After the upgrade to the P8 you will probably still lust for the P10, so I would save and wait.
Rega P8--GROOVETRACER Upgrade
I have had my Rega P8 with Ania Pro cartridge for about a year and am now deciding whether to take the quantum leap to the P10 or the intermediate step to the GROOVETRACER P8 turntable upgrade for about $700.00.
I have used GT's upgrades for my P3 and P6 predecessor tables and they are excellent quality and tonal improvements.
The GT package includes the Delrin platter, a reference sub-platter, tonearm shim (to accommodate the platter) and new bushings deemed to simulate the P10's enhancement.
My discussion is to inquire as to whether anyone has invested in this kit and what results they have had.
Otherwise I will wait until I have acquired the ducats for the P10.
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@mervo - if you want an excellent upgrade for just a little more than $700 - take a look at the Audiomods Arms - the latest line is amazing and the new series III is very well suited for the Rega turntables I bought the older Series 3 about 12 years ago and I’m still loving the details and spacious presentation. It’s available with a Micrometer VTA adjustment for a little extra and the bead blast finish with the gold plated counter weight is stunning Drop Jeff at Audiomods an email with the details of your setup and he’ll make sure the new arm is a perfect fit take a look at my Audiomods Series III Review I also use a Simaudio Moon LP5.3 RS phono stage, which is amazing for it’s price @mallikh67 - I use a Denon 103 with a Soundsmith Ruby Cantilever and it is pretty amazing - details galore and massive image. Even before I applied the mod’s the D103 blew my Rega cart out of the water I did apply another tweak, by adding a small brass plate, which increased the mass to a value better suited to Rega Arms You don’t have to epoxy the weight to the cartridge, but it makes the cartridge housing much more rigid Another route would be to buy a Zu Cartrisdge - which is the Denon 103 installed in an aluminum headshell - better suited to the Rega Arm Zu/DL-103 Mk.II | Zu Audio | Hi-Fi audio speakers and cables hand built in the USA There is also the 103R, which is supposed to be better But the weakest part of this cart is the spherical stylus which prevents the transfer of the micro details - the Soundsmith upgrate rectified that aspect. I went for the Optimized Coutour Contact Line upgrade and the only issue with that is you really need a young pair of eyes and a glass protractor to align it to achieve the very best sound - I would probably opt for an eliptical or Shibata stylus profile next time, where alignment is a little less critical There are other Denon cartridges out there also, that may be a better match from a mass perspective and they are all good performers - especially when compared to the Rega Carts - as you might be able to tell, I expected more from my Rega cart and got it with the Denon D103 Hope that helps - Steve |