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Rega P3 vs. Mofi StudioDeck (or others)

A

AdlerW

Active Member
Hello everyone :D Please read the whole post before commenting.

I'm sure that I have asked a similar question before, but I had not narrowed anything down and my ability to buy such a turntable was not really quite there. But I have narrowed it down further and I will be buying something by the end of the year. I have not been listening to vinyl much lately, sadly. I don't have a cartridge I really like and I haven't had the money for a new turntable (and school has taken up a lot of my time). But I'd like to rekindle my interest in vinyl by getting a new table.

First of all, let me say that I have nothing against vintage and I own two vintage turntables (one of which I learned how to service myself). I am not intending to replace them, but I have been wanting a new turntable in the $1000 tier for a while now and I want to finally pull the trigger.

Here are the factors I've been considering:

I'm leaning toward the Rega at this point. I don't like that the Mofi has the platter belt around the outside of the platter. In my experience turntables with this kind of setup often need a "push" to get them started and I'm not a fan of having to do that. I also don't like that it costs $200 more than the Rega. I do like that it has fully adjustable VTA, while the VTA of the Rega P3 can only be adjusted using metal shims. And I do like that the Mofi doesn't have captive cables.

Although I normally like to play around with swapping cartridges, that's what my vintage tables are for and at this point I probably won't be able to afford to own multiple cartridges anyway. I am fine buying one high-end cartridge (looking at the Hana SH or possibly the Ortofon 2M Black) and mounting it on this new turntable for good. I like that both the P3 and the StudioDeck can be ordered without a cartridge.

Anyone own one of these tables and can offer a recommendation? Do you think I should be buying a different new turntable around $1000 (also looking at the Pro-Ject X1)?
 
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AdlerW said:
I'm leaning toward the Rega at this point. I don't like that the Mofi has the platter belt around the outside of the platter. In my experience turntables with this kind of setup often need a "push" to get them started and I'm not a fan of having to do that. I also don't like that it costs $200 more than the Rega. I do like that it has fully adjustable VTA, while the VTA of the Rega P3 can only be adjusted using metal shims. And I do like that the Mofi doesn't have captive cables.
Click to expand...

Basic physics dictates that the belt around the outer rim of the platter is beneficial because it greatly improves torque compared to having the belt around a subplatter of some kind.

A heavy turntable is a good turntable, and the MoFi is 50% heavier than the Rega.

The Delrin platter on the MoFi is also highly beneficial because the glass platter on the Rega rings like fine china. Actually, replacing the glass platter with an aftermarket Delrin platter is one of the common mods for the Rega.

Judging by the photos on MoFi's website, the main bearing of the MoFi should also be superior.

I don't have any experience with the MoFi but I helped a colleague set her Rega P3 up and I thought it was pretty meh. It doesn't feel like a €700 turntable. And since you are not going to use a Rega cartridge, you will need to install those stupid shims.
 
stratokaster said:
Basic physics dictates that the belt around the outer rim of the platter is beneficial because it greatly improves torque compared to having the belt around a subplatter of some kind.
And since you are not going to use a Rega cartridge, you will need to install those stupid shims.
Click to expand...

All I can say is that I had a U-Turn Orbit, which has the same setup and not only did the belt slip off a couple times, it eventually was at the point where I had to "nudge" it to get it going (heard that the Schiit Sol also needed to be "nudged"). I'm sure it will be better implemented in the much more expensive Mofi, though.

And I was afraid of that--I've heard that Rega's own cartridges are not very "tall" and thus the turntable is designed for that and will need the shims to use most other cartridges.

Thanks for your input.
 
I own a Mo-Fi studio deck and I like it very much. I also considered the Rega P3 but felt the Mo-Fi's features made it a better value. Don't be afraid of the standard cartridge that comes with the Studio deck. It's better than my previous Ortofon 2M blue and that's a good cartridge too.
 
Except for those two TTs, maybe the Technics SL-100c could be something to look at with that budget.
 
I've considered a Technics. The SL-100C doesn't look like it's going to be available in the U.S., so the 1500C (with a built-in preamp I wouldn't need) is an option. There is a part of me that wants one of these minimalist belt-drives (especially since I already own a vintage Technics) but I won't rule it out.
 
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