Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

When we last tested MoFi’s UltraDeck [HFN Jul ’19] and StudioDeck [HFN Jan ’20] in their ‘+’ guises (with MasterTracker and StudioTracker MMs at £2499 and £1349, respectively), it didn’t escape our attention that the high effective mass of the fitted 10in alloy tonearm suited the low ~12cu compliance of these pick-ups. By contrast, and in a reversal of cartridge tradition, MoFi’s UltraGold moving-coil [HFN Jan ’22] actually has a softer 18/20cu (vertical/lateral) compliance – it even tracks like a high compliance moving-magnet, successfully navigating the 80µm groove while keeping hold of the top +18dB modulation (315Hz lateral cut, re. 11.2μm) at just 0.5% THD. This, together with its modest 7.3g bodyweight, means the UltraGold is far better suited to the lower 11g effective mass ‘carbon’ arm fitted to the new MasterDeck than any of the ‘Tracker’ MM series. Output is a little over the rated 0.4mV at 452µV (re. 1kHz/5cm/sec), channel balance is within tolerance at 0.6dB while stereo separation is a perfectly ‘good’ 28dB/1kHz (falling to 14dB/20kHz). In most cases you’ll be looking at selecting +65dB gain, or thereabouts, on your MC phono preamp to optimise output level, S/N and headroom.

Above: MoFi’s UltraGold moving-coil cartridge [HFN Jan ’22]