Music Hall MMF 7.3 Question
There is a nice Graphite Mat produced by 47 Labs in Japan, it's lightweight and fine for belt drive turntables. They call it "The Mat" and it's the latest incarnation of the famous Boston Audio Mat (you will find tons of reviews). |
The ringmat, the original one if it can be had, otherwise the 200 model is a great upgrade. Ringmat has long been used/recommended with this table. The eroica h or lx are two cheaper alternate goldring cartridges that go well with the arm. In fact the original mmf-7 came with the eroica h, still available new. I would also get rid of the interconnects and go with a low capacitance set from Graham slee, or atlas cables, and maybe even rothwell the river.....this table is picky about what it sits on, the feet it comes with are fine. You need to experiment with some sort of surface to rest it on, maybe a slab of granite, or even a thick butcher block made of maple or walnut. I sold off my original mmf-7, wish I had not....its a great quiet table which responds well to cartridge changes. It is honestly Roy Hall’s masterpiece. The 9 and 11, with 3 and 4 plinths becomes redundant. Michael Fremer even commented on this, saying that the 7 is the "Sweet spot" in the Music Hall line up. |
The cartridge the table comes with is a fine cartridge, the 2m bronze. That’s what Roy Hall thinks anyhow...he responded in kind to that review on stereophile defending the cartridge choice. Michael Fremer also thinks highly of the 2m bronze, as he mentions on Anolog Planet that yes, in inferior set ups, it may be deemed to sound aweful...but in a great system it could sound great. He also mentioned that pairing it with a good tubed phono stage may make someone smitten. Getting back to a nice mat option that will minimize static and improve overall sound, I’d recommend taking a look at the auditorium 23 standard mat @ 95 dollars. They make one called the hommage, but that one is more than twice the price. The aforementioned A23 standard mat has woven striations on one surface, the one that contacts the LP. My thinking, in reading about the history of the ringmat design, is that the striations on the A23 mat may help dissipate energy and resonances by allowing a bit of air between the record bottom and the mat. Lastly, for support, I’d recommend a butcher block acoustics platform. They offer them with brass threaded inserts to accommodate a variety of feet, which can also be purchased from them. In setting up the mmf-7, you want to make sure the motor housing is dead center within the round cut out. This will ensure proper belt tension and accurate speed. Just a note, If using the ringmat record support mat, they do not recommend using a clamp or weight of any kind. Lastly, I’ve also read whereas one user/owner utilized a ground wire, attaching it to one of the bearing housing screws beneath the table. He then attached the other end to either the ground post of TT or to the center screw of the wall outlet plate. This was done in an attempt to minimize static, for which acrylic platters are notorious. He claims to have had success with this method. Oh, One more thing I swear! The music hall connect phono cable are said to be a great upgrade over the provided cables. |
"I don't need a TT of that build quality right now. The Music Hall hits a sweet spot in their line-up and my budget for the moment." Don't cheapen yourself! The mmf-7.3 can stand up to turntables 2 and 3 times the price! It is a wonderfully designed table and can handle cartridges way way beyond the 2m bronze, although the 2m bronze is no slouch! I own this table in the walnut finish (I dislike black due to fingerprints and dust). I would be in no hurry to replace the 2m bronze as I believe the reviewer is deaf. Roy Hall posted a great rebuttal to his review, defending his choice of the cartridge. If you team the 2m bronze with a Tubed phono stage such as the pro-ject tube box ds2 or the Tavish Design the classic, I think you might be smitten. |
