Enjoying my RP3! Upgrade question?

[Gizmology]

Hi all,

I have been enjoying my RP3 quite a bit, and I have a small amount of store credit so I am thinking of an upgrade of sorts. The question is: should I get a Rega Fono MM preamp? I am currently using the phono input on my Rotel RA-02 and I am wondering if the Rega Fono would be a big improvement (or a small one, or...totally insignificant and a waste of money!). I have the Elys2 cart and I was reading some things on this thread that are relevant to my question:

viewtopic.php?t=26272
(I would have posted in the thread, but it is pretty old so I figured I'd start a new one.).

After reading the thread, I started to wonder if my money would be better spent upgrading the cart to an Exact, or some other cart entirely (as it seems many people do not seem to favor the Rega carts, including one of the posters in the thread). I had come to a conclusion based on what I read in the thread and elsewhere that getting the Rega Fono preamp would really be an improvement IF I also then paired it with the Exact or some other cart. I also gathered that I would see SOME benefit from the Rega Fono with the Elys2 cart, but nothing too spectacular. Based on this, I was thinking since my cart is pretty new and has a lot of life left, I would buy the preamp and wait to hear its TRUE value at some point down the road when I eventually upgrade my cart. Is this sound thinking, or should I upgrade the cart now, try to sell the Elys2 now while it is relatively "fresh" and then get the Fono at some point in the future? Any help or advice would be most appreciated!

Thanks,
G

[denisnelson]

Save up and get a better Preamp than the Fono MM.

I had one for 2 months and had the urge to upgrade.. so glad I did. Sound performance blew my mind.

Save up for a couple months and get a grade A preamp



JUST MY 2 CENTS

[Gizmology]

Do you have any grade A amp suggestions? I'm not sure I want to spend too much more on an amp than the cost of the Fono, but...depending on HOW much more, and/or if I could find a used grade A, I may consider it. Also, do the same things re: better cart for better amp still apply? If I purchase a grade A amp will I need to purchase a better cart to see any major improvements and/or will the amp reveal the limitations of my Elys2 cart?

[dtainer]

Remember, it's more about synergy between you, your equipment and the space in which you listen. Someone with a Denon DL-110, with the right space and equipment, and a certain "taste" in sound, will much prefer that Denon to any Rega, and therefore think it is better. This may not be true based on those factors mentioned above. I bought a Rega Elys 2 for my Planar 3 and the sound was fantastic. I ran it through a Musical Fidelity V-LPS2 (with V-PSU2) and it was even better...in my space, on my tube amp, through my Klipsch speakers.

In short, there's a lot more to do with tuning your space, than tuning your equipment if it's pretty good to begin with. Rotel is perfectly fine (unless it's getting long-in-the-tooth and needs re-capping and other work). So do that first, then attack the other elements in your sound chain, but know that a Rega with an Elys, without any other factors involved, is a damn-good turntable/cartridge combination.

*PS: I did not mean to disparage anyone with the Denon example, just the first cartridge that popped in my head. It, along with many others, are all fine cartridges and given the above, perfect for the Rega...

[kabayiri]

I can't help feeling that a local Rega dealer would help solve your questions.

Take your turntable along, and the amp if possible. Get them to demo an RP3 with better cart against your 'table with the Rega Fono stage.

I took my Rega along to a local dealer last week. Although they stock and are quite happy to sell Rega carts, I ended up choosing an Ortofon 2M Bronze.

There may be a 3rd outcome, which is neither a new cart in your price range or the Fono give you the expected results. I guess then it's saving time!

[Gizmology]

Thanks for the advice everybody! Dtainer: I hear what you are saying, and my space is pretty limited because of how my house is shaped and where my stereo is (and needs to be). So...unfortunately, not much tweaking I can do.

Kabayiri: My local dealer is not exactly local, but not exactly far. I checked out their site and they do not show that they carry the Fono, but I will call them and ask, and if I do not take my equipment along with me (which I probably won't, as it would be a fairly big pain to do so), I will at least talk to them and see what they have to say and maybe demo some of their stuff.

The other option (and way I may be leaning) is to pick up the Fono and a different cart and try them out with my system, as I will have 30 days to do so before I would have to return them. That way I could see if I notice any improvements and still be able to stay with what I have now if need be. I would only wind up paying up to probably $20 maximum for the return shipping.