To your original question, yes it's a worthwhile upgrade. I've owned the MMF 5.1 and have the MMF 7.1. Better plinth, better tonear, better feet, better motor design... all those things improve sound quality.
To pile on to what others have mentioned, consider a two channel integrated with home theater bypass as part of your upgrade path.
To pile on to what others have mentioned, consider a two channel integrated with home theater bypass as part of your upgrade path.