This is for those who love music, period!
As soon as Ultimate Audio (MoFi Electronics distributor in Portugal) announced they would have the SourcePoint 888 for demonstration, I quickly called Francisco Monteiro, the host at their Porto store, to arrange a listening session for this speaker.
Since their launch announcement on April 10, the MoFi SourcePoint 888 has created a lot of buzz among audio enthusiasts. This speaker is the floor-standing version of the MoFi SourcePoint 8. Like the SourcePoint 10, all of them were designed by Andrew Jones, an icon in Hi-Fi design, now collaborating with MoFi Electronics. The anticipation was palpable, reflected in the number of views on the website, social media, and MoustachesToys YouTube channel.
For this demonstration, Francisco maintained the setup from the last Session. The system included the Gryphon Diablo 333 integrated amplifier, the Cinnamon Galle DAC, the Innuos Statement NG Streamer/Server and PSU, and the Silent Angel Genesis GX and Bonn NX Clock and Switch. The setup was completed with the Luxman PD-151 MkII turntable and tonearm, Hana Umami Blue cartridge, and MoFi MasterPhono phono stage. Essentially, for this Session, the Kroma Atelier Stella speakers were replaced by the MoFi SourcePoint 888.
The 888 is essentially the floor-standing version of the SourcePoint 8
The 888 is essentially the floor-standing version of the SourcePoint 8, with the addition of two 8-inch woofers. The sound signature, As I recall it from the SourcePoint 10, is quite similar but with an increased capacity to fill larger rooms, despite the already impressive performance of the SourcePoint 10 demonstrated here.
Regarding perceived build quality, there’s nothing to point out. The American brand decided to assemble the speakers in the Far East, allowing them to offer them at an accessible price for a budget-conscious audience: six thousand euros (in Europe). I know, it’s not cheap, but I assure you that equivalent speakers in construction, sound quality, and ability to musically engage the listener (it’s not the same thing), assembled in Europe or the United States, would cost at least 30, 50, or, in some cases, even 100% more. This is my visual feedback. But nothing beats a visit to your dealer to see and hear them personally.
Regarding the sound:
Let me note that the pair in the demonstration had just come out of the boxes, still needing the necessary break-in, and I only listened to them for an afternoon, which is too short for this text to be rigorously classified as a review (as I believe it should be). My assessment is that these speakers are mainly for the consumption and appreciation of our music, nothing more.
Let me explain:
Buying a pair of speakers involves many factors. Besides being decorative objects, the choice often depends on how they fit into the environment where they will be placed. Personally, I think the 888s have a more balanced aesthetic presence compared to their monitor siblings, which are larger than the market average. The distinctive front shape, which might have discouraged some with the monitors, appears visually more diluted in the tower format of the 888s.
For potential buyers in this price range and above, there seems to be concern with a certain sound, that dominate the market today. Many people follow the opinion of influencers who, in describing what they heard, end up creating trends of meticulous analysis. Mea culpa! Been there, done that. Although a review is a personal perspective, it is meant to be transmissible. So here, I’ll describe the soundstage, bass, treble, and midrange frequencies.
So, getting to what brought you here:
The bass of the 888 is composed, textured, physical, fast (but velvety), and not shy. I was impressed with the SourcePoint 10 in this aspect, but the 888 surpass in scale, muscle, and the ability to fill the room with sound. The sound spectrum is linear across the range, although initially, it seemed that the tuning primarily favored muscle and speed over subtlety. Over the afternoon, the 888 proved me wrong. The voices and instruments revealed themselves to be natural in timbre, and the timing is impressive for equipment at this price.
The tweeter never felt the urge to impose itself (unlike much of the competition out there, even more expensive), despite the immense soundstage of the 888 (in this demo with minimal toe-in) and the good delineation of each instrument in space. Here, I found that the Kroma Atelier Stella from the previous session, in the same setup and room, drew the soundstage in permanent ink, while the SourcePoint 888 painted it in watercolor (not forgetting that the Stella costs five times more).
In summary:
In my opinion, the potential buyer of these speakers will be more of a music lover than a music analyst. No pun intended, I slowly but reluctantly converted to the audiophile “religion”. An audiophile with this budget will be very well served and satisfied with the 888, but the music lover within will certainly rejoice.
These speakers combine excellent construction, immersive sound, and a fair price. With the flexibility to adapt well in amplification well below their price, and even much above, as was the case, the MoFi SourcePoint 888 could well be the right combination. For those who value both aesthetics and sound quality, this speaker is a safe bet. But don’t just take my word for it; if possible, I highly recommend a personal demonstration for a complete experience and, who knows, an upgrade to your home audio system.