MC for MusicHall MMF2.2

Ed,

I never suggested he should not repair the Linn. Absolutely it should be repaired but telling Jazzhowell that the MMF2.2 could not handle a DL160 and that he should sell a perfectly good turntable and take a loss because you had issues with a previous model is just wrong. You did not have a 2.2 you had a 2.1 they are not the same especially regarding the tone arms. Also saying that the Axis will sound better than the Music Hall is questionable as that would at least depend on how the suspension (which is quite similar to the MMF2.2 btw) has held up and whether his table has the (better) Akito or the not so great LVX tonearm. As far as the Music Hall being "a Thowaway" I listened to that same statement 30+ years ago about the AR XA with it's crappy clock motor that could not possibly last (I have 2 one of which is approaching it's 50th birthday and still functions fine)and I would be willing to bet the number of still functioning AR XA's is 10 times that of Duals of the same vintage.

My apologies,I just checked to be sure and I was wrong on the platter material. It is ferrous and quite magnetic. So you would have to upgrade to an acrylic platter to accommodate a moving coil. The difference from the 2.1 is that it appears to to have a coating of damping material on it. Again my error I should have looked for the original platter last night as mine has the acrylic installed at the moment so the DL160 is not a problem for me.

02-01-09: Geraldm121
Ed,

Also saying that the Axis will sound better than the Music Hall is questionable as that would at least depend on how the suspension (which is quite similar to the MMF2.2 btw) has held up and whether his table has the (better) Akito or the not so great LVX tonearm.

One more suggestion, Jazzhowell...

It's true that the Basik in any form wasn't the greatest arm, though as part of a turntable system it was very good.

Since the arm needs replacement anyway, a Rega RB250 or RB300 should work fine on the Axis. I've seen these mounted before. That would repair the arm problem and give you much more flexibility in terms of cartridge choice. Rega just came out with new versions of the 250 and 300 but some feel the old versions had superior mounting schemes. In any event, plenty of used ones are available. Britaucio.com might be a good place to ask.

Don't worry too much about the suspension. It's a simple system of rubber grommets. Any Linn dealer can pop new ones in as easy as changing a lightbulb. I did it myself on my table just as precautionary measure, though that was years ago. It was a very minor expense.

Geraldm121 and I may disagree on whether your old Axis as it stands is superior to your Music Hall. But I suspect he'd agree with me that an Axis with a new Rega RB300 arm and fresh rubber bits is superior in every respect. I would even go so far as to say that setup would be tough to beat in today's market for under $1000. Not a bad deal, considering it could be done for less than half that price and maybe much less with careful shopping.

You know, the one question all of us neglected to ask was whether you're enjoying your Music Hall? If you are, and all this sounds too complicated or not worth the bother, then ignore all of us, sell the Linn :-( and put the money toward some new records!

I want to thank all of you for the interesting and very knowledgeable info you are offerring me. I wish I had found this site before my purchase. I knew 20 years ago that the Axis was a very good TT. I did not get the impression that the MusicHall was such a slouch from what research I did do.
Claims of audiophile performance at a good price helped sway me. I figured after 20 years a newer, quality table would be a good choice. The technology for a TT is pretty much the same then as now and I should have realized that I did, still, have a jewel of a TT in the Axis.
The 2.2 is performing well. Especially with the speed control and the TT weight. I don't much care for the Tracker cartridge, hence the post for a better one'
I bought my entire system when I bought the Axis and although not Audiophile, at the time I was pretty impressed. Carver M500T amp with the C1 preamp,
Bose 901,originally a Nakamichi CD player, and I now have the Sony 595 SACD. I also purchased a Yaqin Hybrid Tube Buffer that has really helped with my sound. A large portion of my LP collection is German pressing ECM jazz and they would sound good on any system. I really want to upgrade my speakers to something like the Vandersteen 1C's.
Linn gave me the name of a dealer to contact for the Linn overhaul so I am going to see about that.
again, I appreciate all your help.
Ed, from reading your other posts I do appreciate what you have to say however blunt it might be. You know better than I.
John

"...Tracker cartridge, hence the post for a better one." If you decide to keep the mmf-2.2 (nothing wrong with having two turntables :-) then you might find a Goldring 10xx series cartridge for a reasonable price. I upgraded from the Tracker to a 1012GX (got a good deal) on my 2.1 and it was a good match and made a dramatic improvement. Also, I found that a good platter mat (I like the Herbie's Way Excellent mat) helped to reduce background/surface noise and improve definition, bass lines in particular.

In any case, have fun!

Tom