Music Hall mmf-5 vs. Rega P3

I think it's a toss-up, FWIW. Tweaking these tables is fine and you do pick up something for the efforts. But I don't think either really stands out over it's rival.

If you like the Music Hall I would suggest looking at the MMF 7, which I think is the strongest table in the Music Hall line. You get the advantage of a seperate motor pod, a better model of the Pro-ject arm and a better platter. I owned one for a while and really liked it. There are several things you can tweak; upgrade the tonearm cables, upgrade or loose the RCA connectors altogether, swap the cone feat for some good brass ones. You could probably do these to the MMF 5 as well, but there is a lot to be said for that seperate motor. Watch the used market here and try to snag a MMF 7 used. That is the best bang for the buck IMO. Brand new, I'm not so sure.

I did some research about mounting a Rega arm but to do it right would have meant heavily modifying the plinth. I chose not to do that since I knew I would be selling the table at some point. Granted there are some cartridges that won't mate well with the Project 9, but there are many very good cartridges that will. Now you might just drop in a Linn arm with no problem, but I wouldn't know which one to suggest.

I love Guiness but I have to watch my weight. So it's Jack and Diet Coke for me. Nascar is on!

Dan,
Guiness only has 125 calories! As if I needed another reason to drink it.

Good points on the two 'tables. mmf-7 does appear to be a dandy 'table.

cheers,
-jer

I have the tweaked "Bombaywalla" mmf-5 (see reviews) and a Rega P3 and there's not much difference in sound...maybe the mmf-5 sounds a little better but the build quality & looks of the rega seem better to me. I should get rid of one ( I also have a Pro-ject tt )...this thread may help me make up my mind. I probably will keep both. All tables were bought used here on Audiogon and have been a joy to use. If somebody held a gun to my head (my wife may do this at any moment) and ordered me to keep one I would keep the rega...

I've got a MMF9 and love it! Personally, I think the Music Hall tables are much better suited for the folks who want to set it up properly and forget about it and get on with the business of enjoying music. If you are "handy" and like fidgit about then I think other brands will work better.

Thanks to everyone here (err... make that MOST everyone) for good, reflective comments on how these 'tables sound, and how they are to live with.

I've not personally owned a P3, but am very familiar with it, it being such a mainstay in our circles. I however HAVE owned a Rega Planar 2, and more recently in past years, also the MMF-5, MMF-7, and the MMF-9 (not auditioned, but owned in my system for long stretches each). Though the MMF-7 would be the keeper of this lot, for me, I've enjoyed them all very much, in different ways.

Keeping with the subject of this thread though, the Rega P3 has always sounded more forward and aggressive to me (note that I intend all of these terms in a very subtle sense), and a little more bold. The MMF-5, which so impressed me for just how much it could do at its level, tended to sound a tad lighter, certainly more laid back in presentation, and perhaps in some ways, more musical than the Rega.

But I might have used the phrase "impressed me" inappropriately just now, in trying to describe what I want to say about these two 'tables. Because overall, that phrase always seemed more appropriate to the Rega. Listening to the P3 makes music "sound impressive" (in an audiophile way). Spinning wax on the Music Hall 5 on the other hand, music seems to come out more self-effacingly; but at the same time, for that very lack of self-centeredness, the little product itself leaves an impression on you, in afterthought.

The tonearm is really the P3's sine qua non - in sound character and build quality. Overall, I've always liked the touch and feel of the P3 a bit more than the MMF-5. Sturdier and more substantial. But I wouldn't be surprised either to learn that what the MMF-5 lacks in this department actually helps it in a way, by adding to its charm. It's that "you get so much for so little" quality the MMF-5 has, I guess some psychoanalysts would find a way to show how that biases my perception of what reaches my ears.

If you've managed to wade this far through all my rambling dreck, you'll realize I'm really saying that both 'tables can serve the music quite well in their own way. That's been my experience with them. The Rega lends itself more easily to upgrades and tweaks, if that sort of thing attracts you. However, one tweak I'd suggest for the MMF-5 is a mat upgrade to smooth out the "ringy" overhanging tone you sometimes get with the glass platter.

Keep on living music.