Rega Planar 6 - Exact or Ania?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by kdl6769, Mar 12, 2018.

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  1. Wow exactly same as I wrote earlier. The left channel died completely on my Ania too.

    Happy to hear your new one is doing well.
     
  2. Guth

    Guth Music Lover

    Location:
    Oregon
    Knock on an ultra lightweight plinth, it has been more than a year now since I purchased my Planar 6 / Ania combo. The only thing this combo has done during this time is to continue to provide outstanding music reproduction. I remain incredibly pleased with this turntable / cartridge setup.
     
  3. chromewaves

    chromewaves Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toronto, Ontario
    so far! Yeah, I was playing some records fine one night. Next night, left channel gone. no instigating event, no knocks or bumps, just gave up the ghost overnight while sitting idle. So strange
     
    Mazzy likes this.
  4. Apparently there some layer of coating or something that was left off an entire batch? Not sure the technical explanation is, but a step in manufacturing was missed.
     
  5. chacha

    chacha Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    mill valley CA USA
    Bizarre
     
  6. Tiernoise

    Tiernoise Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charleroi, Belgium
    Same story here, but it was the right channel that went completely silent... Got 150 hours on my second Ania now. Great Cartridge through the Aria, albeit not forgiving of badly recorded records.
     
  7. Conster

    Conster Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Wondering how an Ania or Exact compares with a Hana Sl on a P6
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2019
    chacha likes this.
  8. Paopawdecarabao

    Paopawdecarabao Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    I'm curious as well! If you put non rega cartridges and a shim can you close the Lid? I am wondering as I always close the lid when playing records.
     
  9. It will sound better with the lid entirely off anyway :tiphat:
     
  10. Paopawdecarabao

    Paopawdecarabao Forum Resident

    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Does it? My speakers are literally close to my TT that is why I close the lid. I get acoustic feedback when the volume is past halfway but I am not bothered as my forte's are very efficient and I only have my vol knob to 1/4 and it fills my small room.
     
  11. Mateo Sanboval

    Mateo Sanboval For me, the action is the juice.

    Does anyone here have experiences with the Rega Exact 2? I'm considering the Planar 6 with it and I'm curious if it is as warm and forgiving as it's predecessor.
     
  12. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    It's tonally just the same. It is a little bit smoother sounding and more resolving, but otherwise identical.
    -Bill
     
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  13. Porkpie

    Porkpie Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    I had that on my RP3 and was really impressed with it. I since upgraded to the RP8 and so switched to an MC cart but otherwise I would have stuck with it.
     
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  14. bluesaddict

    bluesaddict High Tech Welder

    Location:
    Loveland, Colorado
    Just wondering what the new Ania pro will sounds like on a P6/ fono deck.
     
  15. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    IMO Exact 2 is the perfect MM blend of warm, smooth, forgiving, weighty and clarity, resolution, detail, space, air, imaging, soundstage... all the big words haha... it really is good... on a Rega table and going MM i wouldnt look elsewhere... its not as nimble as the MC offerings nor does it present as big of a soundstage but it is very good tonally and what it lacks in soundstage it makes up for in weight and impact.

    Im loving the sound of this Ania Pro... as i understand, it is essentially an Ania with an Apheta 2 stylus. The guts are the same across the Rega MC range (except cantilever)... i havnt heard it but i would imagine it would sound pretty great for the money.... the stylus profile is the biggest issue with the original Ania and this fixes it so win win....

    Quick edit... the fono mc might not be able to fully resolve the Ania Pro maybe get 80% of it... you will eventually want an Aria there but having said that i would still go cart first upgrade here.
     
    John Murray, Ivand, maglorine and 4 others like this.
  16. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA
    Your sentiments regarding the Exact match mine exactly, great MM cartridge and a no brainer for a Rega turntable. With the Ania Pro though, I think Rega included more than just the stylus. Judging from the close-up photos on Rega's web site it looks like it includes the Apheta 2s tapered alloy cantilever as well, I wonder too if it doesn't include the whole motor assembly from the Apheta 2. I'm curious to see what the comments are going forward in the major Hi Fi publications regarding its design and execution.
     
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  17. Tiernoise

    Tiernoise Forum Resident

    Location:
    Charleroi, Belgium
    Are those orange looking MM cartridges Bias ones or is that a sneak preview of a new Rega MM cartridge? (at 1:23)
     
  18. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA
    That's the tape they use to hold things down during transport.
     
  19. RafalLukawiecki

    RafalLukawiecki New Member

    Location:
    Ireland
    I have P6/Exact, which replaced a P3/Elys 2 a few months ago. I like its sound very much. However, I am concerned about audible hum towards the end of each record.

    I believe the hum comes from the motor's magnetic field. I can hear it when the tonearm is close to the centre of the record. I do not have any audible hum at the start of a record (although measurements show a tiny spike—see the screenshots) and it is pretty much inaudible half-way through a record. It starts to increase towards the end, when it can add as much as 7-9 dB SPL in 50 Hz frequency, and a bit less in 150, 300, and 600 harmonics, if played loud enough, ie. with music peaking at 85-89 dbA SPL.\

    In order to show the issue I have increased the volume even further while not playing anything, equal to about 92 dbA SPL had I been playing something. I took a few measurements of the system+room noise, about a metre away from the speakers, with the tonearm at the lead-in and at the run-out. There is an additional 8 dB SPL of 50 Hz hum when the tonearm is at the run-out groove. To further exaggerate this test I moved the tonearm to the unrealistic position right over the spindle: the hum now adds almost 20 dB SPL. I realise that in real use I only have to deal with 7-9 dB SPL of the hum, but I hope this additional test helps to shed some light on my conundrum. For what it is worth, the hum was louder with P3/Elys 2 by a further 5-6 dB, including at lead-in. P6/Exact are a significant improvement, but still not ideal.

    I am wondering if going the MC route, with Ania/Ania Pro could cure my issue. Many thanks for your thoughts.

    [​IMG] [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
  20. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    Hmmm not great... did your p3 do it too? It is a common rega issue... my p3 24 did it but my previous p5, p7 and now p9 did not (tested with exact cart)... p7 and p9 i believe have mu-metal shielding around the motor... still the p5 didnt hum
     
    RafalLukawiecki likes this.
  21. Dane Argentini

    Dane Argentini Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    With a 2mm shim you can still close the lid. Many cartridges in the 15mm to 17mm range from mounting surface to stylus tip including the Ania, Exact, and Hana require no shim. Other cartridges might need one shim.
     
  22. RafalLukawiecki

    RafalLukawiecki New Member

    Location:
    Ireland
    Yes, the P3/Elys 2 did the same, and the effect was much stronger, by an extra 6 dB, including at the start of each record. I understand this is a known issue for Rega that people just live with, accepting the hum and its effect on bass clarity.

    However, I am very curious if the issue would be significantly lessened by using an MC cartridge, such as Ania. I am quietly hoping someone on the forum has the experience of making the switch from Exact to Ania and observing this type of hum. Thank you for your wisdom.
     
  23. Marshall_SLX

    Marshall_SLX Rega P9/RB2000

    It really is unacceptable even on a P3 elys... P6/exact is just plain ridiculous... but again my old p5 didnt have it... you can throw as many foam plinths at me as you want but in the end if the old one doesnt hum and the new and improved one does im choosing the old one every time...

    I should mention im a huge fan of the Rega methodology and developments but the hum is an issue... i thought it had been resolved since the P3 2016? Doesnt sound like it though if a new p3 and p6 is doing it....
     
    RafalLukawiecki likes this.
  24. KT88

    KT88 Senior Member

    That will eliminate any mains noise being picked-up entirely.
    -Bill
     
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  25. RafalLukawiecki

    RafalLukawiecki New Member

    Location:
    Ireland
    Thank you—I did not know that. Based on the data from my experiments (see screenshots in post #69) I think my hum is derived from the motor’s magnetic field, and not from the mains. Do you think an MC cart like Ania would eliminate that, too?

    Could it be that the hum I am dealing with is a form of resonance from the mains, rather than the motor alone, yet somehow amplified in proportion to the proximity of the tonearm to the motor?
     
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