MoFi UltraDeck / StudioDeck Owners and those interested

kvetcha said:
Gotta say, not sure I've ever heard Shibata described as 'warm,' considering it was first designed to pick up ultrasonic frequencies for quadraphonic playback! But relative to Micro-Line, I suppose that's fair.

That being said, the MasterTracker @MacDonals is using is already a Micro-Line, so maybe we're talking in circles.
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My thought when you said the MT was analytical is that we are probably looking for the wrong fix.
 
HayesWeighsIn said:
I also do want to add that Hana carts are typically known for having that "airiness" up top - @Ghost and others can speak to it better than I can, but a Hana would also absolutely mean a new preamp for you.
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Hana do high output to which equally aren’t high high (2mV) so would work fine with most MM stages but probably needs a bit of a gain bump from the amp against most MM.

The key with the SL for me with Hana was the tone. It does have great detail but its biggest strength isn’t that, it is the tone which is kinda the biggest thing for me. Over emphasis on the high end is like nails down a blackboard so after all of that I’m not sure that I’m the person to advise the OP.
 
MacDonals said:
At the risk of hitting some landmines, what does MC provide that MM doesn't? My understanding is that MM has come a long way.
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The theory is that the coils are lighter than a magnet allowing for a more fluid transference of the vibrations into an electrical signal thus theoretically providing a more accurate and high end tracking, frequency response and sound.

Equally MM has come a long way and as with everything system can provide bottlenecks.
 
If you have a MM cartridge and want to boost the high end a bit, you might consider a higher capacitance cable or phono setting. Higher capacitance creates a peaking resonance at high frequencies. This is one way some audiophiles tune their systems to their preferences

There are calculators online which can help you figure out how much capacitance to shoot for.


Edit: Here are capacitance numbers for a few cables:

Blue Jeans LC-1: ~40 pF/meter
Analysis Plus Oval One: ~100 pF/meter
Morrow MA-1: ~400 pF/meter
 
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MacDonals said:
At the risk of hitting some landmines, what does MC provide that MM doesn't? My understanding is that MM has come a long way.
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MM has come a long way, but as far as new-build cartridges go, MC still generally has lower moving mass, meaning, in theory, it can more nimbly trace the grooves.

That said, ymmv. I'd heed @Angsty's excellent advice regarding tuning your current cartridge.
 
Angsty said:
Edit: Here are capacitance numbers for a few cables:

Blue Jeans LC-1: ~40 pF/meter
Analysis Plus Oval One: ~100 pF/meter
Morrow MA-1: ~400 pF/meter
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Interesting. I'm using Signal Cables' Analog Two cables from the deck to pre-amp, and pre-amp to amp. Here's what the site says about their capacitance. For pF/meter, is that essentially pF/ft x ~3.3?

Signal Cables Analog Two Specs
  • 22 AWG stranded Bare Copper​
  • Insulation - Foam FEP (Teflon)​
  • Shield - 95% bare - copper braid​
  • Outer Jacket - Black tint Teflon​
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
  • Nom. Capacitance - 17.3 pF/ft​
  • Nom. Conductor DC Resistance - 15.0 Ω/1000 ft​
 
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MacDonals said:
At the risk of hitting some landmines, what does MC provide that MM doesn't? My understanding is that MM has come a long way.
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I just moved from a Ortofon 2M Black MM to a Soundsmith Paua MKII Moving Iron (similar to MC, different design ethos). The Paua is about 5 times more expensive than the Black and while it's definitely better, it certainly ain't five times better. Maybe 25%, maybe. The MM Black DEFINITELY holds it own. So yeah I don't think there's nearly the difference between MM and MC that there used to be.
 
MacDonals said:
Interesting. I'm using Signal Cables' Analog Two cables from the deck to pre-amp, and pre-amp to amp. Here's what the site says about their capacitance. For pF/meter, is that essentially pF/ft x ~3.3?

Signal Cables Analog Two Specs
  • 22 AWG stranded Bare Copper​
  • Insulation - Foam FEP (Teflon)​
  • Shield - 95% bare - copper braid​
  • Outer Jacket - Black tint Teflon​
ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
  • Nom. Capacitance - 17.3 pF/ft​
  • Nom. Conductor DC Resistance - 15.0 Ω/1000 ft​
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Yes - that’s about the right multiple. I expressed in meters since a 1 m interconnect seems to be more common than a 3 ft one.
 
Mather said:
I just moved from a Ortofon 2M Black MM to a Soundsmith Paua MKII Moving Iron (similar to MC, different design ethos). The Paua is about 5 times more expensive than the Black and while it's definitely better, it certainly ain't five times better. Maybe 25%, maybe. The MM Black DEFINITELY holds it own. So yeah I don't think there's nearly the difference between MM and MC that there used to be.
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Julian Hirsch said decades ago that the profile of a stylus is a much more significant difference in performance than the engine type (MM vs MC). After a while with various carts, I tend to agree. In Julian’s time, it was the MC carts that were poorer in tracking ability. So, MC carts have gotten better, too.

I’m in the MC camp now mostly due to sunk costs more than absolute sonic difference. Had I heard the Nagaoka MP-300/500 before I got a Hana SL, I may have passed on MC. Again, the SL is preferred, but I had to invest a pile to get there.

Edit: To be clear, the Nagaoka carts are MI, not MM. But they have similar voltage output and loading requirements to MM carts.
 
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Mather said:
I just moved from a Ortofon 2M Black MM to a Soundsmith Paua MKII Moving Iron (similar to MC, different design ethos). The Paua is about 5 times more expensive than the Black and while it's definitely better, it certainly ain't five times better. Maybe 25%, maybe. The MM Black DEFINITELY holds it own. So yeah I don't think there's nearly the difference between MM and MC that there used to be.
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I’ve found that one can’t make blanket statements when it comes to cartridges. I’ve heard MMs that I’ve liked, and some I’ve hated.

Generally though, I find it easier to name MC cartridges that I like than MM. A lot of it is going to come down to your personal tastes and your system. My system has about the lowest capacitance one can get. It works great with A/T MMs, which many say are bright. They aren’t, but you need as low capacitance as you can get- from both your phono cables and your phono stage (mine is zero pF).

Same with moving iron cartridges- my system works great with Grado cartridges where due to their low inductance design, capacitance doesn’t matter. To use a Soundsmith (high inductance) in my system, I’d have to put a higher capacitance cable between the turntable and the phono preamp. I’ve tried one with my current cables and the high frequency roll off is noticeable.

MC cartridges are low inductance, so capacitance doesn’t matter.
 
HiFi Guy said:
I’ve found that one can’t make blanket statements when it comes to cartridges. I’ve heard MMs that I’ve liked, and some I’ve hated.

Generally though, I find it easier to name MC cartridges that I like than MM. A lot of it is going to come down to your personal tastes and your system. My system has about the lowest capacitance one can get. It works great with A/T MMs, which many say are bright. They aren’t, but you need as low capacitance as you can get- from both your phono cables and your phono stage (mine is zero pF).

Same with moving iron cartridges- my system works great with Grado cartridges where due to their low inductance design, capacitance doesn’t matter. To use a Soundsmith (high inductance) in my system, I’d have to put a higher capacitance cable between the turntable and the phono preamp. I’ve tried one with my current cables and the high frequency roll off is noticeable.

MC cartridges are low inductance, so capacitance doesn’t matter.
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I mean my comment was more a personal observation rather than a blanket statement but I don't disagree with you.
 
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Finally have my setup close to done so decided to start listening to something other than my uhqr KOB or Abraxas records for reference. Really enjoying the evolution over the past month with the SD. Even Sadie is noticing the improvements 😂.

Thanks to @Ghost for hooking me up with the Opus. Besides the cart change, I’ve replaced my zphono usb with an UltraPhono (found for less than I can buy a new StudioPhono), new power cords for my amp and tt, new rca cables, and decided to run a splitter from the sub out of my amp to my pair of subs.

Every swap seemed to make an improvement. Although I can’t guarantee some of it isn’t placebo effect. I can say for certain that wiring my subs from the sub out instead of through my speaker outs to my speakers made a surprisingly huge impact. I’d always had my subs set up this way since I was running a vintage pioneer amp before so it was the only option I knew to use. Subs have come alive and the Cornwalls seem to sound better as well.

Stoked to be back spinning again. Thanks to the members of this community for their advice and tips over the last few months. It’s been such a help and so refreshing to interact with members who are about the sound and not the drama. IMG_0686.jpeg
 
r0ck33 said:
Finally have my setup close to done so decided to start listening to something other than my uhqr KOB or Abraxas records for reference. Really enjoying the evolution over the past month with the SD. Even Sadie is noticing the improvements 😂.

Thanks to @Ghost for hooking me up with the Opus. Besides the cart change, I’ve replaced my zphono usb with an UltraPhono (found for less than I can buy a new StudioPhono), new power cords for my amp and tt, new rca cables, and decided to run a splitter from the sub out of my amp to my pair of subs.

Every swap seemed to make an improvement. Although I can’t guarantee some of it isn’t placebo effect. I can say for certain that wiring my subs from the sub out instead of through my speaker outs to my speakers made a surprisingly huge impact. I’d always had my subs set up this way since I was running a vintage pioneer amp before so it was the only option I knew to use. Subs have come alive and the Cornwalls seem to sound better as well.

Stoked to be back spinning again. Thanks to the members of this community for their advice and tips over the last few months. It’s been such a help and so refreshing to interact with members who are about the sound and not the drama. View attachment 194251
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Nice DMB section.
 
r0ck33 said:
Finally have my setup close to done so decided to start listening to something other than my uhqr KOB or Abraxas records for reference. Really enjoying the evolution over the past month with the SD. Even Sadie is noticing the improvements 😂.

Thanks to @Ghost for hooking me up with the Opus. Besides the cart change, I’ve replaced my zphono usb with an UltraPhono (found for less than I can buy a new StudioPhono), new power cords for my amp and tt, new rca cables, and decided to run a splitter from the sub out of my amp to my pair of subs.

Every swap seemed to make an improvement. Although I can’t guarantee some of it isn’t placebo effect. I can say for certain that wiring my subs from the sub out instead of through my speaker outs to my speakers made a surprisingly huge impact. I’d always had my subs set up this way since I was running a vintage pioneer amp before so it was the only option I knew to use. Subs have come alive and the Cornwalls seem to sound better as well.

Stoked to be back spinning again. Thanks to the members of this community for their advice and tips over the last few months. It’s been such a help and so refreshing to interact with members who are about the sound and not the drama. View attachment 194251
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Love the grilles on those Cornwall's.
 
r0ck33 said:
Thanks! Work in progress. There’s also these two of my best friends bought me this og press Before These Crowded Streets for my birthday when I first got into records. Trying to pick up the live track on cd when I can since I’ll likely never have them all on vinyl View attachment 194261
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Fantastic! I am hoping they reissue the first LT like they recently did with some earlier volumes.
 
So I know this has been asked and answered frequently in this thread, and pretty recently to, but it's time to replace the cart on my StudioDeck. I've gone back and read through a lot of the opinions on here and am pretty much narrowed down to the following...
  • Grado Opus3
  • Grado Sonata3
  • Hana EL (The SL is a bit more than I'd like to spend)
My questions at this point are: 1.) Are there any others in this $300-$600ish range I should be considering. 2.) For those that have used both, is there a big enough difference between the Opus3 and Sonata3 to justify the jump in price?

I'm currently using the UltraTracker that came with it when I purchased it originally and want to try something different. I've had Grados on my previous table and really love them.

As for the rest of my system, I am using a StudioPhono pre, KEF LS50 Meta speakers and a Marantz PM6005 amp (which is next to be upgraded after the new cart).
 
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