tracking, soundstage, extended highs and bass

now considered a discontinued model, so fairly cheap at 999 w/cartridge

lots of static associated with the acrylic plinth and plastic bags also the dust cover. this tends to attract dust

now considered a discontinued model

this turntable was purchased as a "closeout". what first started as a debacle ended up being a blessing in disguise. i chose this turntable after having ups destroy a mmf-7 during the shipping process. after getting over the shock and dismay of opening up my package only to find shards of acrylic and a dangling tonarm, i went to work looking for another candidate. i came across the pro-ject 2 xperience as it had all the characteristics of the mmf-7 save the double plinth design, but it did have a carbon fiber tonearm.

i will start with the platter. the mdf platter and it's healthy 4mm thick sheet of vinyl that provide ample isolation from resonance for the recorded vinyl. the decoupled motor is ultra quiet and offset into the back corner of the plinth. the resulting spin of the platter is true and smooth. three sorbothane backed aluminum spiked feet keep the plinth elevated and adjust easily to level out the entire platform. the plinth itself is fabricated out of thick, transparent acrylic which gives a visually stylish edge, especially with the contrast of the blackened platter, motor, belt, and tonearm assembly. the dust cover is plain and simple with excellent fit and finish. then there is the tonearm, there is something inherently exotic about carbon fiber and when compared to aluminum and as i have discovered, sonically exotic also. now the turntable was fitted with a sumiko blue point #2 an upgrade from the originally fitted sumiko pearl cartridge and that probably has a decent amount of effect on the whole end product, but compared to the mmf-5 i had previously, the difference is very evident. soundstage is clearly enhanced, well defined with nice depth. highs and lows are extended past that of the aforementioned and i'm listening to my entire collection with a "new ear" now. pressings that were dull and lifeless, ones that i thought must've been poorly engineered or manufactured, are much more vivid and enjoyable to listen. tracking is also another level up as "well known" pops that i'd grown accustomed to on my more heavily listened to vinyl are now either gone or barely noticeable. again, i do realize that the blue point is playing a large role, but putting mating this turntable with that cartridge has really stepped up my listening Xperience......

Similar Products Used:

mmf-5, goldring g1012