My first Rega upgrade - groovy baby!!

[thumpin]

With the exception of the Groovetracer Reference subplatter I'd keep your table in the "all Rega" camp. Respect the wonderful job of engineering that Gandy and Bateman put into their product. Forget squish balls, cork dots, etc., etc. that are suggested by self appointed experts. You should be able to pick up a used tungsten weight off E-Bay- U.S. or U.K.

By the way, you do a great job with photograpy. The picture of your kit, including your audio rack is really special!

Hmm, not sure I would totally agree with this advice. Sure, the Rega design was for all the best intentions but if the units were produced to the original engineered spec's I doubt whether you or me could afford one :wink:
I've done a few well researched changes to my P3 with good results. Lately I've been trying isolation experiments and was amazed how small insignificant methods effected sound (good & bad).
A quick way to hear this is to just get a looong set of RCA cables and move your TT completely out of the vibration zone. Even with the loss of signal quality from the long cable run is overwhelmed by the clarity and silent noise floor :D . Problem is, thats not too practical and the kids trip over the cables :roll: .
I'll keep trying different methods until I reach a happy medium of improvement vs ascetics :?

[RoDa]

With the exception of the Groovetracer Reference subplatter I'd keep your table in the "all Rega" camp. Respect the wonderful job of engineering that Gandy and Bateman put into their product. Forget squish balls, cork dots, etc., etc. that are suggested by self appointed experts. You should be able to pick up a used tungsten weight off E-Bay- U.S. or U.K.

I'm with you. For me it's important that the 'upgrades' and tweaks are fully reversible. You were saying something about a P9 power cord?

I found the tungsten weights on e-bay (same price as the retailer in Norway, though)
But since my cartridge is 10,5g I would like a heavier counterweight than the 113g tungsten.

What do you think?

By the way, you do a great job with photograpy. The picture of your kit, including your audio rack is really special!

Thank you!

[xyyyy]

Here's a link to the Rega Mains Power. It is the same cord used on the P9. Yet at just over $140 U.S. dollars, it's a little spendy.

http://www.analogueseduction.net/produc ... 5m_REG-MPC

The 113 gram Rega tungsten counterweight is their heaviest. Hmmm- what to do? How about an Exact or an Apheta cartridge? Seriously, you have a nice cartridge!

[HBA]

This power cord does not came with the Rega P9. Actually, it is included in the Rega Osiris integrated amplifier and in the Rega Isis CD Player as standard.
Talking about counterweight, I would take the Michell Counterweight. I use it in a Rega P7 and Rega P9 and the final results, in my opinion, are much better than using the Rega´s tungsten model.

Regards,

[Gothmeister]

Talking about counterweight, I would take the Michell Counterweight. I use it in a Rega P7 and Rega P9 and the final results, in my opinion, are much better than using the Rega´s tungsten model.

Not having tried the tungsten weight, I can't comment on it, but I plumped for the Michell on the basis of comments/reviews and, also, because it did not foul the lid, when raising the arm for VTA purposes.

[RoDa]

Here's a link to the Rega Mains Power. It is the same cord used on the P9. Yet at just over $140 U.S. dollars, it's a little spendy.

http://www.analogueseduction.net/produc ... 5m_REG-MPC

The 113 gram Rega tungsten counterweight is their heaviest. Hmmm- what to do? How about an Exact or an Apheta cartridge? Seriously, you have a nice cartridge!

Thanks for the info on the power cord. Not shure where I could put it to use on my P5 though? (The wall wart plugged directly into the P5)

Well, I'm kinda in love with the Rondo Blue.... so not likely to change it for a MM.

R

[RoDa]

This power cord does not came with the Rega P9. Actually, it is included in the Rega Osiris integrated amplifier and in the Rega Isis CD Player as standard.
Talking about counterweight, I would take the Michell Counterweight. I use it in a Rega P7 and Rega P9 and the final results, in my opinion, are much better than using the Rega´s tungsten model.

Regards,

Thank you HBA.
I have heard many people talk about the Michell weight.

Some of the weights I have been considering:


Michell Technoweight




Isokinetik ISOweight




Deepgroove weight (same type as the ISOweight, underhung circular)


Rega tungsten (excluded due to low weight)


Groovetracer counterweight

http://groovetracer.com/counterweight_groovetracer.htm
This is really cool looking, like a spaceship from starwars








So:

The original weight, and the tungsten upgrade weight from Rega are both circular with a centered hole.

The ISOweight and the deepgroove are both circular, buth with the hole towards the outer edge so that the center of gravity (?) is lowered.

The Michell has the weight underhung and a bit stretched to the sides, not shure what the effect of that is.

And finally the groovetracer has the weight(s) underhung and far out on the sides.


Geometry and physics.....

Oops, not my strong side I'm afraid...
But I'm confused about why these weights can make a difference.

I have been told that the closer the weight is to the pivot point, the better.
Ok, so a heavier weight takes care of that. (Why it is so, I still don't know)

The underhung weights seem to be a good idea, at least if it is put on a unipivot bearing arm. But for the rigid type of pivot/bearing in a Rega arm, why does it matter? ..or does it matter?`


I don't need a scale on the weight, like the Michell has. I own a Pro-Ject Measure-it digital weight. (So the tweak of setting the Rega adjustment to max can be done to check it out)





Also I'm not too happy about replacing the end stub on my RB700.
If I may skip the stress on the bearings needed to remove the old stub, I will. So the weights fitting the original end stub is preferred.



Looking forward to a good discussion about this, and the help to make my choice.
(Couterweight is not my third upgrade, as you might have guessed. But it might be my fourth)

Best regards
Rolf

[laserdude]

Rigid is the keyword here. Lets imagine that we have a tonearm with a continues arm tube from head shell to end of the arm stub. If you were to mount a counterweight rigidly to this arm, the vibrations from the needle in the groove would be amplified by the counterweight. Therefore the optimum way to mount the weight would be to "float" the weight around the arm tube, which is imposable. but one can get very close to accomplice this.

By the way, the optimum is to get as close too the vertical pivot point of arm and get as far (wide) away from the horizontal pivot point with the weight.

The under hung weight should, on paper, give a more crisper sound and help the arm not to move around in the groove.

IMHO if you have on of these weights on your arm, you should adjust the tracking force accordingly, to a higher weight.

[mattlynch]

hi all,
i have found the biggest improvements came from replacing the end stub with an origin live type, not sure what the different coupling does in terms of the physics but it rewrites what the rega arm tube structure is capable of , all the other weights look real trick but the OL end stub is where the magic lies, i have tried the Michell TW, iso end and standard rega 300 stub and the OL wins every time, its only bettered by the audiomods system but that isnt relevant here.
regards,
matt

[RoDa]

Rigid is the keyword here. Lets imagine that we have a tonearm with a continues arm tube from head shell to end of the arm stub. If you were to mount a counterweight rigidly to this arm, the vibrations from the needle in the groove would be amplified by the counterweight. Therefore the optimum way to mount the weight would be to "float" the weight around the arm tube, which is imposable. but one can get very close to accomplice this.

By the way, the optimum is to get as close too the vertical pivot point of arm and get as far (wide) away from the horizontal pivot point with the weight.

The under hung weight should, on paper, give a more crisper sound and help the arm not to move around in the groove.

IMHO if you have on of these weights on your arm, you should adjust the tracking force accordingly, to a higher weight.

Thanks for the input!

Looks like you're pointing me in the direction of the Groovetracer counterweight. Heavy, thus close to the pivot point and far away/wide.


Of course I'm going to adjust the VTF. My point was only that I don't need any fancy-schmancy adjustment scale on the counterweight since I have the Measure-It from Pro-Ject.


Regards
Rolf

[RoDa]

hi all,
i have found the biggest improvements came from replacing the end stub with an origin live type, not sure what the different coupling does in terms of the physics but it rewrites what the rega arm tube structure is capable of , all the other weights look real trick but the OL end stub is where the magic lies, i have tried the Michell TW, iso end and standard rega 300 stub and the OL wins every time, its only bettered by the audiomods system but that isnt relevant here.
regards,
matt

Thanks for the input!
Regards
Rolf

[RoDa]

A few pics I found of the Groovetracer weight on a RB1000














R

[HBA]

There is a good article here at vinylengine talking about the Michell...for me, it was a terrific upgrade.

http://www.vinylengine.com/michell-tecnoweight.shtml

[laserdude]

A small hitch with the under hung counterweight is that, if it´s of the Origin Live or Isokinetik kind, if it´s off center of the base (vertical angel) it can throw your needle and cantilever off center too.