Experience with Mola Mola Lupe

[defride]

Looking forward to your thoughts on them versus your BPS! Thanks.

I was there when the RCM was plumbed in, a few of us had popped over for a catch up. 6 months in storage, 20 mins warm up and genuine shock in the room upon needle drop. One of the guys even asked if it was the same track being played! For me it was a case of just forgetting the system and hearing the music, that doesn't often happen. It was terrific via Horizon digital and AMG/BPS, different flavours. The addition of the RCM phono took things to a different level, very surprising

 

[DDgtt]

Reach out to Bill Parish at GTT Audio. He is the distributor and a dealer and will have the best knowledge on availability.

They are available. No problem getting them.

 

[DDgtt]

On the topic of the Lupe, or any of the Mola Mola electronics for that matter, has anyone experience partnering with loudspeakers from Vivid Audio, TAD, or other “engineering-first” designs?

Great with Vivid!

 

[heihei]

I was there when the RCM was plumbed in, a few of us had popped over for a catch up. 6 months in storage, 20 mins warm up and genuine shock in the room upon needle drop. One of the guys even asked if it was the same track being played! For me it was a case of just forgetting the system and hearing the music, that doesn't often happen. It was terrific via Horizon digital and AMG/BPS, different flavours. The addition of the RCM phono took things to a different level, very surprising

Yes pretty much what Dan said. I originally bought the BPS as a "starter" phono stage when I got my AMG a few years' back and it's brilliant for what it is - easy to hook up to the system, decent sound quality, and cost-effective. Given the time spent improving the digital side of my system I hadn't really thought much more about the vinyl side of things until now.
Following Munich and a renewed commitment to listen to more vinyl, I wasn't expecting too much from the AMG + BPS when we sat down to listen in the session Dan mentions, but all of us were pleasantly surprised as to how good it sounded relative to the Horizon. I don't think any of us believed it was subjectively better, but enjoyable none-the-less.
The addition of the RCM was a big step change, to the point where there was a genuine debate to be had - digital vs vinyl - and I suspect if we voted, vinyl would have probably won out.
Where the Lupe fits in is far closer to the RCM than to the Nagra - more body, drive, and dynamics, but just not to the level the RCM takes it to. Given the relative prices (BPS approx £2k, Lupe £8k, RCM £16k), as everything in hifi, the law of diminishing returns comes into play, but it feels like the performance differential across the 3 justifies the pricing differences.

 

[Fplopes]

I own the fully outrigged Mola Mola Makua preamp with built-in phono stage & DAC and the Mola Mola Kaluga monoblocks. I have nothing but praise for how well engineered these components are. In the past 30+ years, I have owned a lot of very pricey solid state and tube products and these are unrivaled in both their ease of use, brilliant user interface and sonic quality.

I think the Lupe phono stage is basically the same add on card you get with the Makua, as is the Tsmbaqui DAC. Their designer Brian in fact claims the Makua is better sounding as it omits the digital volume control in the Tambaqui in favor of the class A analog section in the Makua. I have run the Makua with four turntables, several digital front ends, Roon endpoint etc. simultaneously. This thing is unrivaled in its flexibility. While the phono stage is not as tubey sounding as my ARC Ref 3SE, which by itself costs more than the Makua, the latter is infinitely more flexible. I run a Miyajima Zero Infinity mono cartridge, Shure moving magnet, a Koetsu stereo cartridge etc. all simultaneously and can vary parameters from my iPhone and tweak to my hearts content.

These are the best solid state components I have owned in 35+ years. The most well designed. The iPhone interface leaves all other high end products in the dust. Utterly reliable. In one and a half year of constant use, it has not once done anything but work reliably, a first for me in a high end audio world filled with shoddy products.

Highly recommended!

hi @godofwealth

Thanks for your input. I have been in search for a dedicated phono stage for quite some time. My main target has been a ref3 or ref3se, which are not exactly easy to come by second hand. You briefly compare the lupe to ref3SE. Money aside for a moment, if you had to part with one and just keep one as your end game, which one would be? i understand this is personal question, but curious to your answer. It is already really hard to demo these in your system. AB like you have the opportunity is close to impossible. Thank you.

 

[godofwealth]

I think it’s really hard to compete with a world class tube phono stage like the ARC Phono 3SE. I’ve owned ARC phono stages for 30+ years, so I’m biased. But they bring out the best in any cartridge, even humble moving magnets. The Mola Mola Makua has an incredibly flexible phono stage, best I’ve ever used, all parameters control from your smartphone, but like all solid state phono stages I’ve owned, it seems to compress dynamics. Many years ago I owned the mighty two box preamplifier, the Mark Levinson 32. Its line stage was great. The phono module was no match for the original ARC Ref Phono. The 3SE is substantially better but cut from the same cloth. If you are trying to save some $$$, I highly recommend the earlier Ref Phono stages from ARC. You’ll save a lot of money and get practically the same sound as the 3SE with a bit of the refinement missing.

 

[mtemur]

I’m surprised to hear some members recommending the Audio Research Ref3 Phono as one of the best phono stages or claiming it can compete with top models. I would be convinced by now if I hadn’t personally listened to the Ref3 many times and compared it with other phono stages. To me, it feels like a mediocre unit lacking excitement, finesse, and lifelike character, and it isn’t much different from the Ref2 or earlier models.

 

[godofwealth]

Sure, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I can only give you my experience after owning countless phono stages over 35+ years. I certainly haven’t tried many of the newer ones. At some point you like what you like and you stop exploring. I’m perfectly happy with my Phono 3SE and wouldn’t change that for anything else, except maybe a Ref 10 Phono, but I don’t listen to vinyl often enough to justify the investment and I’m running out of shelf space! Do your own exploring and figure out what you like. That’s the whole point of WBF. Each of us must find our own way. It’s a voyage of self-discovery.

 

[Fplopes]

I think it’s really hard to compete with a world class tube phono stage like the ARC Phono 3SE. I’ve owned ARC phono stages for 30+ years, so I’m biased. But they bring out the best in any cartridge, even humble moving magnets. The Mola Mola Makua has an incredibly flexible phono stage, best I’ve ever used, all parameters control from your smartphone, but like all solid state phono stages I’ve owned, it seems to compress dynamics. Many years ago I owned the mighty two box preamplifier, the Mark Levinson 32. Its line stage was great. The phono module was no match for the original ARC Ref Phono. The 3SE is substantially better but cut from the same cloth. If you are trying to save some $$$, I highly recommend the earlier Ref Phono stages from ARC. You’ll save a lot of money and get practically the same sound as the 3SE with a bit of the refinement missing.

Thank you for the reply. Exactly what I was looking for.

 

[dctom]

I owned the Arc Ref 2 phono (not SE) which I enjoyed. I swapped it for a Dartzeel NHB (V1) pre with built in phono as I prefered the Dart overall with vinyl and digital to my then BAT 52 pre + ref 2. I moved on to Ypsilon phono + pre and this was a step up again. However as I mentioned in a previous post I have down sized and now have the Makua with built in DAC and phono which easily matches the Ypsilon combo after side by side comparison.
The Makua phono is excellent and is very quiet, however, I have experimented with the Lupe module and have found using a silver lundahl SUT (with MM input) gives a slightly richer fuller sound which I enjoy. This is obviously cartridge dependent but worth a try.
BTW I found all the phonos mentioned above quieter than the Ref 2.

 

[bonzo75]

I owned the Arc Ref 2 phono (not SE) which I enjoyed. I swapped it for a Dartzeel NHB (V1) pre with built in phono as I prefered the Dart overall with vinyl and digital to my then BAT 52 pre + ref 2. I moved on to Ypsilon phono + pre and this was a step up again. However as I mentioned in a previous post I have down sized and now have the Makua with built in DAC and phono which easily matches the Ypsilon combo after side by side comparison.
The Makua phono is excellent and is very quiet, however, I have experimented with the Lupe module and have found using a silver lundahl SUT (with MM input) gives a slightly richer fuller sound which I enjoy. This is obviously cartridge dependent but worth a try.
BTW I found all the phonos mentioned above quieter than the Ref 2.

Oh wow you got Martin Logan 11a. That is hardly downsizing.

 

[dctom]

Oh wow you got Martin Logan 11a. That is hardly downsizing.

They are a bit smaller, also the system was a lot less money overall

 

[Fplopes]

I owned the Arc Ref 2 phono (not SE) which I enjoyed. I swapped it for a Dartzeel NHB (V1) pre with built in phono as I prefered the Dart overall with vinyl and digital to my then BAT 52 pre + ref 2. I moved on to Ypsilon phono + pre and this was a step up again. However as I mentioned in a previous post I have down sized and now have the Makua with built in DAC and phono which easily matches the Ypsilon combo after side by side comparison.
The Makua phono is excellent and is very quiet, however, I have experimented with the Lupe module and have found using a silver lundahl SUT (with MM input) gives a slightly richer fuller sound which I enjoy. This is obviously cartridge dependent but worth a try.
BTW I found all the phonos mentioned above quieter than the Ref 2.

Thanks for the extra inputs!