Questions for Rega t/t owners re upgrades

Have a Rega P3 with an Elys cartridge. I've read in various places that performance can be increased somewhat by changing both the stock platter (from glass to acrylic) and the felt mat.

I know that there are other "after-market" upgrade products available for Rega decks but I was wondering what other owners had done to theirs in terms of changing the factory platter to an acrylic one and replacing the felt mat.

I did try the Ringmat XLR mat but I was a little disappointed, to say the least.

I have been looking at a couple of upgrades here:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3081243594&category=3283

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3080763964&category=3283

Do these upgrades look worthwhile?

 

The Rega ceramic platter is a definite upgrade, don't know about the acrylic. I have a sorbethene mat (brand unknown) that is an upgrade from the felt.

 

Kipper, I would go for the thicker acrylic platter and place your records directly on it, without any mat and see what you think. There is another company called "Sheer Audio" that makes acrylic platters that is cheaper than the one on Ebay I believe.

I'd try the silicon mat next if you don't like the sound of acrylic.
I've been using an acrylic platter on my P3 for over a year without any mat. My platter is 25mm thick(machined bottom to clear motor spindle and NOT change stock VTA) and larger in diameter(12.25") than the stock glass platter since glass is heavier than acrylic.

I'd also buy a "Heavyweight" counterweight. If you like what you hear but want another upgrade, go with a single uninterrupted run of Cardas cable and terminate with bullet plugs or Cardas RCA connectors, the stock Rega interconnect is very low budget and leaves huge room for improvement.

 

I wish I had not read this thread. Now I'm thinking maybe I should upgrade the stock Rega wiring.

 

The Ringmat has always been known for not working with Regas, or more specifically, glass platters. There might be a difference if you switched to the acrylic platter upgrade.

BTW, there is a pretty comprehensive article in the current Absolute Sound (Feb/Mar) on ALL the possible Rega tweaks, including the Express Machining Expressimo Heavyweight counterweight, the Sheer Audio Platter, the Extremephono None Felt Mats, the Express Machining Expressimo Rega VTA Base, the Wally Tools RegaTractor, the 3M Damping Sheets, the Express Machining Digital Stylus Force Gauge, the KAB and Clearaudio Speed Strobe Discs and Lights, and the Clearaudio Synchro Power Generator and Pro-Ject Speed Box SE Speed Controller. Basically everything gets a thumb up.

 

Thanks for the comments guys...with all these after-market upgrades available, it could end up getting very costly! Kinda makes me wonder if I should have bought a P25 instead!!