Tonearm for rega Planar 3


Hi all,
Just purchased a Planar 3 here sans tonearm. I would like to install a good arm. Any suggestions other than the rb300/301? Is the 301 a better arm than the 300? Any experiences with the Michell or Moth versions? I will be using a Grado Platinum cartridge. Should I go with a rega cartridge as well?
Thanks
skipper320

Showing 3 responses by mingles

According to Rega, the RB301 is an improved 300, but I don't think they sell it separately from the P3-24.

There's no difference between a Moth and an OEM Rega. Rega supplies their arms to a number of manufacturers and allows them to put their name on it. The Michell Tecnoarm is a different story. It's a modified RB250 that's significantly better than an OEM. Read about it here.

The standard RB300 and RB250 are nice arms that can't be beat for the price. Either one would be an easy drop in without changing the mounting hole. There's a lot to be said for that if you haven't mounted an arm before. I agree with others to stick with Rega. There are lots of tweaks and upgrades that can be done to the 250 and 300. Michell makes an excellent counterweight called the TecnoWeight. It's a significant upgrade that improves the low end. They also makes a VTA adjustment sleeve that works well. I've never seen the VPI version Stanwal mentions.

An Origin Live is unquestionably better than an RB300 or 301, but you'll pay 3 or 4 times as much.

If you own the Grado Platinum, live with it for a while. There are plenty of alternatives when the upgrade itch hits. Focus on getting the table together first.

-Mark
Come on guys. Enough. Let's get back to Skipper320.

Personally, I wouldn't consider the 3 point mounting design of the RB251 an important consideration. I doubt you'll hear any difference between a 251 and a 250. I see an RB250 with a Michell Tecnoweight in the classifieds right now that's close to your price point. In my experience, the Tecnoweight was a more significant improvement than the rewire.