My new Rega RP6 - Pros & Cons

With all due respect, this comment is ridiculous. Prior to owning a VPI Aries I, I had a P5. Although it is more expensive, my VPI is a better turntable than the Rega and it is musical.

I don't understand these comments that VPIs aren't musical.

 

Hear hear! For real, though, after a sort-of-OK arm/middlin' cartridge on the first (Pro-ject Debut and Sumiko Oyster) and a better arm on the second (R200), it was a sweet, sweet thing to hear very nice sounds from that one with the Shure, which isn't even a super fancy cart. Put another tally mark in the Rega fan column.

 

Comments about how TTs sound are very often odd IMHO. Very often aren´t even the same cartridge used, maybe other components are not the same also. We must take them for what they are, and in which particular circumstances statements are expressed.

 

I use a Phillips copy of Liszt "Two Piano Concerto" by Richter. Its mint and it is a torture test for speed stability. If its off it sounds funky. Also its a moderately difficult tracker. Also use MFSL Simple Dreams, if there's something off, usually on a cartridge, it really shows. Speed stability, siblance, IGD, and hum are deal breakers for me in a table and cartridge. The the only one of those tables with speed instability was the project. The VPIs and the Projects had hum and assorted noise issues. The only tables that cruised through where at no time did I wonder if something was off were the Gyrodec and Simplex. The Clearaudio and RP6 had no pitch instability and were 90% of the Gyrodec.

Gyrodec had a quintet black and Simplex was running a 2m Black. Clearaudio had the Performer and the project, both VPIs and RP6 had At440mla.

As for the VPIs. The arm on them sucks IMHO. And on the Scout the joint came apart and its not an uncommon problem. I've seen it mentioned almost as much as I've seen Rega Wobble videos. I also watched the owner deal with VPI and it was rough. Way worse than anything I went through with Rega to get a new sub that completely has fixed my wobble issue.

I'm of the opinion that all turntables have issues. Its just a matter of being able to recognize them and not fall into a fanboy camp. Rega's issue is quality control but once you get a sorted table they rock and are phenomenal for the money. VPI tables from the classic series up are fantastic. I personally wouldn't by an RP8 vs a Classic, ever. There entry level tables have design issues with there motor and arm joint and are dull sounding. The Simplex is just annoying with its delicate belt (and i find it to have the most fragile tone arm, even more so than the VPI) I know Well Tempered fans get pissed about that criticism and respond "cant you tie a knot" but i dont want to mess with my table I just want to spin vinyl. Clearaudio has been gigged for tonearm design/quality control issues too. Gotta say I've never heard anything bad about Michell tables but alas I needed a cover and they were just out of my price range.

 

I mean this with all due respect to rega and rega owners and would like an impartial, objective answer if possible.
Could the rega "mystique" and the rega "lively sound" be as simple as a louder, extremely high output voltage cartidge (they output 7.5mv, fully 50% higher voltage than 99% of the other MM carts)- AND the fact that their tables play a hair overspeed?
testing has confirmed with repeatability that people prefer the sound of a component that plays louder despite not being the best quality.
if i wanted to make a lively, get up and go turntable vs. all the rest, one way would be to make the output voltage of the cartridge sound louder and have it spin just a little faster.
Any table would appear more lively if it were juiced.

 

Don't you know that VPIs and Clearaudios turn your LPs into the rotating dead? It's a post vinyl apocalypse!

 

I don't use Rega Cartridges, I've yet to hear one that I cared for. I think the Clearaudio Concepts sounds fine I wouldn't lump it in with the lower VPI range. Being fast? My RP6 spins at 33.4 that's pretty good. If you can hear 7 hundredths of an RPM that is impressive but who knows maybe. I always chalked to up to there design philosophy of really dead table (i.e. over damping) = dead music.

As for cartridge output I prefer the Ortofon and Nagaoka for MM. The Nags being a more lush alternative. I was an AT guy for a longtime with one dubious flirtation with a Denon dl103.

 

2nd post you've confused the Scout with one of the cheaper VPI's. You mean the 1st gen Traveler that had the issues.

 

*And* juice the bass due to lots of feedback from a tonearm completely unisolated from the plinth. And I think some like the wow/flutter.

 

You may be right; sounds as good as anything I've ever heard describing this REGA "quality"
REGA was tagged as having the quality of "PRAT" long ago by some audiophool scribe (whatever the hell "prat" is, and even if a tangible quality (and desirable) why some equipment has it and some doesn't, but it is an element of inclusion yet not all good or great components possess it, but I want my "PRAT" possessing components in my rumpus room system and my tizz boom bang components in my .......???????.......feeling me yet? )
It has stuck as does all similar "audiophile" nonsense (as well as the fact that once out there it spreads like wildfire and after a while everyone's using the term(s) as if they were an irrefutable condition or force of Nature); as if these ridiculous qualifiers were just a matter of fact, like air
Some idiocy just won't die
I REALLY hate buzzwords

The "every REGA does it" over speed belief/claim/accusation has yet to be shown to me as an irrefutable truth; only anecdotal tales and Fremer's whining
I have read over 100 people complaining about it but NOT ONE scientifically conducted or controlled test, documented in writing (as to specific methods employed) or with video, proving it
Just people writing in magazines or posting on Audio forums about how they checked the speed with their strobe discs and a light bulb, finding that their table was fast

My Planar 25 and both of my Planar 3s are dead on

GOOD SOUND IS GOOD SOUND and ACCURACY IS ACCURACY there is no need to find

ways to justify owning equipment, or making excuses for equipment that does not make

GOOD SOUND


YOU KNOW IT WHEN YOU HEAR IT no matter who made the gear or how much it cost

 

And some like some tonearms better than other tonearms. Arms have a very large influence on how cartridges work and on the sound we hear, but the whole matter is very largely subjective, there are no inert arms. How do we look objectively on arms and choose the ones that are intrinsically and objectively better?

 

That is the question that is so difficult to answer concerning audio gear. (Chocolate ice cream tastes better than vanilla ice cream that tastes better than strawberry ice cream) Oh really???? We all have our individual "tastes" or preferences for certain components. (and how they mesh with our existing systems and listening environment) That is why I don't like seeing posts such as "Component XYZ sounds like crap". Then someone who loves XYZ fires back and the fight is on! We can use this forum to gain knowledge and learn from one another, however, regardless of others opinions the important thing is determining what works best for you. I like vanilla ice cream best, but your experience may vary.

 

Perhaps I have overstated the case. My point is that the OP should listen for himself to the alternatives before switching and not be too quick to dump the Rega.

 

I like vanilla best to.

I listened to three tables; a VPI Scout, a Clear Audio Concept and a Rega and I ended choosing the RP6. Granted I did not listen to any of them on the same rigs nor my own system. It was an overall listening and visual experience. A gut feeling overall...and simplicity in my case was an added factor- that;s just me, I'm simplistic The Concept was my second choice.

And I gotta say the retailer also came into play somewhat. and there were three different retailers

 

What I meant was that we don´t really choose a TT objectively. If I want an arm with detachable headshell it´s easy, I must choose one that has, if I want it to have adjustable damping, I must choose one that has, if I want a 12" one, etc..

The problem comes if I would like one with really low resonances, then it gets much trickier, we would then have to measure these in different ways.
So the parameters that are not commonly and easily measured falls in the 'liking' or 'not liking' categories, and by such they also are totally subjective. So there is in reality not much that says that one arm is better than another.

 

That makes perfect sense. Agreed.

 

The scout was a 2012 model and the traveler was 2014. I'm not saying VPI is garbage I'm just saying that most tables in the 1500 price range have some issues. The RP6 issues are easily fixed and its a great sounding table that comes with a dustcover and fantastic support. Can the OP get a better table? Sure he can, for 1500.00, I doubt it. He can exchange the issues he has for others. If he wants to shoot over 2k for the table alone then yes, he has other, better options.

 

REGA has not enjoyed "fantastic support" (from the importer/distributor, I am NOT talking on the individual dealer basis) since Steve Lauerman was the man.
I say this because when I attempted to obtain some replacement cartridge clips I contacted the current importer, the outfit in Texas, "The Sound Organization"
The BS and run around (and attitude) they gave me for this very simple request, in a nutshell, blew my mind. Aside from the fact that I doubt very much that they even had them "in stock".
They insisted that I had to go through an authorized dealer and order the clips. That, or ship the table to them. My closest "authorized" dealer is more than 25 miles away and doesn't do "mail order", for parts or anything else.
Huh? I'm going to put something as fragile (and expensive, not to mention a model that is no longer being built) as a turntable (or tonearm) in the mail, just to have some cart tags installed? Pay that sort of freight to have a .10 cent item serviced? Inane.
The importer/distributor cannot/will not supply routine service parts?
That may be the way it is now, but I find that unbelievable/unacceptable, especially for something as simple and basic as the cartridge tags (which break frequently if you do a lot of cartridge swaps on REGA arms)
I should point out that I purchased my table from an "authorized dealer" and due to the first deck being damaged in shipping and the extremely poor follow-up by my dealer in obtaining me a replacement, Steve shipped me my Planar 25 direct from his warehouse in Tennessee, so, the importer at the time was in fact my de facto "dealer". I also developed/had a problem with my arm lift; Steve sent me the replacement lift assembly as well as loaned me the little spanner tool for removing it AND supplied me with a small dab of the Kilopoise needed to set the drop rate. Stellar service to say the least.
I think now, the distributor is little more than an ordering agent or possibly little more than a "drop shipper" of REGA goods. That is the only plausible explanation for what was suggested as for my cartridge tag needs as this deck is loooooong out of warranty.

By the way, I was willing to PAY for the tags; I wasn't someone looking something for nothing. I fail to see how my clip needs would harm any of his protected dealers.

It is very frustrating too that REGA will not provide any more direct contact information than they do (for things such as this). At least make the very basic service materials available to end users that do not wish, or trust, "techs" to perform the most basic of tasks on tables well out of warranty.

Anyone ever tried to obtain a small quantity of the special "high viscosity" oil/paste that they use to control dampening on their arm lift assemblies? The stuff that controls the rate of descent. You'd think you were asking for the launch codes. I've had to make do with the more readily available 500,000 cSt silicone oils rather than the proper ROCOL Kilopoise grease. I feel that REGA should make this material readily available, as it is NOT so for the typical REGA turntable owner.

Not every little thing a turntable might need in the way of service or routine maintenance justifies packing it up or hauling it in to a dealer.

That's my biggest (and only) bitch with REGA and their current U.S.A. "distributor"; you have to jump through hoops for the most basic of service product.

And that is NOT "fantastic" or even "good" product "support", rather far from it.

 

That's too bad I wrote to them with a couple of small issues. I got a phone call two hours later ( from Texas) and they contacted my local dealer who came out to my house plus Matt in Texas mailed me out that day the small rubber pin that holds on the arm lock which fell off at some point.

 

How recently had you bought the table and how long ago was this?

 

Bought it Last May 2014. Two weeks after

 

Clearaudio Concept > Rega RP6

IMO YMMV

 

Well, then your experience makes sense
Product support is only meaningful after the "check has cleared" and the new car smell has worn off. The service is generally always good when you're still within the window of being able to return a piece of equipment............after that, they seem to forget who you are (the old "what have you done for me lately syndrome)

Not going to name names here, but I could; one, a rather well know "authorized" dealer

Every scratched tonearm (cartridge mounting), every marked up cartridge body, every (almost) issue I have ever suffered was at the hands of the dealer and their "expert" set-up techs..........finally got tired of it and taught myself how to do these things myself

Life has been more stress free ever since

Same for tube amp service and repair

I am not willing to accept these sorts of things when I have paid good money for new products

 

Are you telling me no one sells a decent affordable turntable in New Orleans that you could have heard before buying? A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush = stick with what you know.