I just bought an MMF-5 a couple weeks ago on researched the purchase here on audiogon. Before I comment on the 'table I'd like to point out the fact that if you search the archives you'll see that Psychicanimal never misses an opportunity to jump in with a negative comment whenever there's a thread mentioning MMF turntables. While he's certainly entitled to his opinion, it seem to me that anyone so focused on negativity, and so obsessed with putting down MMF, leads me to believe that he is jealous, insecure and just plain inexperienced about what qualities to look for in a turntable. Seeing his comment "read the specs, it sucks" sounds more like something I would expect from a petulant, immature 14-year-old boy, not the carefully reasoned comments of an experience audiophile.
The fact of the matter is that judging the performance of any turntable depends in to a major extent on how carefully it is set up and what ancillary equipment it is used with. The proof is in the listening, not the specs, and that is where the MMF-5 shines.
Tthe MMF-5 turntable is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a turnkey solution for getting into vinyl. It offers tremendous adjustablility for a 'table at its price point and it can be made to perform at a greatly exalted level with proper setup. I spent two full weeks carefully wringing out the best performance in mine and am just amazed at how accomplished this 'table can be.
Yes, the MMF-5 is limited in absolute terms (and what piece of audio equipment isn't?) but set up properly it is VERY musically satisfying and will provide a huge slice of "analog heaven". I have heard the Rega and it is also a fine choice, but it has different strenths and weaknesses compared to the MMF-5. The Rega has a better arm (I don't think anyone would dispute this) but it also runs 1 percent fast, has no suspension and its VTA is non-adjustable. I listened to both and concluded that the MMF was the better choice for me. I have mine sitting on a seismic sink and have replaced the stock feet (which helped deepen and define the bass, and greatly lowered the noise floor), replaced the hardwired interconnect (which gave a nice increase in detail) along with a few other tweaks that have brought out the best in it. But just leveling the 'table (get it perfect, it's worth it) and getting all of the setup paramaters dialed in are more than enough to see what this 'table can do with your favorite albums.
I'm not into the juvenile male posturing (your turntable sucks, mine beats yours), just into good music, and I think that most any turntable can be made to perform nicely when set up by someone with care and experience. Choose what works best for you and enjoy the music.
