New Rega Ania Pro MC cartridge

http://www.rega.co.uk/ania-pro.html

hopefully better stylus than the Ania (non-pro) means better IGD performance. I feel like that was the only step back when I upgraded from the Exact to the Ania.

 

Interesting, stereonet has published a price of £750

 

I hope at some time KT88 will chime in with more info.

 

We (US Rega dealers) have really not received much/any info on the new cart yet. As a matter of fact, the post from the OP was the first I had heard about it. Bill may have a bit more info though.....

 

I had an article on my news feed about it. I like my P6/Ania with tubes for sure.

 

Rega has a page on their site for it...



Rega’s Moving Coil cartridge design is unique in its approach to achieving an ultra-low mass generator which is undamped (no tie wire) using a unique rhomboid pivot for the cantilever powered by a purpose designed, exclusive to Rega, Neodymium magnet system.

This type of design requires a zero-tolerance engineered cartridge body which is Rega’s area of expertise and with the Apheta 3 and Aphelion products these bodies are machined from one piece of the highest quality aluminium. This is a difficult and expensive process requiring all of Rega’s forty-four years of experience to achieve. In particular, the “zero” tolerancing of the body is required in the alignment and dimension of the pivot pad mounting hole and the magnet mechanism mounting hole relationship.

The Ania Pro body uses a unique polymer/ 40% glass combination called Polyphenylene Sulphide (PPS-Fortron). The special attributes of this material are its hardness and stability in shape and dimension post moulding, both critical for the performance of Ania. Now came the challenge. Rega designed and prototyped using SLA systems in just a few months, proving the validity of the design direction.

Now we had to design a production mould tool capable of extreme accuracy and long life. PPS is a difficult polymer to mould and requires special attention to how the mould tool operates. Couple this to an almost unmouldable complex shape of the Ania body and a very considerable challenge faced the Rega engineers and the toolmakers chosen. The toolmakers are of the highest technical skill level, using the most accurate Swiss EDM CNC machines, their regular customers being the military and medical industries, routinely working down to a micron (one thousandth of a millimetre).To achieve this intricate body shape required the most complex high pressure injection mould tool that Rega has ever designed. The tool has eight major parts, four of which must move in perfect synchronicity with each other to achieve each cartridge body. The design and manufacture of this “work of art” took an entire year to produce and was made exclusively by the most senior toolmaker requiring all his lifetime of artisanal experience.

Combine this special PPS body with its high specification stainless steel inserts, a unique rhomboid pivot system, a tried and tested high performance, diamond tipped elliptical stylus cantilever with low mass moving coil generator assembly and you have new market leading musicality, performance, speed, clarity, and detail as never before at this price.

Tracking Pressure 1.75 - 2.00g
Input load impedance 100 ohms
Output impedance 10 ohms
Nominal output voltage 350μV
Channel Balance : ≥ 20μV
Separation : ≥ -29dB

Mass 6g

Key Features :

Iron Micro cross & coil assembly
One of the world's smallest MC generators.
Cutting edge neodymium magnet.
Vital profile nude diamond stylus.
High specification fine wire.

Load settings for adjustable MC stages

Impedance -100ohm
Capacitance - 1000pF
Gain setting - High ('On' position for Rega phono stages)

Fono MC dip switches settings (factory set at Rega)

Aria MC dip switch settings for all Rega MC models

 

If this corrects the deficiencies of the original Ania, I'm game. I love my Hana SL, but one of the main benefits of a Rega table is the 3-point mounting system, so I prefer Rega carts if possible (just not the OG Ania).

 

I think they should have done this with the Ania in the first place and I would have considered this when it came time to replace my Apheta 2.

 

I googled "Vital Stylus" it's not clear what the shape actually is and therefore it's tracking ability on the inner grooves. (this has to be answered if they expect a purchase from me.) I wanted to get an Ania for my player but can't see myself ever going back to an elliptical profile ever again, which the OG Ania is cursed with. They DO use the word elliptical in the product detail so odds are I won't bite unless reviews are universal praise.

What do you all think?

 

Complex fine line.

 

Same profile as the exact. That's exactly what was missing with the original Ania

 

Anyone hear the new Ania pro yet? Time for me to replace my Ania on my p6 which I think I have bent.

 

Bump. Anyone?

 

I looked at the Rega site.They have a link to some reviews.

 

Coming back to an older thread...curious to see if anyone can share their experience with the Ania Pro?

 

Interested as well. Looking to upgrade from P6/Exact/Fono MM Mk3 to either Ania Pro or Hana SL with Fono MC.

 

Personally I haven't used it but it has many of the features of the out going Apheta 3 so I believe it's definitely going to sound good and just the fact that it's the perfect match for a Rega arm and phono stage is all that needs to be said.

 

I have been using the Ania Pro mounted on a P8 and mine is still relatively young (~60-65 hours).

It sounds fantastic and compared to the regular Ania which I heard extensively on a P6, much more refined and not as "edgy" which I found the Ania to lean slightly. I'm not good at articulating audiophile terms but I think in terms of connection to the music and ability to hear instruments, the Pro does all this better. Of course the P8's tonearm has something to do with the overall better sound but the Ania Pro is really nice and IMO is a worthy upgrade over the Ania.

 

Is the Ania Pro warmer/richer than the original Ania? Thank you.

 

@Ivand - I would stay with my statement above that the Ania Pro is less edgy than the Ania. I don't consider the newer Rega cartridges warm and/or rich but more neutral than their older versions.

 

I’m so pleased to finally have an Ania Pro on hand. So far I'm impressed, right out of the box it sounds great! Looking forward to breaking it in a bit.

I was anxious to mount it as soon as it arrived, so it was only after setting it up quickly and playing some sides that I noticed a few extra pieces in the box. lol

Below is a shot of the included spacer. It’s very clear from the packaging that it is for safe shipping only...clear on that.

But what about the small red plastic piece, does anyone know if that's the mentioned shim required for "older Rega tonearms"? Not worried about it being uninstalled, just curious.

I have the Ania Pro mounted on an RP8 with an RB808 tonearm. Is that considered an "older Rega tonearm"? I mean, the new Planar 8 has an RB880 tonearm, but I don’t see much of a difference.

 

You don't need to put anything additional than the cart itself to a rb808

 

Thanks...nothing left now but to relax and listen!

 

I am also very happy with my Ania Pro. (On a P3)

 

FYI the shim is for older rb250/rb300