Rega's new RP3

[JohnMichael]

Rega will be introducing the new RP3. Improvements in the tonearm and bearings along with a beam from tonearm to main bearing are some of the claimed improvements. The price for the table without cartridge is listed at £475 and £549 with cartridge. I am not sure what the price will be in US dollars but I may need an RP3 sitting next to my over a decade old Planar 2. I might even try a Rega cartridge with the Rega alignment. Well at least initially.

[JohnMichael]

http://www.rega.co.uk/

Rega RP3 turntable.

The RP3 has been designed and engineered to achieve outstanding performance way beyond the expectations of a product at this price point. Excellent build quality, reliability and ease of use combine to make a product which, if used correctly, will offer a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Omitting unnecessary gimmicks allows us to concentrate the manufacturing costs on the high quality parts necessary to reproduce records accurately. The RP3 is fitted with a brand new hand assembled RB303 tonearm, precision main bearing and a low vibration low noise 24v motor assembly which is individually hand tuned to its circuit to further reduce vibration.

DB Technology (Double Brace Technology)

"Mass absorbs energy - lost energy equals lost music"! Rega has pioneered the use of lightweight rigid plinths. Clever use of lightweight particulate core with a highly rigid phenolic resin skin became the foundations of the high level of performance achieved by the now iconic Planar turntable range. The RP3 takes this design philosophy to the next level. A super lightweight plinth combined with a phenolic resin double brace mounted specifically where the increased rigidity is required (between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing) forms a structurally sound "stressed beam" assembly. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances which will add unnatural distortions to the music. Equally, heavier mass can transfer more unwanted energy such as motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record. The use of braces instead of the complete skin allows double thickness phenolic resin in these key areas while providing further weight reduction to the plinth which directly addresses the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission.


RB303 Tonearm - Making the best better

Designed using the latest 3D CAD & CAM technology the new RB303 is the culmination of more than 30 years of tonearm design experience. Due to advances in technology we have been able to fine tune the iconic RB300 tonearm design. Featuring a brand new tube with increased rigidity to the bearing housing, arm carrier and headshell coupled with intelligent redistribution of mass ensure this arm will exhibit fewer points of possible resonance. Extreme stability with almost friction free movement from the high precision bearing assemblies guarantee to gather more information from your vinyl than ever before.

Features:

RB303 tonearm


Double brace technology


Light weight plinth design


24v low noise low vibration hand tuned motor assembly


3 high quality plinth finishes

Optional Elys 2 cartridge factory fitted

[frenchmon]

Hey JM....nice. Are you really leaning towards getting one? That way you can do a table shootout with the two...one stock the other tweaked. That should be fun.

[02audionoob]

I predict $945 for the RP3 without a cartridge.

[JohnMichael]

I predict $945 for the RP3 without a cartridge.



That sounds good to me. Since my ttable is about 15 years old I would like to hear Rega's current thinking on ttables. I have never tried a Rega cart so I would buy the table with the factory mounted cartridge. I would also compare their mounting geometry with the Baerwald that I use on the Planar 2. I am not sure if I would use the Rotel or Cambridge Audio 640P. The Slee is only for low output cartridges. I wonder if I can keep my hands and tweaks off of the new RP3.

[frenchmon]

If you are a tweaker...chances are, after a while you would.

[frenchmon]

Rega will be introducing the new RP3. Improvements in the tonearm and bearings along with a beam from tonearm to main bearing are some of the claimed improvements. The price for the table without cartridge is listed at £475 and £549 with cartridge. I am not sure what the price will be in US dollars but I may need an RP3 sitting next to my over a decade old Planar 2. I might even try a Rega cartridge with the Rega alignment. Well at least initially.

I think if I had that table, I would want to try an TIZO ACRYL acrylic platter.

http://www.acrylteller.com/WebRoot/Store2/Shops/es122814_acrylteller/4AF6/A7AA/7930/3FC4/01A1/50ED/8961/FBA2/Rega_Planar3_Plattenspieler_3.JPG

http://www.acrylteller.com/WebRoot/Store2/Shops/es122814_acrylteller/4AF6/A7AA/7930/3FC4/01A1/50ED/8961/FBA2/Rega_Planar3_Plattenspieler_4.JPG

http://www.acrylteller.com/WebRoot/Store2/Shops/es122814_acrylteller/4AF6/A7AA/7930/3FC4/01A1/50ED/8961/FBA2/Rega_Planar3_Plattenspieler.JPG

[JohnMichael]

I was going to buy an acrylic platter but was told it might not sound good with the machined metal subplatter. I like the Ringmat with the glass platter. I did try the Achroplat but it was very light. The lightness of the platter I think might have caused the table to run slightly fast.

[frenchmon]

Have you known about TIZO ACRYL acrylic platter? IF not check them out.

http://www.acrylteller.com/epages/es122814.sf/en_GB/?ViewObjectID=364071

I really dont think you will have problems with their platters... They are custom made for Rega tables and Pro-Ject tables and seem to be a very good product. I've spoken with those on Vinylengine who have the platters on their tables and they run great. They pretty much said the platters where a little heavier and made the table great.

[JohnMichael]

This is the one I thought about.

http://www.groovetracer.com/acrylic%20_platter_groovetracer.htm

GROOVETRACER™ ACRYLIC PLATTER

From ToneAudio review, Issue 3. Written by Jeff Dorgay:

"My observation from going to the Acrylic platter and eliminating the felt mat was a substantial increase in high frequency extension, without being harsh. I tried this on my P3 with a Shure V15 and a P25 with a Shelter 501 II. There was definitely a lot more midrange resolution as well, on any kind of music."

The 26mm thick Groovetracer acrylic platter carries more mass than any other acrylic platter available on the market today for the Rega turntable.

It is important to note that acrylic weighs only half as much as glass which means it was necessary to manufacture our platter from 28mm thick acrylic sheet. Furthermore, and more importantly, acrylic in raw material state is very uneven in overall thickness so all surfaces of the platter must be machined to provide an end product that will offer both perfect balance and rotation. This is why we begin the machining process with 28mm thick material.

Some manufacturers simply drill a hole in the center of the platter and polish the outside to make it cosmetically appealing while overlooking the most important part of the process which is machining all surfaces. These platters will have noticeable runout and/or wobble resulting in improper balance. We take both function and appearance seriously so we take no shortcuts in producing our platters.

In order to maintain the combined thickness of the glass platter and felt mat, the underside of the platter is recessed to match Rega's distance from the top of the plinth to the top of the playing surface. This simply means that no adjustment in tonearm height (VTA) is required to use the Groovetracer platter.

Finally, in order to use the platter without a mat, we machined a label recess so the record will lay flush with the playing surface.

We hope you will enjoy the new level of performance this platter provides.

It not only brings you closer to the music but transforms the appearance of your turntable to that of a true hi-end record player.


Price: $189

Groovetracer™ acrylic platters are compatible with these turntable models:
Rega Planar 2, 3, 25 and Rega RP1, P1, P2, P3, P25, P3-24, and Rega P5.
Nad 533, Goldring, and Moth Alamo

If you are installing the platter on a P5, please indicate this when ordering.


-Summary of Important Features-

26mm is more than double the thickness of the original glass platter to precisely match its mass of 70 ounces.

The outside diameter of the platter is recessed and is 5/8” (15mm) larger than the original platter to provide additional mass.

All surfaces are machined to precise tolerances to provide near perfect concentricity, within 0.001"

There is a label recess machined into the platter so the record will lay flush with the playing surface.

No VTA adjustment is required, simply install the platter and play records.

For the ultimate upgrade, place it on one of our precision machined alloy subplatters.

[02audionoob]

I'd like to try a GrooveTracer platter but I haven't been willing to risk it because I think it might actually be a detriment. I suppose he allows returns, though. I know AK & SH member Puma Cat bought one for his P5 and returned it.

[frenchmon]

I see a lot of people who use the acrylic patters without mats of some kind. I've tried going without on the 7.1 and really don't see a difference with or without a mat. Maybe I'm tripping off nothing but I still fear scratching the vinyl without a mat. So I would rather use the mat.

[slate1]

I've tried the Rega's with the acrylic platters including the Iron Audio and Groovetracer versions and didn't care for them - the Groovetracer subplatter, however, is a very worthwhile upgrade.

The glass platter on the Rega's provide a big part of the Rega sound in my opinion.