Is there/did there used to be a "deal" when purchasing the MP/SU7 together? I felt like I remember seeing that option at one point. I've also been reading so much that I've possible confused DL with another company.
We lowered the price on the SU-series step-ups so that pricing is now equivalent to the previous Series 7 and Series 6 "package pricing". This allows users of other MM-style preamps to more strongly consider our active Step-Ups, and simplifies pricing for those Darlington Labs owners who later "go LOMC" from an existing MM/MP unit.
Yep, I tried some between the MP-7 and my turntable and no-go due to hum being picked up. Shielded cables were fine.
I tried some unshielded Nordost one time and it was also hum city. I finally settled on Mogami 2964 with Eminence RCA's. No noise whatsoever even with the volume cranked up. Interestingly, the Mogami 2549 model was noisy! Different cable from 2964.
Hi. No affiliation at all. Just a happy client. That, and I don't know enough about Audio in general to contribute to any other threads. I live in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. About as far removed as possible from anything going on in the world of Audio.
Fair enough. They do fall under the general Audio category. I have been here since 1974 and witnessed their hey days first hand. Never saw them in concert, but have fond memories growing up with their music.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Lol. I have been to quite a few games. Their Stanley Cup run in 2018 really was something. I was lucky enough to be at one of the games. The atmosphere inside the Bell MTS Centre was electric. I have never witnessed anything like it before, or since then. Well, maybe at a Back Street Boys concert.
Latest version of the MP-7 in the house! With Hashimono HM-7 SUT. Compared to the old/new(my older MP-7 was factory upgraded) MP-7, maybe a bit more air; like a slight veil lifted. New board, don't you know. Maybe a bit more dynamic. Compared to my present stage? Not shamed at all by the 6X the cost Modwright. Different? Of course. The MP-7 is good enough to make one question the more expensive purchase! That was hard to admit. That's why I call the MP-7 the best phono stage under $1k. See Keith at Darlington Labs for more details.
Well, I think those Hashimoto HM-7 trannies are probably a bit better than the bottom of the line Lundahl LL9226 trannies in the Modwright, or are you comparing both using the Hashimoto? In any case, always fun to hear about some of your comparisons, not really surprised the DL MP-7 is able to keep pace, especially with the equivalent of a $1500-$2000 SUT on the front end, it's a solid basic design. I wind up using my somewhat similar design CJ EF-1 most of the time with Lundahl LL1933 transformers as opposed to my much more expensive CJ tube phono stage, and don't miss the tubes that much, but of course the overall design philosophy is similar on both of the CJ pieces.
Wonder if Keith would share the latest updates to the board? I ordered on the 31st so I should receive the new one also….thanks for sharing
OP's original unit was from January 2022 with additional updates manually applied at the factory to his existing PCB in August 2022. His current one is equivalent to September 2022 production, and forward. Therefore all MP7 units shipped in the last few months (and the large stack pending) are equal to this latest unit being discussed.
I run with the Hashimotos all the time. Surprised at how much the SUTs make a difference coming off of Cinemag 1254s. The Hashimotos sound stage is huge! Often I have to look up to see where sounds are coming from. I forgot to mention, I didn't get the feeling I got when A/B against the Adagio: SS vs tubes The Modwright and MP-7 are pretty close in sound/dynamics or the Adagio is more tubey and warm. Probably the latter.
As @krichard2496 is painfully aware, we went through a lot of difficulties getting my MM-6 delivered to me. It is now deployed and in initial burn-in phase. Given that it has many more hours to go before it "settles in" according to Keith, my initial impressions are driven by the incredible ability to filter out surface noise on my absolutely thrashed 50's mono jazz records. I took a chance recently on an original copy of Chet Baker & Crew (PJ-1224) on eBay for under $30 bucks. Sometimes these long shots work. Sometimes they don't. In this case, the record was extremely difficult to listen to on my previous solution. With the MM-6 and the mono switch engaged, I heard none of that surface noise. I had practically the same experience with a similarly thrashed 1963 copy of Midnight Blue (BLP 4123). While I doubt the effect will be as noticeable on stereo presses, it's been a nice benefit that was immediately noticeable.
How does an accurate phono preamp reduce surface noise? I know the Parks Puffin uses DSP but an analog phono section shouldn't be altering the signal unless it's doing some HF roll off or something (low pass "filter"??)? I suppose the mono switch is a big advantage there though. Do you use it on older stereo LPs? My DL MM-6 certainly is a quiet preamp on it's own. I enjoy the newer reissue of Midnight Blue for sure BTW.
Hopefully Keith will weigh in on what magic sums the channels and subtracts the surface noise. I gather that, since L, R, channels on stereo may have differing content and degrees of damage, it is far less trivial to accomplish. For example, I found a copy of Sonny Criss' "Criss Cross" (best-of) release on Imperial in stereo (Imperial LP-12205) in the dollar bin. This is a $60-$100 record in VG+ condition. While the surface noise from it is lessened, it is not mostly eliminated as it is with the mono releases I have fed the Darlington so far. Listening to the Criss is still somewhat challenging an exercise.
A microline stylus certainly reduces surface noise in my experience. But that makes sense at the point of contact. Unless of course there's deep groove damage/gunk. Does 45rpm make any difference? I have wondered if 45rpm actually creates faster stylus wear than 33.
This is with my AT EB elliptical with way more than the spec'ced 300 hours. My new microline is expected to be delivered today. I will also be swapping a conical into the mix. But, no, it's in the preamp stage that the reduction is taking place.
Bonded ellipticals are the noisiest IMO. Just can't live with them anymore. Even a conical sounds better to me because they don't emphasize high frequency noise as much. Microline's just go deeper in the groove where previous styli haven't been before. I think that's why they can reduce surface noise so well. Both the vm540ml and vm95ml are excellent in this regard IME.
If you have sufficiently high headroom, which the Darlingtons have, ticks and pops are much less loud, gaaky sounding and instrusive. I think, though I could be corrected on that, the lack of feedback also impacts that.
