Rega Planar 3 50th anniversary

@mahler123   Overture, Wilmington DE. There are only two pieces that could interfere with speed. The motor or the belt. Theoretically, one could use a platter that is too heavy. Can't fathom anything else. 

I had the Exact 2 MM cartridge for a couple of years and really enjoyed it on my Rega 6. If you can afford the extra $500 or so it would take to get into a P6 with Exact, you will go well beyond the Technics in sound.

But as you know, a turntable is only as good as the TT preamp. Hence, you may want to consider going with the P3 Anniversary table with Exact 2 and add a Rega Fono preamp which would be about the same price as a P6 with Exact 2. Guess you need to dial in your price point. I would also encourage you to, at some point, to add the Rega Couple 3 cable as it perfectly matches Rega turntables and cartridges. It sells for $150.

@knock1 

Nice video. Says nothing about location of/and or motor type. Doesn't even show the bottom of the plinth. If you can't get me the motor type, just say so. I own one, so without taking apart to find a part number and voiding the warranty, we both will remain in the dark on this issue. Unless you have an epiphany?

A shim would be used for high-profile cartridges, but not required for any Rega cartridge. Not sure how that makes the TT any less desirable considering the Rega sound is all inclusive, but I have seen many modified as well, usually with Hana or Sumiko carts.

@mahler123

Obviously, you had a bad power supply/motor with the Rega P5 you once owned. Unless your turntable is automatic (most are not), the most common problem with any turntable is the motor. 

I have owned numerous turntables from Pro-Ject, Rega, and one of my first, a Stanton. One of the things I learned is that the majority of turntables have the motor integrated into the plinth. From an engineering standpoint, it makes no sense. Motors create vibration which when buried in the plinth makes the vibration much harder to dissipate. As I moved up in Pro-Jects over time, it culminated in owning a Pro-Ject 9 Xtension. I saw it as my last TT purchase. Figured there would be no vibration in a TT costing north of $3K.

With the Pro-Ject 9 I could tap on the plinth and hear the taps in my speakers - it was a sounding board. However, it did still sound good. After a while I realized it was because of the Sumiko Songbird cartridge. I guess it was a trade-off, but when the motor died within the warranty period, it was a huge mess. A TT that weighs 35lbs of turntable is a beast to ship in for repair. After the second motor started making a noise like the first one, I sold it. I lost at least 2K. The worst purchase I made as an Audiophile.

When I got my first Rega P6 - with the separate PSU - I was taken aback at how black the background was vs. the Pro-Jects. The heavy vs. light TT debate was an obvious win for Rega. I mean, if I were to have an issue with speed, I would just get another PSU. Problem solved. Easy as pie.

Pro-Ject's owners wife started a new company called EAT. The high-end EAT turntable incorporates a separate PSU just like Rega. If there is anything wrong with Pro-Ject tables it is the motor being a part of the plinth. If anyone asks me what I think the best Pro-Ject table is I would say the EAT C Sharp!

The Rega P5 was discontinued in 2011. In your case, all you needed to do to fix the problem with it was to swap out for another PSU. Owners seem to be happy with them. Bad motors happen, inside the plinth or not. I would be remiss in not mentioning that the motor in the Pro-Ject 9 was unique (maybe proprietary) and not used in other Pro-Ject tables. Not true with Rega's. One external PSU fits all.

I am on my second P6. The first one had the Exact MM cartridge which was the best MM cartridge I had owned. But having owned MC cartridges on my Pro-Jects, I wanted an MC Cartridge which is why I got a new one with the Ania installed.

The P6 and likely the P3 Anniversary edition, is a superior TT with reference to speed stability. No longer am I looking at a long rubber band - that sometimes slips off and is a chore to put back on - on a Pro-Ject wondering how I will know when it becomes time to change it out for a new one. For all the experience I had with Pro-Ject TT's, I am a bit miffed that I kept going back considering I worked with engineers for years (I am not an engineer) but for some reason (probably because Pro-Ject does use good cartridges) I did not consider the setup to be an engineering fault. My bad; you live and you learn.

@lewm 

What an amusing rebuke. 

I purchased the first Rega P6 from craigslist.

The second P6 was new. It included the new chassis that Rega upgraded on their PSU offering (more metal; less plastic) as well as the reference belt (also included with new TT's), so there were reasons to buy new rather than to swap out cartridges. I also got a different color. 

FYI, Rega TT's are the most flexible and easiest to swap out cartridges because of the 3-point mounts. 

@mahler123 

The PSU is the motor that drives the platter to go round. It can be inside the plinth or a separate gizmo as you called it. Hence, if your motor dies, you unplug the PSU and replace it. 

The engineers chose to do it this way to reduce vibration at the table and when you can put the PSU on a different shelf it isolates the table which results in a black background and silent operation. 

Sorry to hear about your dealer fiasco. The industry has been under duress for 20 some years with many brick and mortar stores going under and the lone dealer left in my area - Overture - is only mildly interested in customer service for those not spending multiple thousands. Sign of the times.

@lewm 

I would guess that over 50% of "audiophiles" have not personally swapped out a cartridge. It does take a steady hand and when you get up in age and your cartridge is north of $500, it just makes sense to let someone else who is skilled at it do it for you.

As for the VTA, I find vertical alignment a bit mystifying. An arm drops and as long as the weight of the arm is set correctly to match the needle, I do not understand all the controversy. I have a small scale that confirms the weight of the needle when it hits the record.

I have found that Rega cartridges do not have elongated needles and so the cartridge sits closer to the record. In contrast, the Sumiko Songbird I had has a long hollow needle that extends well beyond the cartridge which can be a setup for disaster. Just a micro touch of side by side, or perhaps a drop of the needle at a weight that is too heavy could easily break the needle. A cartridge such as the Songbird really does require caution, whereas the Rega cartridges are far more durable, if you will. It is part of the Rega selling point - just play records! - and don't worry about the technical side show that some TT's & cartridges require.

@knock1 explain yourself? 

@mahler123 ..or perhaps the pcb board (controller)? Cannot imagine how that could be faulty especially new.

@knock1     

Well thanks for the tutorial. The NEO is not just a power supply but also includes the control board for speed. While it does look and seem as though the motor is under the plinth - rather than part of it as the plinth is only 1" thick - there is no way of telling. In truth, no TT mfg provides schematics or information that determines what or how much of the motor is where. If you find that information, or know where to find it, that would be helpful. But it is merely for the sake of understanding how something works, which has always been a curiosity of mine. It is why I visit this site. 

Per Rega site: 

The Neo MK2 PSU is an advanced turntable power supply providing user controllable fine speed adjustment, an advanced anti-vibration motor circuit and the convenience of electronic speed change.

Also stated on the Rega site is that the NEO "reduces motor noise", and such engineering (separate pieces) is far better than the wall wart I got with the Pro-Ject 9 TT that was twice the price. Some may see the extension of the motor in another piece of equipment as poor engineering (such as @mahler123). Howerver, like him, I had a motor failure (or a mystifying reason for a TT failure) as he did and that does not go away. Not angry about it anymore, but I won't forget it either. 

@lewm 

I think Rega sees VTA as a non-starter as do I. VTA adjustments on all my previous tables (if you can call it an adjustment) proved nothing. Per the in-depth analysis below provides, there is a contention of science being involved, but it ends up just being a myth. I get that it is controversial, but dropping the needle is just that..if the weight is correct..then the rest is somehow suggesting that not all records are the same, as if we all should be paying attention to the arc of each and every vinyl groove. Turns out, to VTA believers, that not all records are cut the same and perhaps adjustments should be made for every record played.

https://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/vta_e.html

I am an older guy. Cantilever is not a term that I use often, and I do not retain as well as I once did, but for arguments sake it is also called the needle. Let's just stay with "put the needle on the record" as it sounds far better than a specific alternative. 

It is disturbing to me that a Pro-Ject 9 - or even the 10 for that matter Pro-Ject's flagship TT - comes with a wall wart. I get that there are after market power supplies. But for me, the Rega power supply is an engineering win and Pro-Ject seems to be lacking. Perhaps I am just venting, but Rega engineering solves a lot of problems inherent in Pro-Ject TT's, IMHO.

@lewm

I don't understand. Please explain?

@knock1 

Every manufacturer clearly identifies motor type and its location. Your Technics is direct drive type turntable, the spindle of the platter sits directly on motor shaft

Can you provide me with a motor type and location on the Rega P6? Do tell me where that information resides...perhaps you are better at finding info than I am?

I do not have a Technics turntable. 

@knock1 

Rega cartridges do not require shims. VTA is not an issue with Rega for that fact and the cartridge sits square to the record. 

Tell me what VTA does for you? How does a VTA setting create better sound?

The video provides the same specification as in, um, the specifications! 

If you need a new motor, from Pro-Ject, or Rega, your gonna have to call the manufacturer of the table. There is scant information in the specs because they don't want you to be able to buy one off the shelf. Heck, if all info was available for public consumption, you could just make your own Rega! Some motors are proprietary to an exact table, like the Pro-Ject 9. But I have found the Rega line is equally mysterious about a replacement motor for my RP6...but I already knew that...and that you were going to fail miserably!