Rega Planar 6 sagging issues

[paul darwin]

Sue (we know who you are ), thanks for the unintentional "heads up" I meant to write 1.6mm but put 1.6% by accident (now corrected) but the 0.06" is still relevant.

 

[eevo1969]

Rega bashing is a popular pastime on SHF.

Why would you say that? Without doubt the problems encountered with customers were real. Denying it doesn’t help.

Rega is a superb co. but have had problems wrt America, with the Apollo amongst other things through the years.

Hasn’t stopped me buying Apollo cdp, they’re a co. that will work with their customers to sort out problems.

The sagging is a real problem for them if it’s on a lot of the their decks, I hope they sort it out as they tend to do.
I have to say that I would not be happy with tolerances, either it is flat or not, 1-2mm over 500mm is a large deflection ime.
Roksan Radius anyone?

 

[Erocka2000]

If the issue only affects a small amount of tables, why doesn’t Rega just replace those that are affected instead of claiming that’s sag of 1.6mm is within tolerances and acceptable?

 

[Mr Pig]

Rega products are great IMO and so is the customer service, on the whole, but I think they do rely too heavily on what, to the average customer, look like generous tolerances. It doesn’t really matter if 1.6mm sag makes no difference to the sound, I’m sure it’s visible and will take a big chunk off the resale value.

I agree with you but it's actually a difference in design philosophies and it's up to you which you want to buy into.

Take plinths for example. Linn have been using the same wooden picture frame for nearly fifty years. Early ones could separate at the corners or twist. The fitted much bigger corner braces so now, as long as you stick with the same design, you have a very stable and long lasting plinth design.

Rega on the other hand have developed lots of different plinth materials and configurations, from MFD to advanced laminated foam. Each time you explore a new design you are opening yourself up to potential problems that you haven't foreseen. But if you don't do this there is a limit to how far you can develop your product.

Rega have been at the cutting edge of turntable design for years and you can't do that without taking risks.

 

[DimitryZ]

I’m confused by the inconsistency in reporting the numbers on this thread. Early on, it was said that a discrepancy (avoiding ‘sag’ for Darwin’s benefit) of 1.6mm was acceptable according to Rega. Paul Darwin himself cites 1.6% or 60 thou’ (0.06”), which seems to have become 60 mill (about 2 1/2 inches) in some people’s heads. I reckon 60 thou’ is probably not too different to 1.6mm, but if you’ve said, or repeated, 60mill(imetres) and not realised how absurd it would be, maybe read it again?

60 mil is US speak for 60 thousands of an inch or 0.06"

 

[Yank]

The picture in the OP external forum thread seems doctored or photoshopped. In that thread, the complaining party admits that his sag is less than 60 mils and, therefore, doesn't qualify for Rega remediation. Yet the "photo" shows a good 0.125" or more sag - looks like a hammock.

This makes the whole issue very suspicious. Is the complaining party an actual Rega customer?

I have a Planar 2, not presently in service, which suffers from a dished plinth. It's probably 35 years old or so, so long out of warranty. There's enough of a difference between the center bearing and the arm mount that I couldn't get the arm low enough, without spacers, for some cartridges. Thicker platters and mats helped somewhat.

I don't know how common it is, but warped Rega plinths are not an imaginary problem.

 

[Woodface]

I have a Planar 2, not presently in service, which suffers from a dished plinth. It's probably 35 years old or so, so long out of warranty. There's enough of a difference between the center bearing and the arm mount that I couldn't get the arm low enough, without spacers, for some cartridges. Thicker platters and mats helped somewhat.

I don't know how common it is, but warped Rega plinths are not an imaginary problem.

It’s 35 years old, it’s cost you about 75p per year at retail price. Maybe buy a newer model?

 

[myles]

It’s 35 years old, it’s cost you about 75p per year at retail price. Maybe buy a newer model?

I think the Yank issue is not the same as the current issue; presumably, as has been suggested before, the new laminated foam plinth has a potential to flex under the right conditions. The old MDF plinths are probably 99.999% solid and unsaggy.

 

[Mr Pig]

I have a Planar 2, not presently in service, which suffers from a dished plinth.

That's a different situation. A lot of early Planar2s only had hard laminate on the top surface. The underside was bare MDF. If the deck was in a damp environment the MDF underside could absorb moisture and bend the plinth.

I wouldn't bother trying to fix the plinth. I'd pick up another plinth off eBay and swap the bits over. A better solution than trying to work with the bent one.

 

[Mynamemynaim]

Googling the pictures it looks more like the edge of the life is not straight? Not the plinth
I would want to see a straight edge held up against both

 

[PerF]

Maybe this issue could lead some people against P8 with cheaper cartridge(if they accept skeleton looks), usually an idea for better final deck.

 

[MusicMiles]

Why would you say that? Without doubt the problems encountered with customers were real. Denying it doesn’t help.

Rega is a superb co. but have had problems wrt America, with the Apollo amongst other things through the years.

Hasn’t stopped me buying Apollo cdp, they’re a co. that will work with their customers to sort out problems.

The sagging is a real problem for them if it’s on a lot of the their decks, I hope they sort it out as they tend to do.
I have to say that I would not be happy with tolerances, either it is flat or not, 1-2mm over 500mm is a large deflection ime.
Roksan Radius anyone?

I'm not convinced its even a real issue. There's a group of individuals on SHF that have been dogging Rega for years not based on any actual experience or fact but totally on conjecture. No one on that thread has established the extent of the problem or even if it's an isolated incident and if there are more "defective" units out there.

 

[myles]

I'm not convinced its even a real issue. There's a group of individuals on SHF that have been dogging Rega for years not based on any actual experience or fact but totally on conjecture. No one on that thread has established the extent of the problem or even if it's an isolated incident and if there are more "defective" units out there.

That forum has such a big membership that there will always be naysayers but I think Rega has a pretty good followership on the site. The issue here is the complaints are from actual owners, with pictures to support their claims. There are still hundreds of satisfied owners over on SHF.

 

[ArtK]

I’m a member at SH and like someone above said, lots of satisfied Rega customers there. I had a lot (I mean a whole lot) of trouble with Rega CD players and no one at the Sound Org or Rega could figure it out. I spent a fortune trying to sort it out. Went through a bunch of decks and lost a relationship with a dealer. Pretty awful. I loved the sound of the Rega CD players and if we ever sorted it out I would still have at least 2 Apollo’s.

That said, I still love the Rega sound and still buy from them. I am on my 7th Rega turntable and presently have two Rega amps, which are my 5th and 6th. I’ve also owned 2 pair of their speakers. All in all Rega is probably my all time favorite audio brand...now if only I could get an Apollo to work..lol! No nonsense engineering at reasonable prices. They occasionally get it wrong but they usually work very hard to figure it out...and Paul D is as good a sort as you could find in this industry.

 

[Sue Pertwee-Tyr]

60 mil is US speak for 60 thousands of an inch or 0.06"

I’ve never heard that, so I’ll take your word for it. I remember that Mars probe that smeared itself over the surface rather than landing - confusion over imperial vs metric measurements between US and EU contractors were cited as the problem. On the basis of what you say, I’m not in the least surprised.

 

[marshanp]

I don't suppose the USA will be aligning its measures with those used by the rest of the developed world any time soon. American cooks still publish recipes with ingredients by the "cup", whatever that means...

 

[TonyScarlett]

I’ve never heard that, so I’ll take your word for it. I remember that Mars probe that smeared itself over the surface rather than landing - confusion over imperial vs metric measurements between US and EU contractors were cited as the problem. On the basis of what you say, I’m not in the least surprised.

FWIW I think the issue was with American contractors, NASA work in metric.
TS

 

[Subito]

To be fair, I’m a lot saggier than I was 35 years ago...

 

[linnfomaniac83]

To be fair, I’m a lot saggier than I was 35 years ago...

Hahaha I definitely am... I was two years old.

 

[Chris]

You beat me to it: my eyesight´s been sagging at the edges for years