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
Hi Jfacker,

I owned a MMF-7 for a while and it sounds to me like you have covered all of the tweaks known to help the Music Halls. I'm not familiar with the goldring as I used a Shure V15VxMR, but I would think that trying a different cartridge should help many of the things you describe. I have heard of folks changing to the 1022 stylus and they report improvements. With that Project arm you'll need to stay with a high compliant cartridge. The Music Halls do have a bit of a darker sound but you be able to get tight bass. Whether or not you want to spend the time and money to improve things with the MMF-5 or change tables is up to you, but unless you're willing to spend at least $1.5K I don't think you will significantly improve on the table you have.
I have a Music Hall MMF -5. It's a good starter turntable, but limited in upgradability. I upgraded to a Scheu premier table and there is no comparison . Like Dan ed said though if you want next level analogue the price increase is significant. You could spend a G and a half on just a phono stage. I had the Goldring set-up too . The MMF 5 is like an intro to decent analogue. Once you got the taste I think a better table will be in your future.
here's what I had to say about it just in case you missed reading this review here on Audiogon:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/frr.pl?ranlg&1033946970&read&3&4&

>>and have the table leveled on a granite platform which is spiked to the floor
is the floor carpet over concrete or wood over concrete? or is it a sprung floor, say, on the 2nd floor of your house/apt. Having a springy floor will deaden the dynamics. A friend of mine solved this issue by using the Promethean base from Machina Dynamics. He uses a Nott Spacedeck just BTW.

I used replaced the stock feet w/ Golden Sound ceramic cones.
I replaced the stock felt mat w/ a DIY cork mat to no detrimental effect.
I was & still am using the CAT phono stage. I never felt that the bass was mushy. Reigned-in dynamics - yes. I paid under $500 for that TT back then so what more could I expect! It jaded my appetite for vinyl so I ended up owning it for less than 1 year. For $500 it had superb sound as stated in my review.
I sold it an Audiogon member, who still has it & loves its sound! I was in communications w/ him off & on for about 1 year after he bought my MMF-5 & that's how I know.

Recently I was tube rolling & I got to listen to Amperex 6922, white label, made in USA tubes. These tubes are warm & they have OK bass. I found the Amperex 7308, orange label, made in USA to be far superior & that's what I bought. Tubes are preamp specific - that's one of the biggest lessons I learnt from this tube rolling. I don't know which tubes will work in your preamp but if you have another tube or ss phono pre or can borrow one from a friend, try the MMF-5 thru that to give you another idea of the sound.

even tho the MMF-5 is a cheap TT it is just possible that it is good enough to show the weaknesses of the other components in your system:- your phono preamp might not be as transparent as you imagined it being & the same case w/ your cables. So, don't simply dismiss this thought.
I am using an MMF-7. But have my eye on a SOTA Cosmos. Try the Goldring 1042; it improved by bass. Dismiss the clamp or buy a better one, I find much better prat with out it on most records. Also since it is a Pro-Ject, Pro-Ject does make a speed controller that I am going to try as well untill funds are available for the SOTA.
Cheers
I wouldn't get too bent out of shape here Jfacker. After all we're talking about a turntable/tonearm/cartridge that sells for $500 used. This isn't a Brinkman you know. :-)