Cartridge-- M/M or M/C

I can concur with Johnnantis about the Sota. I just recently purchased a Sota Sapphire series II used on the 'Gon. I am using it with a modded Rega 250 (w/2etreme endstub & F2 titamnium counterweight.) The Sota did bring my brightness down from my P3 table. It also quieted my bass response a little bit too much for my .5 Maggies though. The SOTA does get knocked around quite a bit here on the 'Gon, but is a LOT quitier than the P3 on quiet passages. Just my experience.

I have been listening to records for 40 years and have had several turntables and a good list of other gear. I, too, am now using the MMF-7. I chose it because it does have a very flowing, balanced sound and a dark background. I auditioned several turntables before buying and found the the MMF-7 and MMF-9 and the Rega P25 and the P9 were the only ones under $3000.00 total cost that could produce this sound. The mids with these turntables proved to be full and there was remarkable bass extension for vinyl playback. There are a few other considerations, however. Strip out the ground wire from the interconnect provided and use it and throw the rest away. In fact, I considered sending it back to Roy Hall. I am currently using a Transparent Ultra phono cable with very satisfactory results. I have also used a pair of Chord Anthem interconnects with good results. I have experimented with some other cables, and this turntable seems to be very sensitive to the changes in sound that you can make with different cables. Please note that I do not run out and buy new cables all the time. In fact the only ones that I have bought new are a couple of Kimber digital coax cables. AudiogoN is a good source to use in trying different cables by buying them cheap on the used market. Over a period of time I have acquired a number of different ones that I experiment with. Phono stages are also an area to consider. I auditioned, in home, several in the $1200 and under range when I bought the new turntable. I didn't like any of them. With the exception of the Coph Nia, I thought that they all sounded thin. I am using an old Marantz PH-22, which has been with me for a while and that I bought used, also. It has an almost tube-like warmth. I have also found than some addition isolation under the footers on the MMF-7 also helps darken the background. I used some Sorbothane pucks that I bought from Vera Starr, who is a AudiogoN vendor. To keep them from squishing, I cut some disc from the back of a pad of paper, put them on top of the pucks, and put the footers and cups on the paperboard. It made a serious difference. I hope that this is helpful. As you know, we don't hear things exactly the same way, so I have to stress the idea of experimenting. You have a good turntable. I think that with a little experimenting and listening you'll have it working to your satisfaction.

I think Jependleton has stated some very good points.
I also own the mmf7 and am very pleased with the performance to price ratio.
I also replaced the stock interconnects with different cables and found ones to my liking. Scrap the original interconests but save the ground wire.
I also have a Target TT wall shelf which made a BIG improvement.
Are there better turntables? Yes. For the money.... this table is a bargain.
Try new cables and make sure the cartridge is broken in.
If you can't find happiness with either, sell it and upgrade to a different table.
I'm betting that you won't if you try new cables.
Just my $.02.
Rick.

Scott, I read all of the responses on this thread and I am reminded of just how difficult it is to know what is going on in a system. Systems work as a system, meaning that even the speakers can directly affect the sound of a cartridge via the chain, by feeding back eletrical signals to the cartridge via the electronics. So that a given cartridge/arm/'table combo which works well with a given preamp will suddenly sound like crap when you change amps, or wires, or speakers...there are no hard and fast answers. Give more details on how your 'table is set up: shelf, cables, and so on. Psychicanimal has a point, but you opened that door when you got into serious audio, too late now. Dougdeacon has a point: have you played with settings, cables and so on? Jependleton has a point, but I wonder what cartridge he is using, perhaps he could enlighten you. Perhaps you originally had a point: your phono stage is not good (for a fun test Radio Shack sells quite a good little phono stage for $30, battery-powered, which will not match your Stealth, but may shed some light). A better record player will improve the sound. The Rega arm is unpredictable in its bass response on given 'tables. Perhaps it is not a good match for Sota in this regard. A moving magnet cartridge will smooth out the sound, providing it is a good one like the Grado (terrific), or Shure (gets out of the way of the music). Do you have any friends who will lend you their cartrides or phono amps or cables? Alternatively, you could go to a good (friendly) audio store, promise you will buy something, and talk them into letting you try some alternatives. This is the safest option. The problem here is that in the old days when phono was king, a beginner in analog had a beginner's system, and so learned while he/she was moving up the ladder. Now beginners have top-flight systems which are ruthless with problems...Good Luck and don't worry, vinyl is worth the trouble.

In response to the question, I am using the modified Eroica that comes with the MMF-7. I should point out that there was a run of bad cartridges on tables that were manufactured about 8 to 12 months ago. The cantilever would not loosen up and the bass was affected and there was midrange distortion. My dealer replaced the cartridge. He also went through the set up of the azmuth and alignment of the arm and cartridge and found that it was wrong from the factory. A dealer that knows turntables should check this on any turntable before sending it home with anyone. I should point out also that the replacement cartridge took about 50 hours to break in properly. The dealer that I used took care of about two-thirds of this before letting me have the turntable. Hope this helps.