Analog Gear News

Some of our favorite turntable masters are back at it again — and MoFi Electronics latest offering, the MasterDeck turntable, is the proof. This ’table has been crafted by MoFi Electronics lead analog designer Allen Perkins, and it is an ostensible step up from the company’s prior StudioDeck and UltraDeck models.

Each MasterDeck turntable is assembled in limited batches at MoFi Electronics’ factory in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and is available in either walnut or black ash solid wood frame finishes. (We’ll show both options throughout this post.)

Check out the extensive MasterDeck YouTube clip below, wherein Perkins — who has been designing turntables for well over 40 years — describes his process and how he’s especially concerned with combatting noise issues. “What does that cartridge want to pick up to best present the music to the listener?” Perkins posits, semi-rhetorically — and then he tells you how he handles potential playback issues such as outside noise and interference in his MoFi turntable designs.

And now, back to the specs. The MasterDeck’s 1.75in thick platter is composed of a Delrin/aluminum hybrid, a combination chosen to (their words) “significantly reduce resonance, providing a remarkably stable and inert base for vinyl playback.”

The MasterDeck ’table incorporates an encapsulated spiral groove inverted bearing, which was designed for “precision and stability.” This bearing system has been engineered to minimize friction and reduce wear, resulting in “an incredibly smooth turntable rotation.”

The MasterDeck sports an all-new dual-pivot carbon-fiber 10-inch tonearm, said to (again, their words) “epitomize the perfect blend of precision, control, and friction-free tracking.” Featuring a removable headshell, the MasterDeck tonearm allows for the fine-tuning of various cartridges. Adjustments include azimuth, vertical tracking angle (VTA), overhang, and anti-skate, all enhanced by premium internal wiring from Cardas Audio.

The MasterDeck offers three-speed selection to accommodate 33 1/3, 45, and 78rpm playback, and it has a fine-tuning trim adjustment precision control that is said to “enable users to make subtle speed modifications, ensuring an exact playback speed for every record.”

The MasterDeck also deploys a sensor-regulated motor equipped with a three-phase brushless DC drive, “isolated to prevent interference.” Harmonic Resolution Systems isolation feet have been engineered to provide 5.5° “of freedom,” and they effectively float the turntable in order to offer isolation from environmental vibrations and feedback so as to maintain the ’table’s overall stability.

Finally, the MoFi Electronics MasterDeck turntable has an SRP of $5,995.

For more about MoFi Electronics, go here.
To find an authorized MoFi Electronics retailer, go here.

MOFI ELECTRONICS MASTERDECK TURNTABLE
($5,995)

Features & Specs
Motor: belt drive (DC synchronous)
Playback speeds: 33 1/3rom, 45rpm, 78rpm (with ± trim adjustment)
Platter: 14.35lb (Delrin-coated aluminum)
Power consumption: <5W
Dimensions: 20 x 5.125 x 15.125in (w/h/d, without tonearm); 20 x 6.25 x 15.125in (w/h/d, with tonearm)
Weight: 37.4lb
Tonearm type: Unipivot/gimbal hybrid
Overhang: 0.71in (18mm)
Offset angle: 22.8°
Cartridge weight range: 5g-14g