Music Hall MMF-7 or the Rega 25


Just getting back into analog, would like to hear your thoughts on the two turntables I am looking into.thanks
tbird
if you don't want to break your brains over setting up the cartridge than go for MMF-7 that is being perfectly setup for it's best and valued performance.
rega 25 is more flexible but needs more experimentation and probably will be more expencive to beat MMF-7.
If you buy Music Hall make sure you buy it locally. There seem to be many QC issues. It may be theoretically easier to set up. However, a defective speciemen may be impossible to set up correctly.
I had a MMF-2 and I had to reset the cartidge.It was on crooked.Don't expect it to be 'perfectly' set up.The low wage workers that build and assemble the tables are far from analog audiophiles.
also,if you have a problem with your Music Hall you better have a great dealer to back you.I busted the arm on the MMF-2 and I got less than satisfactory service from Roy.I had trouble getting a repacement arm from him and when he did finally agree to sell me one I got a 'B' stock arm that had nicotine on it.
I dumped the table and never looked back.
I have not had any experience with the MMF-7, but I recently purchased a P-25.

The set-up is not difficult but it is exacting. Take your time and you will be rewarded. I found that with my cartridge I had to retrofit the arm with a verticle adjuster (none on the stock Rega) and went with the "easy riser", it worked great.

The steps I follow are 1) set the arm parallel after loose installation of the cartridge, 2) set the cartridge overhang and alignment, 3) set the tracking force, 4) clean the record, and 4) enjoy.

Best of luck, Dave.
I should have added that the whole set-up took about a half an hour the first time, and about 15 minutes now. My Thorens TD-520 by contrast, I have owned for over a year and it still is not "right."

Dave.