J.A. Mitchell TecnoWeight

05-19-08: Dkzzzz
I read numerous accounts about weights being pretty much useless on RB300 or RB600 arms.

I've never heard anyone who has installed a Tecnoweight say they didn't notice a difference. It's a major upgrade on an RB300. I can't recommend it strongly enough. I immediately noticed a deeper and tighter bottom end. It also allows you to set the tracking force on the weight stub rather than using the spring-loaded dial. The spring dial will never be as accurate. You should read this article at Vinyl Engine:

Michell TecnoWeight

I also installed an Incognito in an RB300 a few years ago. It's a relatively easy upgrade with good instructions and everything laid out for you. However, you can buy all the parts separately and make your own "incognito" for less than half the price. Check this out.

If I had to choose between these two upgrades, I'd do the Tecnoweight first. It gives a bigger bang for the buck.

The RB300 is a very good arm that has a lot of hidden potential. If you're willing to spend the time tweaking it, you can get excellent results.

-Mark

I heard that I won´t get such a big improvement installing the Tecnoweight, comparing to the tungsten weight(Rega) which I noticed was already installed in my RB300. That´s true ?

Hernani, it's not true. The metal composition is irrelevant. It's the shape that's important. The dropped lobe of the Tecnoweight lowers the center of gravity of the arm to the plane of the stylus tip. Michell uses the same counter weight on their $1200 Tecnoarm. I assure you, this is a significant upgrade. If you don't hear an improvement after installing, it probably says more about the limitations of your system.

FWIW, the Rega Tungston and the Expessimo Heavyweight were the soup du jour in the early 90s. The Technoweight is a newer, better design.

Check out these other forums:
Rega upgrades/tweeks
Review: Rega Planar 3 Turntable

May I adjust, in the Planar 3, the cartridge force by only using the weight, leaving the traking force in zero ?

Yes you can, but you'll need a stylus pressure gauge to set the tracking force.

What about the bias adjustment ? I also heard that in Rega RB300 is better to leave it in a lower value than the one indicated by the cartridge maker. On the contrary, Rega suggests to keep it in the upper limit...

Bias adjustment on a cartridge? I don't understand the question. Are you talking about anti-skating? Or tracking force?