Bill, for me the great Rega unknown is not only about the cartridge but also does the underlying hypothesis about low mass uber alles hold up in practice.
Turntable advice / opinion on setup / sound.
Hello all you analog experts. I am seeking some advice, opinions and direction to try, based on my tastes and setup.
I’m not loving my current TT sound but there are variables that could cause this. For reference, my favorite TT I ever owned was the ClearAudio Champion Level 2 (wish I never sold it) because it was warm and had a huge stage.
- I listen to every style of music, smooth jazz to hard metal.
- I have to turn the volume way up to get the get the level I like which at times has hiss and a tiny bit of hum. Compared to digital sources which have none of these issues.
- I find this setup to lack huge stage and warmth.
My current system is:
- Rega Planar 8 w/ Alpheta 2 MC cart.
- Cambridge Audio -> Alva Duo Phono Pre amp
- Mark Levinson -> No 585 Amp.
- Martin Logan 15a Renaissance -> 8FT apart/ 3ft off the front wall and 3 FT from each side wall. I sit 9FT away from the speakers.
The turntables I am considering are:
1) Musical Fidelity -> M8XTT
What cart would you use?
2) Michell Audio -> Gyro SE Turntable
3) Clear Audio Champion Level 2
Thank you all in advance for any guidance and opinions you can offer.
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- 185 posts total
Lewm, it seems that it does. I only have experienced one P8, which was positive. Mikey Fremer has much to say all positive if you go to Analog Planet. All the reviews for all models for a long time have been positive. I would like to experience a P10 or a Naia and if the right deal comes along, I would definitely consider buying one to replace my HW19. But I am not going to pay retail for the privilege so who knows? |
I owned a Rega P3 and P8: they were decent turntables. When I switched from a Rega cartridge to a different brand was the single best upgrade. I tried Linn Krystal and then a (heavy) Koetsu Rosewood, and despite the Koetsu being to high, not using any shims, etc, it still sounded much better than the higher end Rega cartridges. The Rega TT's are very sensitive to what they are sitting on, too much so, in my opinion; try different sound isolation devices under the feet. Enjoy your TT, but also realize that the step you just took upgrading your cartridge is just a small step up in the analog world, and when you’re ready, you’ll be very impressed by higher grade TT, and phono stages. |
Seems to me some of the posters above have no clue, never owned a Rega. Facts are - All Rega arms are 222mm pivot to spindle, 14.5mm overhang Rega arms are designed for Stevenson alignment. Rega protractor supplied delivers correct overhang and aligned for Stevenson for any cartridge, Rega or otherwise. If you want to use Baerwald any 2 point protractor can be used - I use a Garrott 2 point protractor for most installs. Experiences ( hands on, not from AI, and not speculation - P9/P10 ) Stevenson alignment works better than Baerwald on the Rega arms. Non Rega cartridges - I have heard various Benz, Lyra Delos, and most of the Rega carts. The latest Aphelion 2 is a superb cartridge, a big step up from previous models. The Lyra Delos is superb for the price. Most folk who buy Regas understand that you need to buy spacers to use non Rega cartridges for VTA adjustment. Rega dealers sell them. The only thing I would suggest is that your antiskate is too high. Generally according to studies by Shure and others, antiskate should be about 25-30% of tracking force. Have a look at your cantilever from front on when you lower the stylus - you can usually see if it is pulling one way or other. I generally start with antiskate at 1/3 of tracking force and then check the cantilever, and listen to very small changes either way. |
@dover thanks for the answers about Rega with non-Rega cartridges. I still would like to know what the measurement is in ____ mm? from center of spindle to the cross on their RB880 protractor provided. |
- 185 posts total