. The “D4” input is for
use with a computer equipped with a USB connector
and music player software; you cannot connect a
USB flash drive or external hard drive to the “D4”
input.

to the blue indicator LED. You will now see three (3)
female XLR connectors; The left and middle sockets
are 3-pin XLR connectors, intended for use with a
pair of dual-mono fully balanced headphones
equipped with two 3-pin XLR male connectors. The
right socket is a 4-pin XLR connector, intended for
use with a pair of fully balanced headphones
equipped with one 4-pin male connector. When
none of these three XLR connectors are in use, you
should close the display window; this is done by
placing one of your fingers onto the left side
contoured groove and gently sliding it to the right
until it stops moving.

connecting only one pair of headphones at a
time to the Nēo 430HA.

When you select one of the digital inputs the display
window will indicate which of the four digital inputs
is selected. At the same time, the right side of the
display window will initially show four dashes as
follows “----” which indicates that the Nēo 430HA is
in the process of locking onto the external digital
input signal – this may take several seconds. Once
the 430HA successfully locks onto the digital signal,
the four dashes will be replaced by the sampling
rate of this digital signal. When the DAC cannot lock
onto signal, “----” remains in the display window.

The optional DAC is capable of processing the
following data/sampling frequency rates. The
corresponding values as they appear in the display
window are listed directly below each rate:

Note: We recommend

PCM: 32.0kHz, 44.1kHz, 48.0kHz, 88.2kHz, 96kHz, 176.4kHz, 192kHz, 352.8 and 384kHz

Displays as: 32.0 44.1 48.0 88.2 96.0 176.0 192.0 352.8 384.0

DSD: DSD64 (2.82MHz), DSD128 (5.64MHz) and DSD256 (11.28MHz)

Displays as: DSd

Notes: (i) DSD format signals can ONLY be played through the USB (“D4”) input.
(ii) PCM format signals with sample-rates of 352.8kHz and 384kHz can

ONLY be played through the USB (“D4”) input.

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DSd.2 DSd.4

10

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Rear Panel Connections

Figure 2: Nēo 430HA Rear panel

The rear panel will look similar to Figure 2 (above).
There are two (2) pairs of single-ended analog
inputs on RCA connectors labeled “A1” and “A2”
followed by one (1) pair of balanced analog inputs
on XLR connectors labeled “B1”. The RCA input and
output connectors on the rear panel have been color
coded: ‘white’ for the left channel and ‘red’ for the
right channel.

The Nēo 430HA headphone amplifier has two (2)
pairs of single-ended outputs on RCA connectors,
labeled ‘FIX’ and ‘VAR’, located next to the “B1”
balanced input. The ‘FIX’ output is intended as an
input to a recording device such as a cassette tape
deck or CD-Recorder Player. Keep in mind that the
output level is fixed and cannot be adjusted by the
430HA’s volume control. The ‘VAR’ output is
designated for output to a power amplifier with
single-ended RCA inputs.

quality interconnect cables*. Poor quality
interconnect cables can degrade the overall sonic
performance of your system.

For Nēo 430HA’s equipped with the DAC option,
you will find 4 digital inputs labeled D1, D2, D3 and
D4. The D1 input is on an optical Toslink connector;
both the D2 and D3 inputs are on a S/PDIF
connector; the D4 input is on a USB type B
connector.

Don’t hesitate to use high

Below the area reserved for the optional digital
inputs are a series of input/output connectors for
custom type installations: From left to right there
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. Next,
there’s a 1/8” mini-jack input for use with
aftermarket infrared remote control receivers. Then
there’s a 12V trigger output on a 1/8” mini-jack that
can power up a connected component (with a 12V
trigger input) at the same time that the 430HA is
powered up. Next, there’s a full-function bi­directional RS-232 port for custom integration or
automation on a DB9 connector. Finally on the far
right side is the main power switch (“0”=off,
“1”=on) and the IEC receptacle, labeled “AC Power”
for the included AC power cord.

Connect the supplied AC power cable to the IEC
receptacle, located on the headphone amplifier’s
rear panel. Ensure that the AC wall outlet you use
has a functioning ground. For the best sonic
performance, it is preferable that you plug your
430HA directly into a dedicated AC outlet and avoid
using an extension cord. If you have the time and
willingness, consider installing a superior quality AC
wall outlet such as a hospital grade Hubbell*.

* Please speak with your MOON Authorized Retailer about
the benefits of high quality cables for your system, and
superior quality AC wall outlet.

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11

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Balanced Operation

The Nēo 430HA includes one (1) balanced line­level input and three (3) balanced headphone
outputs on XLR connectors. The “B1” input uses a
fully balanced differential circuit, intended for use
with source components that output a fully balanced
differential signal. The Nēo 430HA balanced inputs
and outputs takes full advantage of the benefits of
balanced circuitry:

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 both the

SimLink™

The SimLink™ provides communication features
between various MOON components. For example,
if you were to connect the Nēo 260D to the
430HA via the SimLink™, pressing the X (play)
button on the Nēo 260D will cause the 430HA to
automatically switch to the input labeled ‘A2’. You
can change this default setting as follows: Select the
input that you want as the new default, then press
and hold the ◄ INPUT (left) button for 3 seconds,
until the front panel display briefly shows “CD”.

Another feature of SimLink™ involves the “Standby”
function. By pressing down and holding the
“Standby” button for approximately 3 seconds on
the either the Nēo 260D or 430HA, both units will
go into “Standby” mode. The same logic applies
when switching from “Standby” to active mode.

If you are using the “MiND” Music Streamer and
your 430HA includes the “DAC” option, you must
make a SimLink™ connection between the “MiND”s
SimLink™ out and the 430HA’s SimLink™ in. When
you press the X (play) button on the “MiND” App,
the 430HA will automatically switch to the input
labeled ‘D2’. You can change this default setting for
the “MiND” as follows: Select the input (‘D1’ or ‘D3’)
that you want as the new default for “MiND”, then
press and hold the INPUT X (right) button for 3

preamplifier and 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 +2 Volts, the other
will be carrying a signal of –2 Volts. When these
two inverted signals on a balanced line are output
from the Nēo 430HA, 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.

seconds, until the front panel display briefly shows
‘Str’.

If you are using the “MiND” Music Streamer and an
external DAC, you need to make a SimLink™
connection between the “MiND”s SimLink™ out and
the 430HA’s SimLink™ in. You must assign this
default setting as follows: Select the analog input
that you want as the default for the MiND, then
press and hold the INPUT X (right) button for 3
seconds, until the front panel display briefly shows
‘Str’. When you press the X (play) button on the
“MiND” App, the 430HA will automatically switch to
the default ‘Str’ input. If you have previously created
a default input for ‘CD’, ensure that you use a
different analog input for the “Str” default.

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 may not function.
Also, there is no master component in a SimLink™
chain; no one particular component operates as the
main communications controller.

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12

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Operating the 430HA

We recommend leaving your Nēo 430HA powered
up at all times to maintain optimal performance.
When you plan on being away for a few days, it may
not be a bad idea to power off your preamplifier.

Turning on your Nēo 430HA for the first time

Prior to turning the headphone amplifier 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, labeled
“POWER” to the ‘1’ (on) position to place your
430HA in to standby mode. Next, briefly press the

On and Off Sequence

To avoid having any annoying noises (ie. “thumps”
and “pops”) emanate from your headphones when
powering your 430HA on or off, you should always
power up your source component(s) (CD, DAC,

Please keep in mind that once fully “broken-in”, your
430HA requires several hours of operation before
reaching optimal performance after powering it up
again.

push 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
on the front panel will illuminate, indicating that the
430HA is now powered up and ready for use.

Streaming Device) prior to powering up your
430HA. As well, always power down your 430HA
before powering down your source component(s).

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13

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Remote Control Operation

The Nēo 430HA Headphone Amplifier uses the ‘CRM-2’ full-function remote
control (figure 3). It operates on the Philips RC-5 communication protocol
and can be used with other Simaudio MOON componen

The ‘CRM-2’ remote uses two AA batteries (included). To install them,
simply slide the back plate off in the direction of the arrow; insert the
batteries in the correct direction and then replace the back plate.

To engage the ‘CRM-2’ remote for use with the Nēo 430HA Preamplifier,
you must first press the button labeled AMP.

The POWER button located on the upper left will switch the Headphone
Amplifier to either ‘Standby’ or ‘On’ mode.

The DISPLAY button turns the front panel display on and off

The 2 buttons labeled ◄ INPUT ► allow you to sequentially scroll, either
backwards or forwards, through all available inputs. For example, to switch
from the “A1” to the “B1” input, press ◄ INPUT two (2) times. To switch
from the “B1” to the “A1” input, press INPUT ► two (2) times. Pressing and
holding down either of these buttons results in only a single change to the
selected input.

The 2 buttons labeled ▼ VOL ▲ allow you to control the volume level.
Pressing ▼ VOL results in a decrease in the volume level; Pressing VOL ▲
results in an increase in the volume level. You may either press and hold
these buttons down or press them briefly to make volume adjustments.

The MUTE button turns off the output volume. Pressing the “Mute” button a
second time will reinstate the output volume level back to its current setting.

NOTE: The ◄ BAL ► buttons don’t affect the operation of the 430HA.

Figure 3: CRM-2
Remote Control

ts.

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14

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Remote operation with multiple MOON components

Figure 4: Remote Operation with SimLink™

In figure 4 we have a 180 MiND Music Streamer
connected to a Nēo 430HA Headphone Amplifier
via their respective SimLink™ ports (using a 1/8”
mini-jack cable). When you launch the “MiND” App
on your Apple smart device (full list on the MiND
page of our website) and select this system’s ZONE,

the 180 MiND will turn on, as will 430HA; The
430HA will automatically switch to the “MiND”
assigned input, as described previously in the
SimLink™ section. To shut down the system, press
“Off” for this ZONE in the “MiND” app.

Figure 5: Remote Operation with SimLink™ and 12V Trigger

In figure 5 we have a Nēo 260D CD Transport
connected to a 430HA Headphone Amplifier via
their respective SimLink™ ports (using a 1/8” mini­jack cable), and the 430HA is connected to a 330A
Amplifier via their respective 12V triggers (also using

a 1/8” mini-jack cable). When you turn on the 260D
via remote control (or its Standby button), both the
430HA and 330A will turn on automatically. The
same rule applies when you put the 260D into
Standby mode.

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15

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Specifications

Configuration ................................................. Fully balanced differential

Headphone Impedance ................................... 20 - 600Ω

Power Supply Transformers ............................. 2 x 25VA

Power Supply Capacitance .............................. 35,000µF

Type of Amplification ...................................... Transconductance

Balanced inputs (XLR) ................................... 1 pairs

Single-ended inputs (RCA) ............................. 2 pairs

Mini-jack input ............................................... 1 (1/8”)

Input Impedance .......................................... 22,000Ω

Output Device Type ........................................ Bipolar

Balanced Headphone Outputs .......................... 4-Pin XLR (1) and 3-Pin XLR (2)

Single Ended Headphone Output ..................... 1/4” Stereo TRS (1)

Single Ended Preamp Outputs (RCA) ................ 2 pairs (fixed and variable)

Output Power @ 600Ω .................................... 667mW

Output Power @ 300Ω .................................... 1.33W

Output Power @ 50Ω ..................................... 8W

Audible Frequency Response ........................... 20Hz-20kHz ±0.1dB

Full-Range Frequency Response ...................... 5Hz - 100kHz +0/-3.0dB

Output Impedance ......................................... 1.25Ω

Signal-to-noise Ratio (20Hz-20kHz) ................. 120dB @ full output

Crosstalk @ 1kHz (w/o crossfeed) .................... 110dB

Gain - Selectable ............................................. 14dB or 20dB

Maximum Output Voltage (Preamp) ................ 8 Volts

THD (20Hz - 20kHz) ..................................... 0.005%

Intermodulation Distortion .............................. 0.005%

Remote Control ............................................. Full-Function (CRM-2)

Power Consumption @ idle ............................. 15 Watts

Power Consumption @ Standby ...................... 0.5 Watts

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

Shipping Weight ............................................ 17.lbs / 7.5 Kgs

Dimensions (W x H x D, inches) ..................... 16.88 x 3.5 x 13.8

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16

430HA Headphone Amplifier

Specifications (cont’d)

Optional

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

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

Digital-to-Analog Converter:

Digital Input Types ......................................... S/PDIF (RCA) x 2 USB x 1 TosLink x 1

DSD Data Rates (2.8224MHz), Double (5.6448MHz) and
Quadruple (11.2896) via USB only

DSD Sample Rates ......................................... DSD 64, DSD 128 & DSD256 via USB only

PCM Bit-depth range ....................................... 16 - 32 bits (32-bit via USB only)

PCM Sampling Frequency Rates........................ 44.1 - 384kHz (352.8 & 384kHz via USB only)

Frequency Response (audible) ........................ 20Hz - 20kHz +0/-0.2dB

Frequency Response (full range) ................... 2Hz - 72kHz +0/-3dB

THD @ 1kHz, 0dBFS (A-weighted) ................. < 0.001 %

IMD ............................................................. < 0.004 %

Dynamic Range ............................................. > 120dB

Signal-to-noise ratio ...................................... > 116dB @ full output

Slew Rate ..................................................... 50V/µs

Channel Separation ....................................... > 116dB

Low Level Linearity ........................................ ±1.0dB to below 120dBFS

Intrinsic Jitter ............................................... < 25 picoseconds RMS

Balanced Pin Assignment:

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

12 Volt Trigger: Logic........................... Direct (0V off, 12V on)

Jack............................ 3.5mm microphone jack

Input Impedance ......... 1kΩ

Current Consumption ... 12mA

NOTE: If you require the RS-232 codes for your Nēo 430HA, please visit the "Contact Us" page
and complete the "Information request" form on our website at

Fuse Replacement: For the 120V version use a 0.5A fast blow (5 x 20mm size).

For the 230V version use a 0.5A fast blow (5 x 20mm size).

www.simaudio.com.

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