Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Since the company’s inception in 2014, MoFi Electronics has developed a reputation for high-quality products. And in a range now encompassing turntables, cartridges, phono stages, loudspeakers, a DAC and a growing number of accessories, there is also a convenient pathway of progression along an upgrade ladder. For MoFi’s vinyl-related items, this takes you from ‘Studio’, through ‘Ultra’, and onto ‘Master’ models.

The latest flagship offering to bear the top moniker is the MasterDeck turntable, retailing at £6995 or £7995 as a complete package with the UltraGold MC pick-up [see PM's boxout], offering a saving of £849 over buying the items separately. The deck is available in Black Ash and Walnut finishes and, like the StudioDeck [HFN Jan ’20], and UltraDeck [HFN Jul ’19], includes design know-how from Spiral Groove’s Allen Perkins. In this case, it has been combined with the electronics expertise of Peter Madnick [ex-Alchemy Audio, Constellation], the designer of the MoFi MasterPhono phono stage [HFN Dec ’23].

Sibling rivalry

At first glance, this turntable’s resemblance to the StudioDeck and UltraDeck is obvious but, on closer inspection, the MasterDeck incorporates some rather different thinking. This impression is reinforced when you lift it – weighing in at 17kg, the deck belies its slim appearance and is very sturdy. The 508mm-wide plinth is a solid wood construction, machined to suit the internals, and sits on special feet designed by Harmonic Resonance Systems (HRS). These are adjustable for levelling and effectively ‘float’ the turntable on the mounting surface.

The business end of the deck comprises a 6.5kg platter, belt driven around its periphery by one of MoFi’s trademark orange belts. The platter is 45mm thick and made from a layer of aluminium topped by a layer of Delrin, the mixture being chosen and optimised for minimum resonance. The whole assembly spins on an inverted bearing, a design familiar from Spiral Groove turntables of yore.

Torque talk

The brushless DC motor powering the MasterDeck’s platter is isolated from the main plinth and run by three-phase sensor-controlled circuitry. This motor is incredibly torquey – slowing the platter by hand is very difficult and trying to slow the pulley itself is likely to remove your fingertips!

Setup is… unusual. When first powered up after connection to the mains, the MasterDeck enters an automated calibration routine, using feedback from under-platter hall-effect sensors to monitor the rotation speed. Once 33.3rpm is reached and determined to be stable, the calibration phase is complete and the drive settings that were supplied to the motor are stored in memory.

Strangely, for subsequent play, the servo systems and platter speed feedback are no longer used – each press of the start/stop switch simply recalls the stored parameters. These same settings are used each time until power is removed and a new calibration cycle is instigated on re-powering. The 45rpm and 78rpm options are calculated as multiples of the 33rpm settings when selected.

Above: Driven via a small-diameter pulley and (orange) belt around its edge, the MasterDeck’s heavy platter comprises a machined, black alloy lower section with Delrin top surface. Selected speed is indicated by a numeric display [left]

Given that the system has servo control and speed feedback, it begs the question as to why the MasterDeck doesn’t employ these all the time, for a ‘dynamic’ calibration. After all, the behaviour of both motor and bearing will change as everything warms up. MoFi also advised us that, for optimum calibration, a record should be on the platter, any clamp should be in place and the stylus should even be in the groove, as the system is so sensitive. But this is not specifically stated in the manual.

In contrast to the chunkier aluminium design of the StudioDeck and UltraDeck, the MasterDeck’s new tonearm is a lower mass proposition. It has a 10in carbon fibre armtube and an aluminium headshell that is both removable and fully adjustable for easy cartridge fitment and azimuth setting. Cartridge slots are also impressively lengthy, making adjustment a doddle. The arm bearing arrangement is unusual, as it has a unipivot, but this is only used for horizontal movement while a gimbal bearing is utilised in the vertical plane.

Customer satisfaction

Allen Perkins prefers unipivot bearings but recognises the complications inherent in ensuring they are stable and balanced. In his words, ‘the motivation for this design was to overcome the common customer complaint of unipivots feeling unstable when cueing the cartridge’. I would question the wisdom of compromising an established design to make something ‘feel’ nicer, but the use of ruby balls in the unipivot, and high-spec ABEC7 bearings on the gimbal, do at least suggest both have been optimised.

This gives the MasterDeck’s arm a slightly unusual feel in use – it is not as ‘floppy’ as a full unipivot but is still wobblier than one might anticipate when faced with full gimbal bearings. The uncalibrated counterweight is also rather slack and has some lateral play in it when mounted on its adjustment thread. As for anti-skate, this is applied using a thread and weight system, while a threaded collar provides easy VTA adjustment and is so well machined that on-the fly adjustment is possible if your hands are steady enough. Ultimately, the overall fit and finish of the MasterDeck is on a par with the price tag, although the lack of a lid is a shame.

Time well spent

With the turntable installed on my regular Atacama rack, a few days of experimentation revealed that getting the best from it requires a bit more effort than might be expected. Additionally, having found that MoFi Electronics’ £249 Super Heavyweight record clamp was an absolute must with the StudioDeck and UltraDeck, I made sure to audition the MasterDeck with the range-topping £499 Super Heavyweight Champion clamp, also supplied by MoFi’s UK’s distributor Karma AV. Despite the downside of an increase in ‘vinyl roar’ with the clamp in place, this was more than compensated for by the improvements it brought to performance. Bass, in particular, instantly became fuller, firmer and more detailed.

The second vital step is to power the turntable and allow it to calibrate, then run it to warm up for a good hour or two. Then? Unplug and re-start it so that the calibration cycle runs once more. And on this second cycle, remember to leave the record on, clamp in place and stylus in the groove – as the improvements after this are quite far-reaching. I spent the first few hours of listening with the impression that the MasterDeck was pleasant but unremarkable. But that second calibration cycle made a worthwhile difference.

Merchant and ivory

Fully warmed and re-calibrated, the MasterDeck becomes an enjoyable turntable. It spins your vinyl platters with an air of confidence, aided by a deep and detailed low-end, and gets to the heart of the music while offering a well-ordered presentation between the loudspeakers. The live version of ‘Dallas’, from the double-LP release of 10,000 Maniacs’ MTV Unplugged set [Elektra Records 603497823932], was carried off with a great sense of atmosphere, with piano, strings and guitars easy to locate amid the country-tinged melee. Natalie Merchant’s vocal inflections stood out immaculately.

Across the top end, the sparkle and openness of MoFi’s deck helps reinforce the feeling of insight, and delineates the space occupied by the players. The image width sneaks out beyond the speakers to a reasonable extent, but the MasterDeck doesn’t quite offer the full side-to-side room-filling spaciousness that some rivals can muster. This surprised me, as unipivot-equipped tonearms typically have this sort of thing nailed. In creating the ‘hybrid’ pivot arrangement to polish one small aspect of the perceived user experience, I can’t help but wonder if MoFi has traded this for a hint of performance.

Diamond sparkle

That said, the arm’s design has not overtly hindered the MasterDeck’s low end. The bass notes that carry the long intro to Sade’s ‘Why Can’t We Live Together’ [Diamond Life; CBS 01-026044-20] were as clear and rounded as I could have hoped for, backed by resonant, lifelike percussive hits. Equally, the kick drum underpinning the title track of Steve Earle’s Copperhead Road [MCA Records MCF3426] enjoyed punch and power.

One aspect that did become apparent, however, was that while the kick drum remained prominent, other drum beats behind seemed a little reticent. MoFi’s turntable is quite capable at highlighting the main rhythmic action in a track but does occasionally let some other ‘secondary’ effects slide off into the background. Yet what never slipped behind during my time with the MasterDeck was its reproduction of vocals. Here it lived up to its name, being a ‘master’ of setting performers beautifully centre stage.

Above: The Cardas-wired tonearm is terminated in a 5-pin DIN connection under the plinth. Note the additional ground connection adjacent to the PSU input

Shimmer shivers

Steve Earle’s voice was delivered with its distinctive Deep South twang, while Diane Schuur could have been perched on the unused subwoofer between my speakers during her rendition of ‘Love Dance’ [The Diane Schuur Collection; GRP Records GR-9591]. The piano on this piece was also pleasingly lifelike, free of any artifice. Once more, a sinuous bassline provided a detailed underpinning but, again, seemed to fade away a little during crescendos.

Fortunately, there was no uncertainty when it came to the MasterDeck’s open and revealing treble. Cymbals were always sweet, well-defined and given a properly metallic shimmer. When the chimes in Chris Rea’s ‘Giverny’ [On The Beach; Magnet Records 242 375-1] were gently stroked, a shiver ran up my back. Across the mid and upper reaches of the frequency spectrum, MoFi’s MasterDeck misses little, and keeps everything solidly placed within the recording.

Hi-Fi News Verdict

The MoFi MasterDeck is something of an enigma. Clearly well made and incorporating some promising technology, extracting the best from it is not as simple as it should be. Furthermore, the process ideally needs to be repeated every time you use it. Suitably finessed, it performs well and is a thoroughly enjoyable listen, but faces strong competition at its price from rivals that require less fuss.

Sound Quality: 80%