Tweaks for Rega decks?

[Fergus]

I’ve just been messing about with my Townshend 3d Seismic Sink which was pretty effective under my Rega back in the day. Mostly used under electronics these days. Might be worth looking at isolation.

Something like these maybe.

HighFidelity Magazine review the AUVA EQs - Stack Audio

Highfidelity Magazine recently reviewed our AUVA EQs, experimenting with them under several pieces of Hi-Fi & the beautiful Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary turntable.

stackaudio.co.uk

 

[llatpoh]

I like the effect of underslung counter weights on Rega tonearms, I'm using the Expressimo Half Moon on both an RB880 and a RB3000 and wouldn't go back to stock. The coupling to the end stud is via delryn which is likely part of the improvement that I hear.

 

[Tim Jones]

Were we? I don't recall ever doing that. I did have to prop a Planar 2 up on ashtrays in order for its fitted G-707 to clear the shelf that the deck was sitting upon, though. Luckily, the GF had a nice matching set of three glass trays that, when flipped upside down, allowed even the straight exiting arm cable to clear the shelf. I was all set to use a hole saw on her then new wall unit, so the fag-ash trays actually saved the relationship (for a while, anyway).

Oh, maybe it was just me then. At one point I "borrowed" a massive paving slab to go underneath my green Planar 3 - sounded very good in fact.

 

[Craig B]

Experiment with critical torque settings on the tonearm. A good starting point would be .8Nm for the 3 point tonearm mount. For the cartridge to headshell start around .3Nm and work your way up.

The Rega (cartridge) Torque Wrench is fixed at 0.4N.m.

With RB880 and above, Rega use M4 dome head machine screws into embedded anchors to secure the tonearms to the skeletal plinth decks. In the photo below, a Gedore Ergo QS (QuickSet) adjustable torque screwdriver is being used to factory fit RB3000 to P10. This appears to be model QSN40, set to its maximum of 40cN.m (Newton centimetre) which equals 0.4N.m. This roughly aligns with industry recommended torque values for this size/type of fastener into anchors; that is, depending upon type of anchor and what material these are set into. I dare say, 0.8N.m will be pushing one's luck here.

 

[pfbaat]

and have a decent phono stage already

Try Aura (or the predecessor IOS)

 

[Craig B]

Now that I'm typing this, I recall @RossB perhaps saying he added a linear PSU to the P8 with some success?

Can't imagine this making any difference. PS1 (UK) is 230V 50Hz AC in to 24V 50Hz AC out. IOW, it's just a step-down transformer. The real magic is split between NEO PSU and Rega's onboard 'Zero Vibration Circuit'.

 

[Timcat]

I wouldn't be tempted to mess with the torque applied to the arm mounting screws for fear of damaging the plinth material, both the ceramic plates and the foam. Also, it is clear that Rega have taken great pains to get this aspect of the P8 and P10 designs right and I would not want to alter anything they have done here.

For these reasons, if you wanted to go for a better arm, an RB3000, for example, I would suggest that you trade your deck in for a P10, which comes with this arm and a better plinth as a Rega assembled package. You can also get the P10 with an Apheta 3 as package that costs less than the two components bought separately. I'd give the P10 a good listen first, as you mightn't consider the upgrade worth the price.

When your Apheta 2 wears out, you could replace it with an Apheta 3 as a simple upgrade.

 

[vln]

Not a rega owner, but I always wondered if something could be gained by removing the tone arm cable clamp on the underside of the rega decks - obviously this only works if you use the wall mount and don't have small kids.

My reasoning is that it might not be good if you press a microphonic cable to a structure that has a motor and a bearing (with all their vibrations and noise) attached to it as well.

Anyway, easy to try out and it is reversible.

 

[Woodface]

Given what 2nd hand P8s go for I don’t see the point in tweaking a P6.

 

[JTC]

Given what 2nd hand P8s go for I don’t see the point in tweaking a P6.

Who was talking about P6s?

 

[Woodface]

Who was talking about P6s?

Ha. Sorry, didn’t have my readers on. Same applies to a P10 though

 

[JTC]

Ha. Sorry, didn’t have my readers on. Same applies to a P10 though

I'm definitely not ruling out a trade-up to a P10, however I do wonder if I can justify it based on the listening time I manage and the ears I have.... can definitely afford it which is nice but I don't then want to go down yet another rabbit-hole of upgrading this, that and the other......

 

[Woodface]

I'm definitely not ruling out a trade-up to a P10, however I do wonder if I can justify it based on the listening time I manage and the ears I have.... can definitely afford it which is nice but I don't then want to go down yet another rabbit-hole of upgrading this, that and the other......

It’s only a rabbit hole if you go down it. I mean, you started the post

I’ve not really touched my LP12 in 15 years….

 

[John]

I’d be curious to pick Roy Gandy’s mind regarding these hard feet sold for the RP8 and RP10 models as well as the metal feet used on the flagship Naiad. The Naiad might only be intended to be wall mounted with the stand pictured, not sure.

 

[Tiernoise]

@JTC If, like mine, your P8 came with the Apheta 2, I would hazard a guess it is one of the early ones too, that came fitted with the standard 'advanced' EBLT drive belt because the upgraded reference EBLT was not yet available. If so, this would be an easy tweak (and cheap).
I haven't made the change yet, so cannot comment on any improvement.

Custom made premium Reference EBLT drive belt. Fitted as standard to all Planar 8 and Planar 10 turntable models from March 8th 2021.

Rega | Reference EBLT Drive Belt Accessory

Custom made high quality Rega turntable reference upgrade drive belt. Made in England.

www.rega.co.uk

 

[JTC]

@JTC If, like mine, your P8 came with the Apheta 2, I would hazard a guess it is one of the early ones too, that came fitted with the standard 'advanced' EBLT drive belt because the upgraded reference EBLT was not yet available. If so, this would be an easy tweak (and cheap).
I haven't made the change yet, so cannot comment on any improvement.

Rega | Reference EBLT Drive Belt Accessory

Custom made high quality Rega turntable reference upgrade drive belt. Made in England.

www.rega.co.uk

Don't know; I bought my P8 used. I wonder how easy it is to tell whether it has the reference one?

 

[JTC]

Actually, I bought my P8 in early 2020 so likely *not* the newer belt.

 

[llatpoh]

The Rega (cartridge) Torque Wrench is fixed at 0.4N.m.

With RB880 and above, Rega use M4 dome head machine screws into embedded anchors to secure the tonearms to the skeletal plinth decks. In the photo below, a Gedore Ergo QS (QuickSet) adjustable torque screwdriver is being used to factory fit RB3000 to P10. This appears to be model QSN40, set to its maximum of 40cN.m (Newton centimetre) which equals 0.4N.m. This roughly aligns with industry recommended torque values for this size/type of fastener into anchors; that is, depending upon type of anchor and what material these are set into. I dare say, 0.8N.m will be pushing one's luck here.

I doubt is the QSN40 model, all the torque screwdrivers in the series look just the same. With a setting of .4Nm you can grab the screwdriver shaft and tip with your bare hands and make it click. That's fine for the headshell screws, but for the tonearm base would be too loose. Besides, I've done way more than that on a P6 with no issues.

 

[Robert M]

Just enjoy it.......or send it to me for a 6month loan.

 

[laughingboy]

I like the effect of underslung counter weights on Rega tonearms, I'm using the Expressimo Half Moon on both an RB880 and a RB3000 and wouldn't go back to stock. The coupling to the end stud is via delryn which is likely part of the improvement that I hear.

There's a theoretical advantage to underslung counterweights. Jack Dinsdale explains tonearm physics in this wonderfully understandable video, and he mentions the counterweight around 16 minutes in.

I've had a Tecnoweight on an RB250 in the past which I thought was an improvement on the stock arm stub and counterweight, but the RB250 end stub was pretty basic. I wouldn't be surprised if quality of implementation is more important than how close a counterweight's design is to a broad theoretical ideal.