Customer Reviews

Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

???? Perfect pairing with my Mofi ultra deck. Sounds great!

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Great little phono stage.

I bought this phono stage because the one built into my Marantz pm8006 just worked with mm carts. I wasn't trying to improve the sound, it sounded really good already with my Mofi master tracker cart on my studio deck. I just wanted the ability to switch to a low output mc cart. Well when I got this baby hooked up I was very pleasantly suprised that it did sound more detailed. I was hearing things coming out of the vinyl that I had not heard before. The highs sounded crisper the lows were deeper. This phono stage was a great buy. There is no way of turning this thing off by itself unless you just unplug it or cut the power to the intire system.I've had it for several weeks now and so far I've just left the unit on and it seems fine not much of a power drain at all. The DIP switchs on the back are really small but are set at the factory for mm and high output mc carts so I didn't have to reset any of them to work with my Mofi MT. The unit is small enough you can put it just about anywhere. Overall I think for the price it was a really great buy.

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Beat out 4 preamps

Finally found a preamp that sounds the best in my setup. I tried out 4 preamps prior to landing on the MoFi and I'm extremely happy with it. It's very quiet and sounds great. The preamp I was using for a while was bit on the brighter side with the scooped mids. MoFi preamp definitely has a very well rounded sound and extremely pleasant to listen to. The records I always thought sounded too bright sound way better now and I think it's a more accurate sounding preamp without sounding clinical. I also like the size of the unit, compact enough to fit next to my table and not an eye sore sticking up vertically. For reference have a U-Turn Theory with Ortofon 2M Bronze, Klipsch FS 6.5" cones, and Yamaha A-S801. The preamps I tried before all sounded great (except built in Yamaha phono preamp) so I don't think you can go wrong with any of them but in my setup the MoFi wins. The preamps I tried Parasound Zphono XRM, U-Turn Pluto v2, and Pro-Jeft Tube Box S2. These are all great sounding preamps and it depends on multiple factors what works for you and what doesn't. You will need to experiment.

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Not at all perfect, but a little magic

Nice looking unit, tight grip on ground wire, all buttons work correctly. visual setup guide on the bottom of the unit is better and more accurate than the owners manual. Unit has a good selection of cartridge loading for MM or MC cartridges with 4 gain settings. Overall I would label the sound non-fatiguing, with a very wide stage, reasonable depth, slightly recessed vocals, the attack of dynamic impacts was not a strength... fair to say it was tube-like. The bass was the star of the show. Very forgiving of record surface noise. There were sonic cons, but this was such a seductive sound you couldn't stop listening hour after hour... this is why we have records. The unit is very light, the weight of my RCA cables could easily move the MoFi preamp around and because the female RCA's are very small they could, and did several times, cause the RCA cables to slide off! But I put up with that wild danger because it sounds that good (and I had a handy roll of tape to hold everything together)! Everything I did (anti-skate, cartridge gain and loading, VTA, azimuth, table speed and suspension, cable swapping) made a significant audible difference. Low gain setting of 46dB sounded best (.5ma Hana SL) 60dB high gain added a lot of grain to vocals and added too much noise. This replaced a much, much more expensive preamp that was more accurate but had not relayed the emotion in those vinyl grooves. I consider the asking price a bargain, I got my record collection back.

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Shouldn't have waited to get a separate phono preamp stage

Big step up from my Denon pma600's phono stage in terms of clarity, bass, separation, and presence. I am using it with a Mofi Studio Deck and Master Tracker and the combo and I'm really happy with the combo. My integrated amp is the weak point in my system, but if I turn the amp up to 50% there is a fairly audible sound floor. Could be the StudioPhono too, but the music sounds much better at loud levels despite the noise floor.

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Great preamp, flimsy buttons and connectors

I received the MoFi preamp yesterday, to replace a Grado phono preamp that died after about fifteen years of use. I set the MoFi preamp to 47kohms impedance and 66db of gain to match my low-output (0.5 mv) Grado Reference cartridge. Obviously, I haven't had it long enough to do an in-depth review, but for what it's worth, the MoFi sounds at least as good as the Grado preamp that cost $500 in 2008. It's really nice: quiet, detailed but smooth, with tight bass. However, the mechanical details on the preamp really need some work, as other reviewers have noted, and would cost almost nothing to fix. One of the plastic buttons on top fell off. The four RCA connectors on the back felt a bit loose, and the ground wire post was loose. C'mon, MoFi, this is a small device that costs enough at $350 to have secure connectors and well-attached buttons. The shabby details make me worry about how long the preamp will last, but I will cross my fingers and enjoy the sound.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Superb sound and flexabilty

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I used this unit at home for 30 days on loan from our employee lending library. My NAD turntable with Sumiko Wellfleet cartridge needs an external pre-amp and the HiFi Rose RS520 I was auditioning doesn't have its own phono stage. Enter MoFi's StudioPhono. Simple to connect, calibrate, and use. Primarily, this was in place to allow me to listen through my Paradigm Premier 800F towers. Even though my turntable isn't an elite piece, it sure sounded like a unit worth far more than I've invested in it. I also loved being able to dial in the pre-amp in accordance with the needs of my cartridge to ensure the best fit for my other gear. I can whole-heartedly recommend this StudioPhono for anyone looking to take the phono stage to a more intricate and satisfying level.

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Highly recommended

I have tried many other phono preamps in this price range and much higher, and the StudioPhono is by far the best balance of simplicity and adjustability. I have a medium-output (0.8 ma) moving coil phono cartridge and had no trouble getting the output set just right. Unless you're willing to shell out big bucks, this is the one to get.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Was ok amp but was expecting more. Returned this

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Great Phono Preamp

I was skeptical about how big a difference a phono preamp would make. Now I am listening to all my albums again just to hear all the sounds that were hidden for years. The phono preamp on my Marantz PM6007 is good but this StudioPhono is outstanding!

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I have mixed reviews on this phono stage. The 1st unit I received was defective and would not power up. Crutchfield sent replacement. The new unit works perfectly but the sub sonic button was floating loose and I had to superglue it into place. This is the third phono pre I've tried with the new mofi ultradeck, and is the best sounding so far. Very balanced top to bottom. I'd have given it 5 stars except for the faulty construction.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I've tried pretty much all the <$1000 phono preamps. This is the best - excellent flexibility and virtually silent background.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I stepped up from an Ifi zen phonostage. The mofi seems warmer sounding with better separation to me. Plus I love the mono button for my old beatles records in mono. Crutchfield was great at answering my questions and helping me make the best selection for my needs.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Sounds very good. Not as smooth as the phono section of my Marantz PM8005 but deeper tighter bass and the gain settings are great. Rumble filter works as advertised. Four stars because the build quality is shockingly low. Buttons are loose, rca jacks will not hold cables snuggly, ground screw is loose and cheap feeling. Glad I bought it open box. If I'd paid full retail I would have returned it.

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MoFi Quality with a Couple of Caveats

Took a bit of work, but I have this sounding pretty fine. I have a MoFi Studiodeck with Ultratracker cartridge. I added 6dB to the dip switches (I activated switches nos. 1 & 12) and am getting strong, tight bass. My complaints: the manual really doesn't give detailed instruction into the use of the switches--all switches in "off" position is the default for all MoFi cartridges); and construction of the phono stage is a bit riki-tack (the mono-stereo button fell off when I turned the unit over to look at the dip switches, so I got applied a spot from a super-glue stick). For the price, and pride of brand, I expect better QC from MoFi. I am pairing the MoFi phono stage with a Rega Brio and they are quite compatible, the sound is warm and detailed (much like the Rena's built-in phono stage but a little juicer). I can live with this--at least for a while.

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Great Little product

A little pricey but works great out of the box. I have the Mofi Ultradeck with Mastertrack Cartridge and this was configured for that already so plug and play since my Receiver didn't have Phono Preamp. Honestly cannot tell much difference in the "mono" and "subsonic" configurations but all around great sound at any setting.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Well designed product. Records play louder at a lower volume. Very happy with this purchase.

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Great!!!!!

It is powerful you definitely need some way to control the volume.

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Good Phono Preamp

Very adaptable and easy to setup

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nice little preamp

I really like this for the most part. The bass control is AMAZING! It's by far its best attribute. The only thing I can say somewhat negative is that it can be somewhat too revealing for my taste. Oh... one more thing, the rumble filter is the bees knees.

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Very well worth the cost

Bought to replace a Cambridge Solo preamp.Nothing particularly wrong with the Cambridge but thought I should be getting a little bit more in separation and staging. This fits the bil. Sounds really good to my old ears.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Outstanding phono amp. Recommend both it and Crutchfield.

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Entry level phono stage

A nice phone stage for the price. It has for gain settings and several load settings. I have only played with the Jason settings, as my cartridges are MC or high output MC.

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Superior option for a turntable preamp

A while back, I finally purchased a new receiver after some channels failed on my original. I got my old Mission turntable refurbished and upgraded with a fantastic Ortofon MM cartridge, hooked it up to the receiver and could barely hear anything. Definitely freaked me out! After researching I learned I would need a preamp for the turntable to generate enough output to sound normal with the new receiver. I did a little shopping and bought a rather inexpensive one ($45-50) online. Hooked it up, and maybe increased the volume capability by no more than 20%. Back to square one. I trusted the Crutchfield name AND the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs name. I have a bunch of original MFSL vinyl from working nearly 20 years in a music retail chain during the 80's and 90's. After reading a lot of reviews, I picked this MoFi StudioPhono box. I was really drawn to the fact that it had all the dip switch setting options. I got out the Ortofon owner's manual and read through the specs on my cartridge. When the Mofi preamp arrived, I hooked it all up and tried three different dip switch combinations. It was just astounding how much difference each setup created in the sound output quality. One was too gainy, one was a big soft, but the third one was just right. I know, "The Three Bears" right? This little thing just made the sound quality go through the roof for my turntable and stylus combo. I cannot recommend it enough!

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Sounds better than the receivers preamp .

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Great addition for my UltraDeck

I have a MoFi UltraDeck turntable with Master Tracker cartridge and I noticed a couple issues running directly to the phono input of my NAD M33 integrated amp. The phono output seemed too low and I was seeing some woofer-pumping in my REL S510 subwoofer while playing the opening tracks on records that were warped. I purchased the MoFi StudioPhono preamp and I'm very pleased with the results. I followed the very instructions and adjusted the gain on the StudioPhono to match the specific output of my cartridge and both the meters on my amplifier and my ears tell me that these are now at the right level. I also use the built in subsonic filter on the StudioPhono to eliminate any rumble and woofer-pumping caused by warped disks without any negative impact on sound. This is a great product.

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Big-league phono stage slumming it for $300

This is an incredibly musical phono stage--and downright startling for the money. It may not have the spacious sound of much more expensive alternatives, but the sound is so involving, it makes it hard to stop listening. I ended up returning it when compared to that in a Mytec Brooklyn DAC+ w/Sbooster, it didn't quite measure up--but it was surprisingly close. If I didn't also need a DAC, this would be my phono stage.

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Good but power light stays on all the time.

Works as advertised. Easy setup with MoFi turntable. I didn't like the power light staying on all the time. Other than that, no problems.

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Best $ you'll spend for your vinyl collection.

Rarely have I come a crossed such an impressive piece of equipment for a such a reasonable price. I replaced a Project Audio Phonobox ($100) mated to my Uturn Orbit Plus TT with a MoFi Studio Tracker cart and I can honestly say you would be crazy not to spend the extra money for the MoFi pre. The difference was immediate in the soundstage, focus of instruments and tightness/depth of the low end. The biggest reveal for me however was the texture in the vocals. Playing the latest Cage the Elephant release let Matt Shultz's unique delivery come through like I've never heard with a sweetness and delicacy I very much enjoyed. In short buy it, you will not be disappointed. Give the Studio Tracker cart a try as well, way better than my Ortofon 2M Red or Grado I had prior. B&W 703's, B&K 507, Velodyne Minivee sub, Kimber speaker cables and Homemade Silver interconnects.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Sound is great, but I haven't compared it to others.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I connected this to a Onkyo RZ820 bypassing the phono input on the receiver , placing the Mobile Fidelity between the turntable and the receiver using an rca plugged analog input.There was a noticeable difference in the sound. Customer service and technical support are top notch from Crutchfield.

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Not impressed

While this phono preamp makes a a nice presentation - compact and attractive package - I don't really feel that delivers the kind of fidelity that I'm looking for at this price point. Not impressed with the sound quality overall. I'm also not a fan of preamps that you cannot turn off with a button or switch, and with this preamp you actually have to unplug it physically either at the unit or using the wall wart plug. For about the same price - in my case it was actually less - you can get a vintage receiver with a built-in phono preamp that sounds far better. It might take up some space, but many of them look cool and most of them are easily serviced by a local technician. Not to mention the fact that most of them are easy to turn off and on.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Pairing this with first turntable in a long time. Sounds great, but my limited recent experience means I'm no pro.

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Super MoFi Studio Phono

I have been using the Phono input on my Yamaha A-S801 integrated amplifier and often wondered how much better could my sound get. Well the first thing I did was purchase a MOFI Master Tracker Turntable and was super impressed with the quality difference over my older Denon DP-500. Then the idea of purchasing a Phono Pre amplifier was burning inside of me. Being so happy with the MOFI products I decided on purchasing the Studio Phono. Did not know what to expect but what I received was a smallish item with a big bang sound. I did not know what I was missing. This product is an awesome bargain and recommend it to the guy that wants more without spending big money. Very pleased indeed.

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Superb affordable phone pre

It's a great time to be a music lover, and an even better time to build a system on a budget. I bought this for my vacation home as part of an inexpensive system after considerable research and the sound quality is surprising. Very detailed high end, resonant and articulate mid range and a good solid low end with ample punch. I have a Manley Steelhead in my main system which is a great phono preamp and the Mobile Fidelity holds its own against it and is at least as detailed. Listening with headphones the stereo separation is the best I've heard, and isolation of different instruments, even in a busy mix, never sounds blurred. I've listened to this with a Benz Micro Ace Cartridge, an AT OC9 iii, and the Ortofon Red which came with the turntable for my 2nd home and the preamp does them all justice. Even the Ortofon is downright fun to listen to with this preamp. Highly recommended.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

I've tried several preamps for my system (Rega P3 with Nagaoka MP-150), starting with the ART DJPre II and then moving to the Schiit Mani and the Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 Communicator. For my ears, the MoFi StudioPhono sounds the most full and vibrant. I am always chasing a lower sound floor, and the MoFi does still have an audible hum on MM settings. But the floor is considerably lower than the Schiit Mani. Side by side comparison with the Communicator, the MoFi has deeper bass and clearer highs to my ears. I am thoroughly enjoying this preamp.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Using it on a Pro- Ject Classic with an upgraded Hana Shibata Lo MC. Sounds fantastic. The load and gain settings are plentiful and helped me tune the car ride perfectly.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Very nice!

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Bought this preamp to remedy the very flat dry sound I was getting from my Project Debut Carbon w/ Ortofon Blue 2M through the onboard phono input in my marantz 2230. Digital music sounded big and full through the receiver's aux, so i figured it must be the phono input and I was right! The MoFi preamp provides much tighter and full low end and smooths out a lot of the high end harshness i was hearing previously. The soundstage was improved and i hear a new depth and excitement with records that previously felt flat to me. It's a subtle change, but very noticeable and appreciated by me. As other reviews state, this preamp's look and sound quality far outpace its price tag. Highly recommended.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Ordered the Mo-Fi and it arrived three days later. Good so far. Connected everything up, cued up an LP and? Nothing but a slight buzz. Re-checked all my connections but it still was dead. Called Crutchfield and spoke with tech services. We determined it must be a bad unit. Customer service dropped another one with UPS and paid to have the old one returned. This was on a Friday. Got the new one Tuesday, hooked it up and voila! Music. So far it sounds wonderful. Much better than my pre-amp's internal phono pre-amp. Altogether satisfied with Mo-Fi products and Crutchfield's super service.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Perfect, if not mandatory compliment to the Mofi Studiodeck

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

The adjustable gain settings and the mono button are extremely convenient features. Fantastic sound, well manufactured, and far exceeded my expectations for the price point. If you buy it, you won't be disappointed.

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Buy one; you'll love it.

This phono stage did wonders for my low output MM cartridge. Adjustable gain settings make it versatile. The Mono button is a nice touch, and very welcome for listening to old vinyl. Great product; greater value.

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This review was done by my husband he is the owner of the mo-fi phonop

Excelent phono pre tone,presence,detail,musicality,resolution,body,excelent soundstage all that you need from an expensive unit in a less expensive one. And very compatible with my at 33 evo cartrige.FANTASTIC??

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Excellent phono stage

This thing sounds great. I bought it to replace an integrated phono stage in my Emo XSP-1 preamp, and this definitely sounds better. It's got a very open natural sound with really good bass and clean extended treble. Running Ortofon 2m black on Technics SL-1200GR. The subsonic filter is really nice too, especially for warped discs. The build quality is very good as well. I see no need to ever upgrade from this.

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Excellent phono preamp

The MoFi StudioPhono is an excellent phono preamp. It blew away the built in phono stage in my preamp. Soundstage is very spacious and 3 dimensional. Imaging is also great and natural sounding. Bass is deep and tight. It just sounds great out of the box! Not much tweaking if you have a moving magnet cartridge, but dip switches on the bottom provide adjustments for any cartridge including moving coil. Definitely worth the price. Also made in USA .

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Best value in a phono pre-amp

I've tried several different phono pre-amps in this price range and this unit far exceeds the value, look, and performance of all of them. You won't be disappointed.

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Very impressed.

Big improvement compared to my receivers phono preamp. Best bang for the buck phono preamp around, especially because of the numerous cartridge loading and gain options it's gives you.

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great deal.

Replaced a Grade PH1 with this, no regrets.a great simple product

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Mobile Fidelity Studio Phono

I purchased this to replace another phono stage that was giving me RFI issues. I like the sound of this phono stage a lot. Bass reproduction is good and the treble doesn't sound overly rolled off like some stages. Midrange is well done also, and the subsonic filter and mono button are useful. One glaring issue with this unit is that it was not stress tested with higher output MM/MI cartridges. If your cartridge has more than 4 to 5MV of output and you play some hotly cut records you will notice a graininess in the sound which seems to be one of the gain stages inside the StudioPhono becoming overloaded on the lowest gain setting (40 dB). Many phono stage manufacturers are guilty of not adequately stress testing their gear in this regard, but I expected more from a prestigious brand like this getting into the hardware game. It's something that should be tested for, since it is common for carts to have higher output than the manufacturer's spec. For example, the popular Ortofon 2M series are nominally spec'd with 5.5MV of output but can sometimes test with over 8MV of output. Carts like Goldring's 1000 and 2000 series (6.5MV) are also going to be a problem with this unit. Overall, it should've been tested more extensively before coming to market to avoid this problem. A more generous overload margin or a lower gain setting (35dB or so) would have mitigated these issues. As a result I can't recommend this 100%. If there was a way to have my unit modified for a lower gain setting without voiding the warranty I would consider it.

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Mobile Fidelity StudioPhono

Excellent phono pre amp, better than Cambridge audio

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