Newbie..TT question

Check the phasing!

OOOPS! It's HERBIE'S Turntable Matte, not Harvey's. This matte will make a real difference on the MMF5.

I assume it came with the std. Goldring cart. I owned an MMF5 and liked it a lot. The felt matte is not good atop the glass. GET A HARVEY'S TURNTABLE MATTE and set the felt matte aside. It will notably help correct the brightness. Does not cost a lot either.

Always use the record clamp as it helps improve the bass and lower midrange. Do not close the cover while playing.

Also try placing the tt atop different materials such as a simple slab of wood. Even try a 3/4" thick wooden cutting board which you may have from the kitchen for starters just to see if it makes a difference.

I do not recall being able to set the VTA any different than how it came with the tt. If you can set it try lowering the rake toward the pivot of the arm. This will cut the brightness and enrich the bass and lower midrange.

What cartridge are you using?

Make sure you are using the correct type of phono stage for the cartridge you are using. A moving coil preamp with a moving magnet cartridge will have too much gain. Also, if you are using an outboard phono stage, don't use the phono input on your preamp.

Here is a helpful link fr prper turntable set-up.http://www.walkeraudio.com/fine_tuning_your_turntable.htm

Have you fiddled with the VTA yet. Improper VTA could cause thinness/brightness.

phono stage

Are you using a phono stage or input?