Rega RP1 platter rises and falls

[Pelley]

Hi all, I'm a newbie but have used this site and the wisdom of the forums (thanks all) to inform my choices when I recently ditched my 20yr old Sony system for some proper music playing kit.

Being new to audiophile, and with a limited amount of cash, I follwed the five star budget trail and got myself a Marantz CD6004 player and PM6004 amp, Monitor Audio BX2 speakers and a Rega RP1 (Performance Upgrade) TT. All very lovely and (obviously) a vast sonic improvement on the old Sony all-in-one.

Just have a question re the Rega. There's a very, very slight but noticeable rise and fall as the platter revolves which, when a record is on, means that the tone arm also rises and falls a fraction (by a millimetre maybe less.) Should i be worried about this or is it normal for a budget TT?

Also, I fell asleep listening to a record a few weeks after buying my new kit and so, as there's no automatic return function, the stylus ran in the run out groove for about six hours! Was very annoyed with myself when I woke up and have wondered ever since what toll may have been taken on the belt, motor and stylus. Any thoughts?

Thanks

 

[chebby]

6 hours in a run-out groove is not a problem. A decent diamond stylus is good for 1500 hours with careful use and clean records.

It will not damage your belt or motor or bearing either.

 

[Al ears]

Chebby is correct about the run-out groove.
Regards your rise and fall though I would get this checked out as this is not normal in my opinion. Having had Rega's in the past I have never seen this on any of my turntables. A slight warp in a LP is sometimes possible but if it is noticeable without an LP on the turntable then that is another matter.

 

[Pelley]

Thank you for your replies, very much appreciated. Glad to hear 6 hours in the run out groove is no problem. Think I'll get the Rega checked over re the up and down movement, find a local dealer and see what they think. Thanks again guys.

 

[Pelley]

UNPUBLISHED

(Double post)

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know whether you've seen this, but it put me off the RP1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIYxqI02K78

 

[Pelley]

Thanks RickP200,

I hadn't seen that clip, but after watching it I found many further links to videos and forum discussions by people having the same problem with RP1 "platter wobble"! I was reading for a good 3 hours til my brain was frying but didn't really find any satisfactory answers or solutions.

It seems different people attribute it to different causes. Some say it is the platter itself that is warped, but then go on to say that having replaced it there's a huge improvement though they can still see a slight wobble.

Some say that the wobble is within 'Rega specifications' so should be no cause for alarm, but that seems unlikely. Even an entry level turntable should surely revolve evenly.

Others say it is a common problem with Rega sub-platters and that replacing it with a super duper Groovetracer sub-platter eliminates the problem. But spending a further few hundred pounds on a deck that only cost that much surely defeats the object!

Or it has had a knock in transit so that the bearing is not sitting true and needs to be sent back to the dealer for adjustment or simply it's that the bearing needs time to 'settle in' and after a hundred hours or so should come good.

Actually removing the platter and watching the belt rotate at 45rpm I can see it riding up and down, it looks like that is the cause of the problem but is it the belt at fault or the sub-platter?

Sorry for the long post, I realise I've just distilled three hours of googling for you all when what I should be doing is getting in touch with the dealer to see what they think. Then again, after all this research, I've realised that the dealer I ordered it from a.) forgot to include the performance pack plug n play gauge so that I've had the counterweight in the wrong position all this time and b.) made quite an untidy job of the wiring that connects the upgraded cartridge to the tone arm so that the wires bend downwards and almost touch the vinyl rather than neatly upwards and back into the arm like in all the lovely pictures I've seen.

Maybe I should stop being so pernickety and just sit back and enjoy the lovely tones that are nevertheless resounding from my speakers!

Cheers

Chris

 

[CJSF]

Auther removed post.