MoFi UltraDeck / StudioDeck Owners and those interested

Slimwhit33 said:
Finally shipped my UD and it was received at the MoFi factory in MI last Wednesday.. haven't heard anything yet.

Will keep everyone updated.. to reiterate to those new to the story, this was very likely user error. Loosened the VTA and the tonearm assembly slipped and thudded. Completely forgot about it, but within weeks I was having tonearm issues. But more on all that later..

In the meantime I needed a stop gap (its been months since I listened to vinyl) and just picked up a Thorens TD-160. Gonna mess with it for a few months, maybe attach an SME III tonearm.. and then decide which one to keep in the room and which one to move to a second setup.
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Sounds exactly like the issue I had, were you having issues getting the arm to balance? From an email from Mofi: Tonearm was not at the factory set vertical height and the Headshell was tilted a few degrees out of factory alignment and cracked.

I have not tinkered with VTA since I got my table back and everything is running fine. I have to wonder though, if two of us put our tables "out of spec" then perhaps Mofi should clarify the VTA adjustment procedure with spec limits and a warning. Maybe that info is out there, but I don't recall seeing it.
 
Splunders said:
That's a $200 relief. I have a Big Ben weight, but it's a hair too tall to close the lid while the record plays, which matters when you have a wild 4 year old boy ripping around.
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kvetcha said:
I also use a Big Ben. It just fits without a record on. Never really considered that it would cause issues with closed-lid playback.
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So there IS an advantage to the thinner platter on the StudioDeck. ;)
 
scorpio333 said:
Sounds exactly like the issue I had, were you having issues getting the arm to balance? From an email from Mofi: Tonearm was not at the factory set vertical height and the Headshell was tilted a few degrees out of factory alignment and cracked.

I have not tinkered with VTA since I got my table back and everything is running fine. I have to wonder though, if two of us put our tables "out of spec" then perhaps Mofi should clarify the VTA adjustment procedure with spec limits and a warning. Maybe that info is out there, but I don't recall seeing it.
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That sounds weird. I’ve changed VTA numerous times without issue.
 
scorpio333 said:
Sounds exactly like the issue I had, were you having issues getting the arm to balance? From an email from Mofi: Tonearm was not at the factory set vertical height and the Headshell was tilted a few degrees out of factory alignment and cracked.

I have not tinkered with VTA since I got my table back and everything is running fine. I have to wonder though, if two of us put our tables "out of spec" then perhaps Mofi should clarify the VTA adjustment procedure with spec limits and a warning. Maybe that info is out there, but I don't recall seeing it.
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It probably shouldn't need to be said in the manual, but a warning for those not familiar that when loosening the VTA screw one should FIRMLY hold onto the tone arm assembly so it doesn't crash down might be nice. I mentioned it to them in my communications.
 
Slimwhit33 said:
It probably shouldn't need to be said in the manual, but a warning for those not familiar that when loosening the VTA screw one should FIRMLY hold onto the tone arm assembly so it doesn't crash down might be nice. I mentioned it to them in my communications.
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The crashing down is likely the key, I know mine did crash down but didn't think anything of it at the time. I have a guess on how Mofi incorporates the VTA, but I'd love to see a service diagram/exploded view to better understand how it operates.

One of the other tables I have is a Dual 721. The VTA on that table is adjustable. There is a spiraled, plastic guide that lifts/lowers the arm, over time or abuse it gets cracked, once cracked the arm doesn't maintain balance because the arm height doesn't maintain a constant position. I rebuilt that table (months of hell and many parts) and it gets daily use now. Duals are notoriously over engineered and finicky, the Mofi's seem so simplistic it just never crossed my mind loosening that screw could 'damage' something.
 
scorpio333 said:
The crashing down is likely the key, I know mine did crash down but didn't think anything of it at the time. I have a guess on how Mofi incorporates the VTA, but I'd love to see a service diagram/exploded view to better understand how it operates.

One of the other tables I have is a Dual 721. The VTA on that table is adjustable. There is a spiraled, plastic guide that lifts/lowers the arm, over time or abuse it gets cracked, once cracked the arm doesn't maintain balance because the arm height doesn't maintain a constant position. I rebuilt that table (months of hell and many parts) and it gets daily use now. Duals are notoriously over engineered and finicky, the Mofi's seem so simplistic it just never crossed my mind loosening that screw could 'damage' something.
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Wish it hadn't happened to either of us, but feel a bit better not being alone tbh.
 
scorpio333 said:
The crashing down is likely the key, I know mine did crash down but didn't think anything of it at the time. I have a guess on how Mofi incorporates the VTA, but I'd love to see a service diagram/exploded view to better understand how it operates.

One of the other tables I have is a Dual 721. The VTA on that table is adjustable. There is a spiraled, plastic guide that lifts/lowers the arm, over time or abuse it gets cracked, once cracked the arm doesn't maintain balance because the arm height doesn't maintain a constant position. I rebuilt that table (months of hell and many parts) and it gets daily use now. Duals are notoriously over engineered and finicky, the Mofi's seem so simplistic it just never crossed my mind loosening that screw could 'damage' something.
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I believe there’s a movable shaft that fits inside a stationary shaft. When you tighten the recessed Allen bolt on the stationary shaft, it presses against the movable shaft, holding it in place.
 
So after talking with my wife about the UD, i had decided against buying it to instead look at upgrading my speakers. Now I'm back to wanting to buy the UD :ROFLMAO:.

Had a different Q (didnt see a specific post in the earlier pages): has anyone compared the UT to a grado w/8mz (specifically black cart)? I just swapped my original stylus with the 8mz and already am liking what i hear. Curious how the UT compares. IF (more than likely will) I get the UD+U I'll likely look to swap back to grado at some point or a different cart.

If it matters, my current setup is U-Turn w/aforementioned cart > Pho8 > Onkyo TX8020 > Paradigm Atom v6. All on the block for upgrade in the next 12-24mos.
 
epyon415 said:
So after talking with my wife about the UD, i had decided against buying it to instead look at upgrading my speakers. Now I'm back to wanting to buy the UD :ROFLMAO:.

Had a different Q (didnt see a specific post in the earlier pages): has anyone compared the UT to a grado w/8mz (specifically black cart)? I just swapped my original stylus with the 8mz and already am liking what i hear. Curious how the UT compares. IF (more than likely will) I get the UD+U I'll likely look to swap back to grado at some point or a different cart.

If it matters, my current setup is U-Turn w/aforementioned cart > Pho8 > Onkyo TX8020 > Paradigm Atom v6. All on the block for upgrade in the next 12-24mos.
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I don't know if this is going out on a limb or not, but coming from an Orbit with a Grado Black, then Gold v2, then Gold v2 w/8MZ that eventually ended up on my UD replacing the UT...............I would say you're gonna like it :)
 
epyon415 said:
So after talking with my wife about the UD, i had decided against buying it to instead look at upgrading my speakers. Now I'm back to wanting to buy the UD :ROFLMAO:.

Had a different Q (didnt see a specific post in the earlier pages): has anyone compared the UT to a grado w/8mz (specifically black cart)? I just swapped my original stylus with the 8mz and already am liking what i hear. Curious how the UT compares. IF (more than likely will) I get the UD+U I'll likely look to swap back to grado at some point or a different cart.

If it matters, my current setup is U-Turn w/aforementioned cart > Pho8 > Onkyo TX8020 > Paradigm Atom v6. All on the block for upgrade in the next 12-24mos.
Click to expand...
Do both!
 
epyon415 said:
So after talking with my wife about the UD, i had decided against buying it to instead look at upgrading my speakers. Now I'm back to wanting to buy the UD :ROFLMAO:.

Had a different Q (didnt see a specific post in the earlier pages): has anyone compared the UT to a grado w/8mz (specifically black cart)? I just swapped my original stylus with the 8mz and already am liking what i hear. Curious how the UT compares. IF (more than likely will) I get the UD+U I'll likely look to swap back to grado at some point or a different cart.

If it matters, my current setup is U-Turn w/aforementioned cart > Pho8 > Onkyo TX8020 > Paradigm Atom v6. All on the block for upgrade in the next 12-24mos.
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marshall said:
Do both!
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both it.gif
 
41 pages of good posts. Thanks for all the great info.
Missed out on the refurbished unit due to my indecisiveness...BUT as luck would have it an open box unit popped up yesteriyaki’s, this time with a MT. Didn’t hesitate! Now just waiting for it to ship. Super stoked to get my hands on this unit and check it out.
 
epyon415 said:
41 pages of good posts. Thanks for all the great info.
Missed out on the refurbished unit due to my indecisiveness...BUT as luck would have it an open box unit popped up yesteriyaki’s, this time with a MT. Didn’t hesitate! Now just waiting for it to ship. Super stoked to get my hands on this unit and check it out.
Click to expand...
MasterTracker’s a good cart! Let us know how you like it.
 
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