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MOON 310LP Phono Preamplifier, Black
MOON 310LP rear panel and connections
MOON 310LP in Black, front view
MOON 310LP internal construction
MOON 310LP lifestyle view in a listening room
MOON 310LP Phono Preamplifier

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MOON · 310LP

MOON 310LP Phono Preamplifier

$2,300

Trade-up credit availableSignature technologiesThe MOON story

Not currently in our rooms. For a serious buyer we will often bring a piece in from the manufacturer for a private session — tell us about your system and what you are weighing it against, and we will advise.

MOON · 310LP

The 310LP is MOON's half-width phono preamplifier: a symmetrical MM/MC circuit on four-layer copper boards with i²DCf inductive filtering, balanced and single-ended outputs, and four gain, five loading and three capacitance settings.

Price is for one unit. Settings are made with DIP switches. Accepts a compatible external MOON power supply.

110 dBr
signal-to-noise at 40 dB gain (MOON spec)
40 – 66 dB
gain in four settings; +6 dB from the balanced output
XLR + RCA
balanced and single-ended outputs
7 lb
shipping weight (3.1 kg)
Options and pricing
Ask about hearing this Call (503) 222-2599

Authorized MOON dealer · Delivery and installation by Pearl Audio · Trade-ins welcome

The story

The 310LP is where MOON's phono engineering becomes compact. In a 7-inch-wide chassis Simaudio has placed a symmetrical circuit with accurately matched components on four-layer printed circuit boards with pure copper traces, which shorten the signal path and lower impedance. The power supply is on its own board with a toroidal transformer and two stages of regulation, and the i²DCf principle of the 810LP, an inductor-based filter for each IC in the signal path, is applied in two stages; the capacitors are custom MOON electrolytics. The published figures are 110 dBr signal-to-noise at 40 dB gain, 0.001% THD and −100 dB crosstalk.

Gain is 40 dB for moving-magnet cartridges and 54, 60 or 66 dB for moving coils, with 6 dB more available from the balanced XLR output; resistive loading is 10, 100, 470 or 1,000 Ω or 47 kΩ, capacitance 0, 100 or 470 pF, and the equalization curve RIAA or IEC, all set by DIP switches. The input is single-ended RCA, the outputs both balanced XLR and RCA, and the 310LP can be driven by a compatible external MOON power supply for a further lift.

SoundStage! Hi-Fi's Philip Beaudette gave the 310LP a Reviewers' Choice award in April 2022, finding that "it left no fingerprint on these songs" and that "the 310LP isn't really forward, it's just quiet," and concluded: "If you're happy with your analog frontend and don't want to change anything, this is an easy recommendation." The site named it a Recommended Reference Component two months later.

In the range, the 310LP sits between the 110LP v2 ($600), MOON's entry phono stage with an external AC adapter and RCA output only, and the 610LP ($8,500), which moves to a full-width dual-mono balanced circuit with 24 i²DCf stages and 64 loads. Choose the 310LP for a moving-coil cartridge of normal output on a 341, 371, 641 or non-MOON amplifier where a balanced connection is available; its five loads cover most cartridges and its 66 dB setting is enough for all but the lowest-output coils.

Pearl Audio carries Rega and Clearaudio turntables and Hana cartridges that match the 310LP, and we set its switches for your cartridge before delivery. The balanced output into a 341, 641 or 791 is the connection we recommend.

MOON 310LP lifestyle view in a listening room

Key technologies

  • i²DCf inductive DC filtering. Two stages of the inductor-per-IC filtering used in the 810LP, with custom MOON electrolytic capacitors. See the deep dive below.
  • Isolated power supply. A separate board with a toroidal transformer and two stages of regulation; a compatible external MOON supply can be added.
  • Symmetrical circuit on four-layer boards. Accurately matched components and pure copper traces for a shorter, lower-impedance signal path.
  • Balanced and single-ended outputs. XLR and RCA outputs; the balanced output adds 6 dB of gain.
  • Adjustable gain, loading and curve. 40, 54, 60 or 66 dB; 10 Ω to 47 kΩ in five steps; 0, 100 or 470 pF; RIAA or IEC.
  • Made in Boucherville, Québec. Hand-assembled and tested; up to 10 years of warranty with registration within 30 days.

Finishes

  • Black black anodized aluminum

The 310LP is supplied in black.

Specifications
Type Half-width MM/MC phono preamplifier, symmetrical circuit, i²DCf filtering
Inputs 1 pair RCA
Outputs 1 pair balanced XLR, 1 pair RCA
Gain 40 dB (MM); 54, 60 or 66 dB (MC); +6 dB from the balanced output
Resistive loading 10 Ω, 100 Ω, 470 Ω, 1 kΩ, 47 kΩ
Capacitive loading 0, 100 or 470 pF
Equalization RIAA or IEC
Signal-to-noise ratio 110 dBr at 40 dB gain; 88 dBr at 66 dB gain (full scale)
THD 0.001% (20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Intermodulation distortion 0.009%
Crosstalk −100 dB at 1 kHz
Frequency response 20 Hz – 20 kHz (±0.5 dB)
Input overload 58 mV RMS at 40 dB gain; 3.0 mV at 66 dB (1 kHz)
Output impedance 50 Ω
Power supply Internal, toroidal transformer, two stages of regulation and two i²DCf stages; compatible external MOON supply optional
Control DIP switches
Power consumption Not published by MOON
Dimensions (W × H × D) 7.0 × 3.0 × 11.0 in (17.8 × 7.6 × 28.0 cm)
Shipping weight 7.0 lb (3.1 kg)
Warranty 1 year standard; up to 10 years with registration within 30 days (USA and Canada)

MOON 310LP product page and specifications

Where it sits in the range

MOON's phono preamplifiers, cheapest to dearest. The 310LP is the compact stage with balanced outputs.

It pairs naturally with the 341, 371 or 641.

Reviews

Plan your MOON system with Pearl Audio

Pearl Audio is an authorized MOON dealer. We can match it to the rest of your system, set it up in your room and arrange an audition in our Portland showroom. If you already own a current MOON component, ask about Simaudio's trade-up program. Call (503) 222-2599 or email sales@pearlaudio.com.

Signature technologies

The engineering behind the MOON 310LP Phono Preamplifier

MOON gives its technologies names because each one solves a specific problem. Here is what each does, where it came from, why it matters in a system, and what you may hear.

Signature technologySince 2011

i²DCf (Independent Inductive DC Filtering)

A dedicated inductor filtering the DC supply of every integrated circuit in the signal path, so each gain stage draws from its own quiet reservoir of power. Read the deep diveClose

What it does

A phono preamplifier amplifies a signal measured in fractions of a millivolt, so any noise riding on its power rails ends up in the music. MOON's answer is to give each IC in the audio path its own inductor-based filter stage: 40 stages in the 850P preamplifier, 24 in the 810LP and 610LP phono stages, 2 in the compact 310LP, with the same inductive DC filtering principle in the 110LP v2. Behind the filters sits multi-stage voltage regulation, four stages of what Simaudio calls M-LoVo (MOON Low Voltage) in the 810LP, and in the top models a separate power supply board with a toroidal transformer. The optional 820S external supply takes the idea further for the 610LP, 810LP and the North players: two toroidal transformers, pi filtering with 40,000 µF and dual 20 mH chokes per supply, and four stages of discrete M-R2S regulation.

Why it matters in a system

With a moving-coil cartridge at 60 to 70 dB of gain the phono stage is the noisiest link in most systems, and its noise floor sets how much of the groove you hear. Independent filtering stops stages from modulating one another through the supply, and the result is the very low noise MOON's phono stages are known for: 115 dBr at 40 dB gain on the 810LP, 112 dBr on the 610LP, 110 dBr on the 310LP. It also makes the units unusually insensitive to the quality of the mains.

What you may hear

Black silence between tracks even with a low-output moving coil, and the small details of a record, room sound, decays, the texture of a bow, that noise would otherwise bury. Michael Fremer's verdict on the 810LP: "the 810LP was dead quiet."

Made in Canada

Hand-assembled in Boucherville, Québec

Every MOON component is designed, hand-assembled and tested in Simaudio's own factory in Boucherville, across the St. Lawrence from Montréal, as it has been since the company's founding in 1980. Read the deep diveClose

What it does

Simaudio has built its own products in Québec since Victor Sima founded the company in 1980. Under Jean Poulin, owner and chief executive for nearly two decades, the operation grew from a 3,000-square-foot shop to a 46,000-square-foot, vertically integrated factory in Boucherville, where engineering, assembly and quality control sit under one roof. When Poulin handed the company to three of its own people in 2013, their commitment was that MOON "will continue to be engineered and manufactured in-house, in Quebec." Boards are populated, chassis finished and every unit hand-assembled and measured before it leaves; a single 888 monoblock takes about a week to build.

Why it matters in a system

Keeping design and production together is how a small company controls quality at this level: the engineer who specified a matched set of transistors can walk to the bench where they are selected, and a change in a circuit can be made in production the same month. It is also what makes long-term service realistic. A MOON component bought today can go back to the people who built it, and the 10-year warranty program rests on that.

What you may hear

Consistency. Two 761s sound like two 761s, and the one you audition in Portland is built the same way as the one delivered to your home.

Ownership

10-year warranty

Register a new MOON component within 30 days of purchase from an authorized dealer and the one-year standard warranty is replaced by up to ten years of coverage against manufacturing defects. Read the deep diveClose

What it does

In Canada and the United States every MOON component carries a one-year parts-and-labor warranty. With a validated registration completed within 30 days of purchase from an authorized MOON dealer, that limited warranty is replaced by an extended warranty of up to ten years against manufacturing defects. Mechanical parts, the laser transport, volume control and switches, are covered for three years under the extended program. The coverage is not transferable from one private owner to another, which is one reason a MOON component bought new, from a dealer, holds its value. Outside Canada and the United States the dealer or distributor sets the terms.

Why it matters in a system

A ten-year commitment is a statement about how the products are built and how long the company expects to support them, and it changes how you plan a system: a 641 or 791 bought today is a component you can build around for a decade, with Simaudio's own factory behind it. Ask Pearl Audio to help with registration when your component is delivered; the 30-day window starts at purchase.

What you may hear

Peace of mind is not audible, but a system you are not worried about is one you listen to more.

All MOON technologies and the company story

The MOON story

Canadian engineering since 1980, devoted to revealing the recording: not spectacle, not excess.

Founded 1980 in Québec, Canada (today Boucherville, near Montréal) by Victor Sima · simaudio.com

Milestones

  1. 1980 Sima Electronics founded Engineer and musician Victor Sima founds the company in Québec; its early PW2000 amplifier is aimed first at professional users.
  2. 1990 Simaudio Ltd. and Celeste The company's timeline places the Simaudio Ltd. name and the Celeste series here; the Celeste i-5080 integrated amplifier earns a following.
  3. 1997 The MOON Series Simaudio launches MOON as its reference-grade line. The i-5 integrated amplifier, W-5 power amplifier and P-5 preamplifier define the period.
  4. 2010 30th anniversary Limited editions of the MOON 600i and the Evolution 750D converter in high-gloss red, each with a 30-year warranty.
  5. 2011 Evolution 850P The two-chassis flagship preamplifier is shown at CES: eight-point floating suspension, dual-mono supply and the M-Ray 530-step volume control.MOON 850P Preamplifier
  6. 2012 MiND The 180 MiND is Simaudio's first network streamer, built on MiND, the MOON intelligent Network Device. The 810LP reference phono preamplifier arrives the same year.MOON 810LP Phono Preamplifier
  7. 2013 New owners from within Jean Poulin, owner and CEO for nearly two decades, passes the company to Costa Koulisakis, Thierry Dufour and Louis Lemire. Production stays in-house in Québec.
  8. 2018 888 and MiND 2 The 888 monoblock ships (888 W into 8 ohms, 32 matched bipolar transistors, no global feedback) after its CES 2017 debut; MiND 2 is shown at HIGH END Munich.MOON 888 Power Amplifier
  9. 2022 EISA award for the ACE The MOON ACE all-in-one player wins the EISA High-End Stereo System 2022-2023 award.
  10. 2023 North Collection Unveiled at HIGH END Munich: 641, 681, 761, 791, 861 and 891, introducing MDCA, the MDE digital engines, M-RAY2 and M-VOL3 volume control, MOONLink and the BRM-1 remote.MOON 891 Network Player / Preamplifier
  11. 2025 Compass Collection The 371 Network Player / Amplifier opens a more accessible range built on MDCA and the MHP hybrid power supply, and wins EISA's Premium Integrated Amplifier 2026-2027; the 491, 461 and 341 follow in 2026.MOON 371 Network Player / Amplifier
  12. Now MOON 310LP Phono Preamplifier The 310LP brings MOON's phono approach, i2DCf inductive filtering, a symmetrical circuit on four-layer boards and balanced outputs, to a compact chassis, with the option of an external power supply.
Read the MOON story
MOON 791 Network Player / Preamplifier from the North Collection in a living room (manufacturer photo)

Simaudio began in 1980, when Victor Sima, an engineer and musician, founded Sima Electronics in Québec to build amplifiers for people who found mass-market audio wanting; its early PW2000 amplifier was aimed first at professional users. The company's own timeline places the Celeste series and the Simaudio Ltd. name at 1990, and the Celeste i-5080 integrated amplifier, which brought the firm's preamplifier and power amplifier work into one chassis, gave it a following. In 1997 Simaudio introduced the MOON Series, a reference-grade line that moved the company into the high end. The MOON i-5 integrated amplifier, the W-5 power amplifier and the P-5 preamplifier defined the period and set the house values that still hold: amplifiers without global feedback, dual-mono construction, and a sound that reveals rather than flatters.

Under Jean Poulin, owner and chief executive for nearly two decades, the company grew from a 3,000-square-foot shop to a 46,000-square-foot, vertically integrated factory in Boucherville, across the St. Lawrence from Montréal, and MOON became a brand sold around the world. The 2000s added home theater, the MOON ROCK monoblock and the Attraction processor, and then the Evolution Series brought the brand into a new tier: the 750D, the fully balanced converter Simaudio counts as its digital milestone, and the Evolution 850P preamplifier, shown at CES in January 2011 with its two-chassis layout, eight-point floating suspension and M-Ray 530-step volume control, which became the reference for everything that followed. In 2012 Simaudio launched its first network streamer, the 180 MiND, and with it MiND, the MOON intelligent Network Device.

In September 2013 Poulin handed the company to three of its own people: Costa Koulisakis, who had spent thirteen years building its sales and customer relationships; Thierry Dufour, chief engineer for almost twenty years and the designer behind its award-winning products; and Louis Lemire, an engineer with a business background. Their commitment was that MOON would continue to be engineered and manufactured in-house in Québec. The 888 monoblock, shown as a prototype at CES 2017 and shipped in 2018, was their statement piece: 888 watts into 8 ohms, 32 hand-matched bipolar transistors mounted in cast heat sinks machined to a thousandth of an inch, no global feedback, and about a week on the bench for each one. MiND 2, the second-generation streaming platform, arrived the same year.

The modern MOON took shape over the following years. In 2022 the ACE all-in-one player won the EISA High-End Stereo System award, confirming that the company's streaming platform could carry a complete system. In May 2023 at HIGH END Munich the company unveiled the North Collection, six components (641, 681, 761, 791, 861, 891) that introduced MDCA distortion-cancelling amplification, the MDE digital engines, the M-RAY2 and M-VOL3 volume controls, MOONLink system control and the BRM-1 Bluetooth remote; Stereophile measured the 861 and called the result "one of the best I have encountered." In 2025 the Compass Collection followed, opening with the 371 Network Player / Amplifier, EISA's Premium Integrated Amplifier 2026-2027, and continuing with the 491, 461 and 341, bringing MDCA and the MHP hybrid power supply to a more accessible range. MOON International now carries the brand beyond North America.

The philosophy has not changed since the i-5. Simaudio describes its aim as bringing listeners "closer to the emotional truth of a performance," revealing the recording "with natural authority and emotional depth," and sums up the design brief as "Not spectacle. Not excess." Every MOON component is still designed, hand-assembled and tested in Boucherville, backed by a ten-year warranty with registration, and the company counts more than 400 awards worldwide. Pearl Audio keeps the Compass and North Collections on the floor in Portland.

The complete MOON story and technology library

MOON at Pearl Audio

Pearl Audio is an authorized MOON dealer and keeps the Compass and North Collections on the floor in Portland. Our MOON representative is Ari Margolis. Ask us about registering your MOON purchase for the 10-year warranty (registration must be completed within 30 days); we handle delivery and setup ourselves.

On demonstration in Portland now

Reach for the MOON (RFTM) trade-up

Trade up to the 310LP

Trade up to this model under Simaudio's Reach for the MOON program: bring in your eligible MOON component bought within the last two years and receive 100% of what you paid (first year) or 75% (second year) as credit towards this purchase.

Estimate your trade-up

Original price of your unit
—
Trade-up credit
—
Your price after trade-in
$2,300

Choose the component you own and when you bought it. Credit is 100% of what you paid in the first year of ownership and 75% in the second year.

Ask us about this trade-up

How the program works

  • Your MOON unit must have been bought new or as a dealer demo from an authorized MOON retailer, and it must have been a current model at the time you bought it.
  • You must be the original owner, and you must have registered the product with Simaudio within 30 days of receiving it.
  • Trade-up within 2 years of your original purchase: 100% credit in the first year, 75% in the second year. The credit is calculated on what you actually paid (before tax and shipping); demo, discounted or special-order upcharges are credited accordingly.
  • The unit must be fully working and in excellent cosmetic condition, returned in its original packaging with all original accessories. Simaudio inspects every trade-in and may reduce the credit if the unit does not meet this standard.
  • A clean copy of your original retail bill of sale is required, and the traded-in unit must reach Simaudio within 30 days of the new unit shipping.
  • Not eligible: pre-owned, B-stock or Pre-Loved units, products bought after they were discontinued, or units that were not registered. Remotes, internal options and other small accessories cannot be traded on their own.
  • Trade-ups are to a higher model in the chart defined by Simaudio; Simaudio has the final say on which combinations qualify. Trade-up purchases cannot be combined with other promotions or discounts.
  • The credit is applied at Pearl Audio to the new purchase; shipping of the trade-in to Simaudio and applicable taxes are extra.

Figures shown are estimates based on the current MOON retail price of the component you are trading in; Simaudio sets the final credit from your original invoice after inspecting the unit. Program terms are set by Simaudio and may change without notice (program version 2026-05-01).

Owner resources

Manuals and documents

The Pearl Audio experience

How we work with you

A system at this level should be heard, thoughtfully matched, and properly set up. From the first audition to long-term ownership, you work with the same people, in person.

  1. 01

    Listen first

    The 310LP Phono Preamplifier is not in our rooms at present. When it is the right piece for a client we arrange a demonstration unit from the manufacturer and set it up for a private session.

  2. 02

    Delivery and installation

    We deliver and install throughout the Portland area, taking care of placement, connections, ventilation and system configuration ourselves.

  3. 03

    Support for as long as you own it

    We support everything we sell for as long as you own it, whether the answer comes by phone, in your home, or through factory service.

  4. 04

    A path for what comes next

    Trade-in assistance and qualifying 100% Trade-Up options give you flexibility when your listening priorities or your system change.

Ask about hearing this

Or call (503) 222-2599 · sales@pearlaudio.com · Meet the people you’ll work with

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