Unexpected issues with Rega planar TT, a respectful manufacturer product?

@niodari I have(or had) a Rega Planar II - I purchased way back in 1981, when I had very little knowledge about turntables.

Over the years I discovered the many poor design choices about that particular Rega

1. The head and bearings on the original "S" shaped arm became loose and the wiring was really cheep and nasty
   • e.g. I could rotate the head-shell a little when locked in place
   • so I replaced the arm with an RB250 arm
2. But I was disappointed when I learned the cables in the RB250 were not a one piece harness
   • So I replaced the wiring with a Cardas one piece harness - it was a nice upgrade
3. The sub-platter was made from plastic
   • so I replaced it with a metal sub-platter - huge improvement
4. The glass platter, while very good for controlling WOW and FLUTTER - resulted in a long struggle with various mats
   • I never did find one that worked well
   • The solution was to replace the glass with an acrylic platter - that worked really well
5. The Motor never really controlled the speed very well and was slow to spin-up
   • So I installed the Rega Motor Upgrade kit, which improved things slightly, but I still had to perform the old "Rega Nudge" when turning the turntable on.
   • bottom line - turntables that position the drive belt around the outside of the platter provide a more stable speed control and much faster spin up
6. I replaced that counter balance "puck" weight with one that lowered the center of gravity to the same level as the stylus
   • Now it might not seem like much, but the improvements in clarity and dynamics were clearly audible
7. Then I heard about Audiomods Arms - what blessing ! - If you own a Rega - ANY REGA ! - you might want to consider one of these arms
   • they are built by a Magician, Jeff, to exacting standards
     • you have a couple of options - like
       • Micrometer VTA and
       • one piece harness with KLE Innovations RCA’s (this may now be standard equipment)
   • they "look the part" - much more that any model of Rega arm ever has.
   • they outperform their modest price by a considerable margin
8. Then - I finally got rid of that crappy particle board plinth
   • I made my own more substantial plinth, with Bronze cone feet - far superior noise isolation to the Rega option

• I actually kept the lid and the ON/OFF switch - because they worked well !!!

Rega has the largest after market parts supply business of any turntable

• and I have first hand experience as to why that is.

The only good things to come out of my Rega Purchase

• I learned a lot about what makes for a good turntable
• I now have a Turntable that performs exceptionally well

So I guess I should thank Rega ? - OK

• thanks for the poor design
• thanks for the poor quality parts
• thanks for the opportunity to educate myself ?

Todays marketplace has many significantly better tables than a Rega and yet people still believe the nonsense they publish and buy their products.

If you are looking for a turntable

• do your homework
• look at the features that other brands incorporate - there are many
• educate yourself before you buy, because it will save you money in the long run

Back when I bought my Rega in 1981,

• I trusted the salesperson - not many other options - but a Big Mistake !
• but today we have a world of information at our finger tips
• we have many more alternative brands available to us
• so browse away and save some money, time and frustration

And if you still opt for a Rega - enjoy your purchase 👍🤔

Regards - Steve

@niodari - WRT your original question

My question was, if they have some instructions to replace their "premium" built-in RCA cable, that I could follow for the replacement.

Depending on the arm, this can be tricky because the point where the cable is joined to the tonearm wire is inside the arm assembly - so oyu have to remove that plastic portion inside the brass threaded portion of the arm.

Are you certain the problem is one of the RCA plugs?

• It could be the joint inside the arm assembly
• it could be a break somewhere in the cables
• it could be the cartridge (as another person pointed out

To be 100% sure - I would use a multi meter to test for continuity (i.e. Zero resistance) between those little tabs that clip onto the cartridge and the RCA plugs on the other end of the cable

• If there is continuity, then the problem is with the cartridge
• If there is no continuity then you will need to figure out where the break in the wire is.
  • you will have to remove the am, because the "break" may be inside the arm assembly itself

Here is a video of a Rega arm assembly. It is too fast to watch, so in your youtube settings (bottom right of youtube window) set the playback speed to 1/4 or something more useful.

The section of interest to you is about 85% of the way through the video where the guy attaches the cable to the arm

https://youtu.be/y8C5MQdLR74

Good luck - Steve

@niodari  - connect as follows as follows

https://manuals.denon.com/DP400/ALL/EN/OBAOSYdjavzsse.php

Scroll down for connection image

GREEN = Right channel ground (-ve)

BLUE = left channel ground (-ve)

RED = right channel signal (+ve)

WHITE = Left channel Signal (+ve)

Regards - Steve

@niodari -  I agree with @knock1 - it’s the cartridge - because you have observed a signal coming out of both left and right channels - it cannot possibly be the wires

Regards - Steve

@niodari - OK - this is an example of how I understood your post...

First case represents the cartridge connected correctly

• RIGHT channel (cartridge) connected to Red+Green wires
  • i.e. the right channel - Hear music
• LEFT channel (cartridge) connected to White+Blue wires
  • i.e. the left channel - silent
•  

But swapping the wires on ONLY the cartridge

• LEFT channel (cartridge) connected to Red+Green wires
  • the right channel - Silent
• RIGHT channel (cartridge) connected to White+Blue wires
  • i.e. left channel - Hear music

Is that what you are experiencing?

• if that is the case then the left channel of the cartridge is at fault

Regards - Steve

I have to look for a new cartridge, would you have any suggestions for P2?

@niodari - Since you are not really "into vinyl", I would probably recommend the entry level Rega Carbon cartridge (I’m assuming you need a Moving Magnet cartridge ?) for the following reasons

• should NOT require VTA alignment
• will match the Rega tonearm
• elliptical stylus
  • provides reasonable retails
  • easy to setup
  • you can change just the stylus when it wears out
• reasonably priced - around $95 CDN
• reasonable performer

https://www.trutone.ca/products/view/rega-carbon-turntable-cartridge

There are many other options, but the process gets more complex and more expensive

Just a thought - if the Rega Carbon IS the cartridge you currently have...

• try removing the stylus and re-inserting it
  • it should just pull out - push in
  • see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiVMY_qjU8g
• the issue may just be a stylus seating problem

Hope that helps

Regards - Steve

@niodari  - WRT analogue vs. Digital - I cannot disagree with the points you raise.

Personally - I listen to digital, but more for background music e.g. when friends are over 

But if I want to "escape" and be bathed in sumptuous reality of a live performance, or get nostalgic about times gone by I turn to vinyl. + a glass of wine or Single Malt 😎

Most of my vinyl is quite old, but I do have some new artists that I consider worthy of the investment e.g. Ed Sheeran and Jason Moraz Sam Smith, Lorde, Black Eyed Peas... that have produced  exceptionally well engineered albums that have been very well pressed.

I have also invested in some very fine quality orchestral vinyl albums that simply transport me into the concert hall for the entire album

But one of the surprises for me was the exceptional engineering quality.of some of my older albums.

• For example, the album  Better Days - with Paul Butterfield, Ronnie Barrou, Amos Garrett Geoff Muldaur, Christopher Parker and Billy Rich
  • It transports me back in time to one of those smoke filled little music halls found in so many cities
  • it is raw talent and raw music with amazing vocals
    • without overproduction,
    • just plain simple music that melts away those pops and crackles.
• There are many others albums I have that evoke a similar emotion - but for me this album is the pinnacle of my collection

The other thing about vinyl - it lets you explore music that is not offered in digital format - like the 1959 pressing I have featuring "Trad Jazz" artist Chris Barber - which is a throwback to my childhood years because he was a favorite of my brother.

I also have some great music stores in the area selling "previously enjoyed" vinyl, so the exploring can also be quite a lot of fun and very rewarding

When it come to vinyl, I like the fact that I have to get up to change sides - it "encourages" me to listen more intently to the entire side.

Some of the newer vinyl albums I mentioned, I also have in Digital format and on my system - they both sound exceptional, too the point where it is difficult to tell them apart.

But I do tend to gravitate to the vinyl version in those moments I want to immerse myself in the music

Even though I have had a turntable since 1981 - I switched to Digital for many  years, but then I decided to dust of the turntable and in that process, I found a whole new listening pleasure.

That's my journey 👴

Apologies for the long post - Steve