Anyone had a chance to try the MoFi Master Phono yet?

[MichaelHiFi]

The MasterPhono worked well in my system with a Serbian preamp but didn't work well with a Musical Paradise MP701 MKII preamp. But nor did the Allnic H5500. Both produced a serious amount of hum. My wife and I did a comparison of these 2 fine Phonostages with the Acoustic Invader pre and noted how more similar they were than different. In the end, My wife preffered the Allnic where it was a split decision for me. I did enjoy current mode on the MasterPhono but there's something about the Allnic gear that gives music an ease without blurring definitions.

OK, so the MP701, as amazing it sounds on the digital end simply didn't work on the analog side, and I tried everything. I just received the Grimm MU2 day before yesterday. For those unfamiliar with the Grimm, it is reported to be a world class, streamer, DAC, Roon endpoint and analog preamp all-in-one. It's going through breakin-itas but I have to say, it may match or beat the Allnic DAC/Rose RS130 combo. So far I would say, the Grimm doesn't perform a 3D landscape that the former does like no other but there's still system tuning and breakin to happen.

Going back to the MasterPhono, with the Grimm, no more more hum. However, I wonder if I don't need a step-up transformer as my volume control is nearly at 100 percent with both phono stages!

Today, I will perform another comparison between the MasterPhono and the Allnic. I'll be posting, eventually, the differences we hear between these 2 phonostages.

Cheers

 

[ssfas]

Will the MasterPhono be competitive to a comparable tube phono? Does it check the boxes of liquidity, tone, saturation etc. or is it more solid state sounding overall?

I don't like valves, had an EAR one for a while and demo'd a Modwright, which I sent back. Could not get a Allnic H5500 demo unit. The few other options (Phasemation) were solid state.

I was listening this morning to a lot of vinyl, mainly because yesterday I went for a 6-hour walk and after the tennis we went out and were bouncing around to DJ Call Super for 3 hours. So this morning my legs failed to work. Thankfully my next outing on Tuesday is 3 hours of sedentary Handel (Semele) at Covent Garden.

The MasterPhono is an honest box, whatever you put through it. I put all sorts of things through it, from soft vocals, ambient, non-music, a lot of jazz. See for example below.
The first one has an immersive vocal on top of guitar(s). The middle one uses the Denon (Nippon Columbia) Master Sonic cutting process from a 1970 tape (when they were experiencing with PCM tape recordings). The latter is an ambient classic, which has a lot of air and space (the title "Flora" gives a clue).

I get no noise. Holography is a very dynamic piano recording and Master Sonic, whilst a little bright, eliminates any groove noise and the MasterPhono demonstrates its dynamic chops.

I did take some care over cabling. I have a ultrapure silver XLR phono cable made by Mark Sears (Log-Rhythm cable here: https://www.missinglinkcables.co.uk/missing-link-tone-arm-cables) and the interconnect is NeoTech NEMOI 1220 silver OCC and Neotech OCC COPPER/GOLD plugs.

The transimpedance balanced circuity really does the business.

I think the maximum gain is 70dB. I've not had to use more than 60db.

 

[Tuckers]

he MasterPhono worked well in my system with a Serbian preamp but didn't work well with a Musical Paradise MP701 MKII preamp. But nor did the Allnic H5500. Both produced a serious amount of hum.

I am no expert on phono stages, and I have a front end a lot like your Grimm. I have an Esoteric N-0X5D, which is a streamer, DAC, and analog preamp using the same basic circuit used in Esoteric's higher end preamps. I am using MM input for now. I had hum and AM radio interference with both phono preamps. On the MC input noise is a lot lower (uses Lundhal MC transformer). This occurred without the phono cable connected to the phono. A friend who repairs tube gear told me it was probably an impedance/resistance or other mismatch between a tube phono and solid state preamp. I am using high quality shielded cables, and I finally solved it with a high quality Fair-rite #43 EMI clamp at the source end of my cable going from phono to preamp. So could be you had a similar issue, though when my Esoteric is turned up close to the top, I'd also get an unacceptable level of hum and AM radio still there. Luckily I don't go more than 3/4 of the way up on the volume (ear crushing level) and at current use with a MM cartridge noise is below surface noise. On sane levels (2/3 level), I can't hear it at all.

I am using a Lab 12 Melto2. I haven't had tubes in my system for a while, and I am frustrated with tube rolling this. I have a stash of fine NOS tubes from 20 years ago, and I am just not liking the trade offs between different sets. I am currently trying a NOS pristine Siemens CCa pair, and while I like the transparency and power, I find the end result a kind of steely. Which is why I am interested in the MasterPhono. I have a Hana Umami Red that I'm slated to add eventually, so I am not just looking at MM solutions.

I like that the Melto2 has Decca, Columbia and RIAA curves. I have a lot of early Decca and Columbias. So that might be an issue. I wish the MasterPhono had curves, but I understand that the MoFi is primarily made to focus on new vinyl!

 

[tony22]

@Tuckers, if curves are a factor for you, you may wish to consider something like a Gold Note PH-1000. While it is SS, IME I’d say it leans more toward the sort of sound that might appeal to tube enthusiasts. It has tons of EQ curves. I’ve heard it twice and both times really likes what I heard. I’d have considered it for myself, but to get top performance out of it you need their external power supply. That was not something workable in my system.