Advantage of Rega Motor Upgrade

On this and a recent thread, you seem to want to believe the motor upgrade is not that worthwhile. That's OK; how can anyone but you size up how much of an improvement your tweaks have made? As far as a stock P3 motor compared to a stock Planar 3 motor, it doesn't take careful listening to tell the difference. The improvement is evident as soon as you spin a record.

I don't mean to be vague, but I think saying it doesn't take careful listening to notice the improvement is as helpful as any attempt I could make at audiophilic descriptions. Also, I'm not that much of an audiophool. If I decide I like something, I tend to forget about it and any analysis I've done and just start listening to the music again. I would just say the new motor increased the resolution, low to high, of my Planar 3 and cleaned up a warm burnishing of the sound that, while pleasant, restricted the freedom of the sound a bit. The sound is clearer and more open.

I would say the improvement is in the same league as a step up in cartridge quality, or as when I put my TT on a Neuance shelf. It's in a higher league than playing with different feet, switching TT mat, or using the Expressimo Heavyweight.

I'm not going to say the upgrade is "great," or that I feel like I have a totally different TT. I would just say that the upgrade was easily worthwhile. From my limited experience, the motor upgrade is additive to non-motor improvements -- its effects would not be swamped by improvements elsewhere in the TT setup. I understand why you have a touch decision, since there's no way to know how it would compare with your tweaks without making the irreversible expenditure. Best of luck!