Rega P10

Rossb said:
To be clear, Rega has never said don't clean your records. Roy Gandy has said not to worry too much about "visible dust" on records. He has also said that record cleaning in accordance with recommendations of RCM manufacturers - who used to advocate vacuum cleaning your records every time you played them - was overdoing it. I think he is right
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Quoted directly from the manual:

"Don't use any record cleaner that works while the record is playing or any cleaners that use water or solvents. If you keep your records stored in their sleeves, don't touch the playing surfaces, play with the lid down and keep all water and fluids away, no cleaning at all should be necessary. Don't worry about visible dust on the record surface, this is brushed aside by the stylus and any that collects on the stylus can be easily blown away. In general, record cleaning is overdone and one should not believe all the claims made by record cleaner manufacturers."

This one is a favorite:

"VTA adjustment is actually a neurosis NOT a technical adjustment."
 
puroagave said:
Quoted directly from the manual:

"Don't use any record cleaner that works while the record is playing or any cleaners that use water or solvents. If you keep your records stored in their sleeves, don't touch the playing surfaces, play with the lid down and keep all water and fluids away, no cleaning at all should be necessary. Don't worry about visible dust on the record surface, this is brushed aside by the stylus and any that collects on the stylus can be easily blown away. In general, record cleaning is overdone and one should not believe all the claims made by record cleaner manufacturers."

This one is a favorite:

"VTA adjustment is actually a neurosis NOT a technical adjustment."
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I love my Rega but when I read that in their manual I was severely disappointed and questioned my decision of buying a Rega table. I have, however, found that most every other statement I have read coming out of Rega appear to make sense and seem appropriate.

I do not remember reading the VTA adjustment statement :), but I might have missed it :D. I also believe that 1 MM up or down will not make big differences, but if it gets larger then that I would be concerned. Knowing that their original mat is 2 MM all others are within 1 MM of that. Since I am using a Rega cartridge other VTA adjustments don't matter. I could see having to use a spacer if other cartridges where used however.

Regardless of the non-sensical paragraph about cleaning in their manuals I am thrilled with my RP8 table. I have upgraded to the better power supply speed controller, the Neo, and it actually makes a nice difference. I have also added the Hexmat Yellow Bird record isolator and I do have a set of the Little Belter blue belts that I will occasionally change back and forth with the original white belts. I don't really notice a difference with the belts :). All in all I am very happy with the table and vinyl fanatic friends who have came over appear to like the table also, including commenting on it a few times after the fact.
 
So basically 3 cards is 1 MM.... give or take a .... hair....

I would think that my other equipment would greatly affect weather I could hair the difference in three playing cards height of my tone arm.... I am sure that tables that are many times higher than mine might offer the ability of adjust tonearm height by three playing cards, and actually have a way of telling when it is at the proper height, however I am equally sure that my other equipment and my eyes do not have the capacity to distinguish that difference.
 
Rossb said:
I agree, the Rega RP8 and P8 are amazing turntables that provide sound quality that is vastly out of proportion to their cost and appearance.

I had an RP8 and an RP10 at the same time for a while, and currently have a P8. I bought my RP8 when I had the much more expensive AMG Viella, which I just wasn't enjoying. I sold the AMG and kept the Rega. I then tried the top spec Linn LP12 with Radikal, Ekos SE etc, again at about 6 times the cost of the Rega. And again I preferred the RP8.

That was when I bought the RP10 expecting it to be be much better than the RP8. In some ways it was - image size, drama, speed - but it was also bright, brittle sounding and a little fatiguing, which I ultimately attributed to the ceramic platter. I preferred the RP8 and sold the RP10.

But then I bought my final turntable, a Kuzma Stabi Ref (with a variety of arms over time, including the Kuzma Stogi Ref, Kuzma 4 Point, Audio Origami PU7 and Alphason HR100), and this was finally a noticeable step up from the Rega. But it took a while to find a turntable and arm combination to beat the humble Rega RP8, and even then with some arm and cartridge combinations the Rega could still compete in musicality and dynamics. But I was happy with the Kuzma so sold the RP8.

Recently I found myself missing the Rega sound again and bought a P8 to sit alongside my Kuzma. (I didn't buy the P10 because of the ceramic platter.) It sounds amazing. I could easily live with this as my only turntable. It is highly engaging, musical and toe-tapping. It can easily get the best out of a high end cartridge and phono stage and provides the bass depth and imaging of a much more expensive deck. My Kuzma with (currently) an Alphason arm is better still, but not by much and the margin is not as big as you might expect given the difference in cost.

The current Rega decks are bargains at their respective prices.

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Hi - I'm new to the Forum. I find it interesting that you feel your your P8 gives your Stabi Reference a run for its money. I own a Stabi/Stogi S with a Dynavector XX2 that has just passed it's 10th anniversary (though it still sounds OK) so a new cart such as a Hana SL or ML is required.

Last week my dealer demo'd me a P8 and I was quite stunned, especially considering that it was only an Ania cartridge, though it was through an Aura phono amp. My Stabi doesn't have the the external power supply either, which is a £1500 upgrade- almost the price of a P8 without a cartridge! So I have to decide whether to spend £1k on a Hana for the Kuzma or sell it and go for the P8 + apheta 3. If I did change to the P8 then I'd also change my Supernait 2 to the Aethos. The Kuzma looks nice though!

Also it doesn't help that my dealer has lost his Kuzma dealership.
 
Welcome to the forum IanMac, thank you for joining.

IanMac said:
Hi - I'm new to the Forum. I find it interesting that you feel your your P8 gives your Stabi Reference a run for its money. I own a Stabi/Stogi S with a Dynavector XX2 that has just passed it's 10th anniversary (though it still sounds OK) so a new cart such as a Hana SL or ML is required.

Last week my dealer demo'd me a P8 and I was quite stunned, especially considering that it was only an Ania cartridge, though it was through an Auro phono amp. My Stabi doesn't have the the external power supply either, which is a £1500 upgrade- almost the price of a P8 without a cartridge! So I have to decide whether to spend £1k on a Hana for the Kuzma or sell it and go for the P8 + apheta 3. If I did change to the P8 then I'd also change my Supernait 2 to the Aethos. The Kuzma looks nice though!

Also it doesn't help that my dealer has lost his Kuzma dealership.
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IanMac said:
Hi - I'm new to the Forum. I find it interesting that you feel your your P8 gives your Stabi Reference a run for its money. I own a Stabi/Stogi S with a Dynavector XX2 that has just passed it's 10th anniversary (though it still sounds OK) so a new cart such as a Hana SL or ML is required.

Last week my dealer demo'd me a P8 and I was quite stunned, especially considering that it was only an Ania cartridge, though it was through an Aura phono amp. My Stabi doesn't have the the external power supply either, which is a £1500 upgrade- almost the price of a P8 without a cartridge! So I have to decide whether to spend £1k on a Hana for the Kuzma or sell it and go for the P8 + apheta 3. If I did change to the P8 then I'd also change my Supernait 2 to the Aethos. The Kuzma looks nice though!

Also it doesn't help that my dealer has lost his Kuzma dealership.
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Get the Rega P8. Or, better yet, get the P10. My review of the P10 is coming out next month in TAS, I'm told.

Rega-Planar-10.jpg
 
I'd go for the P10 if I had the funds! There again it depends on how much I can get for the Kuzma, and the XX2 still has value even though it's got between 1200 - 1500 hours on the clock. I think it's worth 25% trade in against a new XX2.
 
IanMac said:
I'd go for the P10 if I had the funds! There again it depends on how much I can get for the Kuzma, and the XX2 still has value even though it's got between 1200 - 1500 hours on the clock. I think it's worth 25% trade in against a new XX2.
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Yep, Ian, I am doing this same calculation right now with my selling my Michell Gyro SE, SME V, and Koetsu Urushi Vermilion as to whether I can buy the review unit of the P10.
 
We have the P6 and P8 in the store and love them. The P8 had me sit back and say “wow!” So dynamic and musical for such a modest price point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
IanMac said:
Blimey - these Regas are seeing off some serious kit! No wonder my Kuzma sounds "nice" in comparison.
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Yeah, the $6695 Rega P10 has given my approx. $15K Michell Gyro SE MkII/SME V/Koetsu Urushi Vermilion set-up a really hard run for the money.

Honestly, if I had to pick one, I wouldn't think twice about it, I would just get the Rega P10, and call it a day. Seriously. As I mention in my review, it's actually quieter with respect to mechanical noise and more detailed than my setup.

Unlike my Rega P5 which I had some years ago, which I would characterize as "kicky and energetic", the P10 is dead-nuts neutral, neutral, neutral. Did I say it was neutral? :P There is NO coloration from that 'table. And the Apheta pulls GOBS of information from the record groove.

My reco? Just get it.
 
IanMac said:
Hi - I'm new to the Forum. I find it interesting that you feel your your P8 gives your Stabi Reference a run for its money. I own a Stabi/Stogi S with a Dynavector XX2 that has just passed it's 10th anniversary (though it still sounds OK) so a new cart such as a Hana SL or ML is required.

Last week my dealer demo'd me a P8 and I was quite stunned, especially considering that it was only an Ania cartridge, though it was through an Aura phono amp. My Stabi doesn't have the the external power supply either, which is a £1500 upgrade- almost the price of a P8 without a cartridge! So I have to decide whether to spend £1k on a Hana for the Kuzma or sell it and go for the P8 + apheta 3. If I did change to the P8 then I'd also change my Supernait 2 to the Aethos. The Kuzma looks nice though!

Also it doesn't help that my dealer has lost his Kuzma dealership.
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I recently sold my Kuzma Stabi Ref - after much agonising, I realised I just enjoyed the Rega turntable more. The Stabi Ref was a great turntable - very neutral, very "hi fi" - but the Rega was just more fun, more dynamic and more colourful. It was just more enjoyable to listen to. I did replace the Kuzma with another turntable - a PTP Solid 9, which is better again - but I have kept the P8 and still listen to it because it is such a great sounding turntable, and one I could easily live with as my only turntable.

I think if you sold your Kuzma and bought a P8 I doubt you would regret it. I'm not so sure about the Apheta cartridge. I had an Apheta 2 briefly which I did not like at all, but the Apheta 3 may be an improvement. The dynavectors sound great on the P8, as does the Benz Glider and the Ortofon Cadenza series.

As I mentioned above, I preferred the P8 to the P10, both of which I owned, and eventually sold the P10. I actually think the P8 is a better turntable, but this is a matter of personal preference so you should listen vary carefully for an extended period to both before deciding between them. But I really don't think you would regret buying a P8. it is a truly outstanding turntable and a bargain at its price.
 
Thanks for your input guys - much appreciated. It looks like I'm going to pull the trigger on either a P8 or P10. Using the Dynavector is an option I'm considering, it reduces the initial outlay by some margin. I might be lucky and get another year out of it, though the saving on an Apheta with either table is tempting. As I said before, I was quite amazed by the sound of the cheap Ania on the P8, and the Ania Pro is getting good reviews - plenty of detail but warmer than the Apheta. It seems there's only a £100 saving when buying the Ania Pro with the turntable.

My first decent turntable was a Rega Planar 3 back in the mid 1980s, since then have owned 2 x Roksan Xerxes, Roksan TMS, Well Tempered Labs Amadeus and the Kuzma. Looks like I might be turning full circle!
 
IanMac said:
Thanks for your input guys - much appreciated. It looks like I'm going to pull the trigger on either a P8 or P10. Using the Dynavector is an option I'm considering, it reduces the initial outlay by some margin. I might be lucky and get another year out of it, though the saving on an Apheta with either table is tempting. As I said before, I was quite amazed by the sound of the cheap Ania on the P8, and the Ania Pro is getting good reviews - plenty of detail but warmer than the Apheta. It seems there's only a £100 saving when buying the Ania Pro with the turntable.

My first decent turntable was a Rega Planar 3 back in the mid 1980s, since then have owned 2 x Roksan Xerxes, Roksan TMS, Well Tempered Labs Amadeus and the Kuzma. Looks like I might be turning full circle!
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Ha! My first decent table was Rega Planar 3, too. I had an SME III on it, with a Grace F9 Ruby. Sounded wonderful back in the day.

I wouldn't draw any inferences about the Apheta 3 based on Apheta 2 or Ania experiences. The Apheta 3 is exceptionally neutral and virtually devoid of any coloration, but pulls a ridiculous amount of information out of the record groove. My guidance would be not to dismiss it until you've heard it.
 
I would also say don't judge by the Ania either. The Ania Pro is an awesome cartridge and from what I have heard, night and day better than the Ania. I have even read it being rated better than the Apheta 2!

The Grace F9 Ruby was an amazing cartridge.
 
Randy Myers said:
I would also say don't judge by the Ania either. The Ania Pro is an awesome cartridge and from what I have heard, night and day better than the Ania. I have even read it being rated better than the Apheta 2!

The Grace F9 Ruby was an amazing cartridge.
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Since my last post I've come to the conclusion that the P8 with an Apheta 3 is a no brainer. It will sound good with my Dynavector P75 mk 4 in PE mode. I remember going to buy an LP 12 and I left with a Roksan Xerxes and Shiraz, the finest cartridge I've ever owned. I think the P8 and Apheta are of the same vein, but a lot cheaper!
 
Randy Myers said:
I would also say don't judge by the Ania either. The Ania Pro is an awesome cartridge and from what I have heard, night and day better than the Ania. I have even read it being rated better than the Apheta 2!

The Grace F9 Ruby was an amazing cartridge.
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I read the same thing. But it depends what you want. The Apheta 2 is very neutral but the Ania is suppose to have more « body » (coloration???). Like a SS vs a tube.
I like the sound of my Apheta 2 better with my tube phono vs my old SS phono.
The Rega P10 is one of my dream turntable. :thumbsup:
 
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