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Naiad - from myth to reality

Just arrived, a lower-cost derivative of the Naiad. Sounds fantastic, is really straightforward to set up and is pretty compact.
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Planar 8 with Alpheta 2.

I thought sticking it on a heavy sideboard was a massive faux pas with Regas? At least that's all the comments I got when I said I didn't like how my P8 sounded.
 
I thought sticking it on a heavy sideboard was a massive faux pas with Regas? At least that's all the comments I got when I said I didn't like how my P8 sounded.

As you make the TT structure more intert (but low mass) it should matter less where the deck is placed.
 
Ok, so me not liking it then was just because I didn't like it and not because I had it on my sideboard? Good to know!

Yes very likely Matt - the Rega 'stiff n light' deck ethos isn't for everyone.
Personally I find the higher end Rega decks the closest tonally to good digital sources. Quite different to Linn, Thorens, Michell for example which sound altogether richer.
Whichever you prefer is the best deck :)
 
Gosh, how exciting to own such a limited edition turntable. I bet Rega will look after it forever.
 
Those ugly bracing bits on the arm seem to be missing from the pictures on Hifi Lounges website. I'll try and listen to one at some point.
 
It would have to be part of the casting. The added headshell bracing does look like an experimental ‘proof of concept’ and I would normally expect production versions to be a bit more integrated into the overall look. Also, it looks like they have intended to brace the bending mode that exists between the the arm tube and the headshell - this makes sense except they’ve not chosen to diagonally brace the two. Perhaps the redesign of the headshell that this would have required was outside of the remit.
 
My Rega deck sounds nothing like close to digital. Two completely different presentations imho.

I said 'closest' as in tonally neutral, which is exactly what I hear from the better Rega decks. None of the bloom and artificial warmth of some other decks.
Now, if you run a Rega cart that's a different thing entirely since those things are anything but flat, so in that regard your entire Rega front end will sound nothing like good digital!
 
With an AT100e, even my mildly updated original Planar 3/RB300 is close enough tonally to my good digital source. The tt support matters.
 


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