Rega Rp3 v Rp8 comparison.

Ive took the plunge and will be receiving my Rp8 this week. I just wanted to know how the two compare. I currently have an Rp40 (Rp3 in disguise, with the ttpsu) I will be swopping over the exact cartridge, for my currently used dynavector 10x5 and tungsten weight.

 

Will the tungsten weight from the RP3 arm fit the RB808 arm on the RP8? I thought the arm stubs and weights were different.

 

You maybe right. I will try later and report back.

 

Enjoy the RP8 mate !

 

Yes

No. Rega makes several counterweights and all will fit any arm / table from the 3 up. The new Planar 3 has a black mild steel counterweight but fits the standard stainless stubshaft of all of the better Rega tonearms. There are then three other counterweights available as upgrades (stainless, tungsten, heavy tungsten). These will all fit P3, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9, P10 tables and their variants.

The Planar 1 may or may not fit, I haven't tried that, and the Planar 2 is the oddball as it has a different stubshaft, which is threaded and accepts a weight via those threads. In order to upgrade the counterweight on the Planar 2, you have to upgrade the stubshaft to the smooth, stainless type. Once that is done, you can use any of the optional weights (stainless, tungsten, heavy tungsten). So any table from the Planar 3 to the Planar 10 will accept any of the three nicer weights.
-Bill

 

Gonna be a sweet upgrade! It's hard to imagine just how much nicer the lighter plinth can make the sound, but you are about to find out. Of course the arm and subplatter / platter assembly is nicer as well.
-Bill

 

Thanks for the details. Now I'm thinking about a counterweight upgrade too.

 

Just set the table up. Phew, takes a bit of time. 3mm spacer installed. Dynavector 10x5 installed. Tungsten weight installed. Set at 2gramms for tracking weight same for bias. All sounding good, with more detail and better soundstage. I will tell you more once I can crank it up a bit. ( getting late ). Cheers all.

 

Other than different counterweights being different actual weights, how can different materials "upgrade" the tonearm as it pertains to countering the weight of the cart and front of arm? I don't get it.

 

Different materials have different resonance caricturisticks and it is lower mass. Same weight but a lot smaller.

 

They have different geometries and different densities. It is both the shape and the size of the weight, in addition to just its weight that matter. For proper operation of a arm centerline vertical bearing, the counterweight must be on axis of the arm tube, or for an offset bearing arm, on axis with the vertical bearing and cartridge base in that case. This is to keep the vertical displacement of the arm with equal force for the full range of motion vertically. It is also going to achieve greater performance characteristics (better tracking and faster transient delivery) to have the counterweight as close to the pivot point of the vertical bearing as possible. This cannot be achieved with a mere weight increase as that would place the weight further away, nor a decrease as that would perhaps not allow the arm to reach a zero gram balance point (although if it does, it would be better). So what changing the geometry does is to allow the mass of the weight to be concentrated in a smaller area and what the greater density does is to allow the smaller weight to be closer to the pivot axis (the centerline) while not being really any further away or closer to the front). This is possible because of the way the force is applied by the arm movement, which is in the shape of a cone moving away from the pivot point to the rear of the arm tube. The closer to the point of the cone, the pivot point, the shorter the distance of travel for the same response, thus a faster acting mechanism. It basically makes the arm a bit more agile.
-Bill

 

Update on the rp8. Listend to a few lp's now, it seams compared to my rp40 things have improved. The bass seems tighter and clearer mid range. Like most rega's the speed is fast 33.5/ 33.6. I did a test with my Hifi news test lp and had to adjust the tracking weight and bias to 21g, could of gone a bit more really but there's only 15-20 hours run in on the 10x5 at the moment.

 

Doesn't the RP8 have an adjustable speed on the power supply like the RP10? I know the RP6 does not but Regas's upcoming new power supply will change that if folks want to upgrade. My RP6 runs at 33.7. I don't notice it but my musician friend does.

 

My RP8 runs spot on, on both speeds, measured with an outboard tachometer not some phone app!!!

 

No adjustable speed on rp8. Shame