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Music Hall MMF-5: laid back sound?

I just got my first "real" turntable, a Music Hall MMF-5. The image stability, channel separation, soundstaging and lack of noise are leagues beyond anything I've encountered in my experiences with older direct-drive tables and lesser belt driven designs. I'm feeling, however, that the dynamics are a little reigned in with the MMF-5, and the bass is a bit mushy. The cart is the stock Goldring 1012 and it was set up by a local analog guru who's done right by me in setting up other tables. I replaced the rubber feet with BDR cones (3 of 'em) and have the table leveled on a granite platform which is spiked to the floor, so I don't think isolation is (exclusively) the issue. I also replaced the stock felt mat with a Herbie's Way Excellent mat. I considered rolling the Amperex orange globe 6922s in my phono stage (modified Moscode Super It, pretty sweet!) for something a little livelier, like maybe new tubes from Electro Harmonix, but that's getting into the whole tone-control trip. I already have very transparent cables in the chain (Audio Art IC3, see my review), and my current setup of an ATI 1502, passive pre and Dynaudio 50s should let all the good stuff through, so maybe this is just the character of the table. Is there something else I can do here, or should I look at a Rega for more snap and tighter bass?
jfacker

Showing 2 responses by jfacker

jfacker OP
85 posts
 
Thanks everybody for your input. Let me be clear, I by no means feel that the table sounds BAD, I'm just trying to squeeze everything I can out of it. My floors are concrete so I don't think resonance is an issue although I've never been crazy about the BDR cones, they were just all that I had. Ideally I'd put some Mapleshade cones or something similarly beefy under the table. I was warned about the clamp also, but after some experimentation I found I liked the sound better with the clamp in place (a little more bite is what I heard).

The point about the phono stage is well taken; I'll try running the MMF-5 into something else. I already hooked it up to the phono stage in a Creek pre I just sold (equivalent to their OBH 8 or 8SE, I think), and the sound was not awful in absolute terms but it was a major step down from the Moscode unit. I'm going to look at tube rolling first, but I suspect the best results will come from having a new cart installed. I have checked into just replacing the stylus but the upgrades aren't cheap. My feeling is that I might be better off just buying a new cart altogether. Anyone wanna venture feedback on the Sumiko BPS? Should I expect a "hyped" or tipped-up treble out of that cart? Thanks again--Jeff.
jfacker OP
85 posts
 
I wasn't sure about the Denon's compatibility, but I'd given it some thought. A friend has a Michell Technodec with a 103 on it. Not sure what arm he's using, I should ask him. Sounds superb. The Michell tables are something I'd look at if I could afford to make a move up.

The more I listen, the more I feel like I may have overstated my concerns with the bass. It sounds OK actually, but in absolute terms the mid-to-upper bass seems "fat," and a little too prominent, as if the midrange is recessed in comparison. I have to crank it up to hear the vocals sometimes.

I've begun to wonder if part of the problem with the dynamics isn't due to my passive pre. It's hella transparent, but I know for a fact that the Dynaudios are power-hungry and I think some of the ATI amp's punch is getting lost due to the anemic signal arriving from the preamp. It's a homemade design built around a DACT stepped attenuator and you have to crank it to within just a few notches of "wide open" to get really cracking sound from the Dynaudios. At lower levels the dynamic contrasts suffer. Not as noticeable with digital, but then, love it or don't, digital has that digital "bite."

So many variables, it's enough to drive you mad. Which, truth be told, may be what I love most about this hobby :)

I would like to try a MC at some point, though...considered the Dyna but thought it might compound the laid-back character that other reviews have led me to suspect is somewhat endemic to this table's character.
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