MoFi's New Master Phono Preamplifier

Will wonders never cease? With Andrew Jones designing MoFi loudspeakers, Allen Perkins designing their turntables, and their latest fabled designer catch, Peter Madnick, designing their new Master Phono preamplifier ($5000), I can't but wonder if Mobile Fidelity, aka MoFi, is poised to take over the world. Madnick, whom you may recall as the former Design Manager for Constellation and ELAC and the founder of Audio Alchemy, has been in the audio business for 50 years and has designed over 400 products in the past 40 years.

The Master Phono Preamplifier has both current-mode and voltage-mode inputs. In Madnick's words, "This allows you to plug in a low-impedance cartridge without needing to fuss with cartridge loading." If none of the voltage input's 10 loading presets work with your cartridge, you can opt for the special RCA jacks that allow you to add your own resistance and capacitance.

As further evidence of Madnick's Swiss army knife approach to design, the front panel includes meters that, in conjunction with selectable tests, allow you to optimize cartridge alignment. Need I even add that the unit's power supply sits in a special chamber in the front of the unit, separated from the analog amplification section by noise-defeating galvanic isolation?

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