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LOL, that's a little much.

Again, with a TT I get it, but that's because I'm usually taking the dust cover off when playing albums...............but I wouldn't want it sitting there without when I wasn't ;)

Like off from the hinges or just fully open? I have my fully open playing alright. I wouldn’t want to take it off because I wouldn’t know where to put it....

I think it’s a bare minimum requirement though. And yes I know super expensive tables don’t have one often, that to me is a bit nuts.

Ya, but @Joe Mac you need to keep in mind the type of consumer WE are as opposed to the masses. While MD is no doubt catering to "Audiophiles", there is no arguing the lack of some basic knowledge, or what I would deem common sense within the "Beginner Audiophile" head some times ;)

I actually agree with you less here. I was not an audiophile when I started and it’s the simple things I looked for. Good reviews, dust covers, speed changes etc.

Just because we like the brand doesn’t mean we can’t say they got it wrong. If they wanted to build an entry level table they should have done that, not just stripped essential stuff of an existing one without reducing the cost enough to make it worthwhile.
 
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Like off from the hinges or just fully open? I have my fully open playing alright. I wouldn’t want to take it off because I wouldn’t know where to put it....

I think it’s a bare minimum requirement though. And yes I know super expensive tables don’t have one often, that to me is a bit nuts.



I actually agree with you less here. I was not an audiophile when I started and it’s the simple things I looked for. Good reviews, dust covers, speed changes etc. Just because we like the brand doesn’t mean we can’t say they got it wrong. If they wanted to build an entry level table they should have done that, not just stripped essential stuff of an existing one without reducing the cost enough to make it worthwhile.
NGL, dust cover was my main push from PLX-1000 to SL1210GR. Pretty expensive dust cover but every single time I use I am grateful for that decision. Mine is only up when changing records.
 
I actually agree with you less here. I was not an audiophile when I started and it’s the simple things I looked for. Good reviews, dust covers, speed changes etc. Just because we like the brand doesn’t mean we can’t say they got it wrong. If they wanted to build an entry level table they should have done that, not just stripped essential stuff of an existing one without reducing the cost enough to make it worthwhile.
I felt the same way until I owned a table without a dust cover. For my situation, really isn’t a big deal, but I can definitely see why it would be. A lot of the higher end tables that don’t come with them have them as an add-on $$
 
I felt the same way until I owned a table without a dust cover. For my situation, really isn’t a big deal, but I can definitely see why it would be. A lot of the higher end tables that don’t come with them have them as an add-on $$

Yes but when you’re paying $$$$$$ it becomes increasingly petty to look for extra for what is effectively a $100 piece of pressed acrylic. I’d not buy a table without one, I don’t fancy dusting my table every time I begin playing...
 
NGL, dust cover was my main push from PLX-1000 to SL1210GR. Pretty expensive dust cover but every single time I use I am grateful for that decision. Mine is only up when changing records.
The 1210GR is a different beast though. I was looking at someones $1600 tot up before for the funky feet studio deck and just though that price surely brings the GR into the discussion.
 
Yes but when you’re paying $$$$$$ it becomes increasingly petty to look for extra for what is effectively a $100 piece of pressed acrylic. I’d not buy a table without one, I don’t fancy dusting my table every time I begin playing...
Hey I agree with you, but for someone with that kind of a budget, what’s another accessory they can brag about? 😁
 
Like off from the hinges or just fully open?
Completely off. And while I am a huge fan of the MoFi decks I have no problem calling out issues and or whatever. I'm just assuming what the mind set was and there are a lot of other turntables, as you mentioned, that are pretty high end that come without a cover. That being said, I never said it was a good idea ;)
 
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If they wanted to build an entry level table they should have done that, not just stripped essential stuff of an existing one without reducing the cost enough to make it worthwhile.
I think the problem is that the StudioDeck in it's original form is/was the entry level. But, this is still a matter of opinion, I agree with you that at a certain point as a consumer you just need to spend that little extra and get the "right" thing so to speak, no point in cutting those small corners. From MoFi's point of view, and this is purely assumption on my part, they probably wanted to keep the "guts" intact, which made the deck sound and popular and remove what they could that would drop the price without compromising the quality.

Best course of action, no idea, I guess it depends on how it sells.
 
I think the problem is that the StudioDeck in it's original form is/was the entry level. But, this is still a matter of opinion, I agree with you that at a certain point as a consumer you just need to spend that little extra and get the "right" thing so to speak, no point in cutting those small corners. From MoFi's point of view, and this is purely assumption on my part, they probably wanted to keep the "guts" intact, which made the deck sound and popular and remove what they could that would drop the price without compromising the quality.

Best course of action, no idea, I guess it depends on how it sells.

Their entry and entry are two different things. We might all sniff at the $500 brackets but it takes real ingenuity to make the compromises necessary whilst also making a good sounding, user friendly table. It’s not just about stripping off parts off a more expensive table.

This one is just a weird set of compromises for me and let’s be honest it’s so close to the studio deck in price that I don’t understand it. It’s having almost identical tables in the same price bracket. Even if it sells well I’d consider this a conceptual failure.

Maybe someone from the A&R department of their record side convinced them that recycling the same old things without doing anything new makes money...
 
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hey fam - looking to possibly upgrade my TT. i've been using a early 1980s pioneer pl 518 for the last 13 years and it has served me very well. running thru adcom gfa 555 and vandersteen speakers.

i'm hoping to stay under 1500 and i have a Audio-Technica VM540ML cart that is only a year old i can use, so no cart necessary. i have a couple tables in mind but wanted to see what others are looking at in that price point as well. any suggestions are much appreciated!
 
hey fam - looking to possibly upgrade my TT. i've been using a early 1980s pioneer pl 518 for the last 13 years and it has served me very well. running thru adcom gfa 555 and vandersteen speakers.

i'm hoping to stay under 1500 and i have a Audio-Technica VM540ML cart that is only a year old i can use, so no cart necessary. i have a couple tables in mind but wanted to see what others are looking at in that price point as well. any suggestions are much appreciated!

Id struggle to look beyond the Technics 1200/1210 GR at that price, especially if you’re going to keep using your existing cartridge.
 
Their entry and entry are two different things. We might all sniff at the $500 brackets but it takes real ingenuity to make the compromises necessary whilst also making a good sounding, user friendly table. It’s not just about stripping off parts of a more expensive table.

This one is just a weird set of compromises for me and let’s be honest it’s so close to the studio deck in price that I don’t understand it. It’s having almost identical tables in the same price bracket. Even if it sells well I’d consider this a conceptual failure.

Maybe someone from the A&R department of their record side convinced them that recycling the same old things without doing anything new makes money...
No argument here, which is why I bought an UltraDeck ;)
 
That's actually odd, the fact that the belt is physically on a different elevation physics should kick in and the belt should adjust accordingly. Have you tried moving the belt and watching it for a few rotations to see if it moves?
Yes. It moves on it's own to the correct groove when moved from 33 to 45, but stays put when moved from 45 to 33
 
Their entry and entry are two different things. We might all sniff at the $500 brackets but it takes real ingenuity to make the compromises necessary whilst also making a good sounding, user friendly table. It’s not just about stripping off parts off a more expensive table.

This one is just a weird set of compromises for me and let’s be honest it’s so close to the studio deck in price that I don’t understand it. It’s having almost identical tables in the same price bracket. Even if it sells well I’d consider this a conceptual failure.

Maybe someone from the A&R department of their record side convinced them that recycling the same old things without doing anything new makes money...
I think they want a turntable that can be included in "turntables under $1k" lists, shootouts, etc.
 
I think they want a turntable that can be included in "turntables under $1k" lists, shootouts, etc.

I hope it gets savaged as a pointless product that is in effect a studio deck without a lid that costs pretty much the same as a studiodeck once you add a lid back on.
 
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it turns out i actually got a copy of the music direct product guide because i bought some mofi sleeves from them (unexpected but cool), i find it interested that for dacs they put the dragonflys in 2 spots but the hip dac gets only one small part in amplifiers and not dacs. i get the mojo having a spot or two because the mojo is very popular with audiophiles (and it scares me), but the dragonfly is very limited when it comes to possible formats (no 192 or DSD would shock some) and it makes it seem like they are promoting it a lot

also it was very interesting having a whole page dedicated to many different brands of expensive turntables from rega to dr feickert to music hall to clearaudio
 
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