Rega Planar 3 Turntable with Elys 2 Cartridge

[WineOfTheVeins]

Oh yeah, vinyl quality as purchased, vinyl maintenance, tt/cartridge maintenance and tweak talk about protractors and phono stages is fun....for some people (not me particularly, find it tedious), but is it for you?

I think it would be fun! Not much to tweak on a CD player. Maybe if someone donated their vinyl collection to me, that would be a good start?

Johnny: That is the picture he used to sell it, there are these 2 also. Not sure if it helps. So it seems like it has the upgraded tonearm, but everything else would be RP3. Not a huge deal I guess, most components can be upgraded on a TT, or am I mistaken?

 

[lovinthehd]

I think it would be fun! Not much to tweak on a CD player. Maybe if someone donated their vinyl collection to me, that would be a good start?

Johnny: That is the picture he used to sell it, there are these 2 also. Not sure if it helps. So it seems like it has the upgraded tonearm, but everything else would be RP3. Not a huge deal I guess, most components can be upgraded on a TT, or am I mistaken?

Well, there are estate sales where you can buy a whole collection....hopefully of music you like. I can't imagine cd's would have gotten very far if playing them was as tedious and fussy as vinyl, LOL!

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

Maybe I am crazy, but these are different models from what I am told. RP3 and Planar 3. P3 being superior. Correct me if I am wrong?
His being the RP3 (1st pic)

 

[sterling shoote]

I can't imagine buying a $2k (even CAD) tt and starting a record collection from that point. I've got my tt/record collection now for many years but haven't bought new vinyl in 20 years. Vinyl's pretty pricey now, often recorded digitally anyways, and the pressings are still likely not all that great due the old pressing gear and maintenance issues (I know there are some new pressing plants coming on line, but...). I'd rather add to the speaker budget....

,
I succumbed to looking into LPs again after about 43 years of bliss with my Sony PS-4750, which actually has seen little use, since CDs won me over back in 1982. But, hearing accolades for LPs recently, claiming better sound than what was being delivered on CD, I thought maybe my Sony Record Player had been eclipsed and buying a new turntable would be the ticket to greater music pleasure. At any rate, I now have a new turntable that seems to have every important feature; yet, without improvement to the vinyl, I am still distracted by the snap, crackle, and pop which made me abandon it for CDs.

 

[sterling shoote]

Maybe I am crazy, but these are different models from what I am told. RP3 and Planar 3. P3 being superior. Correct me if I am wrong?
His being the RP3 (1st pic)

The newer Rega has power button on bottom of plinth. There are several other cosmetic and mechanical improvements. You can see a nice presentation about it on YouTube produced by HiVINyws channel.

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

Well, there are estate sales where you can buy a whole collection....hopefully of music you like. I can't imagine cd's would have gotten very far if playing them was as tedious and fussy as vinyl, LOL!

Now that's a great idea. My parents go to those all the time, they let high end stuff go for peanuts. I am going to start going with them, offer $50 for a lot of records? Pssht, if there's even 1 or 2 sought after albums in there, the rest are freebies!

Thanks Sterling, I can finally see all the differences he was claiming, and whether it's a big deal or not.

 

[3db]

Although you will be hard pressed to hear a reviewer say it out loud, but a similarly priced REGA is superior to any Pro-Ject or one of the Japanese belt drives. For proof just check out what those same reviewers actually buy for their own systems when they are aware of the market offerings, the performance of each, and get Industry Accommodation pricing no matter what they choose.

The difference in playback quality between equivalent Rega and ProJect turntables are almost non existant. I like to know where you dug up that BS. Quoting Wilson whose speakers have one of thw worst frequency repsonses out there bar none really doesn't give your post anymore credability.

 

[3db]

Yeah, 3db you know which hog ate the cabbage. My post, for the most part, was meant just to broaden the OP's basis of understanding for things which may make a particular turntable's engineering more appealing than another. My statement "The Rega is not user friendly for any who like to change/experiment/upgrade cartridges", was the gist of it, the greatest obstacle being no means of VTA adjustment for head high carts short of modifying the turntable.

The old Regas 80s vintage were like that. I dont know if the present day are restrictive.

 

[3db]

I can't imagine buying a $2k (even CAD) tt and starting a record collection from that point. I've got my tt/record collection now for many years but haven't bought new vinyl in 20 years. Vinyl's pretty pricey now, often recorded digitally anyways, and the pressings are still likely not all that great due the old pressing gear and maintenance issues (I know there are some new pressing plants coming on line, but...). I'd rather add to the speaker budget....

I agree. I would not start a viny collection from scratch either. But since I had a sizeable vinyl collection to begin with before the advent of CD, I kept it alive and growing it. I remember the days when CDs were very pricey as well. The music producers, not the artists so much will always get their money.

 

[3db]

Maybe I am crazy, but these are different models from what I am told. RP3 and Planar 3. P3 being superior. Correct me if I am wrong?
His being the RP3 (1st pic)

Thats how I remember the P3 as well.

 

[lovinthehd]

I agree. I would not start a viny collection from scratch either. But since I had a sizeable vinyl collection to begin with before the advent of CD, I kept it alive and growing it. I remember the days when CDs were very pricey as well. The music producers, not the artists so much will always get their money.

The recording game has never been much behind the artist.

 

[sterling shoote]

Slightly off topic, a few months ago, after hooking up my new OPPO UDP-205 for multi-channel SACD pleasure, I ordered a few multi-channel SACDs including Eat A Peach from the Allman Brothers. It sounds great. Now, the other day, while cleaning out the basement, I discovered I had the LP of this music. This allowed me to A-B the SACD to the LP. No contest, not even close for my old ears to easily recognize which sounded better, in all manner that better can be discerned. The SACD was clearly superior. I will likely re-visit this experiment though, since the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge I had fitted to my turntable is not in the same league as my Shure V15V-MR, which is out of service at the moment. We'll see; but, from this experiment and others I've engaged it, I think the only reason to own a turntable today is just to be able play records in your possession which are not musically appealing enough to repurchase in CD format, or that might be compelling enough to digitize when you're bored and want something to do.

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

Slightly off topic, a few months ago, after hooking up my new OPPO UDP-205 for multi-channel SACD pleasure, I ordered a few multi-channel SACDs including Eat A Peach from the Allman Brothers. It sounds great. Now, the other day, while cleaning out the basement, I discovered I had the LP of this music. This allowed me to A-B the SACD to the LP. No contest, not even close for my old ears to easily recognize which sounded better, in all manner that better can be discerned. The SACD was clearly superior. I will likely re-visit this experiment though, since the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge I had fitted to my turntable is not in the same league as my Shure V15V-MR, which is out of service at the moment. We'll see; but, from this experiment and others I've engaged it, I think the only reason to own a turntable today is just to be able play records in your possession which are not musically appealing enough to repurchase in CD format, or that might be compelling enough to digitize when you're bored and want something to do.

Interesting bit of info.. I wish that SACD/DVD audio picked up more traction than it did. Granted CDs are a good format, the bitrate and sampling rate on the SACD DVD discs are far superior. Whether "experts" say you can hear a difference or not, I am sure it's there. 800mb album vs a couple gigabytes? No contest. You can't tell me that all that extra data is invisible to the ear. Kind of like how the "experts" say you can't see better than 1080p anyway. Well, hate to say it, but the first time I watched native 4k content on my TV, I thought it was real life.

 

[tmurnin]

I've been very happy with my Pro-Ject Carbon. I enjoy vinyl because it 'forces' me to listen to an entire album side rather than hand-picking songs and I like the sound. That being said, I don't think I would enjoy vinyl more from a $2k turntable than a $500 one, so I'm very happy with my setup.

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

I've been very happy with my Pro-Ject Carbon. I enjoy vinyl because it 'forces' me to listen to an entire album side rather than hand-picking songs and I like the sound. That being said, I don't think I would enjoy vinyl more from a $2k turntable than a $500 one, so I'm very happy with my setup.

That's a good way to look at it. I try and wrap an album front to back even on CD, unless there is a track that I really don't like, I'll skip it. So I don't mind the "hassle" aspect of having to change tracks etc.
That's kind of what I was wondering. It would be nice to do a side by side with a Pro-Ject and something like a Rega. I think on a really high end setup you would hear the difference, but enough to justify another grand? Not sure.
I might have to fall upon a collection or two before I invest in a TT. It'd be nice to have, but before I have a collection going, it may not be feasible. $30 an album adds up real quick. Things to ponder..

 

[sterling shoote]

That's a good way to look at it. I try and wrap an album front to back even on CD, unless there is a track that I really don't like, I'll skip it. So I don't mind the "hassle" aspect of having to change tracks etc.
That's kind of what I was wondering. It would be nice to do a side by side with a Pro-Ject and something like a Rega. I think on a really high end setup you would hear the difference, but enough to justify another grand? Not sure.
I might have to fall upon a collection or two before I invest in a TT. It'd be nice to have, but before I have a collection going, it may not be feasible. $30 an album adds up real quick. Things to ponder..

From my observations it appears that the precision necessary for a turntable/cartridge to track records can be achieved from inexpensive materials, workmanship, and manufacturing processes. One turntable out there today that proves this is the Fluance R81, which sells for about $250.

 

[davidscott]

View attachment 25504

How old would you say it is? It lookslike it's the straight black 9" to me?

 

[davidscott]

That is a Rega P3 not a Planar 3 with a glass platter. Rega cartridges do not have user replaceable styli except for the Rega Carbon which is a modified AT. Anyway not a bad table with the right cartridge. And the felt mat is designed for that table.

 

[davidscott]

Probably made in the early 2000s.

 

[WineOfTheVeins]

That is a Rega P3 not a Planar 3 with a glass platter. Rega cartridges do not have user replaceable styli except for the Rega Carbon which is a modified AT. Anyway not a bad table with the right cartridge. And the felt mat is designed for that table.

Thanks. Really? It's already that old?