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New Rega RP3 turntable - interesting and nearly here!

Pinky

In suspense, not compressed
Just seen this about the new RP3:

http://blog.audiot.co.uk/journal/2011/7/1/rega-launches-new-turntable-the-rega-rp3.html

A couple of interesting features that caught my eye - an RB303 (!) tonearm and that funny connector thing, err sorry, I mean a 'phenloic resin double brace' between the main bearing and the tonearm base.

I'm now wondering a) how does an RB303 differ from the RB301 and b) what's going on with that brace thing!!

Oh, and one other thing - my local Audio T reckon they won't be instock for 2 or 3 weeks yet and haven't seen one themselves.
 
Maybe they cheapened the plinth material to cut costs and this gives both the arm base, the bearing lip and fastening nut something hard and very flat to bite onto. It also gives you something to visually hang any perceived sound improvements on.
 
Yes, that crossed my mind too.

But then again, isn't the idea usually to try and eliminate as much as possible any connection between main bearing and the tonearm?
 
I have good memories of the original Planar 2 & 3 with the R200 arm.
Both were very good and apart from the odd report of the plastic sub platters being a little variable, you could rely on them to sound excellent even in some pretty revealing systems. Better decks could show what was wrong in those systems but a Planar rarely disgraced itself in any system, and the VFM was always very high. So a comparison of an original Planar with a new 'P' would i think be quite a surprise, on the basis of 'if it ain't broke'.
 
Looks identical to the 25 yr old basic plank tt the planar 2, and still looks like its made by ikea. I couldn't care less what it sounds like. Hugely dull, uninspring aesthetic design from rega- as always.
 
Good evening Captain,

Thanks so much for your educated, considered and balanced view of a product you have neither seen nor heard.

Paul Darwin
Rega Research
 
Looks identical to the 25 yr old basic plank tt the planar 2, and still looks like its made by ikea. I couldn't care less what it sounds like. Hugely dull, uninspring aesthetic design from rega- as always.

Wow, a statement that is equally aesthetically and historically incorrect! The original Planar 2 had a nicely beveled natural wood surround, the Planar 3 was the black laminated 'plank' - a 1970s minimalist design classic that I'd cite as the most influential and important turntable since the AR-XA. It's between the Planar 3 and the Technics SL1200 anyway. Nothing else gets close.

Tony.
 
Paul,

Any chance of expanding a bit on the 'phenloic resin double brace' thing? I'm intrigued about how it works and what is does.

Also how does the RB303 differ from the RB301?

Thanks
 
Looks good. Rega have some great products at great prices.

I have the P3-24/TTPSU - very very nice. Will there be I wonder a version of the RP3 with the TTPSU included?
 
Evening again,

Thanks Tony for the historical perspective.

Flatpopely, must be few pints of St. Austell Proper Job that negated the ignore option :)

Pinky, the RB 303 has a completely different aluminium die cast arm tube with different taper, weight distibution and also different bearings and housing i.e a complete re-design over the RB 301.

The philosophy of the brace arrangement is, or will be shortly, available on our web site.

Paul Darwin
Rega Research
 
Paul,

Any chance of expanding a bit on the 'phenloic resin double brace' thing? I'm intrigued about how it works and what is does.

Also how does the RB303 differ from the RB301?

Thanks

There is a brochure on the signals website that gives more detail.

The armtube appears to be more tapered than previous rega arm tubes, while the brace echoes the skeletal plinth of the prototype 'uber Rega'/P10.

There is a 2010 prototype flyer on the net that shows these are ideas rega have been working on for some time.
 
Good evening Captain,

Thanks so much for your educated, considered and balanced view of a product you have neither seen nor heard.

Paul Darwin
Rega Research

Good evening Paul, he doesn't need to hear it, as stated he's giving his opinion on the visual aesthetic, based on the image available on the web. If you think he can't make an opinion based on that image then maybe you should take some more representative shots of the deck.
 
Good evening Captain,

Thanks so much for your educated, considered and balanced view of a product you have neither seen nor heard.

Paul Darwin
Rega Research

I have seen it, erm there's a pic of it ^ (?!). And as I said as it looks so dreadfully dull I wouldn't care what it sounded like: Id never consider such a bland-looking (ok identical to the 25 yr old plank planar3, which was influencial sure hardly in the aesthetics dept tho!! I know, I had one- it was an awful thing/ gave me no pleasure whatsoever to use even if it sounded peerfectly ok) record player in my sitting/ listening room whether indeed it did sound ok.

I am sorry if you're the designer- as I assume you must be with such a pointed reply to a (previous) customer's opinion on your products.
 
There is the 'ignore' option ;)

There's also the option to ignore companies who try and rip unsuspecting people off....;) oh and that's certainly not rega, they're prices for what they actually sell are (were, ie the planars) undoubtadly very good, no question about it (Just why -so- bland? to add character to such a basic tt is perfectly easy and inexpensive).
 
Hourses for courses Captain - I for one happen to find the understated and minimalist approach visually appealing. Form follows function is likely the guiding design principle and whether you liked the sound of its predecessors or not is moot - Rega has likely sold more TTs to happy customers than anyone else, ever.
 
The way I see it, a nice note to Roy or Paul might have gotten The Captain a customized Hello Kitty, gold-plated or plastic jewel-encrusted version. I kind of doubt it now though.
 
fair enough, and they've sold so many tis true. but thats really to do with a pretty decent arm, half decent motor (not exactly rocket-science) and fact that a tt has so few moving parts its unlikely to go wrong.. and they -were- competitvely priced.. but Ive just seen this new one is £475! so I'd add for a this new incantation of a planar with whgat looks like a plinth plank of mdf, as it always was (& dont try convincing me this one is any nasa fangled material other than std mdf).. is absolutely disgraceful.
 


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