I’ve been enjoying my Audio Technica LP5x turntable for several months now. Upgrading the stock cartridge to a Microlinear variant (AT-VM95ML) made a noticeable difference to tracking, distortion and high frequency detail but I have been left wondering how much money I would need to part with to better the built-in preamp and whether the AT-LP5x is worthy of the upgrade.

There are many standalone preamps on the market ranging from very cheap to insanely expensive. Given the AT-LP5x is at best a mid-range turntable I was looking to find a preamp in a similar price bracket which meant wading through several options from the usual suspects including Pro-Ject, Rega, Cambridge Audio and iFi. After seriously considering both the Cambridge Audio Duo and the Rega Fono MM MK4 I stumbled across the MoFi StudioPhono which sat at the top end of my budget but seemed to offer more flexibility and functionality than the Rega Fono MM but without the extra features I didn’t need on the Cambridge Audio Duo such as the headphone amplifier.

Overview

The MoFi StudioPhono is an interesting option at this price point. You get support for MM and MC cartridges with plenty of options for gain and loading. There is a useful subsonic filter and mono mode selectable using push buttons on the top of the unit and all of this comes in a solid but compact chassis.

This is a relatively low thrills device. There are no digitisation options or additional noise filtering beyond the included subsonic filter. Round the back there continue to be no surprises. Simply an RCA input and output separated by a grounding post. The power socket for the external power supply can also be found round the back of the device.

One thing to note is there is no power button on the device itself and no signal detection to trigger a standby mode so if you want to turn it off when not in use you will need to manually cut power. There is a power indicator which glows orange on the top of the preamp next to the push buttons.

Performance

Out of the box the MoFi StudioPhono was ready to go with my AT-VM95ML cartridge but other cartridge/stylus combinations may require gain and load dip switches to be configured appropriately.

I hooked up the StudioPhono to my AT-LP5x turntable and disabled the built-in preamp on the AT-LP5x. On first listen I was immediately struck by the improved clarity and high frequency detail on offer with the MoFi compared to the built-in preamp on the Audio Technica. The soundstage appeared significantly wider as a result with more space between instruments and more detail while still offering great energy and solidity in the low and mid frequencies.

The built-in preamp on the AT-LP5x tends to emphasize bass frequencies in-line with what many come to expect from a direct-drive turntable but in comparison to what’s on offer with the MoFi StudioPhono the AT-LP5x sounds muddy and even boomy at times compared to the more refined and balanced MoFi. With the built-in preamp on the AT-LP5x I never truly got the feeling that my analogue setup was a match for my digital setup which is based around an RME ADI-2 DAC. In an A/B test my digital setup generally offered significantly more clarity and definition across the board. Doing those same tests with the MoFi StudioPhono has made this a much, much closer contest. The MoFi closes the gap in respect to high frequency detail and adds a rich mid-range and well defined low-end into the equation. The MoFi’s presentation is hugely engaging and manages to be fun, characterful yet suitably sophisticated.

In my testing the subsonic filter made no noticeable difference to the sound but should save some wild woofer excursions with certain records. The mono mode is also a useful feature if you have a few mono pressings in your collection but no dedicated mono rig. Grounding between the MoFi and the AT-LP5x seemed decent with background noise present but not audible further than a metre from the speakers at MM gain levels. Higher gain levels with MC cartridges may prove more troublesome and require careful placement, grounding and likely a higher end turntable and power supply.

Samples

Below are some representative samples recorded using a Behringer U-CONTROL UCA222 from both the AT-LP5x preamp and the MoFi StudioPhono.

AT-LP5x

MoFi StudioPhono

Conclusion

I set out to determine how much money I would need to part with to better the built-in preamp on the Audio Technica AT-LP5x and whether this is a worthwhile upgrade path. In reality the MoFi StudioPhono costs about the same as the AT-LP5x but even if you bought both together the combination would still come in well below the price of something like a Technics SL-1500C.

The MoFi StudioPhono is a solid investment offering enough functionality and flexibility to handle future turntable and cartridge upgrades in a compact form-factor. The MoFi handles the basics with huge confidence and authority making it a great partner or upgrade for turntables with or without a built-in preamp. If you want bells and whistles such as headphone outputs and advanced noise filtering you will need to look elsewhere but if all you want is great sound, solid build quality and a preamp that will have a place in your system for many years to come I can highly recommend the MoFi StudioPhono.