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Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL
MX-VYNL - Overview
The MX-VYNL is a fully balanced, very high performance phono stage, able to operate with virtually any moving coil or moving magnet cartridge. With both traditional RCA inputs and our unique XLR fully balanced connection the MX-VYNL can be connected to 2 turntables simultaneously.
The MX-VNYL offers a wide range of input impedance settings for moving coil cartridges as well as several capacitance settings for moving magnet units. Unlike many of our competitors units the MX-VYNL allows easy adjustment of these settings while playing. This allows easy experimentation and tuning to find the optimum setting for all your equipment.
The MX-VYNL also includes our renowned RIAA correction that offers extremely accurate results to beyond 80kHz. That may sound extreme, but there is a good deal of information above 20 kHz that needs correction. If it isn’t corrected, it will show itself as ringing and overshoot.
With both extraordinarily low noise and exceptional overload margin the MX-VYNL can comfortably handle even the most demanding of cartridges and satisfy the most discerning of listeners.
MX-VYNL in brief
- Fully balanced XLR and traditional RCA inputs
- Fully balanced XLR and traditional RCA outputs
- Fully isolated inputs allow for switching between two turntables at once
- Adjustable input impedance on MC whilst it is playing
- Adjustable capacitance on MM whilst it is playing
- Very wide overload margin
- Accurate RIAA to beyond 80kHz
- Incredible noise ratio
- Low impedance output
- State of the art SMD technology
- Beautiful aesthetics and build quality
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Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL
Musical Fidelity’s MX-VYNL is a compact, highly configurable phono stage that delivers clean, revealing vinyl playback with balanced I/O and generous headroom. The MX-VYNL pairs selectable MM/MC gain and impedance options with an outboard PSU and mini‑XLR connectivity to support a very wide range of cartridges, making it a versatile right-sized upgrade for serious analog systems. Sonically it favors a neutral, non-editorial presentation — smooth upper mids and clear highs with tight, if slightly full, bass — and scales well with higher-resolution cartridges. Practical strengths include strong dynamics, excellent imaging, and measured RIAA accuracy; caveats noted by Isaac Adams include some mains-frequency noise and finicky cable availability. Overall, it offers exceptional features and performance for the $899 class.
Pros
- Very clean, revealing and neutral presentation with smooth upper mids and clear highs, making it highly musical and detailed.
- Extensive MM/MC gain and impedance settings plus balanced mini‑XLR and XLR I/O provide broad cartridge compatibility and system integration.
- Balanced inputs/outputs and an outboard power supply deliver low noise floor in typical setups and generous headroom for dynamic passages.
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Cons
- Mains-frequency–induced noise was observed in measurements and listening, which may limit ultimate silence in some installations.
- Balanced mini‑XLR cables are not widely available or bundled, and some users reported slightly loose unbalanced RCA fitment.
Transparency
87/100
Reviewers praise a very clean, revealing presentation and extended, flat RIAA response, which subjectively yields near-lossless clarity. Measured noise/SNR fell short of published numbers (measured ~83–87dB vs. >98/101dB published) and the review calls out mains-frequency–induced noise that prevents higher potential, so while subjectively very transparent it is not reference-level silent. Balanced inputs/outputs and the outboard PSU mitigate noise and keep the background very quiet in typical use, supporting a high-but-not-elite Transparency rating.
Sound Quality
88/100
Dynamics are generally strong: transients can be explosive and drums are described as punchier and more detailed, showing very good micro- and macro-dynamic retrieval. The reviewer also notes moments that were 'a tiny bit less dynamic than expected,' so dynamics are excellent overall but with occasional slight restraint versus the very best reference stages.
Cartridge Compatibility
92/100
The unit is highly configurable with selectable XLR input sensitivities for MM and MC (MM: 5mV/2.5mV; MC: 0.8mV/0.4mV) and balanced/unbalanced I/O, and the review explicitly states it will work with nearly all cartridges. That flexibility and multiple gain settings give it wide compatibility and easy integration with a broad range of MM and MC cartridges, earning an excellent compatibility score.
Build Quality
88/100
Balanced inputs/outputs, an outboard power supply, and a design aimed at keeping low-level circuitry isolated are all positive build attributes mentioned in the review. Measured performance did not perfectly match published specs, but construction and shielding choices (balanced topology, PSU off-chassis) are well executed for the price, supporting solid real-world performance.
Value for Money
89/100
At the stated price (~$899) the reviewer calls it hard to find much to fault and says it won't be the weak link until upstream gear is 5–10x more expensive, language that explicitly endorses the MX-VYNL as a justified purchase. Given its strong feature set (balanced I/O, MM/MC support, good measured and subjective performance) this represents a competitive and well-justified offering in its segment.
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