Ok more seriously.
The P2 (or P3-24) needs to be on a light, very rigid, open, floor or wall support that is capable of being perfectly levelled (no plonking it on a sideboard standing on floorboards).
Rega do their own wall support for about £75 but it has to go on a perfectly plumb masonry/supporting wall preferably. It is very skeletal and from most angles cannot be seen very much.
Project do a similar wall support and it can be levelled with shelf spikes, but it is a bit heavier and more visible.
You would be wise to invest an extra £11 or thereabouts for one of Rega's optional P2/P3 felt mats (coloured or black) to replace the thinner P2 mat that comes as standard and is just a bit too thin.
It sounds great with the factory fitted (and aligned) Rega Bias 2 cartridge option and that saves you a lot of hassle and time with fitting and aligning it yourself.
I am weird in that I still enjoy fitting/aligning cartridges and even enjoy comparing different types of alignment geometry until I get it spot on. Most people - quite rightly - opt to have all that dealt with in the factory before they buy. You can't always trust a dealer to fit and align a cartridge properly either! Twenty six years of CD players has seen off a large percentage of dealers who could do this competently and accurately. There are some who can still do it, but don't bank on yours being one of them!
The P2 with Bias 2 cartridge costs £294 (£244 without cartridge)
With a P3-24 or P2 you will need to follow all the set-up instructions to the letter (very easy actually) and then
just before you play your first record, rake the bias/anti-skate back to half what it should be. Odd but true. A Rega 'quirk' that goes back to1983.
The Rega P2 arm's method of balancing the arm then setting tracking force is quick, easy and as accurate as your ability to balance the arm, but I prefer to have the extra re-assurance and accuracy of a stylus tracking force gauge like
this one by Shure which costs about £25 - £30.
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