Ken Boyd I couldn't of said it better. My first starter table was a PE-20XX, its been a long time so exact model is forgotten, purchased thru the PX, I got a pretty good break on the price but even being inexperienced I recognized quality. Some of my tables are a good 40 years old but from what I'v seen overall the marker hasn't moved much in all that time.
Slick Willie
Addicted Member
That's my sweet lady.
I knew about the needle thing, but not about the full complexities. Thanks for the advice, i'll save 78s for a later time.
Well I do plan on swapping the stock cart, so it sounds pretty important
Slick Willie
Addicted Member
Lucky you!
I have one last question, and thanks for being helpful, but is there a cart you'd recommend for the 2.2? The 2m Blue is a little bit out of my price range.. I was thinking maybe a mp-110 or a grado of some sort. I'm just not sure what cartridges will/wont play nice with the music hall.
Slick Willie
Addicted Member
I have a Blue on mine, the Red would be in your price range? But not all like the Ortofon sound.
Cart choices are so personal that I don't like to recommend.
You know, I just remembered that I have a super OM body with a beat-up stylus 10 I can pull off my Pioneer. Only good thing about that damned unit. Maybe I'll get another 10 or even a 20
If you haven't heard the stock cartridge yet, I'd at least give that a try, putting at least 30-40 hours on it before deciding it needs to be replaced. I think the Music Hall Tracker is a fine cartridge and is the one that a friend of mine stuck with on his Music Hall after trying a couple of different options. I used the similar but conically equipped Goldring Elan for a few years on my Linn LP12 and thought it sounded quite good. It became my cartridge of choice for long-playing records on a Stanton STR8-80X that I had purchased primarily for playing 78's (I used a Stanton 500 with 78 rpm stylus on a separate headshell for those).
The Music Hall MMF 2.2 got a favorable review in a "face off" with a Technics SL1200 Mk II and a Rega P1, and compared with the Ortofon OM5E used on both the Rega and the Technics, the reviewer found the Tracker to be more refined and laid back, though also a touch less dynamic and exciting. As Slick Willie noted, cartridge preference is very personal. I tend to prefer warmer, more laid back models like my current M97xE; my brother has always preferred the somewhat more "in your face" presentations he got from Signet and Ortofon models.
https://www.soundandvision.com/content/face-best-turntable-budget-page-4#VWwKqhHzOceXuiUC.97
Thanks for that link, I've been searching for reviews like that. I certainly will put some hours into the tracker. Is it not just a rebranded AT3600 or something? I may be thinking of something else. I guess I already have upgrade fever in a way
It is not a rebranded AT3600, though I have nothing against that body type. I don't know who makes them, but it had been said to be a re-branded Goldring Elektra. If I recall correctly, the earlier samples of the older MMF 2.1 included the Goldring-branded Elan cartridge, which was just the conical version of the Elektra. Neither model remains in Goldring's line-up, and I don't believe it was something they made themselves, but rather was made for them and was something they could put their name on at a lower price point.Thanks for that link, I've been searching for reviews like that. I certainly will put some hours into the tracker. Is it not just a rebranded AT3600 or something? I may be thinking of something else. I guess I already have upgrade fever in a way
Not a lot on the web about them, but here are a couple of reviews, one by a magazine and the other by a user on Audiogon.
http://www.audiomarketing.com.au/cmsAdmin/uploads/goldring-elektra-cartridge-review-july-2015.pdf
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/review-goldring-electra-cartridge
Thread is pretty much dead here but in case anyone stumbles upon it with the same questions I had:
I received my Music Hall MMF-2.2 in the mail today. Setup was pretty easy, took maybe 20 minutes. Mine came with the Tracker cartridge (the blue OM10). The deck itself looks amazing. Very sleek. No part of it really feels cheap (although be careful with the anti-skate wire). I have never broken in a cartridge before (the ones I've owned were used), but right off the bat it sounds good. Bass leaves little to be desired, the highs are pretty decent, no complaints here. I do notice that it is pretty sensetive to surface noise, but it only ever gets annoying on dirty records. I think I made the right decision. Hope this helps
I received my Music Hall MMF-2.2 in the mail today. Setup was pretty easy, took maybe 20 minutes. Mine came with the Tracker cartridge (the blue OM10). The deck itself looks amazing. Very sleek. No part of it really feels cheap (although be careful with the anti-skate wire). I have never broken in a cartridge before (the ones I've owned were used), but right off the bat it sounds good. Bass leaves little to be desired, the highs are pretty decent, no complaints here. I do notice that it is pretty sensetive to surface noise, but it only ever gets annoying on dirty records. I think I made the right decision. Hope this helps
Interesting. When I look at Music Hall's site, the Tracker looks like a Goldring Elektra and the blue OM10 is called the Magic 2.
http://musichallaudio.com/magic-2-cartridge/
http://musichallaudio.com/tracker-cartridge/
Glad to hear you're feeling good about the purchase. If you have that blue OM10, a significant upgrade, at least on a friend's Rega P1, is moving to the Ortofon Stylus 20. His stock cartridge was the OM5E, but he first upgraded to the Stylus 10, used a Rega Bias for a few years, then went back to the stock cartridge with a Stylus 20. That proved to be the best sound yet, and is what he's been using for about the last 5 years (with his usage, he's replacing the stylus every two years). I wouldn't ditch the stock stylus til it's worn out, though, because that should sound good, too. Let us know if it changes perceptibly after a break in period. I don't know about the one you have, but Ortofon suggests about 20 hours for their DJ models.
I had the cart names mixed up, you're right. I briefly had a super om 10 whose stylus was beat up, on a pioneer that was even worse, but I cant imagine how the magic can get better, although I dont have much experience with anything but an AT3600
Slick Willie
Addicted Member
I'm confused, did you get the Tracker or the OM?
If the Tracker...I would replace as soon as I could. It's a boring cart IMO that doesn't do anything really well.
Won't show you what the table can do for sure!
I got the Magic 2, the blue OM10. So far I love it.
He has the Magic 2. Interestingly, despite the "10" on the stylus assembly, the Magic 2's specifications are a closer match to the OM3E than the OM10, at least when you look at frequency response, tracking ability, compliance, and tracking force range. That doesn't make it a bad cartridge by any means, but it does mean that when it wears out, the OP could choose to simply replace it (current price of the OM3E stylus is $44; the Music Hall branded stylus is $90, and may have differences not evident in the specifications), or upgrade to something like a Stylus 10 ($62) or Stylus 20 ($198). On my friend's Rega, the Stylus 10 was a noticeable if modest improvement over his stock OM5E stylus, and he has found the Stylus 20 to be worth its substantially higher price. It's great that Ortofon continues to support the OM line with a lot of stylus options.
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Oops! I see you just posted ahead of me. Glad you love the cartridge. I've been very happy running entry-level cartridges over the years, including the AT CN5625AL (a $29 model very similar to the AT3600). Still, it's nice that you have options when it comes time for a stylus replacement.
Edit: At least I think you do. My assumption is that the Magic 2 body can accept regular Ortofon OM stylus options, but that would be something to check with your dealer about should you be interested.
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