Review and Measurements of Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL

[pva]

Sure, I could connect the TT straight to the ADI-2 Pro and do the RIAA correction in software when ripping

But then I'd also need a flat phono preamp, which would kind of negate the point of the MX-VYNL.

 

[pva]

The trouble is that 5-pin mini XLR to dual 3-pin mini XLR cables seem to rarer than hens' teeth. I've found a few ready-made ones, but since they're both a tad short (I'd prefer 1 metre or longer) and a bit expensive, I might have to go the DIY route. To that end, can anyone recommend me suitable connectors and cable that'd be available here in the EU so that I could build my own interconnect?

In case anyone else ever finds themselves in the same pickle as I did, I went with some Van Damme 268-100-000 cable plus TA5FSH and TA3FSH connectors from Switchcraft. Works a treat!

 

[NicS]

In case anyone else ever finds themselves in the same pickle as I did, I went with some Van Damme 268-100-000 cable plus TA5FSH and TA3FSH connectors from Switchcraft. Works a treat!

I did two things to my MX-VYNL to make it perform the way it does now.

The first was to add a linear power supply. I got mine from Swagman (search online) and is one of three that I have from that company. I also removed and replaced the janky power input coaxial plug on the MX-VYNL with a more robust plug with a locking collar (GX16-2). If you have basic skills you can make this modification easily, dropping the power directly onto the rails on the circuit board and removing some cheap and quite nasty coaxial plugs which are notorious for a weak connection.

Second, I made an interconnect for my SMEV tonearm using a Cardas S DIN E plug to a Neutrik Rean Mini-XLR RT4FC-B four pole plugs with Mogami W2534 cable to which I added extra shielding. This was pretty cheap to make, just took some time and patience. I made the cable as short as possible. Then I made some balanced output interconnects using the same Mogami W2534 and Neutrik NC3FXX-B plugs to hook up the MX-VYNL to my Pre-Amp.

The combined result was such a vast inprovement in performance. Not one of those "yeah, I might be able to hear a difference" exercises in confirmation bias, but a significant, objective decrease in background signal noise and overall increase of sound stage. All for very little money.

Conclusion:
To not use this little beauty in balanced mode is akin to running a Ferrari on kerosene.
To not use a decent linear power supply is to accept the cruddy fundamental power you get from a $2 wall-wart.

 

[SIY]

I did two things to my MX-VYNL to make it perform the way it does now.

The first was to add a linear power supply. I got mine from Swagman (search online) and is one of three that I have from that company. I also removed and replaced the janky power input coaxial plug on the MX-VYNL with a more robust plug with a locking collar (GX16-2). If you have basic skills you can make this modification easily, dropping the power directly onto the rails on the circuit board and removing some cheap and quite nasty coaxial plugs which are notorious for a weak connection.

Second, I made an interconnect for my SMEV tonearm using a Cardas S DIN E plug to a Neutrik Rean Mini-XLR RT4FC-B four pole plugs with Mogami W2534 cable to which I added extra shielding. This was pretty cheap to make, just took some time and patience. I made the cable as short as possible. Then I made some balanced output interconnects using the same Mogami W2534 and Neutrik NC3FXX-B plugs to hook up the MX-VYNL to my Pre-Amp.

The combined result was such a vast inprovement in performance. Not one of those "yeah, I might be able to hear a difference" exercises in confirmation bias, but a significant, objective decrease in background signal noise and overall increase of sound stage. All for very little money.

Conclusion:
To not use this little beauty in balanced mode is akin to running a Ferrari on kerosene.
To not use a decent linear power supply is to accept the cruddy fundamental power you get from a $2 wall-wart.

Dubious, especially the “soundstage” part.

 

[NicS]

Dubious, especially the “soundstage” part.

So in your estimation moving from RCA to a balanced input with a better power supply should have no effect?

As for the soundstage, taking a weak signal then reconfiguring it to RCA with a common earth will not have the purity of unadulterated signal path offered in balanced mode. Which is why studio microphones use a balanced output. Weak signals or signals running over long cables will have greater integrity when in a balanced configuration. Which is critical whe using low-output moving coil cartridges. Soundstage depends on the fidelity of the signal to create that sensation of depth. If background noise increases, the sense of depth and separation decreases.

The difference is extremely audible, especially with a low output coil.

Not here for a fight. Very happy to have my unit tested next to a stock version.

 

[SIY]

Balanced can be useful in some circumstances. Don’t mix that in with the dubious stuff.

Happy to test the difference if you’d like.

 

[NicS]

Sure. I'd be happy to do that.

 

[daftcombo]

Sure. I'd be happy to do that.

Did you record something before and after?

I personally think that vinyl noise will be louder than power supply noise in most cases. As for impression of wider soundstage, are you sure you don't play louder now?

For what it's worth, I also have a MX-VYNL and it is totally quiet in my Aria 906 at LP when the needle hasn't been dropped yet, though fed in RCA by a Technics SL1200 MKII with Ortofon cartridge.

 

[NicS]

Didn't think to record anything. Don't really have that facility.

I use a Dynavector 20X2 Low on an SMEV arm, sitting on a Michell Orbe SE Spyder turntable which has a few tweaks to the suspension I made myself. Nothing crazy, just a bit more damping. It tracks very well. I mostly use reissue vinyl from a number of sources. My current favorites are the Tone Poet pressings from Blue Note. Very impressive, very low noise pressings where the difference in signal noise was most apparent. Sound much better than my older pressings of the same material from Blue Note.

 

[daftcombo]

At LP (3m), I can't tell the difference between a record with quiet pressing and a FLAC playing. There's just not enough noise in the chain.

To give a compaison, I can hear noise produced by my Genelec 8030C one meter away. And, I agree with you, that noise was worse when the 8030C were connected with 3m RCA to XLR cables instead of XLR to XLR cables. But I didn't experience such a problem caused by the MX-VYNL. I can't try because I don't know how to (and if it's possible - I don't think so) replace my tonearm cables with balanced ones.

 

[NicS]

At LP (3m), I can't tell the difference between a record with quiet pressing and a FLAC playing. There's just not enough noise in the chain.

To give a compaison, I can hear noise produced by my Genelec 8030C one meter away. And, I agree with you, that noise was worse when the 8030C were connected with 3m RCA to XLR cables instead of XLR to XLR cables. But I didn't experience such a problem caused by the MX-VYNL. I can't try because I don't know how to (and if it's possible - I don't think so) replace my tonearm cables with balanced ones.

Your tonearm is inherently balanced. There are 4 wires: L & R, + & -. you just attach the + & - for each output from the cartridge to the + & - of the appropriate pins on the XLR, keeping the third for ground.

 

[daftcombo]

Your tonearm is inherently balanced. There are 4 wires: L & R, + & -. you just attach the + & - for each output from the cartridge to the + & - of the appropriate pins on the XLR, keeping the third for ground.

There is a kind of tutorial here:
https://gearspace.com/board/music-computers/475034-converting-my-unbalanced-sl1210s-balanced.html
Some basic soldering skills required.

 

[daftcombo]

But what do you think of this?

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...so-much-better-than-digital.22074/post-836634