Hello Mr. Fremer! Greetings all the way from beautiful Colorado. After watching your tour of the Rega Factory and reading your various reviews on Rega products thru the years, I decided to make the jump over to them. I picked up the latest Rega Planar 6 Turntable, paired with the Rega Ania MC Cartridge and the Rega Fono MC Phono Preamp. I’ve been collecting and listening to records most of my life (probably 35 of my 40 years on this planet) and have used mostly mid level HiFi gear. Listening to records thru my new Rega system, which I consider to be a step or 2 above my mid tier TT and cartridge, has been stunning. I’ve heard things that I didn’t even realize were there, buried in the grooves. Thanks again for all that you do in helping to keep high quality, physical music alive and well.
This company is pure value at reasonable prices So rare to find these days. I think they avoid the big advertising campaigns which allows them to set their prices fairly I have great respect for Roy Gandy. Made in the UK
I'm amaized at how open they are at Rega in terms of what they let you see and film. They show in great detail their speed testing machine, I've seen coil winding machines etc. Things a lot of other manufacturers want to keep secret
I don't know if you will have time to ask Roy about this but the "felt" mat doesn't appear to have changed since I had my "old Rega Planar 3. This is something that many owners change. With everything before the platter and after the cartridge being optimised for precision and minimal excess movement, how is a soft and squidgy mat, in relative terms, justified. Roy may say that they have changed the composition of the material over the years but it's still a "soft" mat. Good series Michael, I hope you get some time in their listening room as virtually nothing has been mentioned about speakers.
Deluk This was explained by Roy in an interview I saw somewhere on youtube. He tried ALL the different materials for the mat yet all of them came short in sound quality compared to wool. He felt that the wool mat pulls the sound towards their design philosophy and the Rega sound. He admitted that other mats are better for other design choice turntables (high mass) and that the wool is more prone to static. Having tried different mats myself (cork, rubber, composite) on my RP8, everytime I do so the sound quality takes a hit somewhere on the frequency spectrum (rubber one killed the mids). I always went back to the original felt immediately...it is noticeable. Hope this helps. I do understand that others prefer to tweak the sound more to their liking/system by changing the mat but that takes the discussion into another rabbit hole.
Interesting, this makes me recall the time when i buit a phonograph preamplifier stage in the past using a dual matched j-fet. The very high input impedance of the j-fets eliminates the need for a dc blocking signal capacitor to be used - with the electrically matching j-fets (in a single case) reducing signal distortion and voltage offset.
Great video Mikey, but the shakey camera work does drive me mad at times. My Rega has been in my system for around 10 years. It's a P3-24 fitted with an Exact MM cartridge and the outboard power supply. It sounds fantastic and very musical. I would definitely by another Rega, maybe the RP8 or 10 next time. Really good to see this company working constantly to improve and it looks like they respect their workers too which is great.
Those speed and Wow/Flutter numbers don't look great to me. Especially for such a high end table. Of course I haven't seen raw data like that much before but that just doesn't look great to me. I'd love to have that digital setup at home so I could run my tables (PL-540 and Debut Carbon DC) through it to see how they compare.
Analog Planet- Thank you for the correction, Michael. I'm glad you've got access to this sort of thing and I really enjoyed these videos. I noticed the RP6 and P3 had the same tolerances. I've been considering one or the other lately- any preference? Also, surprised you didn't ask about the infamous Rega speed trick!
I don't understand your comment regarding the Planar 1 "these are for people that don't listen to records, they are for people that hang them on the wall". Well, I have a Planar 1 and listen to it daily, my records are not on the wall either. The P1 sounds great to me.
M B It was a throwback to an earlier part of the tour when Michael mentioned that some articles on the vinyl resurgence imply that most new people only buy records to hang on walls. He doesn’t believe that, and his comment was in response to the number of planar 1s in production, and how it runs counter to those articles.
the Crosley c200 Bears resemblance to the Technica and the Audio-Technica however weight difference sound distribution would be completely different and it does come with an Audio-Technica stylus however from doing research on this product I'm not a hundred percent sure if the stylist can actually be replaced to an upgraded stylus and I'm not sure of what quality the tone arm is either however it beats what I currently have which is a cheaper Crosley. now I know Crosley is not a well-known brand to have a great reputation by any means but I figured I'd give the Crosley c200 a shot just to see what it's all about. so again that's why I'm asking if you can maybe do a review on that even though it has nothing to do with your realm of turntables or decks but it would be really cool for a hundred percent opinion by you
Thanks Mike. As a Brit, I've always been a fan of both companies. Apologies for not spotting the existing SME visit. In that context, I don't think I'm alone in being a bit worried about SME's recent changes.
man i was totally going to buy a R1 but to hell with that! they allow up to .5% wow & flutter! No thanks...Now i know why they dont post this spec.....
I bought my Aria around a year ago, so (going by the last segment of the part 4 video) does that mean I got an inferior one? :( No factory upgrade option!?
Haha, well I guess only Rega would have a rough idea. It was a significant upgrade from the internal phono stage in the Rega Elicit R amp so I'm still happy with it - but, you know, if I missed out on an even better version by a couple of months that would be galling!
Michael, would you explain Mr. Gandy's antithetical philosophy on high mass turntables. ie, while the rest of the industry has adopted the higher mass in relation to higher cost philosophy. Rega does the exact opposite. therye most expensive turntable has a plinth comprised of skeletal foam weighing ounces.
I found this in the description of a RP10 on the NeedleDoctor website: Skeletal plinth design with polyolefin foam core: Controversially Rega has always researched methods of producing light but stiff and rigid plinths. The technology is simple: unwanted noise at microscopic levels is developed by the turntable motor and main bearing. The plinth can also pick up airborne vibration from the music. From the beginning in the 1970’s Rega pioneered the use of a stressed skin structure for the plinth. This uses two layers of phenolic resin with a lightweight particle or fibre board sandwiched between the skins. This technique has been used in many applications where stiff, light structures are needed such as an aircraft wing or a Formula 1 chassis. The current increase in interest in turntables has allowed Rega to research and develop higher technology structures for the customer who is happy pay a little more for higher sound quality. The all new RP10 turntable utilises a unique new stressed skin structure produced from thin phenolic skins sandwiching a featherweight nitrogen expanded, closed cell, polyolefin foam core. This material has been developed exclusively for Rega over a three year period. The RP10 plinth is 7 times lighter than the weight of the original Planar 3 plinth. Rega has added even more stiffness in the crucial area between the arm and the main bearing.
looks like they go to great lengths in there research and development on there turntables but i think they should spend a little more effort on the looks of the tables as well ,just my simple opinion only
Great company, a British classic. Rega, nice to see you plant some more trees, shrubs around the factory as seemed like something of an after thought. Do workers at Rega surrounded by all that hi-fi listen to such terrible radio? Can't believe it. I thought jazz or classical would be compulsory.
I hate to ask but you seem to love this stuff but if you could possibly get your hands on a Crosley c200 and give you a review on a cheaper turntable that won't destroy your records due to anti skate and counterweight with direct-drive which is all new to Crosley that would be pretty cool to have your solid unequivocal opinion
cute, there is clearly no production culture - no offense, but there is a serious company - are doing good things in a different environment, and obviously on the other))
Blown away by how nice al the staff are and how seriously handmade it all is for the prices....
A series like this really helps to understand the pricing of turntables.
Thankfully, we have companies like Rega who make great products at a reasonable price - Cheers!
I have watched all 4 episodes so far. What a great company!
Really enjoyed this ! Mr. Gandy seems like a very nice man. Thanks for this Michael .
This is how all companies should be run
Very interesting series of videos, thanks for taking the time and effort to make them.
Thanks for the great tour Michael!
I bought my first Rega product after watching this. Setup was mostly Linn and Naim.
Hello Mr. Fremer! Greetings all the way from beautiful Colorado. After watching your tour of the Rega Factory and reading your various reviews on Rega products thru the years, I decided to make the jump over to them. I picked up the latest Rega Planar 6 Turntable, paired with the Rega Ania MC Cartridge and the Rega Fono MC Phono Preamp. I’ve been collecting and listening to records most of my life (probably 35 of my 40 years on this planet) and have used mostly mid level HiFi gear. Listening to records thru my new Rega system, which I consider to be a step or 2 above my mid tier TT and cartridge, has been stunning. I’ve heard things that I didn’t even realize were there, buried in the grooves. Thanks again for all that you do in helping to keep high quality, physical music alive and well.
Just fished your 4 part series and enjoyed it! My dream turntable is the P3, but for me cost is what holds me up. Thanks for the great tour.
Roy Gandy has a nice laid back vibe about him... seems like a really cool guy.
this makes me appreciate my P3 even more.
Fascinating stuff. Thanks for this.
This company is pure value at reasonable prices
So rare to find these days. I think they avoid the big advertising campaigns which allows them to set their prices fairly
I have great respect for Roy Gandy.
Made in the UK
great series about a company only 10 miles away from me, brilliant vids Michael.
I'm amaized at how open they are at Rega in terms of what they let you see and film.
They show in great detail their speed testing machine, I've seen coil winding machines etc.
Things a lot of other manufacturers want to keep secret
I don't know if you will have time to ask Roy about this but the "felt" mat doesn't appear to have changed since I had my "old Rega Planar 3. This is something that many owners change. With everything before the platter and after the cartridge being optimised for precision and minimal excess movement, how is a soft and squidgy mat, in relative terms, justified. Roy may say that they have changed the composition of the material over the years but it's still a "soft" mat. Good series Michael, I hope you get some time in their listening room as virtually nothing has been mentioned about speakers.
Deluk This was explained by Roy in an interview I saw somewhere on youtube.
He tried ALL the different materials for the mat yet all of them came short in sound quality compared to wool. He felt that the wool mat pulls the sound towards their design philosophy and the Rega sound.
He admitted that other mats are better for other design choice turntables (high mass) and that the wool is more prone to static.
Having tried different mats myself (cork, rubber, composite) on my RP8, everytime I do so the sound quality takes a hit somewhere on the frequency spectrum (rubber one killed the mids). I always went back to the original felt immediately...it is noticeable.
Hope this helps. I do understand that others prefer to tweak the sound more to their liking/system by changing the mat but that takes the discussion into another rabbit hole.
Interesting, this makes me recall the time when i buit a phonograph preamplifier stage in the past using a dual matched j-fet. The very high input impedance of the j-fets eliminates the need for a dc blocking signal capacitor to be used - with the electrically matching j-fets (in a single case) reducing signal distortion and voltage offset.
Great video Mikey, but the shakey camera work does drive me mad at times. My Rega has been in my system for around 10 years. It's a P3-24 fitted with an Exact MM cartridge and the outboard power supply. It sounds fantastic and very musical. I would definitely by another Rega, maybe the RP8 or 10 next time. Really good to see this company working constantly to improve and it looks like they respect their workers too which is great.
Ordered a P3, can't wait to get it!!
Quality control!?: I'm surprised no one either noticed or commented on the guy using a stack of plinths as a bench 2:15+
mrrobbieblunt1 Wow great eye! Deal breaker for me!
Those speed and Wow/Flutter numbers don't look great to me. Especially for such a high end table. Of course I haven't seen raw data like that much before but that just doesn't look great to me.
I'd love to have that digital setup at home so I could run my tables (PL-540 and Debut Carbon DC) through it to see how they compare.
Analog Planet- Thank you for the correction, Michael. I'm glad you've got access to this sort of thing and I really enjoyed these videos.
I noticed the RP6 and P3 had the same tolerances. I've been considering one or the other lately- any preference?
Also, surprised you didn't ask about the infamous Rega speed trick!
I don't understand your comment regarding the Planar 1 "these are for people that don't listen to records, they are for people that hang them on the wall". Well, I have a Planar 1 and listen to it daily, my records are not on the wall either. The P1 sounds great to me.
M B It was a throwback to an earlier part of the tour when Michael mentioned that some articles on the vinyl resurgence imply that most new people only buy records to hang on walls. He doesn’t believe that, and his comment was in response to the number of planar 1s in production, and how it runs counter to those articles.
After watching all of this I want to buy a Rega! Thanks for spending my money, Mikey!
2:46 nice belch.
the Crosley c200 Bears resemblance to the Technica and the Audio-Technica however weight difference sound distribution would be completely different and it does come with an Audio-Technica stylus however from doing research on this product I'm not a hundred percent sure if the stylist can actually be replaced to an upgraded stylus and I'm not sure of what quality the tone arm is either however it beats what I currently have which is a cheaper Crosley. now I know Crosley is not a well-known brand to have a great reputation by any means but I figured I'd give the Crosley c200 a shot just to see what it's all about. so again that's why I'm asking if you can maybe do a review on that even though it has nothing to do with your realm of turntables or decks but it would be really cool for a hundred percent opinion by you
I swapped my P9 for an SME 20/3 recently. You know where you need to go next Mr Fremer....
Thanks Mike. As a Brit, I've always been a fan of both companies. Apologies for not spotting the existing SME visit. In that context, I don't think I'm alone in being a bit worried about SME's recent changes.
mookie2637 i
this is absolutely the most effective upsell series of videos i've ever seen. showing all the rejected parts going into the base model....
man i was totally going to buy a R1 but to hell with that! they allow up to .5% wow & flutter! No thanks...Now i know why they dont post this spec.....
Tabossco yep 0.25% is good for low to mid range turntables. 0.5% is abysmal and most people can detect it.
I bought my Aria around a year ago, so (going by the last segment of the part 4 video) does that mean I got an inferior one? :( No factory upgrade option!?
Haha, well I guess only Rega would have a rough idea. It was a significant upgrade from the internal phono stage in the Rega Elicit R amp so I'm still happy with it - but, you know, if I missed out on an even better version by a couple of months that would be galling!
I wish 750 pounds to me was moderately priced LOL
Michael, would you explain Mr. Gandy's antithetical philosophy on high mass turntables. ie, while the rest of the industry has adopted the higher mass in relation to higher cost philosophy. Rega does the exact opposite. therye most expensive turntable has a plinth comprised of skeletal foam weighing ounces.
I found this in the description of a RP10 on the NeedleDoctor website:
Skeletal plinth design with polyolefin foam core:
Controversially Rega has always researched methods of producing light but stiff and rigid plinths. The technology is simple: unwanted noise at microscopic levels is developed by the turntable motor and main bearing. The plinth can also pick up airborne vibration from the music. From the beginning in the 1970’s Rega pioneered the use of a stressed skin structure for the plinth. This uses two layers of phenolic resin with a lightweight particle or fibre board sandwiched between the skins. This technique has been used in many applications where stiff, light structures are needed such as an aircraft wing or a Formula 1 chassis.
The current increase in interest in turntables has allowed Rega to research and develop higher technology structures for the customer who is happy pay a little more for higher sound quality. The all new RP10 turntable utilises a unique new stressed skin structure produced from thin phenolic skins sandwiching a featherweight nitrogen expanded, closed cell, polyolefin foam core. This material has been developed exclusively for Rega over a three year period. The RP10 plinth is 7 times lighter than the weight of the original Planar 3 plinth. Rega has added even more stiffness in the crucial area between the arm and the main bearing.
looks like they go to great lengths in there research and development on there turntables but i think they should spend a little more effort on the looks of the tables as well ,just my simple opinion only
Wow.. those are some horrible w&F tolerances.
la magia de michel se me quito en una feria
estoy en la banda 1400 de am me sali de fm
Great company, a British classic. Rega, nice to see you plant some more trees, shrubs around the factory as seemed like something of an after thought. Do workers at Rega surrounded by all that hi-fi listen to such terrible radio? Can't believe it. I thought jazz or classical would be compulsory.
you are the master
I hate to ask but you seem to love this stuff but if you could possibly get your hands on a Crosley c200 and give you a review on a cheaper turntable that won't destroy your records due to anti skate and counterweight with direct-drive which is all new to Crosley that would be pretty cool to have your solid unequivocal opinion
Tables [etc.] costing 10x, even 100x, more can't match [literally] the electrical & mechanical tolerances of Rega!
Congrats.
buying almost $200 Crosley c200 is break and my bank LOL
0.1 % wow&flutter tolerance ??? any decent DirectDrive will do less then 0,04 ......
P3/RP6 33.266 - 33.5
RP8 33.266 - 33.42
RP10 33.30 - 33.366
I thought the RP6 had better tolerances than the P3. Fooled :)
Deine Kameraführung reicht zum Astronauten-Test. Nach 2 Minuten war mir schwindelig…
Great company, awful camera work.
pigsty - employees burp all the fuss - products for the poor - never buy rega ... accidentally saw a video clip
cute, there is clearly no production culture - no offense, but there is a serious company - are doing good things in a different environment, and obviously on the other))
Moron.