Garrard MRM-101
Little is documented about the Garrard MRM-101 outside of period audio reviews. What the record shows is that Garrard called it a "Music Recovery Module" and built it as an unusual, purpose-built component. It is essentially an RIAA-equalized phono preamplifier with a built-in, switchable record-noise suppressor.
Modern Recording (April 1978, p.70) tested the unit and found that as a straight phono preamp it performed excellently, with good RIAA equalization, wide dynamic range, low distortion, and both channels balanced within 0.75 dB at mid-band. They noted that the noise-suppression circuitry could be bypassed, and that the overload margin was modest—around 33 mV input—meaning high-output cartridges were not ideal partners. HiFI/Stereo (June 1978, p.58) measured a tighter 47 mV overload point with the suppressor engaged and 135 mV with it out; maximum output before clipping at 1 kHz was 2.8 volts with suppression on and 8.8 volts with it off. The same review remarked that non-impulse noise was only mildly affected by the suppressor, with wideband output noise measuring 0.3 mV (60 dB below nominal).
The chassis used a lot of integrated circuits and plug-socket wiring. The tone controls were described as conventional in character. HiFI/Stereo also reported no detectable interaction between cartridge inductance and the phono preamp input across the 1-20 kHz measurement range.
Known physical specs: roughly 14.5 inches wide, 8 inches high and 11.75 inches deep. It weighs 8.6 pounds.
Beyond those reviews, no service manual, original literature or period advertising for the MRM-101 has surfaced in the Archive's research. It is a niche, little-documented piece from Garrard's late-1970s catalog.
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