gerenidsmith

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $225.00 from audio excellence

Summary:
Amazing ! What a superb purchase this has turned out to be. I was not expecting this sound quality and performance for this amount of money. The MC and MM are both very high quality, and this was a significant improvement on the inbuilt phono stage in my Audio Analogue Puccini ( which is also renowned for having an excellent phono stage ) It has to be one of the best in it's class for the price. It conveys the emotion and rhythm in music in a way that most other similarly priced phono stages just fail to do. The sound is warm and involving but not at the expense of clarity and transparency. I preferred the X-LPS to the Trichord Dino. Its a gem, five stars no question.

Strengths:
With a good turntable/cartridge, you can forget about CDs

Weaknesses:
None really, at this price. The Groove is 1900 pounds, the XLP-S can be had for about 150 (used )

Similar Products Used:
EAR, ARC, Creek, Croft to name but a few.

Price Paid:  $140.00 from ebay auction

Summary:
This baby opens up another world to vinyl freaks.It is like a $1500 upgrade.My Pioneer A400, fed by a sondek ,ittok,ortofon mc30.Sang like a baby .I am pissing myself with delight.Listening to all my records collection

Strengths:
Bass,Mid,Treble!!!!!!

Weaknesses:
None

Similar Products Used:
Ain''t no comparison anywhere:-)

Price Paid:  $275.00

Summary:
I think this is probably the best MM phono stage you can buy for under $300. For about 2 years I used an NAD PP-1 Phono stage, I found the sound overly warm and lacking in detail, excitement and drive. The Creek OBH-8 was a little better, but not much. Also, both units had problems with RFI (at high volumes you could hear FM radio in the background). The Musical Fidelity was much better in all respects: quieter, more detailed, better bass control, wider and deeper soundstage, and a better integrated sound. In short, the sound really came alive compared to the 2 other reasonably priced units. I found this to be a major step up over the NAD unit, well worth the extra $150 retail. I do have a few minor complaints: the first unit I received had a problem with the right MM input (the sound would occasionally cut out). The second unit exhibited no such problems, however the MC inputs on both units are practically useless, as they are so polluted with RFI. Even at moderate listening levels, the MC input functions more like a tuner than a phono preamp. (This was especially curious considering the the MM input was dead silent). I''m not sure why MF bothered with a MC input anyway, as nearly anyone using a MC cartridge will want a much more expensive unit anyway. I think they should have eliminated the MC input altogether and either sold the unit for less money, or tweaked the MM input for even better sound. Also, I understand that MF has discontinued its X-PSU unit, which may have been a worthwile upgrade to the X-LPS. The X-LPS is far from the ultimate phono stage (sorry, but more money really will buy you better sound), but to do much better I think you need to step up to something along the lines of the Black Cube, or the Musical Surroundings Phenomena. But at around twice the cost, these units put you in a whole different price class. I used the X-LPS with: Meadowlark Kestral Hot Rods NAD C350 Integrated Amplifier Nordost Solar Wind Speaker Cable DH Labs BL-1 Interconnect Music Hall MMF-2 Turntable Grado Red Cartrige (NAD PP-1 and Creek OBH-8 for comparison)

Strengths:
Dynamic, detailed sound. Extended high-frequency range that never becomes too bright or grainy. Smooth accurate midrange. Bass is deep, tight and detailed (not loose, boomy and sloppy like other inexpensive models).

Weaknesses:
MC input is practically useless (not a factor for me, but should be noted). Potential upgrade path (the X-PSU) has been discontinued.p

Similar Products Used:
NAD PP1, Creek OBH-8O

Price Paid:  $300.00 from audiofile dealers (vinylbutiken.com)

Summary:
Whidh a Projekt 6,9, Transrotor, Linn Lp12, Oracle, or a Transkriptor Skelton Turntables you can get a very great musik qualiy.
My cadriges is Denon Dl 1000 (MC), Koutsu Rosenwood (MC), Sumiko blue point (high out pout MC), Grado referens master (MM), Goldring Eurotica (MM), Pickering 4000 (MM).

Strengths:
Good,deap bass rich midrange etc.
This review is at X-LPS not X-Lp

Weaknesses:
None!

Similar Products Used:
Fidelity Research,Ortofon,Denon etc.

Price Paid:  $450.00 from Audio Advisor

Summary:
This is an update of the previous review! I have come to enjoy the Musical Fidelity even more. I have tried 2 different MC cartridges, the Koetseu Blue (low output), and the Dennon DL140 (high output). The Koetseu is a wonderful MC, with alot of detail, and very good extension on the extrems. The Musical Fidelity did justice to this cartridge. The detail shined through, and I could even hear at the very end of Dark Side of the Moon, as the beating fades out, what sounds like a Musac (elevator style) version of "Ticket to Ride". I could always hear it on a cd, but his was the first time I could hear it on vinyl.
The Dennon has never been used much, beacause I always felt it it had a plump, rolly polly bas. I let it break in some more, while using the LP^2. As it broke in more, the bas only got better, still deep, and more tha the Koetseu, but more taught. The Dennon is not a great cartride, not as detailed as the Koetseu, but it it cost a very small fraction of it as well. The Musical Fidelity is very smooth and revealing. Not quit as good as the absolute best I have auditioned in the past, but is a killer for the money, even the list of $800. Will I trade up, maybe if I got a good deal on a Linn or a ARC, but I would not trade it for a Lehman or a McCormake, not that tehese are bad, just nothing better.
The loading is very good on the MC, but you only have a fixed load for MM, this is ok for the most part. The channle seperation is as good as it can get, being seperate monobloke config. Some say this is better for Classical, but I listen to Pop, Rock, and Blues, and I find it very good. The only thing I wish it had, is a rumble filter to reduce the woofer pumping on my Velodynes!

Strengths:
Very Good detail, rythmic, fast

Weaknesses:
3 cans can be difficult to arrange

Similar Products Used:
VAC,Ymaha C2