Need advice Rega RP8

This I can pretty much confirm as true!

I have an RP1 which used to run slightly fast. It also had vibration problems, I could feel it, and still can somewhat when I touch the tone arm after extended plays. Nothing helped until I took off the belt and all vibrations pretty much stopped.
Its pretty safe to say that motor stress caused the issue but since most Rega tables I know of tend to run a bit slow and not fast I was one of few who had this issue.

 

Can’t do it with a stupid iPhone sitting on the rotating platter. Stupid iPhone and stupid Android phone sensors and apps are inaccurate and inconsistent.

Use a strobe sensor and a ‘scope interface. Ask a technician. The friend with the RP8 is an electronic engineer. He can (and does) measure every new piece of equipment he buys, and then remeasures components as they age. He keeps logs of the data.

 

Well i don't feel the urge of measuring anything, i jusr want to listen to music !

 

Exactly right, if you cant tell if its broke, theres nothing to fix.

 

The adjustment range is usually pretty small, unless you have a detached motor like on most of the VPI tables, or my Clearaudio table. The change would normally be much less than changing the belt to the 45 position. But many belt-drive tables have adjustable motor mounts to allow compensation for belt ageing, not so much to adjust speed. I agree that an adjustable speed control is a better solution, albeit at a much higher cost than a moveable motor. Thorens has both on some of their intermediate models now, but those are DC motors, so simple speed control.

 

Exactly as you say, the adjustment range is small and offered specifically on some turntables in order for users to compensate for belt wear or reduction of elasticity. Anyway, over-tensioning has to be avoided in order to prevent premature wear on the motor and spindle shaft and to prevent prematurely ruining the belt.

I heard one turntable a few years ago, in an audio shop that had been set up the previous day. No built-in speed control; no external speed control. The particular table was at least a whole tone off (slow) based on a piece of music I knew well at the time and was learning on my (perfectly tuned) piano at home. It was just weird to hear it so far off. So I sympathize with anyone who is so pitch sensitive that a quarter tone difference in pitch, or even smaller variances, bothers them.

I know an audiophile who is also a avowed music lover, major collector and a fine classical violinist who can hear a .30 Hz difference in tuning and pitch variation. He’s nearly 60 years old, but obviously still has terrific hearing. it’s remarkable. He really likes the speed adjustment that Avid builds into its external controllers. Based on listening to music at his place a few times over the past couple of years, it’s the reason I eventually bought an Avid Diva II SP for myself. Extremely fine speed control that, once set, locks in perfectly and remains stable over a relatively wide range of temperature and humidity changes.

 

Personally....I can't stand the guy.

 

Measuring a table running fast is an objective statement of fact, not opinion. And corroborated by my own experiences (I owned one), and many others here on this forum.

Might I ask your own specific experience with this table, Leonthepro, Costerdock, and others?

Yet this was Rega's exact suggestion to me through my dealer. And it works but is a PITA. I eventually went to the P10 for the speed control. Now the P6 offers this on the new TTPSU which is a great addition.

Also, most musicians I know are pitch sensitive. Not always speed but definitely inconsistency.

No, they are very accurate. A test tone disk also works. Turntabulor and Feicket's disk give me the same measurements. Conspiracy?

 

Blah blah blah. Thread crap on someone's thread about their exciting new turntable. The OP hasn't posted anything but praise and is very content with it - I believe he/she will do just fine w/o your opinion. Go help someone that needs it.

Quoting Fremer doesn't give you any credibility in my book.

 

No experience, Im just stating fact of what the tolerances of the table is.

No conspiracy, you probably got a good phone, Iphone? Im sorry, I cant really take anecdotal evidence to heart all that much, since I can just as easily find counter evidence.
Here you go:

 

Now now, lets not discourage discussion.

 

I'm debating the 'reference' claim, which the RP8 is not. Sorry. Lots of folks have commented on these tables running fast, and it is my own experience as well.

As you have zero experience with the RP8, I believe it is your opinion that is lacking merit.

 

What “reference” claim? If you’re actually recalling my comment in an earlier post it was actually that, IMO, the RP8 is a near-reference grade turntable. I’ll stand by that based on my direct experience with the RP8 using a variety of cartridges and setups during an extended audition and, more importantly, on the experience of a friend who has been a successful classical musician for many years and whose RP8 measures accurately every time he has tested it over the past couple of years. Anyone who is has a significant turntable budget but also isn’t prepared to spend what the industry considers to be reference grade will do well to put the RP8 on a short list of turntables to audition.

Please let’s not refer to “lots of others” in these sorts of discussions. I have the impression that if all of these “lots of others” as you call them all actually owned the RP8 turntables they’re commenting on, then Rega would have sold a lot more of the model than it actually has. Actual RP6 owners and RP8 owners have commented on speed inaccuracies no doubt, but the accuracy of their observations has been called into question in some cases too. They’re not all wrong, because some tables in some installations are prefectly speed accurate. But that’s true for all turntables from most makers at most price points. Measurement inaccuracy due to faulty technique, poor quality apps, misuse of an app or more traditional speed measurement tool is also a factor.

My own Avid Diva II SP was dead-on accurate when I picked it up from My Kind of Music in Toronto. John Costanzo, the owner, knows turntables, sets up carefully, and does terrific work. But in Toronto in the dead of winter, moving the turntable from the shop to my place made a difference. After the turntable settled in for a few days of operation, I checked the speed and measured it at 33.45 RPM. Too high. But that occurred because of the environmental change, a dramatic drop in relative humidity, and in increase in indoor temperature. No problem. I put the controller in to adjust mode and tapped it down to 33.33 using a calibrated mat and a friend’s strobe (which has it’s own power supply - it’s really accurate). I tried Turntabulator too (the iPhone version), but the strobe setup turned out to be more accurate.

I have a neighbor who periodically complains about his Project RPM 10.1 Evolution. It’s sharp or it’s flat or he hears wow & flutter or startup time is suddenly unusually slow, etc., etc., etc. Each time, I go over to his place with a couple of my own LPs to have a listen. Every single time, it’s a problem that has been introduced into the setup. He has started using some ridiculously heavy weight, his cleaning service has banged into the motor while dusting or something, he’s started using some sort of stupid slipmat/platter mat which is actually slipping during play, he monkeyed around with the ridiculously expensive rack he’s using and the top of the thing is nearly 5 degrees out of level. So I put everything right, and the turntable is once again spot on. What happens is that he notices that the turntable is not operating properly and then panics rather than thinking for a moment about connecting habitual problems (cleaning service) or accessorizing or tweaking (his problems) with the turntable issues. He used to post on a forum sometimes about his RPM 10.1 Evolution woes. He doesn’t do that anymore.

 

"next best thing to a reference-class turntable"

If you are hoping to debate the fact that Rega's run fast, including the RP8, you are up against a mountain of evidence to the contrary.

 

Tonepub gave it a great review - that is all I need to hear.

Review: The Rega RP8 Turntable

It is now time for the OP to post some pictures of his lovely new turntable.

 

Most Regas from the RP6 down do run fast . I have an RP6 and yes it does. However the upper tables and now the P6 and anyone who swaps out the new power unit can adjust that spot to close or right on 33.3.

I don't hear the faster speed of my table but my musician friend certainly does. Someday I may or may not change out the power unit bit it is not an immediate priority.

 

No debate. Rega doesn’t need me to defend its turntable products. I’m posting about only my own short-term experience with the RP8 and my longer-term experience with a friend’s RP8. Correct speed by any measure for both turntables.

 

First. The Rp8 looks like a great product. It’s one of Rega’s flagship products - it’s going to sound pretty damn sweet.

As far as measuring speed I have some new insight into it from toying with the very sensitive strobe on my Thorens Td124. This thing has a 13 pound platter and a strong motor and there is a large shift in speed as the needle drops. The manual states that the strobe should run slightly fast to have the play speed exact and I find this to be true. So any measuring method that doesn’t account for stylus drag is not one i would trust.

I’ve used the test tone discs as well and these work well but even with the QRP test disc I felt the disc was off in eccentricity and flatness to have a perfect measurement. But either a good strobe or a good disc and tone app would be my preferred way to check.

 

Very good point - back in the 70s, 80's most turntables had strobes and pitch adjust - ex my 99.00 Technics SL220 (I bought new from Pacific Stereo) - and you would set to speed based on the strobe while the record was playing.

And on my M5G - the strobe is dead on while the record is playing.

 

I’ve actually tried a couple iPhone speed apps on my RP6, both with and without the arm and stylus down and playing. In both cases I got the exact same results 33.7. .

 

Sorry for the light but it's night here.
I have put my at440mlb to try it out but will switch back to the Goldring tomorrow. This AT was a PITA to install on the arm !

 

Beautiful.

M~

 

I just tried an app called rpm calculator on android, it oscillated between 33.3 and 33.4.

 

Well that should be pretty spot on then.

 

Gorgeous