Yes ... My new RB250 tonearm just arrived!

Some of you may have read my post regarding the almost two months I've spent without a tonearm on my Rega Planar 3 turntable. (The bearings in my aging RB300 seem to have bitten the dust.)

Well ... finally the wait is over, and I've just received a package containing a brand-new RB250 tonearm, with Origin Live's structural modification and the Incognito wiring upgrade. This thing is gorgeous, and I can't wait to get home and set it up. The Origin Live end-stub and counterweight have a very attractive brass-like finish, and this Incognito wiring looks to be very high-quality indeed compared to the stock Rega stuff.

What's the first LP you'd play?

 

Nice one Jeff. I look forward to your report on this arm.

I'd play "Blues for Allah" by The Grateful Dead.

Regards,
Geoff

 

I will definitely post my impressions, though it seems like so long since I've heard the RB300 that my recollections might be turning a little hazy ...

I should really pick up some Dead records. The only Dead-related one I have is Jerry Garcia's Garcia solo album on Warners (the one with "Sugaree").

 

Rega must have sorted out all their problems. I got a call that my P3 table was shipped (after more than 3 months of waiting) and should be in today or tomorrow.

The first record up is my unplayed (I opened it a few weeks ago), original version of Billy Joel's Cold Spring Harbor. I've never heard this original version before.

 

Congrats! I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

That's one of the few Joel albums I don't know well. Is that the one that was mastered at the wrong speed?

 

Yeah. Very excited to finally hear it.

 

That's a damn good arm. The best in its class when modified like so. Put that on any TT with the proper Rega holes, and it's dynamite.

 

Congratulations Jeff, you were a long time without that arm.
The first album I'd play is Sgt. Peppers. In fact if I can pick up a new Scout this weekend I'm playing the mono Peppers first.

 

Pepper is a nice choice. That's definitely a contender. Now what do I play, the UK original mono, the '80s UK mono, the German stereo picture disc, the UK stereo from the blue box ...

 

That's one of the reasons I went for the modded RB250 instead of another RB300 ... I wanted the most arm I could get right now, so that when the time does come to upgrade my 'table I won't necessarily feel the need to upgrade the arm as well at the same time. This arm could probably do quite nicely in any number of 'tables.

 

Yup. It will smoke a normal RB300 anyday. I'm sure you're going to find this to be true...

 

Play that amazing UK Imagine LP you have.
Of course I have a selfish ulterior motive.

Seriously....Pepper mono UK would also be my choice.

Congratulations.

BC

 

All mods aside, some people feel that the 250 is superior to the 300 because of its anti-skating system.

- Gabe

 

The absence of the RB300's tracking-force control dial and spring is also another plus, apparently.

I installed the arm earlier and have been sampling a number of LPs I'm familiar with (mono UK Pepper, Carly Simon No Secrets, UK Virgin pressings of Peter Gabriel's So and XTC's Skylarking, Norah Jones' LP on Classic, Tony Bennett at Carnegie Hall), and so far I'm very very impressed. I've noticed unquestionably increased clarity in the bass, and pianos and strings in particular sound much more "real" than they ever did before in my room.

I'm taking Friday off work so I can do a lot more listening. It's great to have the Rega back in action!

 

By the way, here's a pic.

 

That's way cool, Jeff!
I want to buy one of those arms to put on my 80's era AR. Supposedly it's a perfect fit.
BTW, I was going to suggest playing "Skylarking" but you've already done so. If you have an original UK pressing of "English Settlement" then you might want to give that one a spin too.

Dan C

 

Good one! I'll do that ... Just last week I picked up a British 45rpm 12-inch pressing of the "Senses Working Overtime" EP as well, so I should give that its Rega debut too.

I have British pressings of all the XTC (and Dukes) albums except for Oranges and Lemons (I have the US LP, and the MoFi gold CD). Quite possibly they're my favorite band that's still a (semi-)going concern.