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new Rega Ania Pro MC cartridge

Pretty fly. Also nice feeling to have specs dialed in exactly as per suggested by manufacturer.

it will be interesting to hear your thoughts not just as the break-in period happens, but also if you tinker with the loading and see what sounds best.
 
Well time to spill the beans and tell you what I think of the Ania Pro.

In all honesty I wasn't sure what to expect. I have huge respect for Rega and have owned many of their products, though I've never liked the MM cartridges. This has been largely due to the stylus used since I have an obsessive sensitivity to tracing distortion and IGD (inner groove distortion) and a basic elliptical stylus profile just isn't good enough - I don't care who makes the cartridge or how expensive it might be.

To understand the purchase of the Ania Pro I need to backtrack a few steps.
It was my birthday recently, 55 years old and I'd decided to treat myself to a turntable, one that looked as good as I knew it would sound having had a version of it several years ago - a Black Edition Gyrodec - only the black edition since I think it looks stunning and these days I want my hi-fi to look the part, not just perform well.
Nobody had one in stock, in fact there was an 8-12 week wait but then I spotted a package deal at a dealer - BE Gyro with TecnoArm 2 and Ortofon 2M Black. I hadn't planned on buying the arm and didn't want the cartridge but the dealer wouldn't split, and the price meant the 2M Black was effectively free. So I pulled the trigger.

Got the deck, installed my AT33ptg/2 cartridge and was thoroughly pleased with the results. Just as I remembered it sounding when I ran one with SME IV and Lyra MC - so that relatively inexpensive TecnoArm must be bloody good. It's basically a heavily modified, hot-rodded Rega arm, so how would it perform with a cartridge made specifically for this type of arm. I had a few PM exchanges with Paul Darwin at Rega on stylus tip profiles, then decided to give a Rega MC a try. Enter the Ania Pro.

I set the Pro up as I usually do using my old Ortofon test disc (cover your eyes Tony) and quickly found that it sailed through the tests. Tracked all bands, arm resonance bang on 10Hz, difference tone tests passed, and channel separation off the scale, easily better than the disc can measure at over 35dB and symmetrical.

Firstly a word on HF tracing and IGD, my big fear. I needn't have worried. The Pro uses an Ogura fine line tip and it's clearly a good one. Ogura produce a number of tip variations and this one is clearly excellent. IGD performance is snapping at the heals of the AT33ptg which uses a micro-line profile which I find uniquely able to banish IGD. No 'spitch' on strong sibilance, and no tendency to turn strong high frequency content on the innermost groves into white noise - surprisingly common with more basic stylus profiles.
The balance is on the warm/rich side and quite unlike the AT. I was reminded of using a Supex MC back in the day, or an older Linn MC such as the Troika or Karma.
Placement within the soundstage was startlingly good, with dense musical performances allowed to breathe and performers occupying very clearly defined, stable spaces. This is a technicolour cartridge - as if someone had hit the '3D enhance' button.
Strictly accurate and neutral? - no but sod that, this is a fun sound that just invites you to keep playing. It loves the Michell deck and arm too.

A couple of further points to note.

Output is low. Rega quote 0.35mv but I'm not sure what reference signal is used. Feels more like 0.20mv in use. Compared to the AT33 I needed another 10-15dB of gain on the phono stage, so you will need plenty of quiet gain (I used 70dB).

The stylus guard will scare the living s*it out of you!

There will be a video to follow soon with some audio examples captured at 24/96, specifically highlighting some of the sonic and performance characteristic of the Pro.
I could describe the sound of this or that record, but that's of no use since we don't have the same reference points - better I let you hear it.

Highly recommended if you want a sub £1k MC, and very highly recommended if you own a Rega (or Rega derived) arm.
 
Nice review. Just when I was about to look for another brand to mate with a new P8 or just swap out my Ania from my P6 with an exact you may have possibly restored my faith with the Ania pro. Curious to hear from somebody currently using P8 who have gone either from exact or Ania to Ania pro. I have decided to pass on the Apheta 3 due to cost and ambivalence by some who have regretted that combo coming from other brands
 
Nice review. Just when I was about to look for another brand to mate with a new P8 or just swap out my Ania from my P6 with an exact you may have possibly restored my faith with the Ania pro. Curious to hear from somebody currently using P8 who have gone either from exact or Ania to Ania pro. I have decided to pass on the Apheta 3 due to cost and ambivalence by some who have regretted that combo coming from other brands

There are still Apheta 2s to be had while stocks last at a good discount. I was tempted down that route and it's worth consideration.
However I think the Ania Pro looks to be the retired Apheta 2 in a pocan body with a £500 saving.
 
However I think the Ania Pro looks to be the retired Apheta 2 in a pocan body with a £500 saving.

I think the plastic body is probably important. I haven't heard any of these carts, not in a meaningful way anyway, but Rega MC carts are often described as being on the cool, dry side which is not what I want. My local dealer agrees, they think a warmer sounding Dynavector is a better match.

The Exact however is a good tonal match for the RP10. It lacks the dimensionality of a MC obviously but it has about the right amount of warmth to counter the cool sound of the deck. If the Pro keeps the good things about the Exact but adds spaciousness it sounds like a winner.
 
Rob.

Now you've had a few weeks with the Ania Pro, what are your feelings about it, especially compared to the AT?

I have a P6/Aria, currently using an AT-F7. Sounds great but I've got a bit of spare cash to upgrade the cart and was looking at the OC9XML, or, at a push, the Ania Pro…
 
Not quite, but I purchased a P8 from DNA Audio (great service, by the way and highly recommended) and they fitted my Hana SH onto it. It sounds great, I must say. It’s a little back end up but as I say sounds great.

Mind you I’ve recently gone a bit retro and on my other deck (Thorens TD124) I currently use a well modded A&R P77 which I find quite stunning. A bit weird for me since I’ve not had too much luck when trying mm cartridges in the past. I’m definitely thinking of trying out a Rega Exact at some stage in the not too distant.

Cheers....Dave
 
Not quite, but I purchased a P8 from DNA Audio (great service, by the way and highly recommended) and they fitted my Hana SH onto it. It sounds great, I must say. It’s a little back end up but as I say sounds great.

Mind you I’ve recently gone a bit retro and on my other deck (Thorens TD124) I currently use a well modded A&R P77 which I find quite stunning. A bit weird for me since I’ve not had too much luck when trying mm cartridges in the past. I’m definitely thinking of trying out a Rega Exact at some stage in the not too distant.

Cheers....Dave
I am wondering did you shim up the arm? 2-4mm?
 
Darren from DNA Audio delivered and setup the P8 and I’m sure he didn’t use any shims during setup
Of course he could have done so prior to arriving as I mentioned the Hana to be installed.
I’d have expected him to say if it required shim/s. I’ve had a look but I can’t really tell, I’ve never had a Rega arm before so not sure how visible they are, but I can’t really spot anything.

I could email and ask him if you wish, perhaps tomorrow.
 
Darren from DNA Audio delivered and setup the P8 and I’m sure he didn’t use any shims during setup
Of course he could have done so prior to arriving as I mentioned the Hana to be installed.
I’d have expected him to say if it required shim/s. I’ve had a look but I can’t really tell, I’ve never had a Rega arm before so not sure how visible they are, but I can’t really spot anything.

I could email and ask him if you wish, perhaps tomorrow.
That would be great. Curious to know since I believe you would need at least 2-3mm for optimal sound
 
That would be great. Curious to know since I believe you would need at least 2-3mm for optimal sound
Hi,
Darren at DNA Audio has now confirmed that no spacers were used when installing the Hana.

He did confirm though that after having a chat to the Hana Rep that it could be beneficial to have the arm slightly on the high side at the back end to perhaps improve the HF performance.
 
He also offered to send out a spacer (1 at most, in his opinion) or indeed fit it for me the next time he was passing, excellent after sales showing what a good company they seem to be.

I declined since I’m quite happy with how it sounds and also I’m thinking of changing cartridges anyway, nothing wrong with the Hana, I may put it onto my TD124 or sell it on. I can’t make my mind up just now, spending too much time listening to vinyl....dunno what’s up with me!

Hope that helps.
 


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