Rega RP6 opportunity and opinions?

[bigfish786]

i've recently seen the rp6 on offer for 499 on ebay, and i must say i'm very tempted.

is this TT as good as it gets for that sort of money?

i've got the vinyl bug bad, and i'm looking to get a decent TT .

is there anything else i should be looking at for that sort of money?

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

i've recently seen the rp6 on offer for 499 on ebay, and i must say i'm very tempted.

is this TT as good as it gets for that sort of money?

i've got the vinyl bug bad, and i'm looking to get a decent TT .

is there anything else i should be looking at for that sort of money?

Does it come with some cart fit in?

 

[bigfish786]

no cartridge at that price, but thats not a problem. seems the Nagaoka carts are better performers than the rega carts i could have fitted.

 

[stevebrock]

Its a bargain at £499 - then add a Nagaoka MP200 and thats a seriously good TT for the money!

 

[Al ears]

i've recently seen the rp6 on offer for 499 on ebay, and i must say i'm very tempted.

is this TT as good as it gets for that sort of money?

i've got the vinyl bug bad, and i'm looking to get a decent TT .

is there anything else i should be looking at for that sort of money?

Presumably you are looking at the 'Union Jack' version from Analogue Seduction (or Moorgate Acoustics - they are all at it!). For this price I would grab one right now before they are gone. The RP6 is usually around £900 without cartridge so this is a veritable bargain.

I have purchased plenty of stuff from this dealer and they come highly recommended. As recommended above, by stevebrock, get it fitted with a nice Nagaoka and that's you sorted for a wee while.

Is there anything else you should be looking at for that money? - simple answer is No!

 

[plastic penguin]

i've recently seen the rp6 on offer for 499 on ebay, and i must say i'm very tempted.

is this TT as good as it gets for that sort of money?

i've got the vinyl bug bad, and i'm looking to get a decent TT .

is there anything else i should be looking at for that sort of money?

It should a fantastic TT. Although I've joked with Steve about wobbly platters in the past, make sure you have a dem (if possible or least make sure there's a returns policy), just in case it's one of the iffy models.

Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it generally is. Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Al ears]

i've recently seen the rp6 on offer for 499 on ebay, and i must say i'm very tempted.

is this TT as good as it gets for that sort of money?

i've got the vinyl bug bad, and i'm looking to get a decent TT .

is there anything else i should be looking at for that sort of money?

It should a fantastic TT. Although I've joked with Steve about wobbly platters in the past, make sure you have a dem (if possible or least make sure there's a returns policy), just in case it's one of the iffy models.

Sometimes if it looks too good to be true, it generally is. Better to be safe than sorry.

Couldn't agree more. However, there does appear to be more than one dealer attempting to shift these decks at roughly the same price and only the Union Flag models. It may be that they had a duff batch of these but I would consider that highly unlikely. Maybe there just aren't that many UK patriots that want an RP3.

 

[thescarletpronster]

Yes, I'd guess that it's being sold off because it looks bloody horrible and no one wants to buy it. For that price, you can afford to get it professionally sprayed a decent colour!

 

[Al ears]

Yes, I'd guess that it's being sold off because it looks bloody horrible and no one wants to buy it. For that price, you can afford to get it professionally sprayed a decent colour!

How very British of you.

 

[thescarletpronster]

Well quite. Got to keep the British end up, what!

 

[bigfish786]

thanks for all the replies guys, yeah, it's on of the union jack finished ones i am looking at. it seems like a very good deal, regardless of the paint job, some will like it, some won't.

so, it looks like i'll be purchasing one very soon, and a decent cartridge.

then, i have to decide whether to go MM or MC.

 

[stevebrock]

With regards to the MM or MC cart decision, does your current amp have a Phono Stage? What is your current amp?

The cheapest way to start is to go MM, but dont worry very good results can be achieved!

Buy a Rega FONO at £199 - its fundamentally the same as the Phono Stage in the Rega Brio R - obviously has the benefit of being in a seperate case with its own PSU.

Buy the best Nagaoka cart you can afford ie MP110, MP150, MP200 - you can get an MP110 on ebay for £79.95. the MP200 has the Boron Cantilver and is signifacantly better than the Exact 2. I have owned the MP110, MP200 & Exact 2 and the MP200 kicks the Exact 2 into the gutter IMO.

Let us know if you need any help and also how you get on!

The RP6 at that price is a bargain - the RB303 tonearm is very good and will take a cartridge costing twice the amount of the deck.

 

[Al ears]

As stevebrock mentions you do not say what your amp is. If you are buying a turntable I guess it has a phono input.

Just a thought but if you are going to get the TT from Analogue Seduction they also stock Nagaoka MM cartridges and will probably fit one for you if you go down that route, thus saving you the hassle.

It is my opinion that you should not dwell too long on the cheaper MC cartridges as these are easily matched / bettered by moving magnets in the same price range. High output moving coils are a waste of space I feel, especially the cheap ones. A low output MC will mean you having to buy a phono preamp, so to avoid extra expense, it is best to stick with moving magnets.

Unless you have a very good budget that is....

 

[stevebrock]

Have replied to you 'Leema phono' thread and as Al say the cheaper high output MCs will outperfomed by MM at that price.

Saying that though I am running a Benz Micro Ace High Output with good results - however I know I need to spend a lot more money now to get another step up with an MC (ie Icon Audio PS1 MC/MM phono £1199 and then another £1000 on a decent Low Output MC)

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I'm runing my RP6 with Elite MC cart from Golring, costing £430 and a Clearaudio Basic Plus costing £550 with amazing results.

It is possible to have a MC cart without breaking the bank.

 

[bigfish786]

thanks again for all the responses, it has really helped me make some decisions about where i'm going to go regarding turntable and cartridge.

yes, those of you with a keen eye will have spotted i have a Leema Pulse Amplifier, which is the reason why i wanted to know about the MC cartridges, as the Pulse has both MM and MC phono stages.

In the meantime, i have been playing around with my Rotel TT, and fitted a 1mm foam coating to the plinth, hopefully to reduce vibration effects. and it looks quite good too.

again, thanks for all the input, it's all very helpful.

 

[stevebrock]

If you have the Leema amp, I would definately go for the Nagaoka then, the Nagaoka took the edge slightly off my old Elciit R amp - I believe the Leema has similar charactertistics of the Elicit - transparent & clean

 

[plastic penguin]

Firstly, I wouldn't spend anymore than £350-£400 (normal retail price). On that basis a MM would probably give you sound you're looking for.

As for which carts: ClearAudio works a treat with the Leema; Goldring is another fabulous option, as is the Nagos I've heard so much about.

 

[plastic penguin]

If you have the Leema amp, I would definately go for the Nagaoka then, the Nagaoka took the edge slightly off my old Elciit R amp - I believe the Leema has similar charactertistics of the Elicit - transparent & clean

Think we need to tread carefully when mentioning the words "clean" and "transparent". The Pulse has that in spades, but based on what I heard when I had a dem of the Elicit-R, the Pulse isn't the last word in clarity. It is very good, but splitting hairs a little, I would say the Elcit-R has the edge in that respect.

I don't honestly mind not having outright clarity, as IMO - based on the Caspian - a little less clarity in the budget and midrange bracket is often an advantage -- the presentation CAN become a little too clinical.

 

[stevebrock]

rememeber when putting a TT system together its not just about the cart & phono, other things come into play too like the presentation of your amp/speakers!

Bloody minefield!

 

[plastic penguin]

Bloody minefield!

Absolutely and utterley.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

rememeber when putting a TT system together its not just about the cart & phono, other things come into play too like the presentation of your amp/speakers!

Bloody minefield!

For me thats where the fun of the game is...! And when you get it right is heaven!