Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

MikeH said:
Few questions on the MP-7. I want to buy a new phono stage this year (under $1,000) and was originally going to look at a used Sutherland Insight. But have also read a lot about the MP-7.

Right now have the Jolida JD9 on my main system (MoFi UD with master tracker) and then my Thorens is hooked up to an LX-LPS with the SAE 1000E. Looking to sell the LX-LPS this year and probably move the Jolida to my Thorens set up.

Are there any thoughts of the Insight vs MP-7? I’ll also likely swap out the MasterTracker for another cart this year (maybe the Otello).

With the MP-7 are the upgraded jacks worth it? Or mono switch? I’d love to add a mono switch to my setup for older mono records and wont really swap out carts because I don’t have an arm with swappable headshell…
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I think the only thing to add, and this is only if this applies to you, but if experimenting with LOMC cartridges is something you see in your future an MP7 will need an SU7 and that will take you above the price of a used Insight.

As to whether the MP7 + SU7 sounds better than the Insight for LOMC I’d have to defer to someone else on.
 
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MikeH said:
Seen Insights for $800 or a little less lately used so the price gap isn't gigantic for me.
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At $800 ish the Insight is a no brainer.

It offers adjustable gain in both MM and MC configurations. I’m using 46 dB gain with my SAE 1000LT which has 2.5 mV output. If you are looking at the Otello (2.12 mV output) you might want more gain than the standard 40 dB of the MP-7.

At the MP-7s price, it really has no rivals. But a little more cash for a used Insight will give you a lot more flexibly and can easily be set to get optimum results from the vast majority of cartridges and system configurations.
 
David A. said:
Missed out. Urgh.
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Open box tend to go fast. I wonder if they finally sold out of the 80s. They had a big clearance on them in the past few weeks and they were $500 new at music direct. Keep an eye on MD though—possible they get some other open box in mahogany or walnut. Both are still listed as open box on their site just OOS. New seem to have disappeared completely on their site.
 
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