MoFi UltraPhono $500
MoFi’s UltraPhono is the first phono preamp out there that deserves to be in an UltraSerious record playing system. There are many respectable phono preamps, but few cut the mustard in terms of MC performance/noise floor in particular. MoFi’s UltraPhono DOES, and for a very reasonable price. I’m recommending you run the UltraPhono and put the lion’s share of your investment in the cartridge.
First of all, my phono preamp has to have two switches. MONO & SUBSONIC.
I have some mono LPs. Ya wanna hear the best version of the LVB violin sonatas? Look no further than Schneiderhahn/Kempff on DG. It’s my fave, and yup, it’s in mono. Kempff’s first grand cycle of LVB sonatas is on mono too. While you should have others, for many listeners, this is the gold standard.
I, and you, do indeed have LPs with a bit of warp.
These two switches are important and the UltraPhono has them.
UltraPhono supports MC and MM. Its MC performance is quieter than its little brother, StudioPhono, and makes the UltraPhono a must for MC in particular. UltraPhono is ideal to shake hands with the top Ortos and other state of the art MC efforts like MoFi’s new UltraGold MC cart. The price is reasonable because UltraPhono is built with fairly generic looking casework. The money goes INSIDE the box, not on the face plate.
MC settings adjust gain at 40dB, 46dB, 60dB & 66dB.
MC impedance options: 75, 100, 500, 1k, 10k, 47k ohms
Adjustments are easy to make with DIP switches underneath the chassis. You don’t have to take the dang thing apart to adjust- as you do with many competitors. There’s even a useful chart hiding right next to the switches.
UltraPhono is also a headphone amp with volume control for late night listening. You don’t have to turn on the whole rig.
British “hi-fi news” rates it quieter and musically very close to Tim Paravicini’s expensive EAR tube phono preamp That’s no surprise. MoFi hired Tim to design its phono preamps!
