Rega Planar 2 Help

[Sedan Delivery]

New member needs advice. I have 250.00 invested in this tt.It has R-200 arm and glass platter,no VTA or Azimuth adjustment.Although it sounds decent,I would appreciate some advice from members.My thoughts are to replace the arm,looking at a Rega/Moth 250 with Mitchell Tecno weight with the Incognito vta for 350.00,I plan to replace the stock subplatter and the motor(later). Does this sound like a good idea,or should I spend the money elsewhere,as in a newer/different turntable. Thanks in advance--george

[markw]

It sounds likey ou're buying a used car, jacking up the radiator cap, and replacing everythng underneath it.

By the time you do all that. you might as well have purchased a new turntable with a better arm. motoe and suspension.

Check out the offerings from Pro-Ject and Music Hall before dropping money into a Planar 2. It's not bad, but you can do better.

BTW, I have a NAD 533, which is essentially a Planar 2, but without a glass platter. I bought it in 1998 and it's served me well all that time. But, had the selection of entry-level TT's that's available today been available then, I would have gone a different route.

[Sedan Delivery]

Thanks for the reply,, I've looked at the music hall turntables on agon and for the money, it makes sense,fortunately they are some dealers locally,,I'll check them out this weekend.

[Mr Peabody]

The Rega P2 is a nice table, what cartridge and phono stage do you have? What is the rest of your system?

Our Rega dealer has access to ProJect, in fact, they carried their $299.00 special until Rega came out with the P1, anyway they continue to support Rega claiming it's a better product.

[Sedan Delivery]

The cartridge is a grado gold, jolida phono pre,,,thru a modwright pre(9.0 se) odyssey mono extremes se's,tyler acoustics taylos 7u's with mit t-2's all around. I'm looking to go with a dynavector mc low output and the current arm will not support that cartridge IIRC.Currently looking at music hall mm-7.I'm just getting back into vinyl,as I used to own a record store in the 70's and have been unpacking lp's that have been stored for 20 years,most of which were/are british imports,in many cases ,,unopened. Last week I got my ears on a vintage sota with the dynavector setup (low output mc with the dynavector pre) ans was just stunned at the sound.So i'm a bit excited at this point because vinyl never sounded so good, IMO. Thanks for the input.

[markw]

Regas and Grados are a bad combination. The position of the motor tends to inject hum into the poorly shielded Grado cartridges. That's one reason I woukd have gone a different route.

[JohnMichael]

New member needs advice. I have 250.00 invested in this tt.It has R-200 arm and glass platter,no VTA or Azimuth adjustment.Although it sounds decent,I would appreciate some advice from members.My thoughts are to replace the arm,looking at a Rega/Moth 250 with Mitchell Tecno weight with the Incognito vta for 350.00,I plan to replace the stock subplatter and the motor(later). Does this sound like a good idea,or should I spend the money elsewhere,as in a newer/different turntable. Thanks in advance--george


George thanks for posting pictures of your turntable. Also welcome to AR. I have the RB250 with the Incognito rewire and the Michell Tecno weight and think it is an excellent arm. It would be a good choice. One thing you might want to consider while you still have the S shaped arm is a moving coil cartridge. S shaped arms tend to have higher mass and work best with lower compliance cartridges. I think a new cartridge would be a very audible improvement over the Grado in that arm. I replaced my subplatter with the DeepGroove subplatter which is a heavier machined subplatter. The kit came with a new ruby bearing and new lube. It is reported that the subplatter is very slightly larger to help with speed accuracy. I still have the original motor and not the new rigidly fixed motor. The weight of the new subplatter seems to have helped remove any effects of the soft mounted motor.

All the mods I have done to my table have been over a period of time. The basic Planar 2 is a good table and it has been nice to improve it over the years. As far as a choice over modding your Rega or buying a new table is down to dollars. Regas are good sounding and long lasting turntables that you would have to spend a fair amount to do better.

[JohnMichael]

It sounds like you're buying a used car, jacking up the radiator cap, and replacing everythng underneath it.






In some ways my adding improved after market parts is similar to the automobile world. Many car owners increase performance and horsepower by replacing stock parts. The investment has been gradual and the benefits are great. Now let us talk about improving your NAD 533. If I can be of help.

[JohnMichael]

One of the easiest, cheapest and best sounding tweaks for a Rega table or a Rega sourced table is not using their template for installing the cartridge. Roy Gandy of Rega thinks the cart should be set up with the lowest distortion point right before the leadout groove. To my ears the Baerwald alignment is much better sounding. Baerwald felt there should be two null points where distortion is lowest for minimum error accross the entire record. The Mobile Fidelity Geodisc is an easy way to align the cartridge in a Rega arm. The Baerwald alignment will move the cartridge forward and offset angle will be greater. Once I compared the Rega alignment with the Baerwald I have never gone back to the Rega method.

[Sedan Delivery]

Gentlemen, I thank you for the information and advice,,certainly something for me to think about. I believe that I will proceed slowly,but informed and therefore make prudent decisions as opposed to "impulse buys"--thanks--george

[jrhymeammo]

Welcome to AR, SD George.

I dont know anything about your Rega 200 arm, but I imagine it's less than crap.
You gotta love detachable headhells too.
I would play with different cart or a pre before you move on to a different deck. Never underestimate the benefit of a rigid stand, dresser, or whatever it may be.

Peace,

[royphil345]

I don't see why your arm wouldn't support a low output MC. The compliance is usually a little lower than most moving magnets. Heavier arm would actually be better. The Grado Gold is a very high compliance moving magnet and possibly not the best choice for the S-shaped arm. Although, it's more of a medium mass tonearm and just about anything should work. Due to the less than perfect rigidity of the arm / detachable headshell, a smoother sounding low output MC might serve you better... Benz... Denon DL-103... Would probably end up with sound a little less bright, but still more detailed, realistic and extended than what you're getting from the Grado.

I don't see any problem investing in some mods for your table. All you really get up to around $1000.00 is a basic table with no suspension, good speed stability and a good tonearm. With some mods, I think your table could give any sub $1000.00 table a run for it's money and you wouldn't have to come up with the money all at once. The sub-platter and motor mods definitely sound worthwhile. Speed accuracy / stability is important. Heavier platter if there's one made for it... A nicer tonarm with good wiring and VTA would be icing on the cake. What you have may surprise you with the right cartridge though. Being able to swap headshells easily is great...

The only problem you might have is the lack of VTA adjustment. 1 millimeter can make all the difference, especially with more detailed sounding low output MCs. Experimenting with thin shims under the mat may help. You could try different types of plastic, cardboard, etc...

[JohnMichael]

One of the benefits to me for rewiring the arm and using the Tecno weight is better sound now and later if I invest in a more expensive table I will have an arm of very good quality for the table. If you go with a modded RB 250 and later your turntable stops functioning or you are ready for a different table you will already have an arm for it.

[Sedan Delivery]

Decisions, decisions,, I'm torn between upgrading the rega,,or using an older vpi hw-19? with a rb 250 arm (I think) indefinately,,I did hear a dynavector dv-20 xl thru the p-75,,and it was sweetness. I guess these are the type problems that I want to have. Again, thanks for the warm welcome,,looking forward to many more posts in my vinyl journey. Thanks to all--george

[royphil345]

There were many variations of the VPI HW-19. People generally complained of problems with speed stability. Platter (some models had heavier ones than others) and motor upgrades were popular. People replaced springs in the suspended models with sorbothane... Might be better to put money into what you already have than buy something else that will require similar upgrades. The VPI table with upgrades would probably surpass what the Rega is capable of. Upgrades were much more expensive though... and maybe harder to find now...

Like I said... With a little attention to better speed stability (bearing, motor, subplatter) and a nicer, more adjustable tonearm... The P2 would honestly lack very little in the sub $1000.00 range. Speed stability would probably be better than many of the more expensive stock Pro-Jects and Music Halls. Check the specs. They're not that great in the sub $1000.00 range. There are carts that could maximize the performance of the stock arm... Think you'd be surprised... You'd probably be better off upgrading the arm if you want to duplicate the Dynavector combo you heard though...

[Sedan Delivery]

OK,, I'm going to take your advice and upgrade/replace the motor and subplatter first,,given the current arm, what cartridge would you suggest, currently have a grado gold mm on a Rb 200 arm, after the motor/subplatter upgrades,I will most likely upgrade the arm/cartridge.Even with the cost of the table,and planned upgrades, I should still come in at under 1000.00.

[Mr Peabody]

Why not a Rega cart? I've heard Rega designed the arm and carts to go together. I've also heard that the Dynavectors work well. I like my Rega Elys but have never compared it to much in a apples to apples situation. They take some criticism for possibly allowing more surface noise than some other carts. I plan to try one of the Dynavector high output MM carts next. Most of my album collection is Rock & Roll though, so I will see.

[royphil345]

I'm using a Denon DL-103 on my S-shaped arm / removeable headshell. I love it. Probably not quite the "magic" you heard from the Dynavector. Think it sounds both fuller and more detailed than any moving magnet I've tried. You can pick one up cheap from an overseas dealer. http://cgi.ebay.com/DENON-DL-103-The-cartridge-ideal-for-THORENS-SME3012_W0QQitemZ300118819717QQihZ020QQcategoryZ32 83QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Quite a bargain compared to what it sells for here. Might be something to play around with temporarily if you're planning on upgrading the arm eventually. Benz Ace or Glider are supposed to sound nice on S-shaped arms as well. Slightly larger soundstage and a bit more realism compared to the Denon. Pricier... Probably wouldn't want to spend that much if you want to upgrade the arm and try the Dynavector... I might do it eventually. Still love the sound of my Denon through the Jolida JD-9A though. I can imagine slightly more detailed / extended sound, but I'm in no hurry to upgrade. Getting some very satisfying sound the way things are. I find a little warmth welcome on many recordings. This cartridge has many fans and many claim it can't be beat up to around $500.00 for higher mass tonearms. Have heard good things about the Ortofon OM 20 Super John Michael is using on his modded P2. Still want to try one someday...

[Sedan Delivery]

thanks for the link,, I may try that cartridge. I've read about the baerwald tool,, will it work/applicable with my arm?

[royphil345]

This universal Baerwald will work with all tonearms. You must make sure it prints out exactly the right size. The cartridge is adjusted until it lines up exactly with the grid, no matter which of the two null points the stylus is resting on.
http://www.vinylengine.com/manuals_tonearm_protractors.shtml (1st protractor)


I see there are easier to use Baerwald and Stevenson protractors made especially for Rega tables on that page as well. They recommend the Stevenson if your headshell slots aren't long enough to allow Baerwald alignment.

[JohnMichael]

OK,, I'm going to take your advice and upgrade/replace the motor and subplatter first,,given the current arm, what cartridge would you suggest, currently have a grado gold mm on a Rb 200 arm, after the motor/subplatter upgrades,I will most likely upgrade the arm/cartridge.Even with the cost of the table,and planned upgrades, I should still come in at under 1000.00.


George when I replaced my subplatter with the DeepGroove I discovered that the center rises above the platter on the Planar 2. This was not a problem for me since I use the Ringmat plattermat. If your Rega Planar 2 and mine have the same thickness platter you will be limited in the mat you use. The Ringmat uses several cork circles which holds it above the center rise from the DG subplatter. Sorry I did not think of this earlier.