Rega RP3 or Pro-ject Expression III?

I own a 1Xpression. Would have bought a Rega P3 if I had a local dealer at the time, to be honest. The P3-24 was even better than the P3.

Haven't heard nor seen the RP3, so I can't say for certain about that one.

The Xpressions are very well made and reliable IMO. Not a single problem with mine in about 7 years. Rega's decks have also been pretty solid.

If you buy the Xpression, replace the stock Oyster cart as soon as possible. It's absolute crap. I have a Dynavector 10x5 on mine, which is the upper limit of carts on it IMO. The Xpression's strong point is the tonearm.

I'm not a fan of Rega's carts at all. A lot of people like them though.

I'm not trying to get you to spend more money before you buy, but you should take a serious look at either Pro-Ject's Speed Box or Rega's TTPSU once you get up and running for a bit. Both a a very good upgrade to their respective deck. They'll easily take it up to the next level (again, haven't heard the RP3; basing this on all previous P3s).

What were the cartridges? Just curious. Congrats on the deck. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Had I had a local Rega dealer, I'd have bought one over my Xpression. Not that my Xpression is bad by any means, actually it's been great for the last 7 years or so, it's just that I'm sure I'd have been happier with a P3. But I refused to buy one unheard from an online dealer who I can't walk into their shop if I had a question/problem.

Forgot to ask... What cartridge will you use?

Some of the difference was due to the different carts, but a lot of it was due to the RP3 being a better deck. I'm not the biggest fan of Rega's carts, but for the price of it with the deck it's a no-brainer. Others love them though. It's all preference, like everything else in this hobby.

Congrats again on the deck. It's pretty much impossible to go wrong with a Rega IMO. Not trying to get you to upgrade or spend more money before you've even got the deck, but you really should look into the TTPSU down the road. It's a very big difference. I haven't heard the RP series, but the P3 with TTPSU sounded better than the P5 without one, when both had the same cart connected to the same system. The P3/TTPSU combo sounded a decent bet better IMO. The P5 with TTPSU sounded far better, but it was also about twice the price.

Just some observations. I'm sure you'll be blown away by the bare RP3 and think I'm crazy. I spent way too much time hanging out at a great Rega/Naim/Linn dealer where I used to live. The owners used to let me hang out and listen to music with them. Had I had more money, I'd have bought everything in sight.

Glad you're enjoying it. There's nothing like some good and clean vinyl to truly appreciate music.

Just realized you said you'll be listening to garage sale vinyl. What are you using to clean your vinyl?

If you don't have one, a vacuum machine will be a huge upgrade. The KAB EV-1 is about $170. It's a Nitty Gritty minus the vacuum; simply connect your own and you're good to go. Add a $25 or so hand held stream cleaner, and your vinyl will sound about as flawless as it gets.

I tried a ton of different things before I broke down and bought the EV-1. In hindsight, everything else was a waste of time.