Vinyl isn’t having a moment anymore, it’s entrenched. Turntables are selling, cartridges are backordered, and phono preamps are once again a real battleground instead of an afterthought. With the $2,495 UltraPhono Pro, MoFi Electronics finally fills a very obvious gap in its lineup by bringing much of the sonic DNA of its flagship MasterPhono down to a price point where the fight actually is.
Designed by Peter Madnick and built around the same ultra-low-noise circuit concepts and parts philosophy that made the MasterPhono a serious contender at the top end, the UltraPhono Pro strips away the excess and focuses on what matters: clean gain, flexibility for MM and MC cartridges, and musical accuracy.
Just as importantly, it gives MoFi a credible sub-$2,500 answer to established heavyweights like Pro-Ject, EAR, E.A.T., MOON by Simaudio, Rega, and Musical Fidelity; a segment where serious vinyl listeners actually shop. In short, this is MoFi admitting the obvious: the market below its halo gear is thriving, and now they’re properly in the game.
From MasterPhono to UltraPhono Pro: Flagship Design, Scaled for the Real World
Designed by veteran engineer Peter Madnick, the MoFi Electronics MasterPhono was MoFi’s no-holds-barred statement piece: a fully discrete, all-analog phono preamplifier built to handle literally any MM or MC cartridge on the planet, including ultra-low-impedance moving coils via its current-input architecture. Its dual-chassis design isolates the power supply from the audio circuits to keep noise vanishingly low, while cascaded voltage regulation, passive RIAA with ultra-tight tolerances, and fully balanced DC-coupled circuitry deliver reference-grade accuracy (±0.05 dB RIAA) and serious signal-to-noise performance.
Add extensive front-panel configurability, multiple gain and loading options, balanced and single-ended I/O, metering, remote control, and firmware upgradability, and the $5,000 MasterPhono firmly established MoFi as a serious electronics brand—not just a turntable and cartridge company.
The new MoFi Electronics UltraPhono Pro is a clear and deliberate trickle-down from the MasterPhono’s design philosophy. By stripping away the dual-chassis construction, extreme configurability, and flagship-level excess, MoFi delivers a far more approachable phono stage, at roughly fifty percent less cost, without abandoning the engineering fundamentals that made the MasterPhono credible in the first place. The UltraPhono Pro keeps the focus where it belongs: ultra-low noise, fully discrete analog circuitry, and cartridge flexibility that actually matters to real-world vinyl listeners.
Despite its streamlined approach, the UltraPhono Pro is anything but entry-level. It delivers up to 71 dB of gain, maintains a wide and linear frequency response from 10 Hz to 50 kHz (±0.2 dB), and achieves exceptionally accurate RIAA equalization rated at ±0.05 dB. Noise performance is equally impressive, allowing low-output moving-coil cartridges to play against a quiet, stable background with excellent dynamic contrast.
User-facing features are practical and thoughtfully implemented. Front-panel controls include mono mode, mute, a subsonic filter, and dimmable faceplate illumination. Cartridge matching is straightforward and flexible, with multiple loading options for moving-coil cartridges and selectable gain settings that support both single-ended and balanced system integration.
Key Features
- Single-input architecture derived directly from the MasterPhono
- Fully discrete J-FET and MOSFET input and output stages
- Fully balanced, DC-coupled, servo-controlled signal path from the high-pass filter to the outputs
- Passive RIAA equalization with zero global feedback
- Seven-stage regulated, fully balanced power supply
- Five selectable resistive loading options via front-panel–controlled, hermetically sealed gold-on-gold relays: 100, 300, 500, 1k, and 47k ohms
- Gain settings of 40 dB, 52 dB, and 65 dB (plus +6 dB via XLR outputs)
- Ultra-low-noise design using premium-grade electronic components
- Critical resistors specified at 0.1 percent or 0.5 percent tolerance
- Passive RIAA network using polypropylene film/foil capacitors matched to better than 1 percent
- Thermally coupled critical components to minimize performance drift with temperature changes
- Maximum signal-to-noise ratio (A-weighted): 93 dB (MM) / 85 dB (MC)
Comparison
| UltraPhono Pro | MasterPhono | |
| MSRP | $2,495 | $5,995 |
| Inputs | RCA jack, voltage mode, single-ended | Current mode & Voltage mode, balanced and unbalanced |
| 100 Ohms, 300 Ohms, 500 Ohms, 1k Ohms, 47k Ohms | 15 Ohms, 30 Ohms, 50 Ohms, 75 Ohms, 100 Ohms, 500 Ohms, 1K Ohms, 10K Ohms, 47K Ohms+150pF, & Option | |
| Gain | RCA output: 40db, 52db, 65db Balanced output: 46db, 58db, 71db | (MM) 40db, (MM) 50db, (MC) 60db, (MC) 70db |
| Output Impedance (Balanced) | 230 Ohms | 230 Ohms |
| Output Impedance (Unbalanced) | 115 Ohms | 115 Ohms |
| Maximum Output | 1% THD, 10 Volts RMS | 1% THD, 10 Volts RMS |
| THD | 110mV@1kHz 40db gain: 0.005% A-Weighted | 5mV@1KHZ MM low: < 0.01% A-Weighted |
| 10mV@1kHz 65db gain: 0.005% A-Weighted | 5mV@1KHZ MM high: < 0.01% A-Weighted | |
| 1mV@1kHz 40db gain: 0.010% A-Weighted | 0.5mV@1KHZ MC low: < 0.005% A-Weighted | |
| 1mV@1kHz 65db gain: 0.013% A-Weighted | 0.5mV@1KHZ MC high: < 0.005% A-Weighted | |
| RIAA Accuracy | +/- 0.05db | +/- 0.1db using passive R-C technology |
| Frequency Response | 10Hz – 50kHz +/- 0.20db | 10Hz – 50KHz +/- 0.20db no filter-3.5db @ 10Hz filter ON |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 17” x 2.5” x 11.375” (43.2 x 6.4 x 28.8 cm) | 17” x 3” x 17” (43.2 x 7.6 x 43.2 cm) |
| Weight | 7 lbs (3.2 kg) | 15 lbs (6.8 kg) |
| AC Mains | 100VAC – 260VAC, auto switching | 100VAC – 260VAC, auto switching |
In short, the UltraPhono Pro doesn’t try to replace the MasterPhono, it translates its core engineering into a price and feature set that makes sense for the crowded, highly competitive mid-to-upper phono preamp market.
The Bottom Line
The MoFi Electronics UltraPhono Pro delivers genuine high-end phono design with fully discrete circuitry, very low noise, accurate RIAA, and balanced operation at a price where serious vinyl listeners actually shop. It’s built for MM and MC users who want flexibility and precision without paying for flagship excess, and it stands out by sounding like a scaled-down reference component rather than a dressed-up midrange box.
Where to buy: $2,495 at Music Direct | SkyFi Audio
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