The nineteenth century architect Louis Sullivan proposed that in design "Form Follows Function". What if that was reversed and function followed form? We could end up with beautiful creations like the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable, a transparent acrylic creation that not only looks gorgeous but produces sublime music too! Read on for the full low-down on this high performance looker…
Acrylic Belter
The belt driven M6xTT is the latest turntable offering from the Musical Fidelity family which includes the higher spec’d M8xTT and has its design roots in the M1 turntable the company introduced in 2004. The M1 was a collaboration between Musical Fidelity owner Antony Michaelson and Pro-Ject owner Heinz Lichtenegger. Musical Fidelity is now owned by Pro-Ject Audio Systems who manufactures the M6xTT in the Czech Republic. How the turntable world evolves and revolves....
The Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable has a larger than average footprint with the design centred around two separate layers of clear acrylic that rest on four adjustable aluminium feet. The bottom layer carries the precision DC motor. The top layer features a cut out for the motor and adds the inverted platter bearing and the 9 inch aluminium/acrylic tonearm. The 6.6 kilogram aluminium platter and aluminium record weight complete the design.
Before diving further into the turntable and tonearm design let's have a brief look at how the Musical Fidelity M6xTT is packaged. Arriving in a substantial timber MDF box that weighs 35 kilograms, this is definitely a two person lift due to the size and weight. Unscrewing the top lid and removing the protective foam reveals a very handy layout template for the feet. This is used to set the distances of the four supports as they align with holes on the first layer of acrylic. Comprehensive instructions enable a stress free assembly, and a tonearm alignment card is included for setting the spindle to pivot distance. Also very welcome are a pair of white cotton gloves and dust cloth to keep fingerprints at bay...
Let's look further into the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable construction and design philosophy. Let’s start at the bottom, with the footers. Machined from high grade aluminium and incorporating TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer), the feet are divided into two sections. The lower half features internal opposing magnets that, in conjunction with the TPE, allow for a compliant and damped suspension. The bottom section of each footer is covered with a felt-like material to protect the surface the turntable sits on.
Transparent acrylic was chosen as the plinth material due to its low resonance and visual elegance. The first layer of acrylic sits above the larger section of the feet, with the aluminium reducing in circumference to a threaded portion that allows for leveling adjustment to the top acrylic plinth layer. While it is very important to level the turntable, I would suggest that the M6xTT should be placed on a level surface in the first place. This would avoid any misalignment between the two acrylic layers as the motor rests on the first acrylic layer and the platter and tonearm sit on the top layer.
The first acrylic layer then supports the circular motor housing with vibration reducing foam placed in a cut recess between the platter and the motor. The next step in setting up the M6xTT is placing the motor in the foam recess with the power delivered via a power pack plugged into the side of the motor housing. On top of the housing sits a single on/off button that also allows the user to step from 33 to 45 rpm. When on standby, the button is lit green. When turned ‘On’ the green light goes out and LEDs either side of the 33 and 45 flash with a blue light. Once the correct motor speed is reached, the blue light remains steady. Selecting the 45 speed requires the user to press the button again and the 45 rpm light will flash. Pressing the button once more turns the motor off and the green standby LED is lit once more, very simple but effective.
Also in the first acrylic layer is a cutout to carry the two RCA cables plus the earth wire from the underside of the tonearm, completing a clean and streamlined dressing of cables.
The final acrylic layer carries the platter bearing and tonearm base which is carefully placed over the motor, with the top of the four feet fitting snuggly in drilled recesses on the acrylic plinth underside. The sliding tonearm base features a calibrated distance in millimetres to help set the correct pivot to spindle (P2S) distance which in this case is 212mm.
The tonearm is a 9 inch gimbal type constructed of a tapered – or conical – polished aluminium tube with a fixed aluminium headshell plus finger lift. Cartridge azimuth is adjusted by loosening an Allen bolt at the rear of the arm near the gimbal housing. The gimbal housing contains the vertical bearings and is made from transparent acrylic which keeps the aesthetic look of the MF M6xTT. It looks great and sets the arm apart from the usual tonearm types.
Inside the acrylic gimbal is a second smaller aluminium gimbal which carries the horizontal bearings. At the rear of the aluminium gimbal is an aluminium pin on which the nylon anti-skate thread is attached. This then loops over another pin on the back of the acrylic housing that has three grooves for adjustments. An aluminium weight at the end of the thread completes the anti-skate setup.
The rear of the tone arm is threaded to carry one of the two counterweights for tracking force adjustment. The lightest will suit cartridges from 6 to 14 grams, the heavier 11.5 to 20.5 grams. The arm column fits into the arm base which is adjustable for setting the arm height. The tonearm comes with its own cable which is not interchangeable. The effective mass of the M6xTT tonearm is 14 grams.
The platter is constructed of aluminium, weighs 6.6 kg and is damped usings TPE. This fits over the inverted ceramic tipped bearing that uses the supplied oil for lubrication. A silicone black belt with a square cross section fits around the motor pulley and the outside of the platter. The final weight of the turntable comes in at 19.1 kilograms. A nicely made leather turntable mat is included with the M6xTT and looks very fetching on the platter. That’s then topped off by a simple, but effective, aluminium record weight. The resulting overall look is classy and timeless.
The supplied M6xTT turntable came fitted with a New Stock Kiseki Blue moving coil cartridge which was checked for correct alignment and put through the AnalogMagik test software/test disc. After some adjustments, the turntable was ready to be listened to.
Vinyl and Acrylic
Featuring jazz saxophonist Stan Getz and guitarist Charlie Byrd, the bossa nova album Jazz Samba from 1962 on the Verve label was placed on the platter. Track one "Desafinado" starts off with percussive shakers setting a slightly shuffling groove with cymbal work accompanying. The sax melody from Stan Getz has a wonderful lyrical quality to it. The soundstage is spread wide with great detail, and the timing of the music has a relaxed flow about it. The instruments are clear with good separation and strong dynamics that underpin the performance. The M6xTT turntable provides great timing and stability.
Track two "Samba Dees Days" ups the tempo with a joyful sax bursting at times through the percussive and guitar mix. Always controlled with no sibilance coming from Getz's soaring solos, this is a fun and enjoyable rendition with good stop/start breaks, again highlighting the M6xTT turntable's timing and flow.
Staying with the bossa nova theme on this cool winter’s day is the album Tristeza on Guitar by guitarist Baden Powell, released in 1966 on MPS Records. Opening with the track "Tristeza", which in Spanish and Portuguese means sorrow, the music is anything but sad! Upbeat percussion is the perfect foil for Baden Powell's guitar licks which come across with lovely clarity. The timing is just right, the acoustic guitar notes having the correct amount of steely edge to them while also being easy to follow.
Playing the track "Sarava" the opening music starts with an instrument called a Guica which is a Brazilian drum that can be rubbed to produce a squeaking type of sound. This sets the tune before a trance-like melody on percussion interweaves with Powell's guitar playing. The Sarava in Brazilian culture is a mantra used to invoke deities during religious ceremonies, and the track comes across as a psych jazz drone which is mesmerising and captivating. This once again shows the excellent timing and resolving abilities of the Musical Fidelity M6xTT.
Staying with the psych feel, next LP on the platter is from Dutch/Turkish band Altin Gün with their debut album On released in 2018 on the Bongo Joe label. The first track "Tatli Dile Güler Yüze" comes out rocking with drums, synth and microtonal guitar. Singer Merve Dasdemir intones over the funky/psych backing. The song comes across as free flowing and spirited, the M6xTT providing the right drive to power the drumming dynamics. Soundstage is wide and tall with good depth.
The third track "Goca Dünya" is probably the best song on the album starting with a funky bass riff before expanding into a poppy psych synth and guitar groove. Off-beat drumming keeps the song interesting and buoyant, with lots of fun coming from the grooves… The M6xTT keeps the pace of the rhythm tight with plenty of micro details scattering forth from the speakers. Toe tapping stuff!
Out Among The Stars is a studio album of Johnny Cash songs released in 2014 on the Legacy Recording label some 11 years after his death. The recordings were done in the 1980s for Columbia Records and then shelved. Thankfully rediscovered by his son John Carter Cash, they feature Johnny Cash in fine voice and a couple of duets with his wife and muse June Carter Cash.
The title track is a gunslinger lament that extolls J.C.'s ironic witty singing style. The Musical Fidelity M6xTT placed the country singer out front with pinpoint imaging, the soundstage wide and tall with great projection into the listening space. Wonderful detail is on offer, both macro and micro, while drums have great presence along with the slide guitar. The backing vocals are clear and easily discernible in the studio space.
A bluegrass duet with June Carter Cash is next with a song called "Baby Ride Easy" where the joy between the pair can easily be heard through the song. With the quality of the production and, equally, the playback ability of the M6xTT turntable, you can close your eyes and almost see them smiling at each other during the recording. I ended up listening to the whole album, such was the sonic richness coming from the stereo.
From the Golden Age of early stereo recordings on the RCA Living Stereo label, comes Tchaikovsky's Symphony No 6 Pathétique recorded in 1958. This copy is a first edition with the shaded dog label, regarded as being outstanding in rich tube-like harmonies and stereo portrayal. The M6xTT presents this in its full glory with swirling violin strings captured in all their delicacy. The brass section has great punch and power while handling the delicacy of the flutes and the woody tone of bassoons. Soft and loud passages are well handled in the large and clear soundstage. Some low surface noise is present during play, but the M6xTT does not draw attention to it. The emotive symphony is very well handled by the M6xTT and it was an exquisite performance that has this listener captivated from beginning to end, fabulous stuff...
Conclusion
Having listened to a wide variety of albums on the Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable, this listener found it does a lot of great things including timing, dynamics and detail. The soundstage was faithfully reproduced from the recordings and allowed the listener to be captivated by the music. The M6xTT made the music flow without drawing attention to itself… and this is sign of a good turntable. Easy to set up and with speed setting a simple operation, the M6xTT was a pleasure to use.
Adding to all of this is the refined and elegant design that while looking reasonably simple, has a lot of high tech engineering and thought gone into it. The Musical Fidelity M6xTT turntable balances elegance and playability and is a very welcome addition to the vinyl replay world. Highly recommended.
… Mark Busby
www.soundstageaustralia.com
Associated Equipment
- Speakers – Yamaha NS-1000M, custom 18-inch subwoofer
- Preamplifier – PS Audio BHK, Music First Audio step up transformer, EMIA two-box tube phono stage
- Amplifier – Yamaha B1, Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Leak Stereo 60, restored Leak Stereo 20
- Sources – Analogue: Technics SP10 Mk3 turntable with Stax UA7 Tonearm, Garrard 410 and SME V arm, Thorens TD 124 Mk1 with Woodsong bearing, SME 3012 silver wired tonearm, Music Maker 3 moving iron & DS Audio DS-003 optical cartridges, Soundsmith Paua, Miyajima Labs Kotetu, Kiseki Blue cartridges, Tube Sound Audio phono stage, Sansui TU-717 tuner. Digital: Marantz CD-12/DAC-12
- Cables – Vertere Pulse-C, Revelation Audio Labs
Musical Fidelity M6xTT Turntable
Price: AU$10,000
Australian Warranty: Two Years
Australian Distributor: Audio Marketing
+61 2 9882 3877
Musical Fidelity (Division of Audio Tuning Vertriebs GmbH)
Margaretenstrasse 98
A-1050 Wien
Austria
+43 50 443
www.musicalfidelity.com
