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| Model: | MMF2.1 |
| Category: | Turntables |
| Suggested Retail Price: | $299 |
| Description: | True audiophile turntable at a budget price |
| Manufacturer URL: | Music Hall |
| Review by mike_decock (A) on November 13, 2002 at 08:11:08 IP Address: 205.203.58.1 | Add Your Review for the MMF2.1 |
About a year ago, infected by Mike Fremer's enthusiasm for vinyl I thought it was time for me to give it a shot. I was short on funds and a little tentative so I took the easy route of picking the least expensive Stereophile Recommended turntable.Setup on this table is a snap. With the cartridge already mounted, all you have to do is take it out of the box, take out the screws holding the motor, put the belt on, drop the platter on the spindle and take out the various clips that hold the tonearm in place during shipping.
The sound of this table with the Goldring Elan was pretty good. I didn't have another turntable to compare the sound to, so I A/B'ed between my Cambridge Audio D500SE.
One of the first records I tried was Steely Dan's "Aja". I had picked up an old ABC pressing at a used record store and compared it to the Mobile Fidelity CD I had. It was no contest. Every person I demonstrated this to voted in favor of the LP.
I also did several comparisons with other albums and if it wasn't a clear win, it was a close contest.
After several months and many albums, I began to notice that there was a bit of sibilant hash on certain LPs. After tweaking as much as I could, I determined that the cartridge wasn't tracking too well so I mounted on an Ortofon OM-10.
The OM-10 on the MMF2.1 gave a slightly better sound. Bass was a little fuller, the soundstage bigger, but there was still some distortion on sibilants.
After much debate, I upgraded to a Shure V15VxMR. Now, I know that most people wouldn't mount a $300 cartridge on this table, but now that I was spending more time listening to LPs than CDs, I knew it was only a matter of time before I upgraded the table. The Shure would be a cartridge that would work well with any table I bought in the future.
The difference was astonishing. Sibilant hash was completely gone. Every part of the sound was clearer and better defined. It was stunning to see this humble little table put out such a grand sound.
I recently upgraded to a VPI Scout. Without a doubt, the Scout is a better table and I've been able to put the Shure in a new home. Sonically, the Scout gives a blacker background, a bigger soundstage, greater refinement and does, well, EVERYTHING better (as one would expect). Even though the Scout is better, with the same cartridge, the MMF isn't horribly outclassed. You may get fewer of the nuances and details, but the musical line is no less musical.
I have heard some feedback from other owners that there were build quality issues with the table. I have had no problems whatsoever. The table performed perfectly every time I went to use it. Based on my personal experience with the table, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as long as the buyer is willing to upgrade the cartridge.
As an entry level table, it is a great buy and will satisfy the casual listener. With a good cartridge, this table produces a sound quality much greater than it's price would suggest.
-Mike...
| Product Weakness: | Mediocre cartridge. |
| Product Strengths: | Incredible value. A great introduction to vinyl. |
| Associated Equipment for this Review: | |
| Amplifier: | Cambridge Audio A500 integrated, ASL Wave-8 monoblocks |
| Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | ASL LH-01, Audio Research LS3 |
| Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Cambridge Audio D500SE |
| Speakers: | PSB Image 4T, GR Research Paradox 1 on Studio Tech SC-24 speaker stands |
| Cables/Interconnects: | Kimber 4PR, Kimber PBJ, Audioquest Cobalt, Cobalt Cable Ultimate Speaker Cable, Cobalt Cable Ultimate Interconnect |
| Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Rock, Jazz |
| Room Size (LxWxH): | 14 x 10 x 8 |
| Room Comments/Treatments: | DIY room treatments (Three 4' x 2' sound absorbers) |
| Time Period/Length of Audition: | 1 Year |
| Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | Panamax 5100 |
| Type of Audition/Review: | Product Owner |
Follow Ups:
if so, how is the sound and are they strong enough. I have a pair of the 4ts and love them. I was thinking of biamping with the asl's.Thanks for any input
I've driven the 4Ts with one pair of Waves. The 4Ts are actually more efficient than the P1s. Don't worry about bass. You should be able to hit about 98-100 dB with just the Waves (which louder than I care to play). I actually found the bass to be more fleshed out and tactile with the Waves than it is with the Cambridge A500. I thought the 4Ts mids/highs sounded much better when matched with the sweetness of the Waves than with the A500 as well.
-Mike...
I have long been pushing the idea that you DO NOT need to spend many thousands of dollars to get decent LP sound. ("Decent" defined as, "beats the pants off digital of similar price")It's true that if you pay more you get more, but (IMHO) money spent on a turntable is the biggest bang for the buck in audio. Thanks for the review, Mike.
I totally agree with you. I am enjoying music more than I ever have in my life, mostly due to vinyl and the great guidance I have received from the members of this forum. It DOESN'T have to cost a fortune and I enjoy my system more than I some of the megabuck setups I have heard.
-Mike...
(N/T)
I'm just getting into vinyl, and the MMF2.1 is the turntable I went to also. Must say that the quality is outstanding for the money, it puts the way cd's sound on my system to shame. Very happy with everything, and am becoming a vinyl convert fast! Next step for me is a preamp (just using a NAD phono-amp right now), then better speakers.
...with the Pro-Ject 2.1. We borrowed an expensve Dyn ($325?) which made unbelievable music on such an inexpensive table. I would be willing to bet some of the table's capabilities are outstripped by the cart, but I couldn't fault anyone for doing it!Have you ever tried an inner-tube for improved isolation? George's rig is in a flimsy entertainment center on a suspended floor - and he likes to play loud... just wonderin'. By the way, your review was "swell"! ;^)
> > Have you ever tried an inner-tube for improved isolation? < <No, I never messed around with isolation. With a concrete floor it was never an issue in my listening room.
> > By the way, your review was "swell"! ;^) < <
Thank you for the kind comment!
-Mike...
Mike,Great review!
Mike
Your experience with the MMF-2.1 mirrors my own. Hope you are enjoying the Scout!
Interesting review, I came to pretty much the same conclusion when comparing my old MMF-5 to my 1998 Linn LP12/Goldring Eroica(blacker, bigger, more detailed, but MMF5 not outclassed).There is one BIG difference however, and depending on your listening style it might or might not matter to you.It has to do with very high volume levels, and just how hard you can push your amps/speakers before the music starts to fall apart. Rock is still my favorite, and something majical starts to happen just before the point where your ears begin to bleed : ) This is one place where a better TT really becomes obvious as it can remain clean and musical as opposed to an entry level table where noise starts to replace music and you just want to turn it down : (
I'm sure isolation can play a big role, especially at high volume levels. I'm an apartment dweller with no subwoofer and 8 Watt tube amps. Playing really loud for extended periods is not a wise thing if I want to stay alive :). Besides that, I don't really care to play things to loudly. I'm perfectly happy around 80-85 dB with 90-95dB transients (as measured with my RatShack SPL meter) and I want to save my ears for many years of listening.My first-floor apartment has a concrete floor and I have had no issues with footfalls or vibrations. I've even tried stomping my foot as hard as I can and couldn't hear anything through my speakers.
Maybe those with wooden floors, subwoofers and a penchant for loud volumes will benefit more from a table with better isolation/suspension/vibration control.
-Mike...
Thanks for the comments. It was my first review :)
interesting what you say about the music coming apart at high levels. I have this problem sometimes with my mmf5/shure combo. i was never quite sure what it was. I thought it was my fisher 500c receiver, although i guess it makes sense that it would be the table.
It's important to point out that I could still play my MMF5 pretty loudly, enough to chase my wife out of the basement : )It's just that the Linn can go to a new level, as in "live concert loud".The Linn suspension might help with this ,although the MMF-5 has a pretty good isolation system.Ultimately, I suspect it's the rigidity of the tonearm coupled to the ultra high precision bearings in the Akito II that keep things under control?
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