A little love for the Rega P9 turntable

For those that have owned a P9 for some time, what do you say? I'm still very happy with mine...

http://www.tonepublications.com/analogaholic/the-rega-p9/

 

I've never owned one but I'd give my left...ventricle for one. Seriously, my favorite table. A lean, mean music making machine!

 

My next big audio purchase.

 

RP3, the poor man's P9?
love the look of the ceramic platter and the RB1000 tonearm!

 

I absolutely love my P9. I want to upgrade my phono-pre and based on your review of the Icon PS2 I want to try one out. I have upgraded the cartridge to a 20XH, it tracks like a beast.

 

Nice follow up review, Jeff.

My P9 is still singing along, after some out-of-the-box glitches that were promptly fixed.

I find nothing to fault with the sound, although admittedly I don't have many points of reference for 'tables in this price range. I feel that I have the Dyna XX2-mkII really dialed in, so the consistency I get over all areas of the record is very satisfying.

I haven't done much LP listening lately, and the reason is kinda crazy. Here in Texas, where it is a sweltering 100ºF or higher every day, my air conditioner runs basically non-stop. And the air handler is right next to my listening room. When it's on (all the time) it is hard to listen and enjoy the subtleties of vinyl.

 

Makes sense. Here's to the fall so you can spin vinyl again!

 

i spun my orange vinyl easy tiger on my p3 this morning. its a good solid table that I've had for over 15 yrs.

 

Yes! It's often 100ºF at 9pm at night, when I want to relax and listen. When I get a real hankering, I'll turn off the A/C for 20 minutes or so. But the room heats up fast with the amps, etc. Fall can't get here soon enough

I really expect the P9 to the be last turntable I ever buy.

 

Loving my P9. Just added a Modwright LS100 with phono and a Decware Zen Tori mk3 to the system. Getting it dialed in now. Cartridge is Zu DL103 and speakers are Zu Soul Superflys. My dream vinyl/tube system is pretty much finished. Just lots and lots of vinyl to buy now!
The amp was delayed by Hurricane Irene. She shook the house a bit and we lost some siding, but we came out pretty much unscathed, others not so lucky. Makes you appreciate everything even more.

 

Couldn't agree more. My P9 sits next to my SME 30 and I have friends who constantly ask when I'm going to sell the P9 to them -- but it isn't going anywhere. I often use the P9 when I don't want to mess with removing the SME's big acrylic dust cover or deal with the clamp etc. And I lose very little in sound, sometimes I will just use the P9 for a week or more without turning on the SME. Both tables play through my Boulder 1008 -- the ultimate phono pre for the P9.

 

The P9 works great with the Zu Denon! Nice choice. That's what I like so much about the P9, effortless to use, yet very high quality sound. It's really a tough one to beat.

 

I can't wait to have one - one day.

 

I really love the sound of this table...having heard one at a friends. And the look is just classic to me. I know the RP 8 is out, but that does nothing for me aesthetically. Does anyone know where they still have P9's around?

 

still the best sounding table I have ever heard. one day......!

 

One day what? It's discontinued and now I can't find it!!

 

Keep an eye on the secondary market...

 

Especially when the RP10 comes out.

 

For the money, it should at least sit on a suspended base. There should be some attempt at isolation. Yet not even at the level of Linn Trampolin. Which, to me, is a little silly for the cost.

 

Buy a Linn if you want something that bounces all around. There is very solid reasoning behind not suspending a deck. I have both types and have set-up many, many of each. The unsuspended decks are way less prone to footfall interaction and sound just as nice as the suspended types. In fact, depending upon about every other design feature, the sound changes more than for the suspension or lack thereof ever does. The only time the suspension is an issue for me has been when it bounces and causes problems. A Rega table does not do that. A Technics table does not do that. Most VPI tables do not do that. Music Hall tables do not do that. All of these and many other brands make excellent sounding tables without wasting time with springs. Springs are cheap, so it's not a cost consideration. The Linn design has very few parts and looks to be cobbled out of some really average quality material. Where it has nice design is the bearing and platter. Pretty much every other aspect of that design has seen upgrades over the years.
-Bill

 

I have a question.

Would upgrading the tonearm on my P5 to an RB-1000 make sense, provided I can get a good deal on one? Would it make a difference over the stock RB-700?

 

Yes, it would be a definite improvement. Going from a P5 to an RP6 is also an improvement and might even be more cost effective. It's a tough call between those two options. I suppose that if you have a TT-PSU already, the arm would make the greater difference. Both upgrades provide a better arm but the RB1000 is really superb.
-Bill

 

Thanks Bill.

I have the full suite of Groovetracer upgrades which has enhanced the sound of my P5, so it makes no sense to me buy an RP6. If I was in the market for a new TT, then I would look to upgrade to an RP8 or a used P9.

It's good to know that the RB1000 would make a difference on the P5. Should I swap out the RB700, I could sit with the P5 for years and not have to upgrade to a new model.

 

P9 ...drool
I will have to make do with a P25..



which is very lovable as it is...

 

1) I did
2) You clearly don't know what the Trampolin is (hint: it doesn't bounce)

SOME attempt at isolation would be necessary for me to consider the p9. Springs or no springs. That's a fact.

Let's put it this way:
- Rega p9 on table. Knock on table. Hear knock through speakers.
- Old Linn LP12 on table. Knock on table. Do no hear knock.

- Rega p9 on table. Scratch lightly on plinth. Hear scratch through speakers.
- Old Linn LP12 on table. Scratch lightly on plinth. No scratch.

So is that isolated? No acoustic issues there? The Rega tables were designed to be cheap and good sounding, with significant trade-offs. Somehow they managed to become NOT cheap, with the same basic design. Fascinating.

The VPI's do a much better job on isolation than the Regas, but not nearly to that of an LP12. In my view, the simplifications in turntable manuafacturing is a reuslt of lack of scale NOT technology advances. Same reason why you can't get a single-piece molded dustcover anymore, just glued together crap. Not enough of a market to design and manufacture something of substance.