Possible new Rega cartridge range

[Robert]

I've seen LP12/Ittok LVII with green Bias on!

I ran that for a while in the late 80s. A lovely Black ittok on a Rosewood LP12 no less

Worked fine and sounded very enjoyable.
The stylus used on the Bias back in the 80s was a small, nude stone with 5um scanning radius - the same as found on super elliptical, Vital and some other line tips.
Later this changed to 8um which is a regular elliptical.

Smoother, cleaner and fuller than the cheap AT based Linn carts of he day.

I still have it and it still works.

 

[Craig B]

I ran that for a while in the late 80s. A lovely Black ittok on a Rosewood LP12 no less

Worked fine and sounded very enjoyable.
The stylus used on the Bias back in the 80s was a small, nude stone with 5um scanning radius - the same as found on super elliptical, Vital and some other line tips.
Later this changed to 8um which is a regular elliptical.

Smoother, cleaner and fuller than the cheap AT based Linn carts of he day.

I still have it and it still works.

That is interesting, Rob.

I've a green Bias here on a same period green highlights Planar 2. It sounds quite good, really, but not 5um minor radius good. I got it from a fellow who was selling off NOS closeout stock from a former Canadian Rega distributor, so likely a late version. Definitely more full bodied than a similarly tipped OM or AT95E. Merlot vs. Shiraz?

 

[yuckyamson]

The only reason rega MM's weren't sold with LP12s was just for simplicity of branding and sales. No reason why bias, super-bias, elys, etc couldn't 'work' on a basic or an Akito (or Ittok), but at those price points it wasn't worth confusing the issue. It would have been worth it if a Bias were radically better than say a K5, or an Elys way better than a K18mk2, but they weren't. If anything I think the Bias and Super-Bias were great at their price points, but the K5 I think was a better cart (obviously built by AT but regardless) and K18mk2 (which I owned) was much better than any of the above, and it was also more expensive. If someone came in to get a basic LP12, it simply went to follow that they'd get a K5 (or k9 but I didn't think it was better). Again, at those price points ($150-600 a cartridge on what was at the time a $2,000-2500 TT including P/S and arm) it wasn't a terribly difficult choice to make.

When Rega released the P9 it changed everything. Now the table justified a much more expensive and better cart, so things like Linn Klyde's, Dynavectors, Lyras, Higher end AT's (above the OC9 etc.) became questions of greater consideration. Also when going up to a Lingo'd LP12, or with an EKOS, the same questions came about. I happen to think that the OEM'd linn carts were never bad per se. A klyde was very good, akiva, arkiv....haven't had enough experience with a krystal or a kandid (which is a lyra) but I'm assuming they're pretty good as well.

I heard and original Apheta and thought it very weak, apparently v2 was much better and v3 better still. The Ania and Ania pro are really highly reviewed and I'm sure they're great.

If I had to replace my Delos today, I'd probably just go out and get the Hana ML and call it a day.