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Music Hall MMF 2.2 Turntable with the included dust cover removed
This is the third entry level turn table that I've bought and listened to in my search for great audio sound and value. First was the Debut Carbon, then the Orbit Basic, and now this review is about the Music Hall MMF 2.2 Turntable. Spoiler alert...the Music Hall MMF 2.2 is by far and away the best of the three! It's much better than the previous winner, the Orbit. Because of this, most of my comparisons and references will be to the 2nd place Orbit turntable.
Recent price breaks make the turntable available for just $299 from Amazon. Until recently, it was typically sold for $400-500. It comes packed in a box within a box, the whole thing weighing 9 kg, nearly 20 pounds. Out of the box, the table maintains its feeling of heft in a very reassuring way. Assembly was quick and easy, including balancing the arm with the pre-mounted Ortofon cartridge. The table is finished in a beautifully executed piano black glossy finish.
I'll quickly summarize the advantages of the Music Hall MMF 2.2 (MMF for short) over the Orbit Basic
MMF was mechanically quiet, quieter than the Orbit, even though the orbit is pretty quiet. Both were much quieter than the Project Carbon Debut. But now it was time to do some measurements to see how MMF and Orbit compared on hum, rumble, and distortion. Both were adjusted to produce the same level at 1 kHz, although owing to some picture problems, the levels look a bit different.
Comparing rumble, the MMF only has a 120 Hz component, but it is higher than the Orbit's 120 Hz by about 10 dB. The Orbit has a 240 Hz component that I think is much more audible. Ideally, neither component of rumble would be present in either turntable, but perhaps that's what $1000+ turntables are all about. To my ears, the MMF's rumble was less obtrusive.
Interestingly, the Orbit had less distortion than the MMF, and showed a bit smaller sidebands around the 1 kHz.
The hum with the arm poised above the record seemed to be less with the MMF. Measurements showed agreement with this impression. Both had the same amount of 60 Hz, but the Music Hall had fewer higher power line harmonics, and they were all at lower levels.
Now I listened to some music. The record was the same as I had previously used, Dexter Gordon's Manhattan Symphonie, this time the cut was "As Time Goes By". I turned it up to pretty realistic levels, and enjoyed that the arm-up hum of the MMF is somewhat better than the Orbit. The music sounded good and clean overall, but Dexter's horn was rendered a bit too bright for my tastes. A quick test sweep didn't show any lumps in the frequency response, so perhaps it was the recording, or new speakers that I'm not yet completely familiar with (ELAC F5's). Of course, it could have been Dexter's reed on the day of the recording!
Of course, there was pre-groove echo, but I think that's just a consequence of LP's in general and this recording in particular. I did have things turned up fairly loud. In the soft parts of the track, the mechanical noise of the turntable did intrude onto the music. I think it's just one of those things that you can't really get free of at this price point. It's only an issue when you've got things turned up pretty well, but you still wish there were a magic bullet available to cure it all.
The Music Hall MMF 2.2 is my new favorite amongst these three entry level turntables. When the Music Hall was a $499 turntable, there was a good reason for those on a budget to go for the $244 (table, cueing lever, and shipping) Orbit Basic. Given the recent price cut in the Music Hall to $299 (shipping included at Amazon), it is the clear winner hands down.
Thanks to Bob Grossman, who recommended that I try the Music Hall turntable. You can see Bob's Review of the Akitika PR-101 Preamp here
