Question First TT recommendation (was Rega P3 tonearm installation)

[momo72]

I've picked up a P3 second-hand which will soon replace my RP1. It came with a lid (yeah...) but without a tonearm.

I noticed that the P3 plinth isn't pre-drilled on the top or its underside, whereas the RB101 arm on my RP1 is screwed into the top (3 small screws).

- From what I could make out on various YT videos, the likes of RB330 arms aren't screwed from the top at all. Not sure this is right though. Is it?

- Would I be okay to swap the RP101 arm over to the P3 myself or should I use a local dealer for a full set-up?

 

[Al ears]

The tonearm has to be positioned accurately, if you cannot do this yourself get it to a dealer.

 

[nopiano]

I would have thought the benefit of a Rega above the RP1 is to have a fully adjustable tonearm suitable for a wide range of cartridges. As the RB100 arm doesn’t do that I’m struggling to see why you’d want to swap it over.

I believe there are both single nut and three-screw fixings for Rega arms. Mine is the single nut type, but I’ve not moved it.
More here...https://www.vinylengine.com/a-guide-rega-tonearms.shtml

 

[momo72]

I would have thought the benefit of a Rega above the RP1 is to have a fully adjustable tonearm suitable for a wide range of cartridges. As the RB100 arm doesn’t do that I’m struggling to see why you’d want to swap it over.

I believe there are both single nut and three-screw fixings for Rega arms. Mine is the single nut type, but I’ve not moved it.
More here...https://www.vinylengine.com/a-guide-rega-tonearms.shtml

The P3 is sans tonearm, as I mentioned.

I'm thinking about "going up" in the range but it seems a rather pricey jump.

I'd like to avoid having little screw holes on the plinth on show at a later date possibly if the better arms are single nut-no screws.

 

[nopiano]

The P3 is sans tonearm, as I mentioned.

I'm thinking about "going up" in the range but it seems a rather pricey jump.

I'd like to avoid having little screw holes on the plinth on show at a later date possibly if the better arms are single nut-no screws.

Yes, I realise the P3 you’ve bought is without arm, but fitting it with the P1 arm it won’t be much better than the P1 intact, which in turn is then unsaleable. Surely the better way forward is to buy a RB250 arm with the single nut fastening or whichever you decide for the P3, and then sell the complete RP1?

Apologies if I’ve misunderstood.

 

[Al ears]

It is indeed , unusual to find a deck that hasn't been prepared for a tonearm and there are different versions of P3 because Rega has a weird naming system. Are there no markings on the plinth at all? Does yours have the new 'double-brace' system or is it the older Planar 3?
What I mean is, on the plinth does it simply have P3 or does it say Rega Planar 3?
If you're going to fit an arm to it then it might be an idea to give Rega tonearms a miss.
Do you have a budget in mind as you're better off selling the RP1 with its tonearm still in place and then drilling out the P3 plinth to take a column-fit tonearm.
Anyway, this might help:-

http://www.rega.co.uk/uploads/rb330-retail-instructions-master-2017.pdf

 

[daytona600]

rega arms are fixed , fit a better tonearm & better cartridge

Rage 1 From The Funk Firm

Got a Rega Planar 3 hanging around, not doing much? Fancy transforming it into a high-end turntable? Paul Rigby looks at a possible method as he reviews the Rage 1 upgrade kit When you attach the word ‘kit’ to a hi-fi product, it is a label that is too often one step away from derision....

theaudiophileman.com

The Funk Firm Rage 1 modifications to Rega turntables

The Funk Firm makes turntables, tonearms, and Achromat pure vinyl replacements for the often-ghastly fuzzy slip-mats on turntables. But what it is also

www.hifiplus.com

 

[momo72]

It is indeed , unusual to find a deck that hasn't been prepared for a tonearm and there are different versions of P3 because Rega has a weird naming system. Are there no markings on the plinth at all? Does yours have the new 'double-brace' system or is it the older Planar 3?
What I mean is, on the plinth does it simply have P3 or does it say Rega Planar 3?
If you're going to fit an arm to it then it might be an idea to give Rega tonearms a miss.
Do you have a budget in mind as you're better off selling the RP1 with its tonearm still in place and then drilling out the P3 plinth to take a column-fit tonearm.
Anyway, this might help:-

http://www.rega.co.uk/uploads/rb330-retail-instructions-master-2017.pdf

My deck is the older P3 with the power button on the front left corner, and the logo across the front is just "Rega P3". I don't know much about the history of that TT. If it was originally fitted with an arm it was removed a while ago. And there aren't any screw holes on the plinth.

Thanks for pointing the Origin Live and The Funk Firm offerings towards me. As I'm new to TT, these were unknown to me till now. Definitely interested in the F5 actually.

 

[Al ears]

My deck is the older P3 with the power button on the front left corner, and the logo across the front is just "Rega P3". I don't know much about the history of that TT. If it was originally fitted with an arm it was removed a while ago. And there aren't any screw holes on the plinth.

Thanks for pointing the Origin Live and The Funk Firm offerings towards me. As I'm new to TT, these were unknown to me till now. Definitely interested in the F5 actually.

Thanks, from what I read is it didn't have any holes in it at all....
Just one 22mm round hole I guess.
This turntable pre-dates the Rega three-point mount.

 

[momo72]

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to get a new P3 (with RB330 and the Elys 2 cartridge, new motor etc.). As my first real foray into using vinyl as a source I think it makes a lot of sense. It's £650, but great value for money over upgrading lots of bits one after the other.
Would you guys do it like that too if you were in my shoes?

 

[daytona600]

£230 for external Neo PSU Total £880 competition have these built in project , technics , clearaudio etc

 

[momo72]

£230 for external Neo PSU Total £880 competition have these built in project , technics , clearaudio etc

Is that external PSU alone likely to make much (any?) difference in performance? (enough to hear it)

 

[nopiano]

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to get a new P3 (with RB330 and the Elys 2 cartridge, new motor etc.). As my first real foray into using vinyl as a source I think it makes a lot of sense. It's £650, but great value for money over upgrading lots of bits one after the other.
Would you guys do it like that too if you were in my shoes?

I’d say yes, on the basis that you had to ask about the original idea. Had you years of experience in fiddling with turntables and were comfortable with doing so again, it would fun and rewarding. But it’s not the sort of task where most of us can learn as we go, and if we do then it can include the occasional costly accident!
A new one will be easy to enjoy straight away!

 

[momo72]

£230 for external Neo PSU Total £880 competition have these built in project , technics , clearaudio etc

Only possible candidate currently vs. the new P3 is a used Clearaudio Bluemotion roughly the same price. I don't know much about TTs in general though that one is much older (maybe 10 years+).
Would it still beat the P3 (new design) in a match?

 

[Al ears]

The more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to get a new P3 (with RB330 and the Elys 2 cartridge, new motor etc.). As my first real foray into using vinyl as a source I think it makes a lot of sense. It's £650, but great value for money over upgrading lots of bits one after the other.
Would you guys do it like that too if you were in my shoes?

Also look at the Pro-ject X1.

 

[momo72]

Quick update:
I'm selling the RP1 (eventually my friend whom I got it off found the dust cover).
I was humming and ahrring about buying a brand new TT (but which one?) for a while.
I have found a brand new tonearm (RB220) for a good price. So the plan is to build up the RP3 with a decent cartridge.
My local dealer doesn't do Ortofon, and I was tempted not to go with a Rega.
I know nothing about Cartridges other than MM/MC and a couple of brands.
Is a 2M Blue worth spending on (over the 2M Red one)?
Should I look at Goldring or AT or even other brands I haven't come across yet?
I have a bit of budget available maybe up to £200.
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Al ears]

Quick update:
I'm selling the RP1 (eventually my friend whom I got it off found the dust cover).
I was humming and ahrring about buying a brand new TT (but which one?) for a while.
I have found a brand new tonearm (RB220) for a good price. So the plan is to build up the RP3 with a decent cartridge.
My local dealer doesn't do Ortofon, and I was tempted not to go with a Rega.
I know nothing about Cartridges other than MM/MC and a couple of brands.
Is a 2M Blue worth spending on (over the 2M Red one)?
Should I look at Goldring or AT or even other brands I haven't come across yet?
I have a bit of budget available maybe up to £200.
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

Whichever you go for it will almost certainly require the use of the shims under that tonearm to raise it. Do you have some?
Some of the best around at that price point are made by Audio Technica, as they also produce rebadged cartridges for other brands. The VM 540ML might be found within your budget.

 

[momo72]

Whichever you go for it will almost certainly require the use of the shims under that tonearm to raise it. Do you have some?
Some of the best around at that price point are made by Audio Technica, as they also produce rebadged cartridges for other brands. The VM 540ML might be found within your budget.

I don't have any shims. Not sure the tonearm will have any in the box. I'm sure my local dealer will be able to sort that out as they're a Rega expert dealer.