I have an MF kW500 integrated: I do not think that you will reap the benefit of a vinyl front end upgrade unless you use a superior external phono stage. The internal phono stage (switchable MM/MC by an internal switch accessed by removing the top plate...and not mentioned in the manual!) is a circuit broadly equivalent to the MF X-LP phono stage. It is very respectable, but is ultimately the one aspect of this integrated which is less than superb. The member of the MF design team I discussed this with agreed with my impressions that the internal 'stage is musically surpassed by external 'stages (I can vouch for the Lehmann Black Box SE, the Sugden Masterclass and the Sonneteer Sedley. The EAR 834p also worked well into the kW500, offering its own thermionic flavour).
I have settled on the solid state Sugden: the kW500 possesses a valve/tube preamp stage and the Sugden carries the advantage of 3 inputs (2MC and 1MM)...but even the Lehmann was a creditable improvement upon the kW500 internal 'stage giving a notably fuller, more 'fleshed out' sound.
A consequence of using an external 'stage with the kW500 is that you 'lose' a line input: one could, of course, still use the internal stage for an additional vinyl source.
I understand the separate kW phonostage to be a much superior unit (if you seek one out, look for the revised version with dip switches for cartridge matching: I believe that the earliest examples did not have such a wide range of adjustment).(I have not heard this unit)
The current MF ViNL phonostage is said to use the circuitry of this kW phonostage in a more modest chassis with 'on the fly' adjustment of cartridge matching. It is well regarded by Michael Fremer (Stereophile).
You will hear more quality from your existing
vinyl front end by adding an external phonostage: you may indeed decide that further changes beyond this are then less desired.
Hope this helps.
I have settled on the solid state Sugden: the kW500 possesses a valve/tube preamp stage and the Sugden carries the advantage of 3 inputs (2MC and 1MM)...but even the Lehmann was a creditable improvement upon the kW500 internal 'stage giving a notably fuller, more 'fleshed out' sound.
A consequence of using an external 'stage with the kW500 is that you 'lose' a line input: one could, of course, still use the internal stage for an additional vinyl source.
I understand the separate kW phonostage to be a much superior unit (if you seek one out, look for the revised version with dip switches for cartridge matching: I believe that the earliest examples did not have such a wide range of adjustment).(I have not heard this unit)
The current MF ViNL phonostage is said to use the circuitry of this kW phonostage in a more modest chassis with 'on the fly' adjustment of cartridge matching. It is well regarded by Michael Fremer (Stereophile).
You will hear more quality from your existing
vinyl front end by adding an external phonostage: you may indeed decide that further changes beyond this are then less desired.
Hope this helps.