Chinese phono pre-amps?

[drewdawg999]

I have an MP-7 and the 120Hz noise is very much present from the supplied Merryking 24V AC Wallwart. But at the volume I listen, it is barely audible so not a huge issue. It's a good enough phono stage but really not head and shoulders above any others I've used. It would please me more if the 120Hz noise was much lower than it is.

Good to know, that noise would bother me too if it's audible at all at listening volume. This mysterious MP-7 has been on my wishlist due to such strong word of mouth, was even considering one for Christmas, but now I don't know. Doubt it would be an appreciable upgrade over what I have (MS Phonomena on battery power).

 

[DSJR]

Just to ask the OP to consider the overload margin in the final choice of phono stage as I feel the cartridge used may need it on hot sibilant cuts (not a criticism). I don't know how related the OM Pro and 500GT are to the Concord Club series, but both of mine can have strong sibilants which will easily beat a phono stage with weak overload margins in my experience.

 

[antcollinet]

You are the champion today. Congrats, Give yourself a big pat on the back.

what a strange strange person.

 

[fpitas]

what's your deal there chief?

I think he's trying to say you can be very obnoxious.

 

[fpitas]

Do you guys hang out? Do you speak for him? Does he stutter? Can't get it out? Did he PM you "hey fupitas, reply to him telling him he's very obnoxious" Comedy gold, please carry on ...

I rest my case.

 

[antcollinet]

I rest my case.

Hammer, meet nail head.

There you go @GPJ - now you know.

 

[egellings]

I'll be the t*rd in the punchbowl, since we're on ASR, and remind you that subjective reviews are worth what you pay for them. If you can send it to Amir, you can get a meaningful review.

"Turd", although unappetizing, is not a cuss word--no need to bleep it out.

 

[Jim Hagerman]

I have an MP-7 and the 120Hz noise is very much present from the supplied Merryking 24V AC Wallwart. But at the volume I listen, it is barely audible so not a huge issue. It's a good enough phono stage but really not head and shoulders above any others I've used. It would please me more if the 120Hz noise was much lower than it is.

Chances are good that the hum or buzz you are experiencing may not be coming from the MP-7. Does it go away with TT disconnected from inputs? Does it change when you move the unit around, hopefully farther away from offending magnetic fields? I made this handy video to help resolve such issues:

 

[Jim Hagerman]

none of them produce 120Hz hum except for the MP-7 as I described earlier

Thank you for the kind words. Honestly, I'm surprised the MP-7 has hum, as it seems to be a very popular stage.

 

[egellings]

Chances are good that the hum or buzz you are experiencing may not be coming from the MP-7. Does it go away with TT disconnected from inputs? Does it change when you move the unit around, hopefully farther away from offending magnetic fields? I made this handy video to help resolve such issues:

If it's 120Hz, then it's likely due to power supply ripple caused by inadequate filter capacitance. Either that, or the load is drawing too much current from a properly working supply, causing the ripple.

 

[drewdawg999]

I had a pretty bad hum the other day. I think it's a seasonal thing, it comes and it goes. Luckily I was able to get rid of it by scrunching up the cables a bit. They're now touching the chassis of the phono pre if that makes a difference.

 

[drmevo]

There is a possibility I have a worse one than other's. It is a second hand unit but the seller said it was purchased when most ll of the fixes to MP-7 were updated. That is why I took the risk of purchasing it. Oh well, win some lose some. It isn't all that bad and it does work well enough. I'm not mowed over like many seem to be. If it was quiet like the other stages, I'd be much happier.

Contact Darlington Labs. The owner posted on another forum about a small number of units that had this issue, which they have since corrected. Even though you bought second hand, I would bet they’ll do something for you.

 

[NoMoFoNo]

Those Chinese offerings seem pretty dicey to me. Total crapshoot, you might luck out and land a winner but who knows. I would go with a nice Darlington Labs MM unit, go as high up the line as you can afford.

Darlington was poorly reviewed here. Anecdotally, I owned an MP-7 and didn't like it. I'd go with one of the well-testing and inexpensive options tested on ASR.

 

[soccermommy]

Heres my suggestion.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804141671005.html

Follow the modding suggestions on this page https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=26658.0

 

[LTig]

Heres my suggestion.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256804141671005.html

No specs regarding noise, distortion, gain, headroom, flatness ... why should one buy it?

 

[mike70]

Just to ask the OP to consider the overload margin in the final choice of phono stage as I feel the cartridge used may need it on hot sibilant cuts (not a criticism). I don't know how related the OM Pro and 500GT are to the Concord Club series, but both of mine can have strong sibilants which will easily beat a phono stage with weak overload margins in my experience.

Don't use conical or cheaper bounded elliptical styluses and you won't hear sibilances ... unless the record already have groove damage.

DJ cartridges (like Concorde club) have very little stylus lifespan, high VTF and high output voltage. Mortal combination for sibilances (sourced from a real "hot" record or by physical damage).

Since I began to use advanced stylus profiles and take care on cartridge setup I never heared sibilances from vinyl, even with any maxi single in decent shape.

 

[DSJR]

Don't use conical or cheaper bounded elliptical styluses and you won't hear sibilances ... unless the record already have groove damage.

DJ cartridges (like Concorde club) have very little stylus lifespan, high VTF and high output voltage. Mortal combination for sibilances (sourced from a real "hot" record or by physical damage).

Since I began to use advanced stylus profiles and take care on cartridge setup I never heared sibilances from vinyl, even with any maxi single in decent shape.

The pickups I'm thinking of have a rising top and I believe a fairly substantial output and in my experience, output alone up top can upset some phono stages even before distortion due to basic diamond profiles comes into it. Some milder pickups have less top response regardless of diamond quality fitted (worst cases these days have to be the home made Rega Elys 2 and Exact 2 - ghastly things to me and dull/soggy sounding). Heck, even the rather limited AT91 based Rega Carbon sounds better to me and that's with a bog standard bonded conical tip, albeit nicely formed and polished if mine is anything to go by (although a Thakker EPO E stylus (DN251E basically) lifts it to AT95E level, so take of that whatever you want ).

 

[LTig]

The pickups I'm thinking of have a rising top and I believe a fairly substantial output and in my experience, output alone up top can upset some phono stages even before distortion due to basic diamond profiles comes into it.

Could this result from too high capacitive load?

 

[mike70]

The pickups I'm thinking of have a rising top and I believe a fairly substantial output and in my experience, output alone up top can upset some phono stages even before distortion due to basic diamond profiles comes into it. Some milder pickups have less top response regardless of diamond quality fitted (worst cases these days have to be the home made Rega Elys 2 and Exact 2 - ghastly things to me and dull/soggy sounding). Heck, even the rather limited AT91 based Rega Carbon sounds better to me and that's with a bog standard bonded conical tip, albeit nicely formed and polished if mine is anything to go by (although a Thakker EPO E stylus (DN251E basically) lifts it to AT95E level, so take of that whatever you want ).

None of those cartridges have the output voltage and VTF of DJ cartridges

 

[DSJR]

None of those cartridges have the output voltage and VTF of DJ cartridges

No, they haven't.

Have you tried the AT pro pickups based (loosely?) on the VM95 series? They're not so cheap though but I have no knowledge other than looks and price.