Rega Planar 8 announced!

Any other opinions or reviews on this table? I'm kinda shocked at the lack of chatter...other than Morbius, I've seen no other reviews/comments from any other early adopters, nor have I seen any new published reviews other than the three already cited in this thread prior to US release.

 

It's only been out a few weeks, hasn't it? And $3100 without cartridge is still a lot of turntable budget for most people

Usually takes a while for the "real" reviews to get out there, I'm sure there will be a few coming, but this seems to me more an evolution for the P8, not the big step up that many perceived for the P6.

 

We're jumping into the turntable world after years of digital-only music. (My wife "recovered" from her ex her collection of original Beatles lp's.) Thinking Planar 6 or 8.

Any recommendations for dealing with typical US construction and somewhat 'bouncy' floors? My wife really doesn't want a wall shelf, so it'll have to sit atop a high fi rack. No kids, and we'll pretty much just sit on the couch to listen -- but still would like to isolate from the bouncy floor issue to the extent reasonable.

 

I'm in Florida where we have concrete floors so, I'm not the best source for turntable isolation from bouncy floors.

But I have been in houses with bouncy floors and I think that you may want to rethink this.

How about mounting a wall rack of some kind just above the hi-fi rack. It will not really look that much different and you will have come a long way, very quickly, effortlessly and inexpensively toward solving your bouncy floor problem.

There is no quick, easy and inexpensive way to isolate a turntable that is sitting on an audio rack from vibrations caused by bouncy floors.

You are going to get brain cramps, attempting to do it this way, when it could be a whole lot easier.

 

Thanks, and I'm sure you're right. I think we'll start with on-top-of-the-rack, and if it doesn't work out that way I'll convince her that a shelf is the solution. I WON'T spend hundreds on all sorts of isolator gadgets etc etc. But I'll give it a shot on top of the rack first as I don't REALLY know how bad the floors are 'til I try. And I'm a couple of weeks away from getting the 'table and the needed extra levels for my rack.

 

The Rega tables are not problematic with external vibration form footfall or acoustic feedback as many other designs tend to be. It's a very stable platform. It's suspended tables that are most often problematic with wooden floors, and acoustic feedback is a different issue that affects still other designs but not really due to base isolation.
-Bill

 

Agreed. I have wood floors, and have an RP8 on top of an old Target 5-tier stand, and have no trouble with footfalls at all.

 

Well as fate would have it, my favorite dealer had a virtually new in box RP8 that he installed for a client who then decided a month later he had no patience for vinyl. So I'm getting his returned RP8/Apheta 2/Aria setup, plus the customer's Nordost interconnect, for well less than I can buy just the TT and cartridge from Music Direct today, so I'm pretty happy. Pray it's stable on top of my rack!

 

You will love this

 

One superficial reason for wanting a P8 (over my RP8) is the matte black finish. Piano black gloss shows too many fingerprints.

 

"But you already have a turntable", was the initial response.

Haven't yet mentioned the fact that an Exact 2 would also be necessary.

Still working on it.

 

Just ordered the P8/Apheta with Aria phono stage.

When i saw it in real life i thout it was much better looking then the pictures on the net.

Now i just have to wait 6-8 days before my dealer gets it from his supplier

 

You will love the Alpheta/Aria!

 

Just picked up an RP8 from MD with a couple of nicks on the inner plinth behind the spindle for $1499 with full warranty. The P8 is awesome I'm sure, but I'm really happy with this deal. They also have an open box for $1699. Smoking deals.

 

I have pretty creaky wood floors in an 80 year old house and my P3 has never skipped no matter how much I walk around the room or even when my two 17 pound dogs chase each other and wrestle. I'm not using a proper rack either, just something from Crate and Barrel. My AR XA on the other hand, a suspended sub chassis deck, was unusable in this room. The P8 is a much better turntable than the P3, so I'd think it would have even more rigidity.

 

Here's a visual for what is described above. (Please excuse the state of the plaster, the house is a fixer-upper ) The turntable is sitting on an IKEA butcher's block with adjustable furniture levelers drilled into the bottom of it. I doubt this has any isolation benefits, but it was the only way I could get the turntable level due to the aforementioned creaky old floors.

 

The RP-8 has been rock steady on a Naim Fraim rack on our wood floors. Zero issues.

 

I've had the good fortune of owning the RP6, RP8, and now P8, all within a short time of each other, and I have some thoughts on all three:

RP6: I had this turntable for 5 years, until I sold it to buy the RP8 for the $1995 Music Direct close-out deal. I had been using a Technics SL1200 prior to the RP6. The RP6 has great speed stability and enjoys a relatively quiet black background. The Groovetracer subplatter made a real difference, namely it reduced background noise and provided a more inky black background. Thus I highly recommend the Groovetracer subplatter. I had the Groovetracer counterweight as well, but the improvement was not on the same level as the Groovetracer subplatter. I had used the Exact cartridge for years, and found it to be full bodied, rhythmic, with great timing. When the Ania came out, I put it on the RP6. After a while, I noticed that the Ania was having some harshness issues, especially with upper octaves on fast moving jazz piano lines. The Ania also tended to have some sibilance issues with vocals. In general, my experience with the Ania accorded with some of the threads in this forum about Ania harshness. I was planning on trying a different MC cartridge, but then the RP8 came out on discount...

RP8: I love the look of this table, more so than the RP6 and P8. I purchased this table from Music Direct in January at the discount price. After unpacking it, I immediately knew this was a completely different animal than the RP6. With the Ania placed on the RP8, the harshness and sibilance issues were gone. In general, the Ania tracked much more easily with the RP8. With the RP8, I think I was finally able to understand exactly what a MC cartridge can do. The level of sparkle and precision with the Ania on the RP8 was something that I simply had not experienced on the RP6. In retrospect now, I think that the Exact was a better match for my RP6; in other words I'm not sure the RP6 could quite handle all that the Ania has to offer. I was good with the RP8, until about a week into owning it I put on a 45. At 45 RPM, the tonearm was buzzing like chainsaw. The motor was excessively vibrating at 45 RPM, which was being transferred to the tonearm. I spent the next several weeks working on the issue with Music Direct and The Sound Organization. I explored grounding issues and adjusting the potentiometers in the motor, but to no avail. Ultimately, I decided I must have had a dud, at least at 45 RPM, so I sent the table back to Music Direct. I decided to go to my local Hi-Fi shop in NYC, which was ecstatic about the new P8.

P8: Just like the leap from RP6 to RP8, the jump from RP8 to P8 is significant, perhaps more so than the jump from RP6 to RP8. With the RP6 and RP8, my jaw never dropped. With the P8 it did. First off, the tonearm on the P8 is on a whole new level. It feels like moving air when I move it over the record. With high quality recordings the speakers completely disappear and the sound is effortless. All grain is gone and at times I truly lose the sense that I am listening to a recording; the artists are in the room. Holographic is the word that comes to mind. Despite being $1k more than the RP8, I couldn't be more pleased to pay the extra money for this table. IMO if you are contemplating getting the discounted RP8, I'd save for another month, 3 months, year, whatever, and just get the P8. The wait will be worth it. That's not to say the RP8 isn't a good table; it's great. The P8 is just in a different league. This upgrade has been transformative for my system. I am now just trying to hold my hand behind my back to prevent myself from clicking on my mouse to order the Apheta 2, because I'm sure my mind will be blown with that cartridge. In sum, I can't imagine ever needing a better turntable, and I sense that it can handle any cartridge thrown at it.

 

I got the new Planar 8 with the Ania cartridge nearly 3-weeks ago. It's VERY good. I'm super impressed and find it much more pleasing than the VPI Classic it replaced. I've had a few other Rega's previously over the years - Planar 2, P25 (twice) and the recent P3 iteration. So, I knew I liked the Rega "house sound." But this TT just keeps on blowing my mind as I listen to more and more LPs.

When you get a new $3,500 TT you're going to listen to tons of old LPs and buy some new ones too. And, I've bought lots of new TTs since my first record player in 1965. But this one stands out. Distinctly better than my previous 'tables.

Record Store Day came, conveniently, about a week after the TT arrived. So, that was a plus, too.

Folks looking at the P8 that are wondering, "Is it really that good?" well, it is. And, as best I can tell is selling gangbusters.

 

I picked up a discounted RP8 at 50% off with full warranty so it was a no brainer. I couldn't wait at that price, but I will be looking for a discounted RP10 when the P10 comes out. Glad to hear your P8 is singing.

 

Anyone using non Rega cart on this table? Possible to shim the tonearm and if so, how?

 

Yes. An Audio Note iQ3. I use these Acoustic Signature spacers. Not cheap but no need to remove tonearm.

 

Have there been any discussions related to the foam in terms of lifespan? I mean, UV, heat (from tube amps, sunshine etc), material itself (we all know what happens to plastics and foam in general over time) etc. I like the design and reviews are great but this foam worries me investing in a long term partner. New materials can be awesome but also add risks.

 

New application, not new material. Tancast 8 has been around a few years. That being said, my P6 is a year old and still looks new. I am careful with it though, no Journey will ever be played on it.

 

Polyurethane foam has been used in refrigerators for insulation going all the way back to the early 60s, not really a new material. The main issue with the P6/P8 plinth is potential warping because of the skins, and there have been some reports of this, but seems to be relatively rare so far.