Music Hall MMF-1.5 Turntable - Cherrywood - Melody Cartridge

A Step Up in Wood, Tonearm, and Cartridge From Music Hall

The MMF-1.5 is the second rung on Music Hall's turntable ladder. It keeps the built-in phono preamp and pre-mounted cartridge that make the MMF-1.3 easy to live with, then adds a higher-grade cartridge, a longer S-shaped tonearm, a heavier platter, and a real cherry wood veneer plinth in place of painted MDF.

A belt-drive design keeps the motor off to the side, away from the record, and the MMF-1.5 uses a low-noise DC motor with electronic speed control to hold 33⅓, 45, and 78rpm steady.

This package ships with the Music Hall Melody moving-magnet cartridge pre-mounted on a removable headshell. The Melody tracks at a lighter 2.0 grams, gentler on records than the 3.5-gram AT3600L found on the MMF-1.3.

Real Wood and a Refined Tonearm

A 9-Inch S-Shaped Tonearm

An S-shaped tonearm uses a gentle curve rather than a straight line between pivot and cartridge, helping the stylus track the groove more accurately as it moves from the outer edge toward the center. The MMF-1.5's static-balanced aluminum arm adds anti-skate adjustment and an oil-damped lifter.

The removable headshell accepts cartridges weighing 5 to 8.5 grams, so a future upgrade is a straightforward swap rather than a full tonearm replacement — a real advantage over tables where the cartridge is fixed permanently to the arm.

A Heavier Platter and a Real Wood Plinth

The 305mm aluminum die-cast platter is larger and heavier than the MMF-1.3's 296mm platter. More mass means steadier rotational speed and lower wow and flutter, and a rubber mat on top damps small vibrations.

The plinth itself is solid MDF wrapped in genuine cherry wood veneer rather than painted MDF, which both looks warmer and helps damp resonance a little differently than a painted surface would.

Who Is This Turntable Best For?

• You want a real-wood plinth and a step up in sound — from typical starter decks, without a full tier jump in price
• Your amp or receiver has no phono input — the built-in preamp handles it
• You own or inherit 78rpm records — still supported at this tier, unusual for the price
• You want a clear upgrade path — bypass the built-in preamp, swap the cartridge, or both, without buying a new turntable
• Budget is the deciding factor — the MMF-1.3 costs less and still includes a built-in phono preamp

How Does It Connect to Your System?

In LINE mode, the MMF-1.5's built-in phono preamp does the work: connect its RCA cables to any standard line-level input on your amp, receiver, or powered speakers.

Switch the rear panel to PHONO instead to bypass the built-in preamp and route the raw cartridge signal to an external phono stage or a receiver's dedicated phono input.

Pairs Well With

Where the MMF-1.5 goes from here:

• Phono preamplifiers — switch to PHONO mode and pair with an outboard preamp when you're ready to step up the sound
• Phono cartridges — the removable headshell keeps a future cartridge swap simple
• Integrated amplifiers — many include a phono input, letting you skip the outboard preamp
• Powered speakers — plug straight in for the simplest possible vinyl system

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the MMF-1.5 include a cartridge?

Yes. The Music Hall Melody moving-magnet cartridge is pre-mounted and aligned at the factory.

Do I need a separate phono preamp?

It has one built in, switchable off if you'd rather use an outboard phono stage later.

What's the difference between the MMF-1.5 and the MMF-1.3?

The MMF-1.5 steps up to a real cherry-wood plinth, a longer S-shaped tonearm, a heavier platter, and the Melody cartridge, which tracks lighter than the MMF-1.3's AT3600L.

How hard is it to set up out of the box?

Straightforward. The cartridge arrives mounted; you fit the platter, attach the counterweight, and connect the RCA cables.

Can I upgrade the cartridge later?

Yes. The removable headshell makes a future cartridge swap far simpler than on tables where the cartridge is fixed to the arm.

Can it really play 78rpm records?

Yes, a rare feature at this tier, though a dedicated 78 stylus gets the best sound from them.

See It in Action

Steve Guttenberg, The Audiophiliac, walks through the MMF-1.5:

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Learn More

Want to learn more about turntable setup, cartridge upgrades, or phono preamps? Visit our Learning Center for guides, tips, and expert advice.