This 2-channel stuff is sucking my money away from my interest in upgrading the HT section from 1050 to 950/7100. It appears the 950/7100 would be a good upgrade for my HT.

I went to the local Linn dealer who was pretty focused on selling what he had new. The pitch was focused on new LINN or new REGA...pick your price point. Lot's of FUD was thrown at the Music Hall which he didn't carry.

I bought a 30 day old MusicHall MMF-5 for $350 to get started...a good fit for my mid-fi system. Eventually I'll look at the MMF-7, VPI Jr, VPI Scout, and for sure a LINN.

If I can get a used LINN from a dealer tuned then I would like it. I could upgrade over time (as you can do with other brands).

I am using an Audiosource amp for my surrounds, and a B&K reference 3 channel amp for my system with the 950.
I can't speak to any personal experience with the 7100 but would surmise it to be similar in performance, for the simple reason it is an Outlaw.
This is my first time at full separates...I went from the older Onkyo which sounded good for a 'receiver' to an 09TX Pioneer which sounded better, a NAD T751 that sounded a bit more warm than the Pioneer but not really better, and then used the NAD as a pre-pro which it did quite well especially since it had 6 analog channel input capability.
Now with the 950, the sound has reached a new plateau. And not a small change either IMHO.
In all modes it sounds better. It may not have a Rega Planet/Theta/Martin Logan, 2 channel sound (I am running M&K 750 theater system) but for the price of all the components, it is way and above anything else I have heard recently with a receiver in the group.
The sound has more depth, clarity and a lower noise floor of anything in my personal experience.

Hoots,

That next step up is in the Music Hall (the MM7) or a ProJect table (wood, RM4 or Perspective) and that will get a really nice arm the Project 9. Three years ago I sold off an expensive table (at least for me it ws), arm, cardridge (had about $5M invested in it) and picked up a Project table that they were trialing with that Project 9 arm. I thought it gave a good account of itself performance wise. I added a Benz moving coil and I was back in business. I missed my old Sota, but with my reduced playing of LPs the Project was not bad. With the Music Hall MM 7 you also get a very nice cartridge. It is worth it as you going to want to upgrade that cartridge in the MM 5 almost immediately. The MM 7 gives you a $450 moving coil as part of the package and a pretty good one from what I hear. Hard to go wrong with that table. I keep getting thinking about stepping back up, but with my level of listening, the upper level Projects and Music Halls will do nicely thank you.

That's a shame. My local hi-end dealer sells Rega and Linn and a couple others. When I went in there looking for a new cartridge for my little POS Denon my dealer showed respect for it.

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Philip Hamm