Music Hall has three turntables in the store for three different situations: the US-1 at €179 for anyone who wants to start today, the mmf 2.3 Phono at €599 for anyone who wants an audiophile turntable that still connects to any amplifier and the Stealth at €1,699 for anyone who prefers direct drive and an Ortofon 2M Blue already aligned. This guide explains what changes from one to the next, which ones come with a cartridge and a phono preamp and when the Mini 2 preamp is actually needed.
An American brand with 40 years of vinyl
Music Hall was founded in 1985 by Roy Hall, in New York. It started as an importer of European equipment and went on to design its own turntables, the mmf series, which is still the core of the catalog. The recipe never changes: a solid plinth, an isolated motor, a competent tonearm and a cartridge that matches the price, with no money spent on cosmetics.
US-1: everything included for €179
The Music Hall US-1 is for anyone with active speakers, an amplifier without a phono input or nothing at all yet, who wants to play records the day it comes home. It has belt drive, two speeds, an aluminum platter, an S-shaped tonearm with a detachable headshell and an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge mounted and aligned. The phono preamp is built in and switches off, so it works into a line input as well as a phono input. It comes with anti-skating and a dust cover. It is a one-off deal: a single unit, down from €229 to €179. It is not a turntable to grow with over the years, but the detachable headshell lets you change the cartridge later.
mmf 2.3 Phono: the audiophile that connects to anything
The mmf 2.3 Phono is the model we recommend most to anyone getting into vinyl with the intention of staying. It is the same mmf 2.3 as always, with an 8.6-inch carbon fiber tonearm, aluminum headshell, DC motor with low-noise belt drive, decoupling feet and an acrylic dust cover, to which Music Hall added a built-in, switchable phono preamp. The Music Hall Spirit cartridge comes mounted. It costs €599.
Compared with the US-1, you gain the foundation: a heavier plinth, a much stiffer tonearm and a mechanism that accepts better cartridges in the future. Compared with the mmf 2.3 without a preamp, at €499, the difference is the €100 that saves you buying a separate preamp. If your amplifier already has a phono input, the standard mmf 2.3 is enough. If it does not, or if you do not yet know which amplifier you will have, the Phono covers both situations with a switch.
Stealth: direct drive, three speeds, 10.9 kg
The Music Hall Stealth is a different kind of machine. Instead of a belt it uses direct drive with a brushless, low-torque motor: instant start-up and stable speed at 33, 45 and 78 rpm. The controls are touch-operated, the motor stops by itself at the end of the record and goes into standby after 20 minutes. The multi-layer plinth weighs 10.9 kg. The S-shaped tonearm has VTA adjustment and a removable headshell and the Ortofon 2M Blue comes mounted and aligned from the factory. It costs €1,699.
One important detail: the Stealth has no built-in phono preamp. It is for anyone who already has an amplifier with a phono input, or who will add a dedicated preamp. It is also the right choice for anyone who wants to change speed without touching a belt, in a turntable designed for listening at home rather than for DJing.
When the Mini 2 is needed
A turntable cartridge produces a tiny signal, thousands of times weaker than a streamer's, and with its own equalization curve, the RIAA. The phono preamp amplifies and corrects that signal before it reaches the amplifier. The US-1 and the mmf 2.3 Phono have one inside. The Stealth and the mmf 2.3 without a preamp do not. If the amplifier has an input labeled "Phono", the job is already done. If it only has line, AUX or CD inputs, you need an external preamp.
The Music Hall Mini 2 costs €99, measures 89 x 51 x 38 mm, is made in the USA and accepts MM and high-output MC cartridges. It is the cheapest way to connect a Stealth, an mmf 2.3 or any turntable without a preamp to a line-level amplifier, active speakers or a WiiM Amp. It does not replace a preamp like the Aurorasound VIDA Prima, but for a Spirit or an Ortofon 2M Blue it does the job.
The accessories that keep the turntable playing
When the speed starts to drift, the belt is due for replacement: there are original belts for the MMF-2 and MMF-5 series at €30 and the MMF-7 and MMF-9 series at €40. The Cork Mat, at €49, is a cork mat with 12 contact points that lift the record off the platter and it fits any brand. The replacement anti-skating weight costs €19 and the WCS-2, a 473 ml bottle of cleaning fluid for record washers, €59.
| Model | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Music Hall US-1 | Belt-drive turntable, with phono preamp and cartridge | €179 |
| Music Hall mmf 2.3 | Belt-drive turntable, with cartridge, no preamp | €499 |
| Music Hall mmf 2.3 Phono | Belt-drive turntable, with phono preamp and cartridge | €599 |
| Music Hall Stealth | Direct-drive turntable, with cartridge, no preamp | €1,699 |
| Music Hall Mini 2 | Phono preamplifier | €99 |
| MMF-2 / MMF-5 belt | Replacement belt | €30 |
| MMF-7 / MMF-9 belt | Replacement belt | €40 |
| Cork Mat | Cork mat | €49 |
| Anti-skating weight | Replacement part | €19 |
| WCS-2 | Vinyl cleaning fluid | €59 |
Why we chose Music Hall
We carry Music Hall because the money goes where you can hear it: plinth, tonearm, motor and cartridge. An mmf 2.3 Phono at €599 brings a carbon fiber tonearm and a built-in preamp, a Stealth at €1,699 brings 10.9 kg of plinth and an aligned Ortofon 2M Blue. Few brands at this level deliver as much without inflating the price with advertising. Any of the three can be heard in the listening room at my HI-FI HOUSE, in Lisbon.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Music Hall Stealth have a built-in phono preamp?
No. The Stealth comes with the Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge mounted, but it needs a phono input on the amplifier or an external preamp such as the Mini 2. Only the US-1 and the mmf 2.3 Phono have a built-in preamp.
What is the difference between the mmf 2.3 and the mmf 2.3 Phono?
The mechanics are the same: carbon fiber tonearm, DC motor, Spirit cartridge. The Phono adds a switchable phono preamp and costs €100 more. It is worth it when the amplifier has no phono input.
Do I need a phono preamp if my amplifier has a "Phono" input?
No, that input already handles the amplification and the RIAA equalization. Choose the turntable without a preamp, or switch off the built-in preamp on the US-1 and the mmf 2.3 Phono. Two preamps in series cause distortion and excessive volume.
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