Hi-Fi: Music Hall mmf-5.1 Turntable – Review

After the luxurious Clearaudio Solution AMG Wood turntable we tested in issue 80 of Tone, we thought that it would be a good idea to climb down the rungs of the analogue affordability ladder. At just over $1500 set up and ready to go, the Music Hall mmf-5.1 slots into a very sweet spot price-wise, and that makes it a real option for audio-loving Kiwis.

Owning a turntable is all about the tactile experience; the interaction is constant, so it’s a good thing that the mmf-5.1 is so nicely put together. The tone arm is the first clue that this deck is built to Roy Hall’s (Mr Music Hall) specifications by Pro-Ject, a company that knows a great deal about turntables. The dual layer black chassis and isolation feet provide a stable, shock-resistant platform, and the perspex lid adds a much appreciated touch of practicality – dust is the devil when it comes to vinyl. There’s even a built-in spirit level to help get the deck sitting flat.

The fitted cartridge is a Goldring 2200 moving magnet, which will work with less expensive MM phono stages. We cheated somewhat by setting the turntable up in a fairly serious system that can easily show up a weak source. Our test rig included a Clearaudio SmartPhono phono stage feeding a Tri TRV-4SE valve pre-amp and the stunning Usher Reference 1.5 class A power amp with a set of Triangle Esprit Antal floorstanding speakers. A little over 12 grand of audio gear (plus cables of course) paired with a basic turntable and MM cartridge should be a recipe for disaster but that wasn’t the case at all; if there was an audio Masterchef competition, this concoction would have been a very strong contender for tastiest dish.

Jennifer Warnes’s Famous Blue Raincoat album is often cited as a reference for audio reviewers and it certainly didn’t disappoint on the Music Hall. It was hard to pick any faults. The music flowed along beautifully, with absolutely no shortage of detail and atmosphere in the vocals or instruments. Cueing up the forgotten wonder that is Harry Belafonte’s voice on Belafonte at Carnegie Hall had this turntable lifting its game right up and shouting its class: the live performance was wide open and enthralling, especially at this price.

This deck rocks, too. The prominent bass lines of Two Dancers by Wild Beasts were tight and full of weight as well as being perfectly timed, with no sense of the beat lagging. Tracks from the likes of Kings of Leon or Pink Floyd proved no obstacle either. The turntable proved a foot-tappingly good source of power and energy. And as a plus, the soundstaging and imaging were exactly as I’d expect at this level of overall system, and substantially superior to what many would consider a turntable at this level capable of.

I’ve been just as satisfied with other turntables at the sub-$2000 price point, so the performance of the mmf-5.1 isn’t surprising. It’s by no means the last word in vinyl replay but anyone who thinks it’s impossible to get a great vinyl experience at a reasonable price needs to take a listen. The same goes for those who reckon you can’t equal or beat the sound quality of a CD player with an equivalently priced TT. With so much new and second-hand vinyl available, there’s never been a better time to go analogue.

ASHLEY KRAMER

Music Hall mmf-5.1 Turntable – Tech Specs

SPEEDS: 33 1/3 and 45rpm
CARTRIDGE: Goldring 2200 Moving Magnet
LOAD RESISTANCE: 47k Ohms
DOWNFORCE: 1.5-2.5g (1.7 grams nominal)
DIMENSIONS: 140 x 464 x 337mm (H/W/D)
WEIGHT: 10.9kg gross

Pros

• Looks good
• Sounds great at the price

Cons

• Relatively humble cartridge

Verdict

Excellent way to get into vinyl for not much dosh

Contact

www.listening.co.nz

This article is from Tone 82. Click here to check it out.