Rega Planar 2 upgrade paths

[NotoriousBEN]

Recently bought a Rega Planar 2 and have a few questions about upgrades.

1. In terms of upgrading the cartridge I understand that in the US the Rega Exact is very expensive but adding a shim to the tonearm allows for some other cheaper models to be added. Is this challenging/difficult to do?
2. The rubber ring that controls the speed seems very loose when I move it to the smaller part of the spindle. Is that normal? I’ve seen some people upgrade to a silicone ring?
3. Is it worth upgrading the platter and or slip mat?
4. I’m going into the phono input of a Denon AVR-X2700H. How good is this built-in pre amp? What are the upgrade options?

Of all the things mentioned above, what makes sense to do first?

 

[Al ears]

What cartridge is currently fitted to the turntable?
Why do you need the Exact? This is normally around £295 on Amazon so what does it cost in the States?
What sort of budget did you have in mind?
No point in paying out good money if you are eventually feeding it into an AV phono preamp.
I am sure the one in the Denon will be sufficient for cheap turntables but that's about it as it's pretty much fitted as an afterthought.

 

[NotoriousBEN]

The cartridge that is on there is stock. I believe it is an entry level Audio Technica

Ultimately I plan on upgrading the entire signal path, but for now the receiver I am using has to do double duty as a multimedia device for the time being.

The Rega Exact runs about $650 USD which is not out of the question, but I’m very new to all of this (as you can probably tell) so I’m just trying to get my bearings. I’d like to keep the upgrades between now and the end of the year less than $1000 USD.

 

[Al ears]

The cartridge that is on there is stock. I believe it is an entry level Audio Technica

Ultimately I plan on upgrading the entire signal path, but for now the receiver I am using has to do double duty as a multimedia device for the time being.

The Rega Exact runs about $650 USD which is not out of the question, but I’m very new to all of this (as you can probably tell) so I’m just trying to get my bearings. I’d like to keep the upgrades between now and the end of the year less than $1000 USD.

that's very expensive for an Exact cartridge which, in my opinion isn't brilliant.
How much is an Elys 2?
Perhaps you need to look more at the home grown variety like Sumiko

 

[NotoriousBEN]

I was really hoping to avoid having to shim the tone arm, but that is looking more and more like a possibility.

Elys 2 is $345 in US

 

[daytona600]

The rubber ring that controls the speed = add external Rega Neo PSU @ $445
This feature electronic speed control is free on almost every deck made in the last 60years

I was really hoping to avoid having to shim the tone arm
adjustable VTA no need for Shims . Standard for last 60years

 

[Al ears]

The rubber ring that controls the speed = add external Rega Neo PSU @ $445
This feature electronic speed control is free on almost every deck made in the last 60years

I was really hoping to avoid having to shim the tone arm
adjustable VTA no need for Shims . Standard for last 60years

What has adjustable VTA?
The RB220 certainly doesn't, and nothing is standard for 60years in hifi....

 

[nopiano]

Welcome to the Forum.

Is your Rega new or used? If used, the stylus is the bit you cannot be sure about, so look there first, unless your records aren’t valuable and can be replaced.

An Audio Technica is easy to upgrade or update especially if it’s one from the 95 or VM95 range.

Is it correctly fitted from a height perspective because I’d not deliberately choose a Rega cart if I already had an AT?

PS. I used a Grado Prestige for several years in my Rega arm. They are made in New York and sound great. They can be sensitive to hum though, so aren’t necessarily a sure-fire suggestion. How much is a Green or Red locally?

 

[plastic penguin]

Certainly makes sense to source a US-based cartridge maker. I'm not keen on Rega carts, they certainly can be bettered by the likes of Goldring, Ortofon, Grado etc etc...