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Is the Rega Apheta a good purchase?

kowalski99

pfm Member
Hi,
I've just bought a mint, boxed mark 1 (clamshell design) Rega P9 for £850. I have the option as part of the package of getting the Apheta 1 for an extra £600. It seems pricey but it has just had a full rebuild by Rega and I'm told effectively it is a new Apheta 2 inside. I was thinking of spending less and getting a new exact offered for £225. Or should I go for broke and cancel the summer holiday??
Any suggestions welcome!
 
I bought a Planar 6 recently but went for the Exact, partly because I would have needed to spend even more money on a MC phono amp as well as the additional cost of the cartridge, but mainly because I thought it would be good enough for my old ears - & I find it significantly better than the Elys2 on my Planar 3. No doubt many will say the Apheta is far superior but it is all a question of the depth of your pockets. Certainly I would not cancel my sumer holiday for any bit of Hi-Fi kit. It is the music which you should listen to, rather than comparing the merits of one piece of kit with another.
 
The simple truth is that nearly everything Rega makes is above average for the money.


Beeing a bit of a Rega fan myself, indeed turntables and speakers (well some of them) the Elys/Bias is not really my cup of tea TBH

Even they seem to be improved recent years, probably due to better production equipment,

Hope Rega soon will launch a better range of middle priced cartridges if possible
 
The simple truth is that nearly everything Rega makes is above average for the money.

While their current range of cartridges aren't bad, I'm not sure most would say their above average for the money. I think in general better cartridges can be had for the same cost (though they won't offer the same ease of install on a Rega table).

To the OP, if the cartridge is in fact an Apheta2, then it may be worth getting if that's a good price for your region. If it was still an Apheta1, then I would pass. Haven't heard the Apheta1 personally but the general consensus seems to be is wasn't the best cartridge. The Ania mention above normally sits below the Apheta2 price wise & seems to have a good reception to its sound.
 
I believe the mk1 cart had some reliability/QC issues, which hopefully the Mk2 version has sorted out. If the cart has been rebuilt by Rega hq, with provenance, that should give some confidence for the OP. Not sure I'd cancel a holiday for it though!
 
I would just buy a new Exact instead of a rebuilt Apheta- it’s a great cartridge and I’m sure you will enjoy!
Congrats and enjoy!
 
As a long time user of both Exact and Apheta I'd say the Apheta easily betters the Exact. It's subtle at first but it's not long before the pedigree shines through.
 
What phono stage are you using? And while £600 for an Apheta seems like a good deal, does it have to be a Rega cart?
 
Hi,
As ever, lots of differing opinions which makes these discussions so interesting. I'm running an all Rega system with the phono stage coming from the Rega Hal pre amp. The cartridge although an Apheta has been just rebuilt for free by Rega (no doubt because of the reliability problems) but I'm told internally it is now basically a new Apheta 2 in an Apheta 1 shell.
 
Hi,
As ever, lots of differing opinions which makes these discussions so interesting. I'm running an all Rega system with the phono stage coming from the Rega Hal pre amp. The cartridge although an Apheta has been just rebuilt for free by Rega (no doubt because of the reliability problems) but I'm told internally it is now basically a new Apheta 2 in an Apheta 1 shell.

That's Rega for you. Just brilliant customer service. Not had any problems with my Apheta/P9 but then it fights for attention with the Isis CDP.
 
I'd personally think about the Apheta. I've had my P9 mk2 for a long time now running it with an Exact in place of my borked Lyra Delos. It's quite a step down (as you'd expect).
 


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