UltraPhono - Phono Amplifier - MOFI

Phono Preamplifier - MM & MC - Class A Headphone Amplifier - Handmade in the USA

The MoFi UltraPhono is more than the StudioPhono's big brother - it's a statement in its own right about how far a phono preamp can go in its price range. Like its smaller relative, it was developed by Tim de Paravicini, the engineer behind the legendary Gain2™ Ultra Analog editing system at the MoFi master studio in Sebastopol - and like it, it is handcrafted in MoFi's own factory in Michigan, USA. The decisive difference: The UltraPhono uses selected, higher-quality components which, according to MoFi, result in an even more neutral sound image, a deeper noise floor and improved MC performance compared to the StudioPhono. Hi-Fi News reviewer Ken Kessler put it in a nutshell: "The UltraPhono redefines what you can get for your money - even without factoring in your headphone amplifier.

The second, equally strong argument in favor of the UltraPhono is its integrated class A headphone amplifier - not a compromise, not a retrofitted feature, but a fully-fledged audiophile stage with 31-stage volume control. Connect the record player to the UltraPhono, plug in the headphones, turn them up - and the world of music opens up without an amplifier, without loudspeakers, without regard for bedtimes. The UltraPhono is therefore the most complete and universal phono package that Mobile Fidelity offers in this format: Phono preamplifier and headphone amplifier in one housing, with the sound philosophy of the MoFi master studio as its foundation.

Class A operation means: The output transistor operates in the conductive range at all times - no switching on and off, no crossover distortion problem that inevitably occurs in other operating modes. The result is a sound that is described as particularly fluid, harmonically coherent and sonically consistent - at the cost of higher energy consumption, which MoFi consciously accepts. 1.5 watts per channel at 62 ohms are available, providing both easy-to-drive in-ear systems and more demanding over-ear headphones with sufficient level and control. The minimum impedance of 10 ohms ensures that even the most sensitive transducers can be operated without any problems.

The 31-stage volume control on the top of the device makes the difference in everyday use: instead of a continuously variable potentiometer, which tends to cause channel imbalances at low level settings, a precise, detented switch mechanism operates in 2 dB steps over a control range of 62 dB - with a mute function that attenuates the signal by -90 dB. This allows the level to be set reproducibly and without channel offset: a detail that also reflects the audiophile standard of the device in its operation.

The phono section of the UltraPhono is just as flexible as the StudioPhono - but the selected components make it even more sonically superior, especially in MC mode. The gain and termination impedance can be precisely adjusted via the DIP switch block on the underside (can be operated without tools): The gain can be selected in four stages - 40, 46, 60 and 66 dB - which means that both MM systems and low-impedance MC cartridges with very low output voltage are optimally supplied. The MC termination impedance can be adjusted in six stages from 75 to 47,000 ohms, meaning that almost any MC system on the market can be correctly terminated.

The mono filter and subsonic filter are directly accessible on the top of the device. The mono switch is designed for playback of mono LPs of any vintage: It sums both channels, eliminates channel-specific noise and allows mono pressings to blossom in their full density, spatiality and tonality - an experience that is particularly memorable with historical jazz, classical or early rock recordings. The subsonic filter suppresses low-frequency interference vibrations caused by discarded records or acoustic feedback, thus protecting amplifiers and speaker surrounds from unnecessary excursion at higher volumes.

The UltraPhono is clearly positioned between the StudioPhono and MasterPhono. If you don't need a headphone amplifier and are looking for maximum sound-per-euro efficiency, the StudioPhono is the right choice. If you want to enjoy vinyl privately, intimately and without a loudspeaker system - late at night, at your desk, in your home studio - the UltraPhono is a complete solution that does not require an external headphone amplifier. Connect the record player, plug in the headphones and turn it up. The record collection in all its immediacy - without any detours.