MoFi Electronics StudioPhono MM/MC Phono Preamplifier

What the Mastering Room Taught It

The MoFi Electronics StudioPhono is a phono stage for moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. It is where MoFi's range starts, below the pricier UltraPhono Pro and the flagship MasterPhono.

Its circuit was developed with input from Tim De Paravicini. He built Mobile Fidelity's own Gain2 Ultra mastering system. MoFi built it to bring some of that same design thinking to a real-world price.

Toggle switches on the underside set gain and loading. Nothing needs a screwdriver. It is built by hand at Mobile Fidelity's own plant in Michigan, which is rare at this price.

Dual RCA inputs and outputs let you connect two sources, or feed two destinations. A grounding post is fitted to quiet the hum a turntable otherwise passes along the cable.

Gain and Loading for Nearly Any Cartridge

Gain switches across four levels: 40dB, 46dB, 60dB and 66dB. That covers everything from a high-output moving magnet through to a low-output moving coil, which is a wide span for a single box at this end of the range.

Moving magnet loading is fixed at the standard 47 kOhms. Moving coil loading switches between six values: 75, 100, 500, 1k, 10k and 47k ohms. Capacitance is fixed at 100pF.

Distortion stays low on both cartridge types: under 0.01% for moving magnet, under 0.012% for moving coil. On a signal measured in thousandths of a volt, that is what keeps the background quiet.

A mono switch folds stereo to mono for vintage mono pressings. A subsonic filter cuts the rumble a warped record sends up the arm. It measures 7.25 by 4 by 1.25 inches and runs from an external, balanced power supply.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Michael Lavorgna reviewed the StudioPhono for Twittering Machines in March 2023. He praised its "wonderfully tight, resolving, and driving sound," noting its "fine balance of sonic skills" across a range of records.

Lim Juan reviewed it for audioFi.net in January 2023. He described its presentation as "almost creamy." Its midrange, he added, showed "very good fine detail where texture and nuance of individual voices and instruments" came through clearly.

Who Is This Preamp Best For?

• Anyone who owns a moving coil cartridge. Its 60dB and 66dB gain settings give low-output MC cartridges the boost they need.
• Collectors with vintage mono records. A dedicated mono switch is built in, rather than left out at this price.
• Reviewers have already put it to work. Multiple named reviewers praised its detail and tonal balance.
• Anyone stepping up from a receiver's basic phono input. Its adjustable gain and loading outperform most built-in phono stages.
• Headphone listening runs from a separate box — the StudioPhono is a phono stage only, with a line-level output and no headphone amp of its own. Add one of our headphone amplifiers and the turntable reaches your headphones properly.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run your turntable's phono cable into one of the StudioPhono's RCA inputs, then connect an RCA output to a line-level input on your amp or receiver.

Flip the underside toggle switches to set gain and loading for your specific cartridge. Attach your turntable's ground wire to the rear post to help quiet any hum.

Pairs Well With

Building your system? Here are some great companions for the MoFi Electronics StudioPhono:

• Turntables without a built-in phono stage
• Phono cartridges, MM or MC, matched to its switchable gain
• Interconnect cables to connect its outputs to your amp
• Record cleaning machines, because a phono stage amplifies surface noise along with the music

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this compare to the UltraPhono Pro?

The StudioPhono is where MoFi's range starts. The UltraPhono Pro sits well above it, bringing more of the flagship MasterPhono's engineering at a higher price.

Can I use this with a moving coil cartridge?

Yes. Its 60dB and 66dB gain settings, along with six loading options, are built with moving coil cartridges in mind.

Does it have a headphone output?

Its RCA output feeds an amplifier, or a dedicated headphone amp if that is how you listen.

Can I play mono records on it?

Yes. A dedicated mono switch is built in for vintage mono LPs.

What is the subsonic filter for?

It cuts the very low frequencies a warped record or a springy floor sends up the arm. Left unchecked they waste woofer movement on sound nobody can hear.

See It in Action

HiVinyls compares the StudioPhono against the Schiit Mani:

Analogholic reviews the StudioPhono as a budget reference phono stage:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about matching a phono preamp to your cartridge, setting up your turntable correctly, or getting the most from your vinyl collection? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.