Mobile Fidelity UltraTracker MM Phono Cartridge at Vinyl Sound Toronto Canada

The UltraTracker is a dual moving-magnet stereo phono cartridge from Mobile Fidelity (Sebastopol, California, USA), hand-built in Japan and available at Vinyl Sound in Toronto, Canada. Developed in collaboration with Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove, the UltraTracker features a proprietary V-Twin dual-magnet generator, a nude elliptical diamond stylus for low tip mass and superior groove tracking, and an output of 3.5 mV across a frequency response of 20 Hz to 25,000 Hz. Its generator layout mirrors the cutting head of the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab mastering lathe, and its billet aluminum body is milled in the USA for superior resonance control. The UltraTracker is the mid-tier MM cartridge in the MoFi Electronics Tracker Series, sitting above the StudioTracker and below the flagship MasterTracker.

V-Twin Dual-Magnet Generator: Built From the Blueprint of a Cutting Head

Like every cartridge in the MoFi Electronics Tracker Series, the UltraTracker begins with the same question Mobile Fidelity has been asking for over four decades: where does a record actually start? The answer is the cutting lathe, and the V-Twin dual-magnet generator in the UltraTracker is a direct architectural response. Two low-mass, powerful magnets are aligned in a V formation running parallel with the stereo record grooves, mirroring the physical layout of the cutting head used at the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab studio that produces the label's world-famous Original Master Recordings. This geometry gives the UltraTracker an innate mechanical advantage: its generator is aligned to read groove walls with the same angular relationship used to cut them, resulting in outstanding channel separation and detail retrieval that most cartridges at this price cannot match. The V-Twin design also reduces generator mass compared to conventional single-magnet moving-magnet architectures, contributing to the UltraTracker's characteristically open, dynamic presentation.

Nude Elliptical Stylus and Billet Aluminum Body

The UltraTracker's nude elliptical diamond stylus is mounted directly on the cantilever without bonding adhesive, keeping tip mass to a minimum and maximizing energy transfer from groove to generator. A nude stylus traces groove walls more accurately than an equivalent bonded design and distributes groove contact pressure more evenly across the diamond's contact surface, improving tracking of complex dynamic passages and reducing long-term stylus and record wear. The well-damped billet aluminum body is milled from solid aluminum in the USA and engineered to control resonance, yielding taut, edge-free bass reproduction and a consistently black background across all program material. The aluminum enclosure also features threaded screw inserts for simplified, tool-efficient headshell mounting. Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove invested considerable time tuning the UltraTracker's damping materials and resonance control to achieve the wide-bandwidth, no-smearing sonic character that defines the MoFi Electronics cartridge lineup.

Key Features

• V-Twin Dual-Magnet Generator: Two low-mass magnets in a V formation aligned parallel with record grooves, mirroring the cutting head layout of the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab mastering lathe for inherent channel separation advantages and accurate stereo retrieval.
• Nude Elliptical Stylus: A diamond stylus mounted directly on the cantilever without bonding adhesive, delivering low tip mass, superior groove tracking, reduced coloration, and better long-term stylus and record preservation compared to bonded equivalents.
• Well-Damped Billet Aluminum Body (USA-Milled): The cartridge housing is machined from solid aluminum billet in the United States, providing tight resonance control, superior bass definition, and a consistently silent background under the music.
• 3.5 mV Output: A high output voltage compatible with every standard moving-magnet phono input, eliminating the need for a dedicated MC phono stage or step-up transformer.
• Threaded Screw Inserts: Threaded mounting holes allow secure headshell installation using just two screws and no separate nuts, simplifying setup compared to bolt-and-nut cartridge mounting systems.
• Voiced by Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove: Fine-tuned by Allen Perkins, the designer behind Spiral Groove turntables and tonearms, ensuring the UltraTracker's sonic character reflects decades of high-end analog expertise.
• Hand-Built in Japan: Assembled under rigorous quality-control conditions in Japan for consistent mechanical tolerances and long-term reliability.

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Mobile Fidelity UltraTracker?

The Mobile Fidelity UltraTracker is a dual moving-magnet phono cartridge hand-built in Japan, featuring a V-Twin dual-magnet generator, a nude elliptical diamond stylus, and a billet aluminum body milled in the USA. It outputs 3.5 mV across a frequency response of 20 Hz to 25,000 Hz and sits in the mid-tier position of the MoFi Electronics Tracker Series, above the StudioTracker and below the flagship MasterTracker. Developed with Allen Perkins of Spiral Groove and available in Toronto, Canada through Vinyl Sound.

How does the UltraTracker compare to the MasterTracker and Audio-Technica AT-VM540ML?

The MoFi UltraTracker uses a nude elliptical stylus, while the flagship MasterTracker steps up to a Micro-Linear diamond profile and adds Ohno continuous-cast copper coils for enhanced low-level detail retrieval. Both share the same V-Twin dual-magnet generator and billet aluminum body. Compared to the Audio-Technica AT-VM540ML, which also uses a nude MicroLine stylus on a VM dual-magnet system, the UltraTracker differentiates itself through its V-Twin generator geometry and resonance-tuned aluminum housing, delivering the bass definition and dynamic openness that Audio Advisor describes as excelling across the entire frequency spectrum with particular strength in the low frequencies.

Can the UltraTracker be used with a standard moving-magnet phono input?

Yes, the MoFi UltraTracker is fully compatible with any standard moving-magnet phono input. Its 3.5 mV output and 47 kOhm impedance match the universal MM phono specification found on virtually every integrated amplifier, stereo receiver, and phono preamplifier with an MM input. No step-up transformer or dedicated MC phono stage is required, making the UltraTracker straightforward to integrate into both entry-level and high-end systems.

What is a nude elliptical stylus and why does it matter?

A nude elliptical stylus has the diamond mounted directly on the cantilever without bonding adhesive, as opposed to a bonded stylus where the diamond tip is glued to a metal shank. The nude mounting keeps effective tip mass lower, which improves tracking accuracy, transient speed, and high-frequency resolution. An elliptical diamond profile also traces both sides of the groove more completely than a spherical tip, retrieving more inner-groove detail and reducing distortion on complex passages. In the UltraTracker, the nude elliptical stylus provides a meaningful performance step up over bonded equivalents at its price point.

What capacitance setting should I use with the MoFi UltraTracker?

The MoFi UltraTracker is specified with a recommended capacitance of 100 pF. This total includes the combined capacitance of your tonearm wiring, phono cable, and phono stage input. If your phono preamplifier offers selectable capacitance loading, set it as close to 100 pF total as possible to achieve the flattest high-frequency response. Exceeding this value significantly can cause a slight treble peak, while too little capacitance may result in a subtly rolled-off top end.

Where can I buy the Mobile Fidelity UltraTracker in Toronto or Canada?

The Mobile Fidelity UltraTracker is available in Toronto and across Canada through Vinyl Sound, an authorized Mobile Fidelity dealer in Toronto, Canada. Vinyl Sound carries the full MoFi Electronics Tracker Series and can help with tonearm matching, phono stage recommendations, and setup guidance for your system.

Is the MoFi UltraTracker a good upgrade from the StudioTracker?

Yes, the MoFi UltraTracker is a meaningful step up from the StudioTracker in several key areas. It replaces the StudioTracker's polymer body with a billet aluminum housing milled in the USA for superior resonance damping, adds threaded screw inserts for easier headshell mounting, and upgrades to a nude elliptical diamond stylus with lower tip mass and better groove tracing than the StudioTracker's bonded elliptical. The V-Twin dual-magnet generator is shared across the Tracker Series, but the UltraTracker's aluminum body and nude stylus deliver noticeably tighter bass, a blacker background, and greater fine-detail retrieval on demanding program material.

Is the UltraTracker compatible with most tonearms?

Yes, the MoFi UltraTracker is compatible with a wide range of tonearms. Its dynamic compliance of 10 x 10e-6 cm/dyne suits medium-mass tonearms, which are the most common type on contemporary audiophile turntables from brands including Rega, Pro-Ject, and MoFi Electronics themselves. The 9.7 g body weight is typical for cartridges in this class and will balance correctly on any tonearm with standard counterweight capacity.