sound

remote

Great cd player!Great sound,and I love the hdcd when I can use it.Ive owned it for a year now and no complaints.

attack and resolution great imaging and soundstaging has an IEC outlet so you can use a hot rod power cord

I think the stock player is probably good but you're really missing out on great sound if you don't have it modified The remote is lame but acceptable

I purchased this modified unit new from Sound Odyssey which has a slightly different mod package than Underwood HiFi. Instead of replaceing many of the caps and resistors, Brice from Sound Odyssey installs an aftermarket clock (Trichord 4) along with some other mods like the diodes and opamps. The result? Awesome. I have tried a few digital sources recently like the Benchmark DAC1 and the SACDmods modified Sony C222ES. This thing beats the modified C222ES and is right up there with the Benchmark. Later, I had Beice put in a NEver Connected power supply for the clock and this thing really sang! Any remaining digital harshness was gone and this thing just took on a slightly relaxed pace but with a much bigger soundstage and awesome transient dynamics. It has great attack and resolution and for the money has been able to keep up with the big league players. Certainly a bargain at $695 there is NO WAY you can go wrong for that price. Also, the aftermarket clock is a huge jump in resolution and crystal-clear non-fatiguing highs. To the guy who uses his unit as a transport for his DAC 1: You won't believe how much better the DAC 1 sounds coming from a transport with a clock mod. Regrdless of Benchmark's "jitter-free" claims on the DAC 1, it sounded markedly better when I fed it a signal from my modified Sony which had an LC Audio XO3 clock in it. These clocks put out almost zero jitter. Huge difference in resolution and dynamics.

Similar Products Used:

SACDmods Sony SCD-C222ES Benchmark DAC1 Ack! dAck! Marantz CC4000OSE

See above

None at this price point!

I puchased the Music hall CD player as a replacement for the BAT VK D5 that I sold several months earlier. What can I say that has not aleardy been articulated in previous reviews. This is a great player and responds readily to mods. I did the mods myself and they definately take this player to the next level. My latest mod was the purchase of a Benchmark DAC1 and to use the MMF as a transport. I replaced the crappy RCA digital output jack with a high quality BNC. Hooked up a White Rose digital cable and WOW. As good as the modded MMF was, the Benchmark DAC with the MMF's Philips transport is in my not so humble opinion comes amazingly close to the very best CD playback available today. With the Benchmark at $975 plus the MMF at about $500, this combo can compete with almost anything at any price.

Similar Products Used:

BAT VK D5

Tonal Excellence without any degree of coloration. HDCDs and those recorded with excellence in mind will simply take your breath away.

Remote control needs some attention. Poorly recorded CDs will sound bad, this player will not mask shortcoming due to poor recording.

I will have to agree with the majority concerning this transport. What an excellent piece of machinery. My previous CD player was a Mission PCM-7000, purchased in 1987...yes it never stop playing wonderfully. I decided to try the MMF-25 more because of their reputation; I had never heard one of their CD players. Out of the box, I was amazed by it weight. This transport is heavy and large. After hooking it to my Sunfire system, I wondered if I was going to be disappointed. Not to worry, the music was full, lacking nothing in the way of reproduction. I felt so blessed that I got far more than my monies worth. Paired with Kimber Kable "Hero" series interconnects, this player performed like a Diva.

Similar Products Used:

Mission PCM 7000.

I posted an earlier review of this product in which I just gushed all over the place. Well 8 or 9 months on and I feel the same way. I just thought that I would update with regard to HDCD media. Anyone who has played HDCD needs no introduction to its virtues. I have found a pretty steady supply of HDCDs on ebay. You have to really search for the classical and good jazz but they are there. The other source is Linn music of Scotland. There stuff is atad expensive as is just about all CD media in the U.K. However their reproductions are just fabulous. My son just did not believe that there was any difference between CD players so I ran a test for him. We had a head to head contest between the Harman Kardon CDR -30 and the Music Hall. He was instantly convinced of the difference and of the far superior qualities of the Music Hall. I'm going to have this machine modified with the next year. I'll report back at thet time

High quality transport, excellent design, solid build, an evolutionary leap from 500 dollar cd players of the past! Overall, an incredibly musical source, which will benefit from good ancillary components. I'd give it a 5+ for value

Only my own--for always wanting what I didn't have, looking for something better, and for having spent and subsequently lost an incredible amount of money on expensive audio gear in the past(Selfishly said: why couldn't a cd player like this have come around and been promoted ten years ago!)

The CD-25 comes in at a price point that, while not as inexpensive as some of the entry level sacd/universal players put out by Philips, Sony, Pioneer, belies its ability to sound much better than a CD player ought to sound at 500-550 USD. As one of the first reviewers below wrote, there will be quite a few people interested in "audio" looking to the newer formats--sacd/dvd-a, rather than spending even 500 dollars on a CD/HDCD only player. I must confess, I questioned this investment, especially when the newer high resolution formats can be a thrill to hear with the right sources; when sacd players come in as cheap as 120 dollars new in box (Philips 763 from Music Direct out of Chicago--while they last!), does it really make sense to spend 500 dollars on a CD player? I have been for a very long time a huge fan of getting as close as I can to the emotions, the message, the rhythm, and timing of the composer and music I listen to. A stereo system should not limit one to any narrow style of music, but should encourage one to focus on the quality of the performers, whether they are playing "together", whether they are "ON" during the recording session, etc., regardless of the type of music. When I heard the CD-25, I heard it play through a Rega Mira integrated, and first through Totem Arro's, then Rega's own Jura floorstanders. I was listening at first more to audition the Totem speakers; however, when played through the Mira and Jura speakers, I realized how very articulate the Music Hall CD player is. The music--from Jazz (Ray Brown's Superbass 2) to Classical (Faure Pavane--an older Decca recording)to Pop (Willy Porter High Wire Live)--sounded the way it should sound with good musicians: effortless. The performers were playing together, the instruments' natural timbre came through very clearly, and I was able to listen to, and appreciate the _music_. The CD-25 is a very melodic player, and is very enjoyable to listen to. Back to the question of value in an investment in cd only technology; trying not to stray too far from the merits of this unit, I have to admit it is for me a crucial question. I have listened to far more expensive CD players (Linn's CD-12, at 20 thousand dollars retail, tops the list), and I am very excited to say this CD player has many of the positive merits of much more expensive CD players without the huge price tag. This is a big deal for me, even though I have spent far more on both analog and digital gear. As I enter into middle age, I am finding it more of a "decidedly delicious" challenge (as well as "decided" by my pocketbook!) to find a stereo that sounds good enough to quit searching for something better, and to just enjoy the music. I do not have a lot of disposable income, and so I am being very careful to make such a decision. On the merits of price vs performance alone, the CD-25 is a huge bargain in CD players. Newer generation high resolution units just will not, with the exception of some of the most expensive players, compete with the better cd only units in redbook cd performance for the reason that they are not designed to do only that. And while CD's may eventually be replaced by sacd or dvd'audio (or both), there currently are thousands, if not tens of thousands, of titles that may take years to be rereleased on the newer formats, if they ever make it to sacd or dvd'audio at all. By then? Sacd and/or DVD-audio players will have had some time to "catch up" with the limits of the source material; more "high end" audio manufacturers will have their own high resolution sacd players to add to the mix, and the quality of the players will, perhaps warrant an investment in the format. In this light, spending 500 dollars on a CD/HDCD only player seems more practical, given most people already have a library of CD's, and given this unit's low cost and high performance. While I have owned and been quite taken with a Universal Pioneer 47ai, it is the MUSIC I am interested in: sacd and dvd'audio just do not offer enough of a diverse, nor enough of a current music selection to warrant investing in that format, IMHO. I would rather continue to build a library of music to enjoy with a very musical CD player like the Music Hall. It is one of the incredible Blessings of our day to have the ability, with audio components such as the CD-25, to build a stereo system that has the ability to draw us into the music, and to enjoy good performances, without spending an enormous amount on the equipment. It is a lesson that has taken me nearly 25 years to appreciate; while I have spent thousands on audio gear, the really exciting feeling is when I can go out and buy a source like this without feeling the crunch on my finances, without feeling buyer's remorse, and ultimately, enjoy the purchase that much more. After living without a quality stereo for some time now, I can honestly say I am happy to be happy with this one!!

Similar Products Used:

I have owned Linn gear, both analog and digital, from a Basik TT to LP12 Lingo, etc., Mimik, Karik Numerik and Genki, many of Linn's amplifiers and speakers, Naim CD3.5, Nait1 Nait3, Nac 62, 72 Nap 90/2, FlatcapII, Arcam 62, as well as Rega Ela's MK1, and many mid-fi components--NAD, DUAL TT's, Boston Acoustics, Pinnacle, JPW, Nakamichi, Rotel

EXCELLENT build quality for an item made in China. Great sound, clean uncluttered look. Matches the look of my Musical Fidelity integrated.

My only complaint so far. My remote does not work!!! Several functions are only accessible thru the remote, and now there is no remote. I have a replacement coming, until then it is annoying and bothersome to get up and change tracks by hand!

I purchased this cd player to replace the Nad 541i cd player I had recently sold. While I was happy with the Nad and it's features, I was still searching for that "sonic nirvana" while still on a budget that is. I think I found that here in the Music Hall MMF CD-25. I am not happy that I spent nearly $900 for this player, but happy that I didn't spend the $1500 I was considering with the purchase of a Cary 308 cd player. This CD-25 is a modified unit hence the hefty selling price. (I have seen these players go for as little as $400 new with no mods)I purchased my player thru a dealer on Audiogon, Underwood Hi-Fi. Walter (the owner) was a gentleman to say the least. The mods were done in Canada by Chris Johnson, the former owner and founder of Sonic Frontiers. His new business is called Parts Connexions. There was a delay in recieving my unit due to a backorder in them. Bass is much more controlled and tighter. Sound of this player to a stock Nad 541i? There is no comparison. The Nad sounds constricted and narrow while this one allows the entire band or music to shine thru. I am looking forward to keeping this player for quite some time.

Similar Products Used:

Nad, Yamaha.

I purchased my Music Hall six months ago and it has been listened to extensively. This unit replaced an off the shelf Technics player. The improvement was obvious, even my wife commented on the "clarity". I must confess however, I was searching for more. It seemed to me that this player was constricted some how, and it might be my imagination, but I swear, on certain music passages, it sounded as if the unit was playing slow. I was considering a trade in for a Jolida JD 100 (Cliff, from Higher Fidelity Audio was kind enough to offer me a great trade in deal) . I am using a tube preamp and my system is already as fat and warm as I want it, and I was concerned about adding a CD player with a tube output. I convinced myself this was the best option, but before I sent the unit back, I decided to try an op' amp upgrade. I replaced the stock units (the Music Hall was supposed to have Burr Brown 2134's, but it had 2604's installed instead) with a pair of AD8066's from Sound Odyssey. With the new op' amps, the Music Hall is now all I want it to be, smooth, articulate, plenty of punch. The difference between the stock 2604 and the AD8066 is night and day. The best comparison I can make is when I got rid of the entry level Monster Cable interconnects on my amp and replaced them with a pair from DH Labs. It's like "WOW, I CAN'T BELIEVE I WAS MISSING THIS MUCH!!" For $60, the upgrade is a no brainer, and I was honestly not completely satisfied with this player beforehand, now, it's a keeper. The only complaint that I have with the unit, and it's not really a complaint, but it's something you need to be aware of if you are going to purchase one, is that it's command logic is slow. You have to let the CD player read the CD and decide what mode it is in before you select another command. I was freaking it out hitting buttons too fast. I thought there was something wrong, once I slowed down, no problem. At this price, I don't think this player can be beat. Also, if you are a tweaker, the internal lay out of this player is to your advantage. It's very easy to modify. DO NOT pay $600 for this CD player, shop around.

Everything

Nothing

Too much, way too much of a leap forward for me. I've been glued to my seats in our living room. Right now, I'm taking a break from endlessly relistening to favourite music that has just never sounded so gooood. Granted, I moved from a Harman Kardon CDR 30 but man oh man, what a change! When I bi-amped my two newly acquired Quad 306s to two recently acquired KEF 65.2s I thought that I was out in space. Now I'm touching the vaults of heaven. How can they make such a player for such a price? One day I will come down to earth and then consider upgrades to this wonderful piece of gear. That, I am told is an even greater celestial experience. Most of the great things that can be said about this player have been said below. Listen and love

Articulation, detail, musicality, rock-solid imaging, deep sound stage, value for the price

They didn't waste any money on programming or display circuitry! The programming capacity seems awkward to me.

What they all said. The sound stage with this thing is so deep I had to knock the rear wall out of my listening room. This is an astounding base for mods. Mine is the Parts Connexion Level 1 mod, purchased from Walter Liederman (fromerly of HiFi Buys). Honestly, this beats the socks off the $3200 Sony ES transport and outboard DAC I bought from Walter a dozen years ago. I use this in a system with Maggie MMGs, a Velodyne F-1200 subwoofer, Anthem M20 amp, and Anthem TLP-1 preamp. That's a sub-$3500 system, and its the best I've ever owned--and I've owned systems that have cost me a lot more. Now, before I added the Music Hall, I was pretty happy--but this CD player took the system up an order of magnitude, or something very like it.

Similar Products Used:

SONY ES transport/outboard DAC whose model numbers I'm too lazy to go find. A nice Denon years ago.