Moonriver 505 Phono Stage won the Product of The Year award! | Possible for a Nobel Prize | Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Phono review in LP magazine by Christian Bayer
”The 505 captures the delicacy of Nils Orland and Sigbjörn Apeland's Nordic mélange of a Herdanger fiddle with its additional resonance strings and a harmonium that seems to sound from within the earth with all its finest nuances. Tonally it's beautiful, dynamically incorruptible, totally calm and stable and anchored in the vastness of the north. But it also works with juice and strength. John Scofield, one of my great guitar heroes, has released another dream album with “Uncle John's Band”. Vicente Archer on bass and drummer Billy Stewart, who gets better as he gets older, play on “Mr. Tambourine Man” in the most subtle way. You've definitely never heard the Dylan classic like this before and I can only recommend this ECM recording to you. The Moonriver 505 brings out everything that is on offer in terms of delicate dynamic jumps and tonal delicacies and seduces me to continue listening indefinitely”.
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Editor's Choice Award! | The Ear magazine | Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Phono review by Chris Kelly
”This is a masterpiece of audio technology. It seemed as if it had been made to be paired with my LP12 and drew me into long, unfatiguing listening sessions. The build quality is impeccable and, at least to my eyes, it is a very handsome thing too. I can imagine pairing this with the 404 Reference integrated amplifier and living happily ever after with those, my Harbeths and LP12. Whatever I subsequently played through the 505 Hybrid, it seemed to have been voiced as perfectly as any piece of audio equipment of my acquaintance. It must be incredibly challenging for a designer to find the right balance between detail and music flow, between analysis and emotional connection, between light and shade in the subtleties of a performance. Of course this did not come as a great surprise, as I found Moonriver’s 404 and 404 Reference integrated amplifiers to be among the most musically rewarding of any that have graced my system, ever. I may not have enough time left to play every single record in my collection before I am too shaky to lower a stylus safely onto the disc, but with this in my home I would give it my best shot. If you are committed to vinyl replay, as I am, I urge you to seek out and audition this wonderful machine – you will not be disappointed.”.
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Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Phono HiFi&Music review by Jonas Bryngelsson
”There is even more air and space between the sparse (piano and guitar) notes, which in some way enhance both beauty and distortion in the recording, when the Model 505 is plugged into the system. [...] The music is presented just as it was once played, emphatically showing that this RIAA stage very much plays back the music as it was mixed and finally mastered [...] It is more clearly noticeable that the 505 can display a slightly laid-back, relaxed character. The last thing it does is to throw the music in the face of us who listen. [...] The 505 sorts the fast and densely mixed music in the best possible way”.
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Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Phono review in HiFi Statement by Carsten Bussler
”Does this phono stage have any weaknesses at all? No. However, if you're looking for whitewashing and lulling euphonic warmth with sugar coating, you've come to the wrong place. The 505 impresses with its enormous transparency and the ability to make the most subtle information audible without ever drifting into the analytical. I really shy away from using the word “perfection” in connection with hi-fi components; tastes vary too much and the risk of wear and tear from excessive use of such attributes is too great. But in terms of its tonal permeability and ability to not add any sound to the music, I think the 505 is perfect. The nice thing about this device is that it has a lasting effect on the listener, because the strengths described only become apparent after listening for a long time, and from then on this fascination remains without any signs of wear and tear. In this respect, it saddens me that I now have to return this phono preamplifier; Such sentimentality rarely happens to me and especially not when there is not a single tube in a device”.
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Moonriver 505 Phono Stage won the Product of The Year award!
Moonriver 505 Phono Stage won the LP Magazine Product of The Year Award!
"With the 505, the Swedish manufacturer presents a very special phono preamplifier, which is noticeable at first glance: The machine, which has a decidedly Scandinavian-style outfit, impresses with its successful operating concept, where the pickup adjustment can be changed without any problems even during operation. Fortunately, four pickups can be connected, one of them even symmetrically. In terms of sound, the semiconductor construction impresses with a variable and transparent sound that is perfectly compatible with a large number of pickups".
The LP maganine award
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MOONRIVER AUDIO AT HIGH END FAIR 2024 IN MUNICH
We look forward to meeting you at the Munich HiEnd show 2024!
Please viri us at Hall 2, Booth F11 together with:
OePHI AUDIO speakers & cables
ASSOS WOODWORKING racks
SUPATRAC tonearms
LUCAS AUDIO LABS streamers
Editor’s Choice Award! | Moonriver Audio 404 Reference review in The Ear magazine by Chris Kelly
"My system, with the 404 Reference at its beating heart, was as immersive as any I have heard, here or elsewhere. Regular readers will know that one of my favourite pieces is Pink Floyd’s Echoes, which takes up the whole of the second side of Meddle. Its epic sweep has never been better portrayed in my home than it was by this system, with the contribution of each band member clearly heard and placed in the soundstage, without any detriment to the musical flow. Hard to believe that it was released over half a century ago, it sounded so vivid here.
If there was any justice, the name Moonriver Audio ought to be mentioned in the same breath as that of many much more widely acclaimed brands. I congratulate the Moonriver team on this achievement – they are going to have their work cut out to produce something better than this. I know it is only May, but I think I have already identified a shoo-in for one of my Product of the Year nominations”.
Moonriver Audio 404 review in AVF Line magazine by Ywen
"Although Moonriver Audio is a young company, it has entered our sights with many new elements: new positioning, new design, new technology, while also retaining the necessary functions and features in the development process of Hi-Fi. , from which we can see Moonriver Audio’s full sincerity to users. The Model 404 integrated power amplifier is a relatively versatile power amplifier. It has a bland personality and allows the speaker to bring out its characteristics. The retro appearance, neutral and durable sound, the ability to add phono preamplifier and decoding modules, and 100% Swedish manufacturing make the Model 404 an extremely cost-effective integrated amplifier”.
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Responsive and Powerful! | Moonriver 404 Reference review in HiFi Review magazine by Chen Haichuan
"Drum Improvisation is crisp, refreshing and energetic with contrast between big and small percussion instruments The soundstage and front-to-back layers are clear. It also makes me think that Model 404 Reference is class AB but it sounds like a class A with higher bias, so it is not only that has delicate tone, but it is also vigorous and lively It also has heart, power and speed when playing the drums.”
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Gosh! | Moonriver 404 Reference review in Audio Magazine by Lothar Brandt
"A nice integrated amplifier in the old fashioned way. I didn't miss the DAC board, that belongs to the source anyway. The phono stage can also convince audiophiles. The silky, confident sound of the Moonriver 404 Reference is definitely for connoisseurs. The 404 Reference didn't overwhelm the fine, internal dynamic levels and basically took the listener by the hand for every slight increase or decrease. That was fine, fresh sound that opened up beautifully and transparently.”
Download the review in German here