Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Standalone Phono Stage
The Moonriver Audio 505 phono stage features 4 inputs for all your turntables. It supports every possible adjustment with dedicated knobs and switches to perfectly match your previous MC or MM cartridges and de-emphasis curve for 78 rpm records.
It also saves your settings for each individual input. Ultra low noise, solid state circuitry delivers incredible performance with open, transparent and dynamic sound. It is designed with audiophiles, record collectors and music lovers in mind.
All those colorful nuances, forgotten melodies that are lying in the tiny groves of 33, 45, 78 records, will be revealed effortlessly.
Natural color and timbre with effortless musicality is Moonriver Audio’s signature while sustainability, reliability with ease of service as part of the “must” in the design/build philosophy.
Moonriver Audio 505 Hybrid Standalone Phono Stage
The Moonriver Audio 505 phono stage meets all the needs of any demanding audiophile who loves vinyl records, both now and in the future.
Designed with audiophiles, record collectors and vinyl freaks in mind, it boasts 4 inputs for all your turntables, tone-arms and cartridges. It also supports every possible adjustment on the fly with dedicated knobs and switches to ideally match your MC or MM cartridge.
The unique, adjustment feature of the Moonriver Audio 505 hybrid phono stage allows “on the fly” listening tests with various adjustments without the need to switch off, remove the cover, switch on again and wait to warm it up.
The hybrid design combines the use of ICs and discrete solid-state circuits to form an ideal, high performance and ultra low noise circuit. While the IC op amps offer very low noise levels, a discrete circuit offers lifelike drive and dynamics which is impossible to get from IC op-amps.
As for the sonic signature of all Moonriver Audio products, we strive to balance the fine line between musicality & resolution. The soul of the music is in the midrange, this is where most of the emotion, the passion, the joie de vivre is contained.
On a technical level, it’s within the frequency band of 200 – 4,000Hz. Without a solid foundation underneath the midrange, the music sounds thin & brittle and often un-involving. If the brain perceives that the sound is artificial, then it’s difficult to be swept away by the message contained within the music.
Similarly, accurate timbre reproduction is essential. A New York Steinway does have noticeable sonic differences from a Hamburg Steinway, while a Guarneri violin sounds distinct from a Stradivarius. To capture all those nuances, the loudspeakers & electronics need to act in unison, neither obscuring, nor exaggerating detail.
The sound and the level of performance of the Moonriver Audio 505 phono stage is hard to describe and it must be heard to be believed.
Design & User Interface
We had a very clear vision when conceiving the Moonriver Audio 505 hybrid phono stage: Classic design with a modern touch; high quality materials such as oversized aluminum knobs, solid walnut cheeks, sturdy chassis and an ergonomic user interface.
There are no “for show” aesthetics here, no display with complicated serial menus and hidden functions, nor a single multi-function knob for “minimalistic” purposes.
The heart of the Model 505 is pure and minimal, but the interface is user-oriented and easy to operate by anyone in seconds, with no need to resort to the user manual.
Features
Giving direct access to all necessary adjustments, the 505 includes 4 knobs and 5 switches for all the adjustments: 4 inputs, 12 gain settings (6 for MM and 6 for MC), 5 MM capacitance settings, 5 MC load settings, including a custom option, 3 MM load settings and EQ choice for RIAA, Decca or Columbia 78 rpm records.
The 505 phono stage will handle the signal from your precious MC cartridge with unmatched performance and it will make your everyday MM cartridge sound like never before.
Power supply
The Moonriver Audio 505 hybrid phono stage contains 6 separated power supplies, including a massive 70000uf total capacitance and it is designed in dual mono operation.
Each stage has its own power supply, including a linear discrete regulator circuit and a discrete noise rejection circuit.
Active gain stage
Using ultra low noise active gain stages, the Moonriver Audio 505 delivers a maximum gain of 72dB (x4000 times) in the MC setting. The MM and MC settings use different input stages with different op amps specifically chosen for each case.
All setting functions are performed with air sealed, extremely low impedance relays. Finally, a discrete, high current output circuit delivers lifelike dynamics on the output.
Microcontroller operation with save memory function
A microcontroller controls all functions and ensures an entirely silent operation. Every setting change is stored automatically for each of the 4 inputs. Every time you change the input, the last chosen settings are recalled automatically.
For example, you can connect 4 MC cartridges or 4 MM cartridges or 2MC and 2 MM, or 3 MM and one MC, every combination is possible with different settings for every input.
De-emphasis EQ
The de-emphasis circuit is passive, the best possible approach for extreme flat frequency response without interference with the other stages.
The EQ circuits involve 2 equalization curves, a RIAA and a DECCA or COLUMBIA curve for 78rpm records. Both EQ circuits are formed using a minimalistic approach with very few, extremely low tolerance, audiophile quality components.
Components
The layout is mainly based on discrete, through hole components except the input for MM and MC stages with their impedance and capacitance adjustments which are using surface mount components to keep the signal path as short as possible.
The components are carefully chosen in order to deliver the most possible open and transparent sound from input to output and to reveal the texture and the micro and macro dynamic content of each record.
The Moonriver Audio 505 hybrid phono stage reveals previously unheard details and qualities in your vinyl records, including micro-contrast and low level information that you may have not experienced otherwise.
Specifications
- Inputs: 4
- Minimum gain: 34dB
- Maximum gain: 72 dB
- Capacitance values: 100, 220, 330, 470, 680pF
- MC load impedance: 10, 47, 100, 470, 1KΩ and custom
- MM load impedance: 22K, 47K, 75KΩ
- De-emphasis curve: RIAA and Decca or Columbia
- Stereo / Mono function
- XLR and RCA inputs and outputs
- Separate shielding for the transformer and gain stages
- Auto mute function
- Dimensions (mm): 430 (W) x 390 (D) x 135 (H)
- Weight: 12 kg
Frequently Asked Questions
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“The Moonriver 505 is a Swiss Army knife of a phono stage. With four inputs and an impressive array of adjustments, it can handle just about any combination of arms and cartridges. It looks elegant, is built to last, and most importantly, sounds wonderful.
“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.”
“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.”
“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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