I am thinking about replacing the feet on my Planar 8 with Gaia III feet. Does anyone know if the feet threaded and screw-in? Just thinking about it.
Probably not a good idea to attach them in any fashion. It will add mass to the plinth. If you want to experiment with them, I'd try removing the stock feet carefully and then just placing the deck on top of different footers. I tried several different feet on a custom project many years ago and found the lightest worked the best and didn't need to be securely attached. If feet are attached then lower mass is best with the Rega design. -Bill
Anyone know why there is a ground cable to connect to the amp/preamp? Would it be beneficial to connect one from the controller or the TT body itself to an amp/preamp?
I guess you meant "isn't" if you were referring to the Planar 8. The controller is not designed to be grounded. Doing so might invite noise. If all is quiet, then all is good. -Bill
I am pondering an upgrade to one of these two tables. I realize the build is superior on the P10, but in the end, how much and how does the sound of the tables differ?
If you can afford the difference, get the P10. I just tried a P10 in my system and it is significantly better than the P8. I wish I had bought a P10 rather than a P8.
Part of this may be due to the Alpheta 3 cartridge but there is much more information presented. You hear more music. There is more weight to the music. The motor at 45 RPM is quieter. The P8 motor is quiet up close but the P10 is barely noticeable under the same conditions. These are my impressions after a few hours of listening.
Are there any reasons to consider not getting it over the P8? Do you need a top of the line back end to reap its benefits? Is it unforgiving of poor pressings / non-mint records as I've read in places? Does it lack warmth and liveliness in favor of surgical precision? Is it possible that it's "too much table?" Or is this all nonsense?
I didn't have it long enough the be able to answer most of your questions. I did look at your equipment list and it may be possible that the P8 with the Alpheta 3 cart will be sufficient for you. These are questions that you should take the time to discuss with your dealer. If he/she isn't knowledgeable about your setup or the differences between the turntables, you may want to seek a different dealer. The cost is not insignificant for either unit so a field trip may be in order, if you don't have a local dealer. The best guide is to let your ears decide.
I hear you. The virus is getting in the way of in person testing, hence my questions. I am currently non operational due to a worn cart, so I’ve been trying to ascertain what direction to go online. Guess there’s only so much I can garner without my ears.
if you can swing the dynavector 17DX it is a great match with a Rega table because it is shorter than most cartridges. at ~ 15.8mm tip to base it is only 1.8mm taller than a 14mm Rega cartridge. a 2mm spacer will get perfect VTA and not need counterweight mods to let the dust cover fit. some have been successful without raising the tonearm. great sounding cartridge.
This was my original plan, but I think I’m gonna go with the Apheta 3 seeing that it is literally made for the table and it has perfect alignment without having to tinker. I had a 17d3 on my Rp6 and enjoyed it, but all signs in my research have seemed to point to Apehta 3.
I have my Planar 8/apheta 2 sat on 3 isoacoustic graphite oreas. No way I could get a proper HIFI rack past the 'boss' so have a pretty solid oak AV cabinet instead. Definitely heard an improvement with the oreas. It does seem a little 'perched on tiptoes' though and wonder if I'd be better with the P8 sat on a butcher's block on top of the oreas?? I heard the Gaia make a big difference to loudspeakers but haven't heard of them under turntables before. Would the P8 be too light for the Gaia??
I have looked at these various table for a good while now, really wanted the VPI Prime Signature, but what they charge with NO cartridge is on the steep side for sure. It just appears some serious engineering went into the P8 and P10 new offerings from Rega. For me, the white platter is just a non starter, I'm sure it's great, and the arm is top shelf, but I'm sticking with the Planar 8 with the brand new Apheta III MC cartridge, got it locked in for an order phone in Monday morning, I'm locking in! I will look forward to reporting and posting some pics when this little engineering masterpiece comes in, can't wait!
I had a few problems with my P8's Neo and sent the entire rig back to the distributor for a check up. They found nothing wrong but I decided to upgrade to the P10 and Alpelion 2 cartridge. I took a bit of a loss but the new TT and cart are sublime. It is breaking in but sounds much better than the P8/Alpheta 2 combination. After all of these years as an audiophile, I still have lessons to learn (really relearn).
So tell me more why you feel this way. The pandemic delayed my purchase, so I'm actually getting near buying now.
I also have the P8 with Apheta 3 and Aria 2. I can say, in my setup, it is very musical, tracks great, very low surface noise, and no buzzing or ground loop issues. In fact, placing my ear up to my speakers with no record playing yields just the slight white noise hiss heard from any other source. In other words, highly recommended! See my post for pictures in the "Picture of your turntable" thread...
For some folks, nothing but the top of the line will do, but I really did my best to try and evaluate, is the 10 really worth an additional $2,300.00, and from what I can see, there are some design refinements, but I don't see any "killer" differences. The arm on the 10 is the more refined and lighter weight RB 3000 VS the very capable RB 880. The 3000 has a more sophisticated anti-skate adjustment, which is not that life changing, but a nice touch. I think some money went into the power supply for the 10, the Rega PL10PSU, VS the Planar 8 standard NEO. The PL10 PSU is a much nicer box, and I'm sure it provides perfect speed control, it's larger and I must say, really cool looking! Double bracing is used on both tables, however the 10 has slightly less mass because of the slightly different bracing used. Both tables have the same isolation in the plinth, and the plinths are the same on both tables. The bearing assembly is a bit deeper and robust on the model 10, but it's not much of a difference, from what I can see. Both the 8 and 10 use the same dual belt drive, however the 10 has a bit more beefy sub platter, again, not much but some. The platter on the 10 is different from the 8, a bit more exotic material (white) with a weighted edge for a better flywheel affect. As far as acoustic feedback, both 8 and 10 have the same isolation. So, bottom line, I see most of the money is put into the PL10 PSU on the 10 and the lighter, better machined RB3000 tone arm IMO. Here is a real game changer for me. The new Apheta III MC cartridge is a real refinement over the Apheta II, which is said to offer much more resolution and much better tracking due to the redesigned stylus and stylus shape. When the Rega Planar 8 "first" came out, you could only buy the Apheta II, not even sure the Apheta III was available at all. The Apheta III can now be ordered on the Rega Planar 8, which is a game changer, for me, this was the determining factor in choosing the Planar 8. I personally could not justify a $2,300.00 difference in these two tables. You "might" see a tiny bit more resolution out of the 10, BUT with both of these very worthy tables outfitted with a Apheta III, that field is pretty darn level, again IMO. Finally, there is one other factor that weighed heavily for me, I DO NOT like a white platter on a turntable, just don't like the look, so for me, I will save some money and purchase the Planar 8 with the Apheta III. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, to hear any appreciable difference in these two tables, you are going to need some mighty high octane components, the very finest phono stage, possible some Mac components, possibly some Wilson Maxx speakers, so, I think I'm just real safe, as I don't have any of it! So that is my take on these two turntables, what is yours!
The Gaia are designed for loudspeakers. They are directional, which is not a good idea for TTs, and designed for quite high mass. The lower end IIIs top out at 32kg and they would add substantial mass to your TT - again not a good thing. I think that the Isoacoustics Oreas or Pucks would be abetter idea.
Thank u for taking the time to get this down! My system is not a reference system. It's good, just not THAT good. That subtle difference won't be there for me. It sure sounds like I'll be just as happy with the 8, the Apheta III, and the Aria pre-amp.
