Effective ways to upgrade a Music Hall MMF 2.2

Okay Schubert - I will try the speedbox as well. I have already ordered Herbie's mat and mp-150. Thanks all. I will let you know what the result is.

Thank you for your advice. It all makes sense. I was also thinking that buying a new cartridge that I can later transfer to a new turntable makes a lot of sense. Also, the mat and the acrylic platter sound like reasonable upgrades that will provide the right ROI. I will let you know how things go. Thanks again.

Schubert, Sorry - what is a Viridian? I am not finding it in my web searches. That is the second recommendation for a Nagaoka MP 150 which intrigues me. I was considering a Ortofon 2M Blue or a Denon DL-110 based upon advice from a dealer and this is in the same price range - do you think it is a better cartridge than these or just different?

LOL - my apologies for the snafu. I was not paying attention to the names of posters.

Schubert, Rock is not my fare - just classical or jazz. Let me know if the MP150 is better suited for that.

To recap - I should get the mat and the cartridge but not the platter and definitely not the tonearm. Please correct me if wrong.

One more question - folks online have spoken of a Speedbox adding to the quality of sound for a MMF 2,2. Apparently, this sits between the power cord and the turntable and does something magical to the sound. Does this make sense.

Herbie's mat arrived today. The quality of this mat is much higher than the stock felt mat. It is made from a rubber-like material though not really - more like a synthetic derivative. It is white but has a black, thin plastic-like sheet stuck on top. Both obviously in the shape of the table - circular. I tested with trepidation using two records - Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin and George Winston's Autumn. First, I played the record on the stock mat, tried to remember the sound, and then quickly replaced the mat with the Herbie's and then tried to make a listening judgment. Went back and forth several times. The difference is very perceptible when you start with the stock mat and then go to the upgrade. Before the upgrade, Billie Holiday's voice sounds tinnier - so does the piano. In a separate post, I had complained about how unnatural piano sounds on my system. With the Herbie mat, the vocal sounded fuller. In general, sounds were more amplified. The bass guitar started to thump on my (brand new, by the way :) ) SVS SB-2000 subwoofer. The piano sounded fuller and more natural, though still not as natural as I like it (I have a real piano at home to compare). Overall, a perceptible difference in sound, from changing a mat! What voodoo is this? Magical herbology! :) Thanks to Chayro for that suggestion! Now waiting for the cartridge upgrade to the Nagaoka MP-150, which I had to postpone by a bit as WAF was starting to drop, but will happen soon (next month).

Schubert, I want to clarify something I said earlier. My listening does include some rock, though it's not hard or heavy. More like the James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Beatles, Paul Simon, Sting kind, with some Floyd, Dire Straits, Jethro Tull thrown in, as well as I am getting back into the Eurythmics, and some older classics (Animals, Mamas Papas). I hope the Nagaoka MP-150 is still a suitable choice for this type of music, along with the classical and jazz that dominates my listening.