[doggiehowser]

I reckon the MoFi UltraDeck + compares very well to other turntables in its class.

Most other manufacturers use ProJect or Rega arms at this price range so to see a bespoke arm is pretty impressive.

In terms of build quality, the material used on the plinth and platter (despite the esoteric name) feels more ordinary - primarily a matte finish that looks like it is vinyl wrapped. But it works well. Love the way levelling is handled. I do find the similarly priced Marantz TT15S1 to feel more luxurious (it is after all a ClearAudio)

What I do find impressive is how easy it is to set up. From unboxing to playing - 20 minutes. And that includes clearing away the packaging. Everything is prefitted as much as they can - even the lid. The only thing I had to fit was the counterweight and the antiskate (which I skipped). You do need a tracking force gauge though. No graduated scale on the counterweight.

The Marantz on the other hand shipped with the cart uninstalled. And had this PITA anti skate magnetic device that caused some initial confusion.

I also like the Ultra grade cartridge. It definitely sounds much better than the 2M Red based cart that is bundled in the Acoustic Signature Primus. I think that’s the reason for the big cost jump from the Studio and it does sound very good out of the box. I preferred it to the ClearAudio Ebony cart that came with the Marantz which has a more Marantz-ish warmer tone.

I reckon the UltraTracker sounds better than the 2M Bronze.

I haven’t heard VPI’s newest entry level models - those would be the one to beat IMHO.

But the MoFis are designed for a slightly different market I think. It’s for a new generation of vinyl lovers who want something that’s easy to set up - out of the box and still sounds good. There aren’t a plethora of upgrade options that you could do with a Rega or VPI. No power supplies, speed controls, heavier platters. Etc. pretty much just plug and play.