Turntable upgrade: Rega Planar 3 or Pioneer PLX-1000

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by punkmusick, Jan 12, 2018.

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  1. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    I really don't know what you are getting at here. High frequency reproduction is as much to do with arm / cartridge and phono stage as anything. What so called audiophile TTs are you referring to that don't do high frequencies? Sound like something at level of budget Project? I have both a PLX1000 and a Michell Orbe / SME 309. The Pioneer is great value for money but it sure isn't as good as the Orbe set up and it should not at about 1/10th the price. As far as PLX1000 v P3 is concerned I would say sort of swings and roundabouts. The P3 on brief hearing sounded far better than earlier Rega models in that price range. There is a guy on Youtube who has done plenty of comparisons between P3 and PLX1000 as well as P6 and Denon DD models. OP should take a look. Check out 'Vinyl Room' channel.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
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  2. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brazil
    Will do that, thanks!
     
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  3. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    That channel is run by a member of another forum I frequent. To the best of my knowledge, he still has his PLX-1000, but no longer has the Rega, having replaced it with a Clearaudio.

    He told me he was dissatisfied with the bass performance of the P3.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
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  4. Disionity

    Disionity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri, USA
    I haven't heard either table in person, but from what I heard after watching several of Vinyl Room's vids I concluded that the Pioneer sounded dead compared to the P3 (perhaps the platter was dampened too much). As for his comment about bass, each to his own, but all of the reviews I read for the new P3 said the bass was a strong point compared to previous models. Even if the table doesn't plumb the depths, it has an undeniable rhythmic bounce. The biggest argument for the Pioneer is adjustability. You can quickly swap carts and change VTA on the fly. Honestly, Rega makes it a pain in the butt if you want to use cartridges other than their own. What the Rega does have going for it though is upgrades. There are several tweaks you can do that will make it perform above its price point, instead of having to replace the entire table outright when you crave a better sound. Personally, if a Technics SL-1200 (the table the Pioneer is trying to imitate) came up locally for a good price, I'd just buy that. Might just be better than either choice.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
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  5. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    It’s inevitable that the Technics 1200 will get brought up in a thread like this, but my opinion - different strokes for different folks. I owned a 1200 and wasn’t all that impressed. I’d like to try a PLX just for the firsthand knowledge, though.
     
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  6. Disionity

    Disionity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri, USA
    I'm not saying the 1200 is the ultimate audiophile table, rather I think it strikes the best balance between versatility and sound quality. Yes, there's better sounding tables, but they don't have the 1200's feature set, do they? It's an excellent drive system undermined by a merely "good not great" tonearm. I'd like to think an SL-1200 with a nice Jelco or SME mounted would be the only table most would ever need to own.
     
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  7. Dhreview16

    Dhreview16 Forum Resident

    Location:
    London UK
    Over here the Rp3 is arguably the best value turntable and cartridge you can get for £600. I have had one for 35 years and it is still going strong. The company, Rega, has a history of product improvement and the new model is reputedly the best one yet, and is a great combination pre-fitted with the Elys 2 or Exact cartridge. The Technics 1200 is a great deck but a totally different price range, around £1250. For that you can get a new RP6 with the £200 moving magnet cartridge (? Exact) rather than the £1450 Aria MC combination, so it's not a valid comparison in my view. If I had the higher budget I would look at the new RP6 or maybe a discounted predecessor.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
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  8. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brazil
    They sell it with Elys 2 here.
     
  9. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    I have opinions about all that, but that’s for another thread. What I saw before your latest edits was “quite frankly better than either”, and that’s not necessarily true if it doesn’t sound better.
     
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  10. Robert C

    Robert C Forum Resident

    Location:
    London, UK
    The Stereophile Feickert results for both machines puts the Pioneer ahead Vs the P3.
     
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  11. Disionity

    Disionity Forum Resident

    Location:
    Missouri, USA
    Yeah, I backpedaled on that statement. One, like I said earlier, I haven't heard the new P3 or PLX-1000 in person. Secondly, this statement was meant to refer to the whole package rather than just sound quality, but wasn't phrased well.
     
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  12. Dr. J.

    Dr. J. Music is in my soul

    Location:
    Memphis, TN
    Like I said above, I really wanted to get a P3 but the pitch issue is a serious one. I have been listening almost extensively to a SL-1200 for 10 years, and who knows, maybe that precise and accurate speed has attuned my ears to true 33.3 rpm. I recently got an AR-XA and measured the speed on my Turntabulator App and it measured 33.36. However, after cleaning the motor it now runs at 33.58, which is what a lot of people report for their RP3/P3s. I had no idea this was the case at first because I put the turntable into the rotation without measuring the speed again. Everything I played sounded a bit off. I was listening to Thriller and it was driving me nuts, so I measured the speed and got the 33.58 reading. So I agree, I do think these slightly higher speeds are audible for some. I am not a hater by any means, but I do find it troubling that one has to spend well over a grand to get a P6 or P8 in order to get accurate speed. Speed is not everything, of course, but once recognized as being off, there's no going back, just like when you first trained your ears to hear sibilance or IGD.
     
  13. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brazil
    For unknown reasons, I didn't think that there would be dispute about Planar 3 being the best sounding of these two tables due to its tonearm. I believed PLX-1000 advantages would not be in sound quality. It's surprising to me that there's no consensus and that some people who own or owned both prefer how the Pioneer sounds. Opened my mind.
     
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  14. swvahokie

    swvahokie Forum Resident

    Do you have perfect pitch? If not, the P3 is a no brainer. If you do, save up for the new Technics 1200gr. Hows that for easy. If you do buy the P3, it is very sensitive to setup. It does NOT like high mass furniture and stands. Best support is the Rega wall shelf. If that is out of the question, Quadrispire makes a nice bamboo shelf for 195 US dollars. Or, if you have an Ikea nearby, spend 10 bucks on a lack table and another 15 for a bamboo cutting board. It really matters.
     
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  15. swvahokie

    swvahokie Forum Resident

    I saw his videos. He replaced a 900 dollar Rega with a 2000 dollar Clearaudio. I would hope it would be better. His last review he was drooling over an RP8, saying it killed the Clearaudio. Gosh, its 3k. What will be next, a 5k table against the RP8?
     
  16. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    I thought it was a $1400 Clearaudio. Not much difference price wise between a P3 with the new power supply and the Clearaudio at that point.

    Another thing- Regas cost less in their home market. They are a much better value there.

    The same thing can be said here. Put a MoFi Studiodeck next to a P3, and the P3 seems like a toy. But in England it comes in close in price to a P6.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
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  17. swvahokie

    swvahokie Forum Resident

    He upgraded the tonearm to a Satisfy. Thus 2k. You dont like the light weight of the P3, you have made that clear. Rega's have to be placed on as light and as rigid a stand as you can find to get them to perform. Doesn't take a ton of money, thanks to Ikea, but you do have to stay with Regas lighter is better design.

    I like Rega's. I like them better than the VPI's I have heard. That being said, I might sell a kidney and trade in the wife for one of those 20k Technics. :angel:
     
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  18. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    Yeah, I'd like one on those 20k Technics too. So we agree on that. :winkgrin:
     
  19. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    If I had a nickel for every turntable that someone in the forums asserted is better than a Rega, I’d probably buy an Apheta cartridge for mine. The carrying on I saw in the forums is how I learned about Rega. I finally figured if you’re going to do it, might as well just get the P9.
     
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  20. HiFi Guy

    HiFi Guy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lakeland, FL
    The P9 is a special beast. As are the RP-8 and RP-10. Completely different animals, as you are aware.

    A P3? Take the arm and platter off and is it really that much different than a Pro-Ject Carbon DC?

    And as was said above- if you don't have perfect pitch, then the Rega is recommended. In other words, if you don't care about speed accuracy, then the Rega is fine. That said, I didn't hear any speed issues with my P3, although it didn't run at 33.3. It was closer to 34- with or without the TTPSU. Shouldn't a table run at the correct speed as a baseline? The Pioneer isn't perfect either, but it ran at the correct speed.
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
  21. Bob_in_OKC

    Bob_in_OKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas
    When I make a recommendation, I consider the audience. Despite having a Rega, myself, I don’t usually recommend them to anyone who isn’t already leaning that way. I know what I like and try to understand what the person asking might like. I would definitely recommend the Pioneer if I had tried one first hand and it is as good as I would expect it to be.

    As for the Rega, I think of it as a system. I want the whole thing tight, rigid, and light. I don’t want adjustable VTA or a removable head shell. I don’t want a Delrin platter, either. That’s what I like about the P9. It was a culmination of all the objectives of lightness and rigidity, until the RP8 took it a step further, except for the polished tonearm and ceramic platter. Of course, you don’t get all of the best aspects of that on the lesser models. So I guess my answer to what happens when you remove the platter and tonearm is - Don’t do that. It’s all part of the system.
     
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  22. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer Thread Starter

    Location:
    Brazil
    By that you mean the Pro-ject?
     
  23. All i can add to this thread is that i have a Rega P3 which i have owned for 17yrs and it is still sounding great. I have done all the usual upgrades and added a second hand Heed Orbit speed controller. I think its a fab TT and i have no intention of upgrading it. The one point i would like to make is that Regas sound best on a lightweight support system. They do not like a heavy mass TT support. I use a Torlyte base and it suites the TT.
     
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  24. swvahokie

    swvahokie Forum Resident

    [QUOTE="The one point i would like to make is that Regas sound best on a lightweight support system. They do not like a heavy mass TT support. I use a Torlyte base and it suites the TT.[/QUOTE]

    I'll take that a step forward. They pretty much suck on a high mass support. Rega should buy the rights to those Torlyte bases and reintroduce them to the market. There are enough Rega's worldwide to sell quite a few I would think. Hell, I would definitely buy one.
     
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  25. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    I'd recommend getting the new Technics SL-1200-GR over the Pioneer if possible. The tonearm is superior, and I have heard of no QC issues with it either. I've heard of some tonearms on the Pioneers needing bearing adjustment and a few other QC issues. The Pioneer is excellent in it's own right, but I'd make sure you can inspect it and exchange it if yours has that issue. I think the SL-1200 GR is sensible for most vinyl playback needs for most music lovers and even audiophiles.
     
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