MoFi UltraDeck / StudioDeck Owners and those interested

r0ck33 said:
Curious about opinions on what cart to add to the StudioDeck when it arrives. I’m sure there’s content within the thread and I’m working my way through it now, but I’m leaning toward the Grado Timbre Opus 3. Are there better suited carts for the StudioDeck considering my listening habit will be as follows:

Mostly jazz with some rock, grunge and hip-hop mixed in and mostly used (but cleaned in ultrasonic rcm).

Thanks in advance!
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People here with mofi decks seem to dig the Opus
 
I also wonder if anyone has an opinion on whether I’d be better off keeping my old set of Cornwallis or moving them and going after Wharfedale Diamond 12.3/12.4s or something else I can land in the $400-$600 range?
 
r0ck33 said:
Curious about opinions on what cart to add to the StudioDeck when it arrives. I’m sure there’s content within the thread and I’m working my way through it now, but I’m leaning toward the Grado Timbre Opus 3. Are there better suited carts In the $200-$400 range for the StudioDeck considering my listening habit will be as follows:

Mostly jazz with some rock, grunge and hip-hop mixed in and mostly used (but cleaned in ultrasonic rcm).

Thanks in advance!
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I ran an Opus3 on my Ultradeck and didn’t enjoy it, I didn’t find it to be a great tracker in my set-up for whatever reason, was constantly getting IGD and no matter how much I tweaked its alignment I couldnt make it go away.

Upgraded to a Hana SL and been in heaven since. I believe there’s a cheaper Hana model that may be pretty good!

That being said, if you want to try the Opus I still have mine and can let it go for the best price on le internet. Holler if you’re interested!
 
r0ck33 said:
I know I do have the Crites crossovers as I received the original crossovers when I purchased the speakers but I don’t know if anything else was upgraded.
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You won’t find anything within spitting distance for $600. Hell, original Cornwalls in good condition still fetch a couple grand a pair.
 
Ghost said:
That being said, if you want to try the Opus I still have mine and can let it go for the best price on le internet. Holler if you’re interested!
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I’ll let you know. Just depends if it gets grabbed off my MusicDirect list for the holidays. Thanks for the input. I’m coming off a shure v15 type iii so I was just looking for a new cart that would hopefully be an upgrade. Was looking at the Hana EL but liked the aesthetic and price on the Opus better since it was on sale at MusicDirect. I’d definitely be open to more input on cart selection but funds may possibly be more limited than most in this group judging by some of the gear you guys run. 😆
 
r0ck33 said:
I’ll let you know. Just depends if it gets grabbed off my MusicDirect list for the holidays. Thanks for the input. I’m coming off a shure v15 type iii so I was just looking for a new cart that would hopefully be an upgrade. Was looking at the Hana EL but liked the aesthetic and price on the Opus better since it was on sale at MusicDirect. I’d definitely be open to more input on cart selection but funds may possibly be more limited than most in this group judging by some of the gear you guys run. 😆
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The V15 is a great cart! Honestly, a lot of the gear you currently have is stuff people covet.
 
kvetcha said:
You won’t find anything within spitting distance for $600. Hell, original Cornwalls in good condition still go for a couple grand a pair.
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I figured that to be the case. Just saw the deep discounts on open box pairs on MusicDirect with an additional 15% off making the Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 about $500 a pair And was curious if the sound would be a good match or at least not too much of a drop off for the amount of floor space I’d regain in my listening space. Again, color me a newb. I’m here to learn and appreciate all the input you all have to share.
 
kvetcha said:
The V15 is a great cart! Honestly, a lot of the gear you currently have is stuff people covet.
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That’s good to know. I got lucky on that cart as it and a thorens tt came with the Pioneer amp and tuner when I bought them. Cart was brand spanking new in the box. Was just sitting in the guy’s storage building.

I know some of the gear I have is thought to be nice but I have no idea how it stacks up against current “audiophile Hi-Fi“. Plus, I‘m excited to have new, or close to new, gear for a change. Not having the nick here, chip there, or slightly cracked dustcover. Who knows, I may find that the sound of my setup doesn’t improve at all or may even decline after this experiment. I hope not, but I think it’s worth a shot. If anything, the fact that I’m excited about gear and music again is a worthwhile trade off. 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
r0ck33 said:
I figured that to be the case. Just saw the deep discounts on open box pairs on MusicDirect with an additional 15% off making the Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 about $500 a pair And was curious if the sound would be a good match or at least not too much of a drop off for the amount of floor space I’d regain in my listening space. Again, color me a newb. I’m here to learn and appreciate all the input you all have to share.
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They’re just not the same class of speaker, but I certainly understand wanting to downsize.
 
r0ck33 said:
That’s good to know. I got lucky on that cart as it and a thorens tt came with the Pioneer amp and tuner when I bought them. Cart was brand spanking new in the box. Was just sitting in the guy’s storage building.

I know some of the gear I have is thought to be nice but I have no idea how it stacks up against current “audiophile Hi-Fi“. Plus, I‘m excited to have new, or close to new, gear for a change. Not having the nick here, chip there, or slightly cracked dustcover. Who knows, I may find that the sound of my setup doesn’t improve at all or may even decline after this experiment. I hope not, but I think it’s worth a shot. If anything, the fact that I’m excited about gear and music again is a worthwhile trade off. 🤷🏻‍♂️
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By all accounts, it’s a pretty terrific cart. You can probably sell it on for a decent amount, tons of folks are looking out for vintage equipment in good condition.

It is probably a poor match for the MoFi tonearm, anyway.

And the thing with a lot of current audiophile hi-fi, at least as far as vinyl is concerned, is that it’s still chasing the design and build quality of a lot of the gear from the peak vinyl period. The technology has remained pretty stagnant.
 
r0ck33 said:
I’ll let you know. Just depends if it gets grabbed off my MusicDirect list for the holidays. Thanks for the input. I’m coming off a shure v15 type iii so I was just looking for a new cart that would hopefully be an upgrade. Was looking at the Hana EL but liked the aesthetic and price on the Opus better since it was on sale at MusicDirect. I’d definitely be open to more input on cart selection but funds may possibly be more limited than most in this group judging by some of the gear you guys run. 😆
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Welcome and good luck on this journey :)

So I'll weigh in on the carts, honestly I'd work on grabbing your deck and running it with your V15 for now, see how it sounds. That said, having had both the Hana EL and Opus3, my taste leaned more towards the Opus3...........which I still have. There really aren't any "bad" cartridges in your price range, it really boils down to preferences. I found the Hana EL a little bright for my taste over the Opus3, the Opus also had a bit more fullness in my opinion. I've also had the Hana SL, which is still one of my favorite carts, but the gap between the EL and SL/SH is quite large.

I've had a lot of cartridges, and I mean a lot, lol, but with all the carts passing through and being moved on, I can say the Opus3 is still in my rotation. ;)
 
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