Musical Fidelity MX Vinyl
Contents
From High End Music, we get the Musical Fidelity MX-Vinyl (899). This is a well-crafted phono pre-amp with a few handy settings. The rotary knob on the front can be used to adjust resistance or capacitance. The dip switches are for the RIAA curve (IEC / RIAA) and the gain (0 or 6dB).
On the back we see both balanced and single ended outputs. There is even a balanced input. The 12 volt switchmode adapter is ‘not so clean’, so to say. So, we recommend upgrading it.
Sound-wise, the Musical Fidelity is remarkably neutral and nimble. It is somewhat reminiscent of the ProJect, but it is a class better. It should be, since the MX-PHONO is more than 300 Euros more expensive.
It still sounds a bit thin with the switchmode power supply. However, that is completely gone when we attach the Sbooster to it. Then the body is right back. The Sbooster also brings more detail in the presentation and also provides more calmness. An upgrade that is really worth it.
Measurements Musical Fidelity MX-VINYL
The MX-VINYL’s noise floor is good: it sits around -120dB, which is just fine. We see in the response a phase shift at 7 Hz. Multiple measurements show an equal effect. There’s something there, it seems. The response is otherwise neat and equal to the rest of the field.
Noise on the power supply shows that the swtichmode adapter is not good. We see a lot of spikes. With an Sbooster, the noise floor drops significantly especially in the lower spectrum. At least 20dB. However, there is some ‘leakage’ from the pre-amp to the power supply. But that’s pretty low already (below -120dB).
| Type | Musical Fidelity MX-VINYL |
| MM/MC | Yes, both |
| Curves | Yes, RIAA / IEC |
| Adjustable impedance / capacitance | Yes, both |
| Power supply | External, switching |
| Price | 899 |