Musical Fidelity V90-LPS review - mega-shootout

Описание: Musical Fidelity V90-LPS
BASS
DYNAMICS 7
EXTENSION 7
CONTROL, DEFINITION 7

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 7
EXTENSION 8

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 6.5
SIBILANCE-FREE 7

TONALITY & HARMONICS 7
DETAIL & CLARITY 7
IMAGING 7
SOUNDSTAGING 7
RHYTHM AND TIMING 6.5

OVERALL SCORE FOR Musical Fidelity V90-LPS = 84/120.
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Cambridge Audio 651P
BASS
DYNAMICS 7
EXTENSION 7
CONTROL, DEFINITION 7

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 6.5
EXTENSION 6

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 6.5
SIBILANCE-FREE 6.5

TONALITY & HARMONICS 6
DETAIL & CLARITY 6.5
IMAGING 6.5
SOUNDSTAGING 6
RHYTHM AND TIMING 7

OVERALL SCORE FOR Cambridge Audio 651P = 78.5/120.
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U-Turn Pluto
BASS
DYNAMICS 6
EXTENSION 7
CONTROL, DEFINITION 7

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 6
EXTENSION 5.5

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 6.5
SIBILANCE-FREE 6.5

TONALITY & HARMONICS 5.5
DETAIL & CLARITY 6
IMAGING 6.5
SOUNDSTAGING 6
RHYTHM AND TIMING 7

OVERALL SCORE FOR U-Turn Pluto = 75.5/120.
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Rega Fono MM Mk2
BASS
DYNAMICS 7.5
EXTENSION 8
CONTROL, DEFINITION 5.5

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 6
EXTENSION 5.5

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 6
SIBILANCE-FREE 6.5

TONALITY & HARMONICS 6
DETAIL & CLARITY 6
IMAGING 5.5
SOUNDSTAGING 5.5
RHYTHM AND TIMING 6.5

OVERALL SCORE FOR Rega Fono MM Mk2 = 74.5/120.
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Pro-Ject Phono Box S
BASS
DYNAMICS 3
EXTENSION 5
CONTROL, DEFINITION 4

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 5
EXTENSION 5

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 3
SIBILANCE-FREE 4

TONALITY & HARMONICS 4
DETAIL & CLARITY 4
IMAGING 4
SOUNDSTAGING 4
RHYTHM AND TIMING 4

OVERALL SCORE FOR Pro-Ject Phono Box S = 49/120.
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Emotiva XPS-1
BASS
DYNAMICS 5
EXTENSION 3
CONTROL, DEFINITION 2

TREBLE
DETAIL REFINEMENT 4
EXTENSION 5

MIDRANGE
NATURALNESS 4
SIBILANCE-FREE 4

TONALITY & HARMONICS 4
DETAIL & CLARITY 4
IMAGING 4
SOUNDSTAGING 4
RHYTHM AND TIMING 4

OVERALL SCORE FOR Emotiva XPS-1 = 47/120.
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Dear Friends, this is the mega 8-phonostages shootout-and-review series.
Carrying on from the GroupA ($70-80) and GroupB ($90-120) cartridges shootout and reviews in the past few months,
I have now proceeded, as promised 3 months ago, to bring forth this review series so as to rigorously compare and find out:
Of these more AFFORDABLE phono stages, which are the ones THAT WILL really bring us the VINYL ANALOGUE magic, dynamics and beauty? :-D

Actually I have started preparing for this mega phonostage shootout since eight months ago, January 2016.
Three of them were kindly lent to me by a few of my friends.
The other FIVE, :-D I bought them with my own monies.
Though costly, this has been my sincerest wish to do this at my own sacrifice for all of you.

Preparing, running in (each is runned-in for at least 150hours each), and testing & auditioning them against one another has been hard work. It has also been enjoyable, and interesting to realise many amazing findings!!!

A total of SIX cartridges were used throughout the testing:
***the top two performing carts from GroupA ($70-80): the Grado Black, and the Goldring Elan
***the top three performing carts from GroupB ($90-120): the Nagaoka MP-110, the Goldring Elektra, and the Grado Green.
and the fourth performing cart from GroupB, and the one ubiquitously deployed in many Pro-Ject turntables: the Ortofon 2M Red.

Other equipment used in my capacity:
Avid Sequel turntable with SME V arm, Technics SL1200Mk5 (with Furutech Monza LP stabilizer and Herbie’s Way Excellent Mat),
Shunyata Hydra Triton and cabling throughout,
Vitus RI-100 integrated amplifier, B&W804D speakers, and Dali Kubik Free + Kubik Extra stereo active speakers.

The eight phono stages in this review series proudly are:
From Austria:
1...PRO-JECT PHONO BOX S,
From the U.K.:
2…CAMBRIDGE AUDIO 651P,
3…GRAHAM SLEE GRAM AMP 2 SPECIAL EDITION,
4…REGA FONO MM MK2,
5…MUSICAL FIDELITY V90-LPS,
and from the U.S.:
6…U-Turn Pluto,
7…Schiit Mani,
8…Emotiva XPS-1.

Let’s go my friends!!!

Vinyl lives,
ian :-D

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Music Attribution:
Music used with permission from www.bensound.com