MC for MusicHall MMF2.2

You'll need to upgrade your turntable if you want to get into better cartridges. The MMF2.2's arm is simply not up to the task. I know, I owned a 2.1.

If you want to keep your table, the $99 Ortofon 2M Red would be a fabulous upgrade. Since it has a basic eliptical stylus, alignment isn't super-super-critical. A basic alignment tool like yours should more than suffice. That's about as far as I would go. Truth be told, you probably won't even be able to wring the full potential out of the 2M Red.

Before pumping more money into your 2.2, when it's obvious you want to step up, why not sell it and pick up a Rega P2 or, better still, P3. Great arms for the money, good decks and motors, and plenty of upgrade potential that you can do a little at a time. For instance, you can buy a P3 now and add the external PSU later. Maybe an upgraded subplatter. Then possibly rewire the tonearm and add a new counterweight.

Your investment now in a turntable with an upgrade path will save you money in the long run.

Good luck!

Not sure if Pro-Ject/Music Hall still puts a steel platter on the mmf-2.x turntables but you want to be careful about using a moving coil cartridge with a strong magnetic pull on a ferrous platter. It'll collapse the cantilever.

Tom

Jazzhowell,

Ekobesky and Tketcham are both correct, as I also owned an MMF 2.1. The tonearm is the weak link, and doesn't warrant much more than the Goldring it came with. I liked it with the Shure M97, but when I upgraded to the V15Vxmr the arm just couldn't keep up. I also tried a Denon 103R and sure enough, it stuck right to the platter. It was the first turntable I ever set up on my own, so it was a learning experience.

:-)

Best to stick to MM cartridges while you have the MMF; I haven't heard the Ortofon, but the 2M line seems to get great reviews.

David