[narticus]

I just placed an order for one of these from a local HiFi shop (thanks again for the recommendation VicAjax), and I'm just wondering if anyone has any opinions/comments on it yet. Or, any recommendations on upgrades to the stock cartridge.

The guy at the shop said I do have some options, but not as many as I would with the P3. But, this came to about $380 w/tax, whereas the P3 would've been nearly twice that w/ a cartridge. So it was an easy choice for me to make.

 

[tyrion]

It's a nice table. I heard one for a few minutes at a local dealer. I don't believe you can go wrong considering it comes set up with a cart.

 

[proglife]

Quote:

Originally Posted by narticus The guy at the shop said I do have some options, but not as many as I would with the P3.

Sounds like he was just trying to upsell you? I don't know why this would be the case. As far as I know, the cartridge mounts are the same and the RB100 features the same adjustments as the RB300.

I could be wrong

 

[narticus]

I don't think he was since this was after I already signed the forms and everything.

 

[proglife]

i don't see how the RB100 arm would put any limitations on cartridge choices, as compared to the RB300.

I just checked out the manual and it's cool how they have it setup with the stock Ortofon cartridge. It looks like it takes the grunt work out of setting it up. Neat.

 

[narticus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by proglife i don't see how the RB100 arm would put any limitations on cartridge choices, as compared to the RB300. I just checked out the manual and it's cool how they have it setup with the stock Ortofon cartridge. It looks like it takes the grunt work out of setting it up. Neat.

So that means I can just use it out of the box? I'm guessing the tone-arm will still need to be adjusted, correct?

 

[proglife]

yeah, it sounds like you just need to spin the balance weight all the way in and set the bias slider to the same setting. pretty sweet

 

[narticus]

Quote:

Originally Posted by proglife yeah, it sounds like you just need to spin the balance weight all the way in and set the bias slider to the same setting. pretty sweet

I have no idea what that means. I'm going to ask the shop to do that for me.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by proglife Sounds like he was just trying to upsell you? I don't know why this would be the case. As far as I know, the cartridge mounts are the same and the RB100 features the same adjustments as the RB300.

They must have made compromises somewhere and seeing as how the Rega is already fairly minimal in engineering terms anyway my bet would be in the quality of the bearings used in the arm and the turntable itself.

This will have an impact on the amount of background noise audible on a record as the arm will not be able to track as surely as on a better engineered machine.

Therefore your choice of carts will be limited to Moving Magnets at the cheaper end of the market and maybe entry level Moving Coils like the Sumiko Blue Point. However it's not really worth spending a lot on a cartridge for a turntable like this. You won't benefit from the difference as much as by upgrading the whole thing.

Build quality is what really separates entry level turntables from more expensive ones which has a big influence on sound with analogue media.

I wouldn't worry about any of this too much though as it's your first foray into vinyl and you made an excellent choice with the Rega. They make some of the best entry level decks one can buy new these days and are very easy to use if you have no experience of the joys of analogue.

The only thing to bear in mind is the surface you put it on will greatly effect it's performance. A wall shelf is pretty mandatory unless you have concrete or stone floors.

 

[narticus]

Thanks!

This isn't my first turntable by any means, but it is my first "high end" turntable. When I was young I had a cheap-o Panasonic cassette/turntable unit for many years, then for the past 6 months I've been using my dad's old Hitachi HT-6. So, I'm sure this will sound MUCH better than what I'm used to.

Any suggestions as far as wall shelving goes? I have hard wood floors. And the stereo rack I keep all of my other units on has a slight forward angle to it, so it isn't exactly level. Level surfaces are very important, right?

 

[proglife]

definitely get that thing level!

I wouldn't say the wall-rack is MANDATORY, but probably a good idea.

My P3 is on some fairly resonant glass and I'm in the process of building a replacement shelf, but it still sounds GOOD. As good as it possibly can? No, but it sounds good.

 

[003]

I am thinking of getting the P1 as my first turntable. I can get it for $350. Is that a good deal? Should I go for it?

 

[narticus]

That's exactly what I paid before taxes. I think it's a great deal considering it's Rega and comes with a cartridge.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by narticus Any suggestions as far as wall shelving goes? I have hard wood floors. And the stereo rack I keep all of my other units on has a slight forward angle to it, so it isn't exactly level. Level surfaces are very important, right?

Getting it level is very important. You can get a small spirit level from a model making shop or else Radioshack sometimes have them.

The Rega has no suspension whatsoever so isolating it from external vibrations is pretty crucial to it's performance. Whether you need a wall shelf would depend on how solid your hardwood floor is but if you can make the needle jump with footfalls then a shelf is definitely the way to go.

It needn't be expensive, just a couple of steel or wooden brackets and a decent bit of thick MDF will do fine. Marble slabs which are sold as chopping boards are also a good solution.

 

[narticus]

Thanks for that. Maybe I'll just build a shelf. They seem to be ridiculously overpriced.

Also, are there any mandatory tweaks I should be aware of? Platter, tonearm, or otherwise?