Rega introduces the new Rega Planar 6 Turntable

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by btf1980, Jul 15, 2017.

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  1. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA
    Break in shmake in, it'll sound great right out of the box, it will just ripen as you put hours on it. I remember when I brought home my RP3, Elys 2 and TTPSU it was the best thing I ever heard and it only got better with time until I got the Exact.
     
  2. JNTEX

    JNTEX Lava Police

    Location:
    Texas
    ok, you have had it for a whole two hours and no report?
     
  3. Colin M

    Colin M Forum Resident

    You get 2 hour lunch breaks!
     
  4. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Okay, you guys have pressured me!

    Unpacking the P6, as usual very secure packaging by Rega. The plinth is super light weight, I mean seriously light.

    Love the full sized manual !

    A breeze to set-up, set the VTF at 1.80 and the anti-skate ~1.4

    Powered up the Hegel 360 and Manley Chinook, put on an LP I've been playing the heck out of lately so I know what it should sound like (Steven Wilson's "To the Bone") and holy mother of pearl this sounds awesome. I had been using a dealer demo E.A.T. C-Sharp with pre-installed Ortofon Quintet Blue and right away two things were very apparent....

    1) The level of detail retrieval is really, really good.
    2) Clarity and detail of bass is amazing. You would figure with the light plinth this may be affected, no way!

    This is after 12 minutes of listening so of course it's already broken in and won't get better :p:winkgrin:

    Now, here's the critical part which trumps sound...speed accuracy. I kid, but of course it is important, just not as critical to me as others. Using the RPM app for iPhone I get:

    33.38
    45.08

    There you have it. I hope this little bit is of interest.

    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  5. So the speed is still fast :tiphat:



    I kid.


    And I bet it wound sound even better with the cover all the way off.
     
  6. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Oh yeah, when I play the cover comes completely off.
     
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  7. emjel

    emjel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    What is the deck actually resting on?
     
  8. deadcoldfish

    deadcoldfish Senior Member

    Location:
    Santa Rosa, CA
    wood :righton:
     
  9. GoldprintAudio

    GoldprintAudio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lexington, NC
    Nice!!! You beat me to it.....not had a chance to open my demo unit yet. Glad to hear your initial impressions.....and glad it made it to you safely!
     
    JCOehler likes this.
  10. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I have the P6 on a Neuance Shelf, no longer made but at one time by Ken Lyons and his company Greater Ranges. He made shelves that worked with any application and this one was built specifically for turntables demanding a light, rigid platform such as Linn or Rega. I find these to have excellent isolation and vibration control. They come up every now and then on the used market but they are usually $250-350, I've had this since 2004 and I think I paid $150.
     
  11. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Thanks Taylor for your excellent service...as always! You will really like this when you get it running.
     
    GoldprintAudio likes this.
  12. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest

    Beautiful looking deck, congratulations. What loading settings do you have your Manley set on for the Ania? Looking forward to more of your thoughts as things break in.
     
    JCOehler and kenbefound like this.
  13. Shiver

    Shiver Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Nice. Must also be a really liberating feeling to not have mess around setting the cart up; and to know it's correct!
     
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  14. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    I know they said 1 colour due to manufacturing restrictions but i wonder if they could put differenr coloured trims on the edges.
     
  15. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    I've got loading set at 100 ohms.
     
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  16. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    You know it! Having owned an Lp12 for numerous years along with a few others (VPI Classic) that was the source of consternation always. Break out the protractor, get the mirror to check azimuth, allen wrench to adjust tonearm height....oh damn I breathed on the cartridge, start over. As I've matured, okay gotten older, I just don't want to mess with the cartridge and now that Rega has introduced such a great player with all the other things on my checklist like the new plinth, subplatter and adjustable speed, I'm good.
     
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  17. kenbefound

    kenbefound Forum Resident

    That Manley sure is nice but cost more than the TT. Are there any other phonostages (new or used) that may approach it's performance (with the Ania) but at a fraction of it's cost?
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
  18. Echoes Myron

    Echoes Myron Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Beautiful! Congrats.
     
  19. JCOehler

    JCOehler Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    You and I probably have different philosophies (and budget) when it comes to our priority on spend in the audio hardware chain, and that's fine. The Chinook retail is $300 more than the P6/Ania combo and with discounts on both the gap is even less. For me, the phono stage is critical, it's worth the extra investment and within my budget. Is there something that's a fraction of the cost yet approaches the performance of the Chinook? I have no idea. I doubt it based on other phono stages I've listened to, the Chinook to me is a bargain. If I were to contemplate anything of lesser perceived value it would be the Rega Aria. It's $1000 less than the Chinook and I've listened to it extensively. The Chinook does everything better than the Aria IMO. The only minor quibble on the Chinook is lack of gain adjustments. But the 60db gain is fine for the Ania cartridge.
     
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  20. emjel

    emjel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    I’m sure I read something many years back, and is probably a subjective thing to some, but a friend asked me if there is a basic value ratio of how much is spent on Turntable, amp and speakers. I would not spend say $500 on an amp connected to a $100 Turntable, but he is not sure how much he would spend on an amp or speakers on say a $750 turntable. Apparently a dealer told him that if his turntable was approx $750 and amp was around $500, he should match speakers with a value of around $750. Of course that could just be a sales pitch.
     
  21. GoldprintAudio

    GoldprintAudio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lexington, NC
    Jeff is spot on here.....if you are looking for a phonostage to match up very well with the P6/Ania, the Rega Aria is a great option. But the Chinook is an amazing piece of gear, and if you don't mind spending the extra bucks for it, it's worth it.
     
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  22. GoldprintAudio

    GoldprintAudio Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lexington, NC
    To me, there is really no set rule here.....I've heard inexpensive speakers sound great with $$$$ amps, and I've also heard expensive speakers sound great with lower end amplification (and I've also heard super expensive speakers and amps sound not so great together). It's really all about proper matching and what sounds great in your room/setup (and your ears).
     
  23. emjel

    emjel Forum Resident

    Location:
    Liverpool
    As I thought, a subjective thing. My friend has a $500 amp and is getting back into vinyl in quite a big way and is looking at a really decent turntable - Project or Rega. I recommended the rp3 but he is attracted to this new rp6 now. He is also getting some Dynaudio Emit 20 or Excite speakers. I think the rp6 may be a bit over the top but he is looking long term.
     
  24. kenbefound

    kenbefound Forum Resident

    Yup, in the same boat here. I'm all caught up in the excitement of the new RP6 combo as well but probably more than I need; RP3 would probably be fine for me & your friend (would save about $500 with the same cart). I like the Regas as they offer a nice range of TT's that deliver good sound while keeping it simple with their 3 point carts & captive interconnects. I've set my total analog budget to $2K - $3K (as I currently have no analog gear). My system is more or less high C to low B class, so I think I'm on the right track.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2017
  25. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    Long term is the best way to view a major purchase. The Planar 6 has many advancements over the Planar 3. While I too could live with the Planar 3, if he can afford it, the Planar 6 is the smart choice.
    -Bill
     
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