MoFi Electronics UltraDeck +UG Turntable - UltraGold MC Cartridge

MoFi's American-Made Entry Point Into Reference Turntables

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has spent four decades remastering records. MoFi Electronics is its turntable division, and the UltraDeck was its first design — built in the USA with input from Spiral Groove's Allen Perkins.

An isolated AC synchronous motor turns a stepped Delrin pulley for manual belt-move speed changes between 33⅓ and 45rpm; 78rpm playback and electronic speed switching aren't offered on this model.

This package ships with MoFi's UltraGold moving-coil cartridge factory-installed — the same reference cartridge offered on the flagship MasterDeck, voiced by Allen Perkins around a Nude Shibata stylus and a low-mass boron cantilever.

A Simpler Path to MoFi's Turntable Philosophy

A Massive Platter and a Hardened-Steel Bearing

The UltraDeck's 1.3-inch-thick Delrin platter weighs 6.8 pounds and rides on a hardened-steel inverted bearing built from steel, bronze, and sapphire. That combination is more often found in far more expensive turntables. Three aluminum plates are bonded to an MDF core to add mass and damp unwanted resonance.

Four height-adjustable feet, developed in collaboration with Harmonic Resolution Systems, isolate the plinth from the shelf it sits on. That isolation keeps outside vibration — anything that isn't already in the record grooves — from ever reaching the stylus and coloring playback.

The 10-Inch Ultra Tonearm

Custom-developed and made in the USA, the Ultra tonearm rides on smooth ball bearings in a gimbaled design. Its aluminum arm tube is built for low friction in both the vertical and horizontal planes.

Cardas Audio wiring carries the signal from the headshell leads through to gold-plated RCA connectors. That keeps the path from stylus to amplifier as clean as the rest of the design.

What Reviewers Are Saying

The Absolute Sound gave the UltraDeck a 2019 Editors' Choice Award, calling it "a smartly conceived and finely honed design that's already earning its place as an instant classic," citing its isolated motor, Delrin platter, and HRS-designed feet.

Reviewing an UltraGold-equipped UltraDeck for futureaudiophile.com, Paul Wilson found "a real sense of ease and effortlessness in LP after LP I played," adding that "the sound quality was excellent, with superior dynamics."

Who Is This Turntable Best For?

• You want the same reference cartridge as the flagship MasterDeck — the UltraGold MC arrives factory-installed on the Ultra tonearm
• You want moving-coil sound without moving up to MasterDeck — the UltraGold pairing brings MC performance to MoFi's entry-level platform
• You're comfortable moving a belt to change speeds — 33⅓ and 45rpm are supported manually, with no electronic switch
• Vibration control matters on a budget — HRS-designed feet and a hardened-steel bearing keep noise out of the groove
• You want MoFi's moving-coil cartridge already fitted — the UltraGold arrives mounted and aligned

How Does It Connect to Your System?

The UltraDeck has no built-in phono preamp, so the factory-installed UltraGold's low-output moving-coil signal needs an external phono stage with moving-coil compatibility and a load of at least 100 ohms — not a generic moving-magnet input.

Once matched, one RCA cable (with the tonearm's own Cardas wiring and gold-plated connectors) runs to your amplifier or receiver's phono input, or to a separate outboard phono preamp.

Pairs Well With

Where the UltraDeck goes from here:

• Phono cartridges — the Ultra tonearm is already carrying MoFi's top cartridge option
• Phono preamplifiers — a moving-coil-capable phono stage matched to the UltraGold's low output
• Integrated amplifiers — with a phono input suited to moving-coil cartridges, or paired with a separate phono preamp
• Audio racks — a rigid, level shelf lets the hardened-steel bearing and HRS feet do their job

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the UltraDeck include a cartridge?

Yes. This package ships with MoFi's UltraGold moving-coil cartridge factory-installed.

Does it have a built-in phono preamp?

It needs an external phono preamp with moving-coil compatibility and a load of at least 100 ohms — there's no phono stage built in.

Is the UltraDeck automatic or manual?

Fully manual, with belt-move speed changes between 33⅓ and 45rpm only — there's no 78rpm support or electronic switching on this model.

Is a dust cover included?

This package ships without one, so you'll want to budget for a dust cover separately.

How is this different from the UltraGold-equipped MasterDeck?

The cartridge is the same, but MasterDeck adds a costlier carbon-fiber dual-pivot tonearm, a heavier hybrid platter, and 78rpm support with electronic trim adjustment.

See It in Action

Music Direct compares the UltraDeck to its MoFi siblings:

Audio Advice compares the UltraDeck head-to-head with the StudioDeck:

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Learn More

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