Hi KF,
Thanks for the compliment.
Bombaywalla
Thanks for the compliment.
Bombaywalla
Review: Music Hall MMF5 Turntable
Just wanted to post a quick update on the sound of the MMF5 when placed on top of my DIY sand box: The MMF5 has now sat on the sandbox for nearly 1 month (since 10/06 to be precise) & I have listened to a quite a few LPs. It seems that the sound has not been degraded (some AudioAsylum inmates suggested it might). On the contrary, I think that the mids & highs might be a smidgen improved. The bass remains tight as it was before. Ever since I put the TT on the sandbox, I feel that it has become a bit more unforgiving - if the LP is not recorded well & has some sibilance, I can hear it now. I don't remember this when the TT was sitting just on the rack shelf. Many of my LPs are standard vinyl from the major recording labels (Capitol, WB, Asylum, EMI, Polydor, etc) & not all of them are recorded with utmost care. Perhaps the best standard vinyl recordings are my classical music ones from Deutsche Grammaphone & all these sound very good. The stylus tracks too well sometimes, I feel, & bares my inability to get the record clean enough even w/ my VPI 16.5 machine! Oh, it's tough being an audiophile!!&@*! Another small modification I made is that I have detached the dust cover from the hinges. When I play LPs I now completely remove the dust cover (& place it in another corner of the room). This helps me balance the bubble in the provided bubble-level (BTW, my Home Depot bought bubble level also says that the TT is level when the in-built bubble level does). Can't say definitively that it improved the sound but can tell you that it certainly *didn't* degrade it! My sound room is far away from my garage door motor & from any kitchen appliances. Perhaps this is the reason that I don't hear the degradation in sound that was suggested?? In my opinion, so far, so good - I'm enjoying the sound from the TT as before. I will keep an ear out for subtle changes, if any. Probably do an A/B test with the TT on the rack versus on the sandbox when I get 3-4 hrs at a stretch. It's easy to get lazy on this since the sandbox weighs 50lbs just by itself! |
Darkwood, Just stumbled upon your post today!! Unfortunately, in analog/vinyl, it is very true to say that the more you spend on your rig, the better the sound & pleasure gets! I regret having bought just the MMF-5 'cuz I really, really should have bought the MMF-7! My dealer told me so & I did not believe him but in the end he was correct. I ended up selling the MMF-5 after just 11 months & got a much more expensive rig (don't regret it one bit!) but I'm quite sure that the better sonics of the MMF-7 would have stalled me much longer. At that time I had fewer than 100 LPs! Today, I still have fewer LPs than you!! In the MMF line, I am quite confident to say that the best value-for-money is the MMF-7. The MMF line 'tables are not upgrade-able i.e. you cannot easily change the tonearm or get a better platter or upgrade the plinth, etc. What you get is what you'll have until you change it. If you get the MMF-5, the cart. will be the Goldring 1000 series. These stylus of these cartridges can be upgraded easily whenever you like. The MMF-5 comes w/ the 1012GX, which is good. However, when you are ready for better sonics, you can upgrade the cart. to the 1042, which is much better, IMO (from personal experience as I own a G1042). The MMF 2.1 comes w/ a lower grade Goldring cart. where the stylus is not upgrade-able - you'll have to buy a new cart altogether. Depends on what you want. Personally, if you want to keep the 'table long-term, spend a little more than your budget, get something above your present requirements. The 'table will be w/ you as your interests in vinyl grow. If you buy something that you exactly need today, you risk out-growing it too soon & you'll be back in the market to buy another 'table. This route is more expensive in the long run. Just MHO, of course. |
No problems while I owned the MMF-5. The cantilever is springy but not very. The static compliance is 16um/mN, which puts it at a medium compliance. I have some warped records that I played on this TT but the 1012GX never "bottomed" out. The whole assembly just rode up & down with the warp. Besides the MC that I use now, I also own the G1042, which I'll say, w/o any shade of doubt, is much better. Same sonic signature as the 1012GX but more of every aspect. SO, if you are planning to keep the MMF-5 for a long time, do consider getting a cart. upgrade to the 1042GX. You won't regret it! |
Chopsrr, The Dynavector 10X5 is also a very good cartridge from what I have read (no personal experience tho). I do not know if the Dynavector can be aligned using just the 2 screws provided for the fixed holes on the MMF-5 headshell. The alignment for the Goldring & Dynavector cartridges might be entirely or slightly diff. I realize that for a given tonearm the overhang is fixed & every cartridge should mount @ the same point. However, the Dyna & Goldring might have diff. cantilever lengths, diff heights, etc. that just might need some adjustment & you will not be able to do so as there are simply 2 holes (& not a slot like the usual headshell). There is a very high probability that the Dyna will be an exact swap in the mounting point is the same & you don't need to touch anything else. I've haven't done this myself tho. 2ndly, it wasn't clear that you were willing to try out a MC sound so I just stuck to recommending another higher quality MM. Upgrading the removable stylus is cheaper than getting a new cartridge. |
Chopsrr, Contrary to what most people think (including myself @ 1 time), the Goldring 1012 & 1042 guts are THE same! This is so stated on the Origin Live website (I think) but not on the Goldring website for some reason! In fact, all the 1000 series cartridge guts are the same, it's just the quality of the stylus that sets them apart. The Goldring website is: http://www.goldring.co.uk/home.html Once on the home page, click "products" in the upper left. Then click "Moving Magnet cartridges". You can also download the PDF of the cartridge specs. Notice that, in this PDF, the 1000 series cartridges are spec'd in just 1 column! You can see the various stylii being used in the vsrious 1000 series models. The 1042 uses the best stylus that Goldring has & this makes it a much better groove tracker. "shrillness" from your stock 1012GX?? I cannot remember getting any shrillness!! I know that the Goldring cartridges are more dependent on VTA than one would like. Is your VTA set correctly?? The tonearm should be set exactly parallel to the record surface (this is neutral VTA). I had mine set this way with excellent results. I searched the AudioAsylum archives & found that some people like a slightly postive VTA i.e. the pivot point is 1-2mm higher than the headshell. In general, this will emphasize the high freq. & de-emphasize the bass. OTOH, if the pivot point is 1-2mm lower than the headshell (this is negative VTA), it will emphasize the bass & de-emphasize the high freq. It is entirely possible that you have positive VTA, which is giving you a shrillness? The Goldring cartridges are VTA sensitive. |
Chopsrr, OK, I suggest that you play carefully with the VTA. Before commencing, mark the position of the present VTA so that you can always return to the start point w/o guessing. Do the VTA adjustment as carefully as possible: using shims at the point where the arm is bolted to the plinth or using a laser level or a pair of vernier calipers, etc. Any technique of your choice that allows you to accurately record how much up or down you shifted the VTA. (BTW, it's a royal PITA with the MMF-5! This is perhaps the only thing I hated about the 'table). What happens to the sound if you change stylii? Assuming that you have the correct VTA before & after the stylus change, the better quality stylus of the 1042 will track deeper & truer in the groove vs. the stock 1012. You end up with a more refined sound, less grainy midrange & a sound truer to true (if this makes any sense). |
Chopsrr, Glad to read that you finally found your nirvana! It's these moments when everything gels together that we live for. Enjoy the music. BTW, one of the reasons that you might have been getting "shrillness" from the 1012GX is that it is NOT broken in! Duh of me for not asking right off the bat! The Goldrings (& most other cartridges) need atleast 75 hrs before things begin to sound like music. Also, the Signet seems like a MC whereas the 1012GX is a MM. A well made MC will blow the socks off most MM. |