Musical Fidelity M8xTT Review
“Attention, attention” must have been the reaction in many of Europe’s audio workshops when they first heard Musical Fidelity’s new M8xTT. And rightly so, because this turntable is truly top-notch. Tested at €8,900.
By Alex Röser
When discussing the renowned British manufacturer Musical Fidelity, we primarily think of their high-quality amplifiers. 7Review have repeatedly had the pleasure of experiencing the uncompromising approach Musical Fidelity takes with this subject. Whether it’s the preamps and power amps of the powerful M8 series, the much more entry-friendly A1, or the integrated amplifiers of the now-legendary M6 series like the M6i, M6si, or the M6 Encore, which also includes a CD player and network functions.
Musical Fidelity products have consistently earned top marks, often with distinctions like “excellent” to “reference class.” Of course, the company from Reichmann Audiosysteme’s distribution portfolio has long since expanded beyond just signal amplification. For example, the Brits also offer sources like the Nu-Vista CD or the CD players and digital converters of various collections. Compact speakers have also found their way into the Musical Fidelity lineup. It’s lesser-known in the industry that the company, originally founded by Anthony Michaelson and now led by Austrian Heinz Lichtenegger since 2018, even offered a turntable, the M1, at the turn of the millennium. This turntable laid the groundwork for a brand new model, which has only recently become available.
M8xTT
If you’ve ever attended a show by Reichmann Audiosysteme at a trade fair, you can imagine what a privilege it is as a HiFi editor to have Markus Brogle personally announce a product presentation. Brogle spared no effort, getting up at four in the morning in Freiburg and driving to spend a day with us in the listening room in Leipzig. In his luggage: the brand new M8xTT turntable from Musical Fidelity.
We lifted this turntable out of a commendably sustainable wooden box, which allowed us to immediately get to know the core features of the M8xTT, as we held its individual components in our hands. The system is supported by four massive feet. Thanks to an integrated magnetic suspension, these feet ensure optimal isolation of the chassis. The magnets themselves are embedded in Teflon. Additionally, all four feet are, of course, height-adjustable. A template is included to help with the proper positioning of the feet.
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After placing the feet on the appropriate marks, we can then set up the elegant dual chassis. However, before doing so, the signal cable, which is permanently attached to the corresponding assembly on the lower level of the chassis, must be connected to the tonearm through a narrow opening at the base of the tonearm. Once this is done with a bit of finesse, we can place the chassis on top and must pause for a moment of admiration. The M8xTT is already quite impressive visually at this point. The manufacturer didn’t choose transparent acrylic for its aesthetic appeal alone; its high stiffness combined with its internal damping makes it an ideal material for the turntable.
The dual chassis is isolated from the surface by the magnetically suspended feet. The same applies to the upper plinth, which includes the platter and tonearm, as it is decoupled from the lower level. This lower level houses the high-quality motor electronics. The design trick here is the integrated sine wave generator. This ensures the motor’s independence from the input voltage and frequency, as the necessary supply voltage for the synchronous motor is entirely self-generated. The only connection between the upper and lower levels of the chassis is the fine drive belt that runs around the massive platter.
Platter
The platter itself consists of two levels. The two heavy aluminum platters are connected by bolts. As expected, the platter construction contributes significantly to the M8xTT’s total weight of 31.5 kilograms. The ensemble is completed by a well-matched leather mat and an aluminum puck, which significantly improves needle tracking. The platter is mounted on a standing spindle with a sintered bronze bearing sleeve. The inverted bearing design ultimately runs on a polished ceramic ball. Therefore, it’s advisable to gently lower the platter onto the spindle. “Otherwise, you’ll have two ceramic balls,” as Markus Brogle puts it. If the bearing ever needs lubrication after many years, Musical Fidelity includes the appropriate oil with the turntable.
Tonearm
Besides the platter construction, only the tonearm is mounted on the upper level of the chassis. Here too, acrylic is used, with a closed ring of this material guiding the high-precision tonearm bearings. The tonearm itself is 10 inches long, about an inch longer than tonearms of similar designs from other manufacturers. This was a deliberate choice by the developers, as it improves the needle’s tracking angle across the record’s radius. Additionally, the extra mass allows the tonearm to guide the cartridge with more confidence.
Musical Fidelity promises that this design ensures all the energy from the groove reaches the signal generator of the MC cartridge. The tonearm is not made of carbon, but aluminum – light, but not too light. The conically shaped arm narrows toward the cartridge to achieve maximum mass and rigidity. Of course, all fine-tuning parameters are left to the user: overhang, VTA, azimuth, and anti-skating can all be adjusted independently. A second counterweight is also included, allowing cartridges between 6 and 20 grams to be perfectly balanced. For those who wish to fully upgrade this assembly, a second tonearm base is included. An additional sliding guide offers 20 millimeters of play.
Hidden Symmetry
In terms of connectivity, the M8xTT also sets itself apart from its competitors. In addition to the classic RCA output, Musical Fidelity also offers high-quality XLR outputs. But don’t be mistaken into thinking this means one balanced and one unbalanced output. Unlike most of its peers, the M8xTT’s RCA output is also balanced. Here’s how it works: the four pins of an MC cartridge typically produce a balanced signal.
While red and white deliver the positive signals of the two stereo channels, blue and green provide the corresponding inverted signals. In most turntables, these signals are grounded. But Musical Fidelity thought: Why not make the most of the cartridge’s output, especially given how low the signal from an MC system is? And so, the fully balanced output of the M8xTT was born. Pretty clever! However, it’s worth noting that the subsequent amplification must also be capable of fully amplifying the balanced signal via RCA…
Test Drive
Markus Brogle intentionally installed an entry-level MC cartridge on our test model. This allows us to assess the turntable’s capabilities without the cartridge lending too much support to the system. For fine-tuning the needle’s tracking force, it’s recommended to consult both a stylus gauge and, importantly, your own ears. A tonearm is a delicate component, and slight production variations are inevitable. A recommended tracking force between 1.6 and 2.6 grams is quite a wide range, considering the sensitivity of a cartridge. So it’s advisable to use a well-equipped test LP, such as the one from Ortofon.
This vinyl record can be very helpful as it repeats a test tone of 315 Hertz at different groove widths. If distortion is heard at a groove width of 60 micrometers, the tracking force is too high. Similar to tuning a guitar, it’s best to start low and gradually increase to find the ideal value.
For our extensive listening session, Markus Brogle brought along the M8xi integrated amplifier and the M6x Vinyl phono preamp to optimally support the M8xTT. We translated the signal into audible sound using a pair of Epikore 11 speakers from Dali, which are also reviewed. As for the M8xTT’s performance, it can be summed up in three words: lively, natural, and delicate.
Whether it’s Pink Martini’s “Song of the Black Lizard” with its impressively airy arrangement of vocal groups in a silky smooth reverb space, “Mache Dich, mein Herze, rein” from Elliot Gardiner’s recording of the St. Matthew Passion with the delicate microdynamic accents in the strings and the sonorous bass of Cornelius Hauptmann, or To Athenas “Es Nascht” with the wonderfully vibrating timbre of the young shooting star Tiffany Limacher – the M8xTT can be powerful, restrained, playful, and serious.
Its sound is authentic and truly worth every single euro of its substantial price tag of nearly 9,000 euros. Certainly not an investment to be taken lightly. However, Markus Brogle hinted that at the HIGH END in Munich in a few weeks, we might already get a glimpse of a more affordable turntable from the M6 series. In this regard, we’re keeping our fingers crossed and eagerly look forward to it! But for now, we’ll enjoy many more delightful hours with our vinyl collection and this dream of a turntable.
Special Features
- Dual chassis
- Fully balanced outputs (XLR & RCA)
- Magnetically suspended feet
SPECIFICATIONS
General
Device Type: Turntable
Price Category: Luxury Class
Manufacturer: Musical Fidelity
Model: M8xTT
Price: €8,900
Warranty: 2 years
Manufacturer Website: musicalfidelity.com
Platter and Tonearm
Drive Type: Belt Drive
Motor: Synchronous Motor with Sine Wave Generator
Chassis: Dual Chassis made of Transparent Acrylic
Platter: Dual Platter made of Aluminum, with Leather Mat and Puck
Tonearm: 10-Inch Aluminum Tonearm, Adjustable Overhang, VTA, Azimuth, Anti-Skating
Cartridge Compatibility: 6-20 grams
Connectivity
Outputs: RCA (Balanced), XLR
Dimensions
Width: 500mm
Height: 180mm
Depth: 400mm
Weight: 31.5kg
Accessories
- Magnetic Platter Puck
- Second Counterweight
- Stylus Gauge
- Oil for Bearing
- Assembly Template
PERFORMANCE RATINGS
- Build Quality: 100%
- Features: 100%
- Handling: 90%
- Sound: 100%
- Price/Performance: 80%
Test Score: Outstanding
Musical Fidelity M8xTT: Luxurious Turntable with Fully Balanced Outputs
- Dual Chassis Construction: Transparent Acrylic
- Synchronous Motor with Sine Wave Generator
- Belt Drive with Aluminum Platter
- 10-Inch Aluminum Tonearm with Adjustable Settings
- Fully Balanced RCA and XLR Outputs
- Priced at €8,900
This is an example of exceptional craftsmanship and impeccable sound quality, worthy of every euro spent.
Verdict
The M8xTT from Musical Fidelity is a very good reason for some competitors to brace themselves. The uncompromising perfectionism in its construction results in truly exceptional sound that we’ve only heard from a few turntables in the industry.
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