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MAN - wish I had of found this site earlier!I just ordered up a Music Hall MMF-7 earlier this weekend and now I find this site. Sure is a lot of information here.
I've been running a fairly mid-fi system (Cambridge Audio 640A amp - some NHT speakers...) with an older Technics SL-1200 turntable and an Ortofon 20 cartridge. I enjoyed it but was never 100% satisfied with it. I got some audible mistracking on piano pieces, etc.
So - I decided to try out a belt drive and got a really great deal on a new MMF-7 from Underwood Audio in Atlanta. It's got the Eroica cartridge with it.
Any advice would be welcome - and I hope I made a good decision! Should be here on Wednesday.
Follow Ups:
Lots of ideas - thanks everyone. Sounds like I made a good decision.Well, I don't have the MMF-7 yet, should be here later in the week. I'll let you know how it compares to the Technics. Yes, I still have it.
As for phono-stage, I was using the built in card in my amp, but I've got the new Cambridge 640p flagship stage on loan from my dealer but haven't hooked it up yet. I figured I'd try that once the Music Hall arrives and then go from there - let me know any recommendations.
I listen to mostly rock and jazz (everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn, Zeppelin and Nazareth, to Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins). Not much classical or pop.
I've actually been listening to vinyl non-stop since the 70's and can align a cartridge, set a table up, etc. - but haven't played around much tweaking tables with different mats and so on.
I did pick up a tonearm damper for the Technics a couple of years ago when I bought it - you fill it with a thick liquid and it's supposed to help with performance. It did help with tracking but things still don't sound "right".
Any advice on phono-stages or cartridges (around $300 or less each) are welcome. Although I plan on running the Eroica for a while just to make sure!
You can get the Bellari VP129 Tube Phono Amp for under $200.00 at many outlets (Music Direct, Needledoctor.com). Getting a lot of nice reviews/responses here. Also check out sales at Audiogon.com under Preamplifiers / Phono for some great buys for better phono stages.
The Eroica is a good cartridge. Some say it sounds "dark" although I do not hear that. It is on the warm side of neutral, though. It should suffice and with the Gyger stylus should give a long service life. As for a phono stage, DO NOT cut corners. Buy the very best you can, or can't, afford. Really good ones that will work with your high output MC cart start around $500 with the Jolida, Lehmann, etc. My personal preference is the Rogue Stealth, which retails for $799 and can be had used for $550-600. It's a great match with my Eroica/MMF-7. Plus it has very flexible gain/loading options and will accept just about any cartridge you want to throw at it from very low output MCs to MMs.
But the phono stage is as much about personal taste as anything else, so trust your own two ears.
Henry
Thanks for the information - although I've never thought of spending as much (or more!) as I have in my amp on the phono stage! - I may get back in touch with you once I get the table set up and get some additional information. I've not heard of the Rogue or Jolida but have heard of the Lehmann ("Cube" or something like that???).Any ideas as to where I might pick these up used but well cared for? I've been buying and selling on e-bay for years but it seems it's a crap-shoot as far as equipment goes.
I would recommend checking Audiogon regularly. Stealths and Black Cubes show up there from time to time. The Jolida JD-9A is worth considering at $450 new. Of course, I'd rather have my Stealth, but I'm prejudiced.
Henry
Henry gives good advice. I followed it and upgraded to the mmf-7. I'm glad I did.I have a different prejudice on the phono stage. My preferences lean more to tubed (hybrid) sound and so I'm enjoying the JoLida JD 9. It's a perfect match for the Eroica H high output mc cartridge because it has a wide latitude of settings. But that's if you prefer the hybrid sound. Some do, some don't. Like the Stealth, the JD 9 is very adaptable to whatever cartridge (mm/homc/lomc) you may end up with.
I'd love to have a Stealth to compare, though. I'm sure it sounds great!
Tell us what your impressions are of the Music Hall vs. the Technics.I found the asylum looking for info on the Rega CD player, and before you know it I'm buying tubes, tiny watt amps and single driver speakers. My amps have four tubes but my phonostage has eight. Weird stuff like that seems to happen. Oh, I never bought the Rega.
Anyway I'd love to read your impressions, perhaps the change will not be that major, you just never know.
Check out the tweaks area too.
Welcome aboard. Your choice with the MMF-7 is an excellent choice and should provide you with years of vinyl mileage.Since it comes with the Erioca already aligned you should be up and running in about 10 minutes!!
Enjoy your new journey and all of us are here to help with any questions you may have.
Best Regards,
Several of us have MMF-7s and like them. I've had mine just a couple of months. What phono preamp are you using? FWIW, it's probably as important, if not more so, than the table and cartridge.
Henry
And Henry's advice about the phono preamp is also good. It does make a difference. And like any stereo gear, you'll get ALL KINDS of opinions about what is the "best" phono stage preamplifier. Do a search (text to find) on phono stages and you'll have plenty to read about! After digesting some of that information you can post a specific question on what you're interested in. This site is a wealth of helpful advice.
I would also advise a different mat than the felt one that comes with it. I'm using a home made non felt that gives very good results. I also am running a Goldring Elite cartridge which took the performance up a notch. But that is a low output moving coil which demands a preamp that will handle that load.
Welcome aboard
Hi,I had the same MMF-7 turntable and was very happy with it, it was the first turntable I purchased when I started to listen to vinyl again. For the money it delivers a lot of performance. I replaced the mat that comes with the turntable with a Herbie's Way Excellent Turntable Matt with Grungebuster Dots and thought that firmed up the sound, deeper bass, clearer midrange, etc.
Enjoy the turntable you will be very happy with it.
The MMF-7 would have been recommended, but the 1200 gets tons of respect in here also and maybe someone could give you new cartridge options for it(you did keep it, right?) I have an Eroica lx for my Oracle that i'm going to use again when I get another headshell but I think I am at home with moving magnets. The Eroica is nice though...
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