Music Hall Classic Review

The middle price segment is the most popular among users. After all, you can find vinyl turntable models here for every taste. In this Music Hall Classic review, I will tell you about a turntable from this category (up to $1000) with a built-in preamp and belt-drive motor, which will not require additional initial investments. Still, in the future, it can be upgraded, thus improving the overall sound. The company has been in the music equipment business since 1998, so they know a thing or two about detail.

Design

The chassis of this record player, made of MDF with a wood finish, looks very classic. It’s like my father took his ’60s record player out of the closet. I love this retro style; it gives my understanding of vinyl a charm. The weight of the plinth is pretty good at 15.2 pounds, and it handles external vibrations well. The feet are adjustable, thus leveling the Music Hall Classic even on a surface that is not too flat. Even the lid is made of good plastic (which is rare), and I don’t feel like it could burst from awkward movement. Even the felt mat fits pretty well on the aluminum platter, but I still recommend the rubber one.

Only 2 power/33 and 45 buttons are on the top panel. This means you can turn on the turntable itself and switch speeds. However, since the buttons are mounted flush with the surface of the chassis, after a couple of days of testing, I realized that I pawed this place with my fingers.

The tonearm here is straight, which is typical for the middle segment. This shape is considered the simplest and not the most accurate. And it seemed rather flimsy to me. But I easily adjusted it parallel to the record and got a good playback without repeated adjustments.

Features

The belt drive motor is indeed quite quiet, but the speed is not as stable as in more expensive turntables. According to the company’s statement, some fluctuations in work speed are within the acceptable limits of the middle segment. I am not inclined to disagree with the brand’s representatives because the Music Hall turntable showed good performance among many similar models. And the nuances will not be heard by most users. Anyway, belt drive is a classic option for damping vibrations when it comes to analog sound.

As for the functionality of the vinyl turntable in question, it is semi-automatic. There is no auto-return function here; the tonearm simply lifts after the record is finished. But this is a good feature for inexperienced users who do not know how to follow the work of the needle. If you are a fan of falling asleep to music, this function is very useful because the turntable turns off when the record is finished (the record stops spinning).

Music Hall Classic has only 2 rotation speeds (33 1/3 and 45), but this is normal for the middle segment. And since the company manufactures turntable accessories, the built-in cartridge is also from Music Hall. It can be replaced when it breaks. I easily installed Ortofon on it, but the selection is limited to carts under $100. So I couldn’t improve the sound too much in this area.

Sound

The Music Hall Classic produces a fairly clean, stable sound with the built-in phono stage. I really liked how it retained its warmth, dynamics, and brightness with David Miles’ Miles in the Sky. The trumpet sounds confident, and the orchestra in the background, although muted, you can hear each instrument clearly. Not many players can cope with jazz, losing details. In this case, even with shelf speakers, the sound was rich.

No, of course, it does not mean that we found something in the middle segment that can overwhelm the sound of premium turntables. Even the external preamplifier reveals a wider range of colors in our model. But I would set Music Hall apart from the competition.