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Post by metaldaze on May 27, 2019 20:09:21 GMT -5
Happy Memorial Day everyone! Winding down the day & I'm wondering about my inbound set up. The last piece (HA!  ) to my Hi-Fi puzzle should come from the dealer this week. As the title reads a Rega Planar 3 w/ an exact 2 cart. Currently using an ATLP 120 this deck is a huge step up and I'm excited is an understatement. I use the preout on my darkvoice with nice tung-sol NOS tubes to 'liven' up the sound after the cambridge CP1. I can imagine I may try this at some point again but for the first introduction to the Rega I want to hear it straight out of the phono pre. There's a lot of phono stages out there and some of them are fairly pricey. Some with twice the price of the cambridge for the same specs, MC inputs being excluded. That's another can of worms. None the less I'd like to put my dollars where they matter most (groove tracer, ttpsu etc) Their new phono pre 'Alva Solo' is modestly priced @ $169 which has 10dB more in the S/N and channel separation. The only other major difference is the input loading. Most other manufacturers, along with this new model input 100pF. My CP1 inputs 220pF. The exact 2 outputs pretty much double the voltage of the AT95e. Might there be any preference for more capacitance vs less? The gain for both is 39dB. Thanks & Good Listening |
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Post by dsonyay on May 27, 2019 21:10:26 GMT -5
I kinda think about a Planar 3 as well. But mybtwo TTs sound sooo nice. It's hard to think I'd hear an improvement.
One is a very old Technocs SL-23. I have an AT95 cartridge and the sound is extremely nice. I'm planning to buy a mono cartridge for it later and use it solely for mono.
The other TT is a Planar 2. I bought it at a really nice price from a local guy. Came with original Rega Carbon, and upgraded Nagaoka 110. It's a great cartridge. I've went back and forth between those two cartridges and the Nagaoka does have a better sound.
Planar 2 has a major drawback in that it has a preset bias of 2gr. Kinda crazy.
So cartridge upgrades are very tricky. I don't think Rega feels Planar 1 and 2 owners are the types that would upgrade or be capable of figuring out bias settings.
So.. yeah, like you I'd kinda like a P3.. and I love all the upgrades made for it from other companies. I just don't know if I'd really hear the improvement. Both of my TT seem to be dead quiet
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Post by novisnick on May 27, 2019 21:25:02 GMT -5
I kinda think about a Planar 3 as well. But mybtwo TTs sound sooo nice. It's hard to think I'd hear an improvement. One is a very old Technocs SL-23. I have an AT95 cartridge and the sound is extremely nice. I'm planning to buy a mono cartridge for it later and use it solely for mono. The other TT is a Planar 2. I bought it at a really nice price from a local guy. Came with original Rega Carbon, and upgraded Nagaoka 110. It's a great cartridge. I've went back and forth between those two cartridges and the Nagaoka does have a better sound. Planar 2 has a major drawback in that it has a preset bias of 2gr. Kinda crazy. So cartridge upgrades are very tricky. I don't think Rega feels Planar 1 and 2 owners are the types that would upgrade or be capable of figuring out bias settings. So.. yeah, like you I'd kinda like a P3.. and I love all the upgrades made for it from other companies. I just don't know if I'd really hear the improvement. Both of my TT seem to be dead quiet The Technics SL-23 is Ciara 1976 / 1978 |
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Post by dsonyay on May 27, 2019 21:37:49 GMT -5
I kinda think about a Planar 3 as well. But mybtwo TTs sound sooo nice. It's hard to think I'd hear an improvement. One is a very old Technocs SL-23. I have an AT95 cartridge and the sound is extremely nice. I'm planning to buy a mono cartridge for it later and use it solely for mono. The other TT is a Planar 2. I bought it at a really nice price from a local guy. Came with original Rega Carbon, and upgraded Nagaoka 110. It's a great cartridge. I've went back and forth between those two cartridges and the Nagaoka does have a better sound. Planar 2 has a major drawback in that it has a preset bias of 2gr. Kinda crazy. So cartridge upgrades are very tricky. I don't think Rega feels Planar 1 and 2 owners are the types that would upgrade or be capable of figuring out bias settings. So.. yeah, like you I'd kinda like a P3.. and I love all the upgrades made for it from other companies. I just don't know if I'd really hear the improvement. Both of my TT seem to be dead quiet The Technics SL-23 is Ciara 1976 / 1978 Novisnick That comment went right over my head .. not sure what you meant ...  |
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Post by novisnick on May 27, 2019 23:43:36 GMT -5
The Technics SL-23 is Ciara 1976 / 1978 Novisnick That comment went right over my head .. not sure what you meant ... I purchased that TT new sometime between those years, to the best of my recollection.. |
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Post by 26gary26 on May 28, 2019 0:05:39 GMT -5
Novisnick That comment went right over my head .. not sure what you meant ... I purchased that TT new sometime between those years, to the best of my recollection.. Isnt it amazing that the stereo components of the !970's are still out there performing. I still have my 1972 Pioneer PL-41C turntable spinning vinyl. |
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Post by novisnick on May 28, 2019 4:28:21 GMT -5
I purchased that TT new sometime between those years, to the best of my recollection.. Isnt it amazing that the stereo components of the !970's are still out there performing. I still have my 1972 Pioneer PL-41C turntable spinning vinyl. My Duel 1219 is still spinning , 1968 vintage. I really would love to get It serviced though.  |
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Post by brubacca on May 28, 2019 7:57:23 GMT -5
I've been reading about the Exact. The Rega Fono MM is supposedly the perfect match for that cartridge.
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Post by metaldaze on May 28, 2019 16:26:18 GMT -5
I've been reading about the Exact. The Rega Fono MM is supposedly the perfect match for that cartridge. I've read that as well. I found one second hand in good condition. If I wind up getting it I'll check back with how it sounds in my system. |
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Post by metaldaze on May 28, 2019 17:03:10 GMT -5
Planar 2 has a major drawback in that it has a preset bias of 2gr. Kinda crazy. So cartridge upgrades are very tricky. I don't think Rega feels Planar 1 and 2 owners are the types that would upgrade or be capable of figuring out bias settings. For sure. That was a specific reason I chose the Planar 3. Navigating away from Rega carts may require shims, which is fine. But not having the ability to set the bias settings myself, especially the anti-skate was a huge red flag for me. I like to be able to have full control over the deck so its easier to mentally visualize & troubleshoot if issues come up. Once I got that figured out it was just time for saving $$. Definitely gonna be worth it. |
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Post by brubacca on May 28, 2019 17:52:56 GMT -5
Planar 2 has a major drawback in that it has a preset bias of 2gr. Kinda crazy. So cartridge upgrades are very tricky. I don't think Rega feels Planar 1 and 2 owners are the types that would upgrade or be capable of figuring out bias settings. For sure. That was a specific reason I chose the Planar 3. Navigating away from Rega carts may require shims, which is fine. But not having the ability to set the bias settings myself, especially the anti-skate was a huge red flag for me. I like to be able to have full control over the deck so its easier to mentally visualize & troubleshoot if issues come up. Once I got that figured out it was just time for saving $$. Definitely gonna be worth it. Unfortunately I missed this antiskate detail. I ordered online. I was passed my return date when I figured it out. Actually since I got a decent pair of interconnects after my Phono pre I have really been enjoying my Planar 2. I have 35 albums so I think that the P2 is fine for me. |
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Post by metaldaze on May 28, 2019 20:52:41 GMT -5
I became almost paranoid about anti-skate since my LP120 has literally none  its basically a useless dial Lol I would say you're absolutely right about the P2 fitting your needs though. Its a nice piece of equipment for a great price. Really maximizes what you can get for your money with records. I only have about 75? or so records, but my Dad has hundreds and I plan to keep this table for a long long time. Good luck with it! |
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Post by metaldaze on Jun 1, 2019 15:43:28 GMT -5
I've been reading about the Exact. The Rega Fono MM is supposedly the perfect match for that cartridge. So I got the Fono MM. I believe its the first generation but it looks and sounds good. Its def more lively than the Cambridge, neutral in its response curve. Good synergy it seems with bass in spades. But maybe a little forward in the mid to upper mid range on some recordings. Its too early to tell though the Exact has so few hours on it. I did have the dreaded Rega hum though. Present even when the deck wasn't plug in  It was there with the Cambridge & worse with the Rega Fono (higher gain). Took the whole set up to my second system in the other room and - dead quiet.. at max volume. Skip to TL;DR it was wicked EMI. The deck is back in the main system on longer AQ interconnects after the phono, away from all the other offending components. The hum is actually still there, but its such a drastic improvement from before I am keeping the deck, but considered moving to something else. I really like the way it sounds, and my second system I tested it on is no slouch. Emotiva UMC-1 to UPA2 connected to Ohm Walsh 2's. Its a great deck, but unfortunately showed me flaws in my main listening space which is both a blessing & a burden. I hope this helps because I've seen so many threads about Rega's humming while some others say theirs is silent from the get go. |
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Post by novisnick on Jun 1, 2019 16:21:50 GMT -5
I've been reading about the Exact. The Rega Fono MM is supposedly the perfect match for that cartridge. So I got the Fono MM. I believe its the first generation but it looks and sounds good. Its def more lively than the Cambridge, neutral in its response curve. Good synergy it seems with bass in spades. But maybe a little forward in the mid to upper mid range on some recordings. Its too early to tell though the Exact has so few hours on it. I did have the dreaded Rega hum though. Present even when the deck wasn't plug in It was there with the Cambridge & worse with the Rega Fono (higher gain). Took the whole set up to my second system in the other room and - dead quiet.. at max volume. Skip to TL;DR it was wicked EMI. The deck is back in the main system on longer AQ interconnects after the phono, away from all the other offending components. The hum is actually still there, but its such a drastic improvement from before I am keeping the deck, but considered moving to something else. I really like the way it sounds, and my second system I tested it on is no slouch. Emotiva UMC-1 to UPA2 connected to Ohm Walsh 2's. Its a great deck, but unfortunately showed me flaws in my main listening space which is both a blessing & a burden. I hope this helps because I've seen so many threads about Rega's humming while some others say theirs is silent from the get go. I don’t know about other Rega TT but my RP 6 with Exact has been silent as far as any hum goes. Never a problem. Just joyous music! Something in your system one is definitely causing the problem. Speed box as far away from plinth as possible? Try plugging in to a DC offset. |
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Post by brubacca on Jun 1, 2019 16:33:49 GMT -5
Developed a buzz in my system yesterday. Realized it was after I was fiddling with some cables.
My power wire from my Phono was too close to the power cable of my Rega P2. Separated them and buzz went away.
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Post by metaldaze on Jun 1, 2019 18:51:19 GMT -5
So I got the Fono MM. I believe its the first generation but it looks and sounds good. Its def more lively than the Cambridge, neutral in its response curve. Good synergy it seems with bass in spades. But maybe a little forward in the mid to upper mid range on some recordings. Its too early to tell though the Exact has so few hours on it. I did have the dreaded Rega hum though. Present even when the deck wasn't plug in It was there with the Cambridge & worse with the Rega Fono (higher gain). Took the whole set up to my second system in the other room and - dead quiet.. at max volume. Skip to TL;DR it was wicked EMI. The deck is back in the main system on longer AQ interconnects after the phono, away from all the other offending components. The hum is actually still there, but its such a drastic improvement from before I am keeping the deck, but considered moving to something else. I really like the way it sounds, and my second system I tested it on is no slouch. Emotiva UMC-1 to UPA2 connected to Ohm Walsh 2's. Its a great deck, but unfortunately showed me flaws in my main listening space which is both a blessing & a burden. I hope this helps because I've seen so many threads about Rega's humming while some others say theirs is silent from the get go. I don’t know about other Rega TT but my RP 6 with Exact has been silent as far as any hum goes. Never a problem. Just joyous music! Something in your system one is definitely causing the problem. Speed box as far away from plinth as possible? Try plugging in to a DC offset. For sure. I wish I had the speed box but I just got the deck 2 days ago along with the Fono yesterday. That'll be the next thing, but my humming was present even when the Planar 3 wasn't plugged in. Only connected to the fono via the hard wired interconnects. After testing it in the other room, I wired & carried the deck around in the main room. It was the worst on the side of the room where the rear channel speaker cable runs are. This hum was also volume dependent and fell into the noise floor at low volume, but at high volume could be heard in the groove between tracks from the listening position at high enough volume. Not ear splitting, just loud (which is how I prefer to hear my Zep). Again this was present when the TT was both powered and unplugged completely. Moving the TT away helped but with everything in my entertainment space, it creates a lot of pollution. Not long ago I brought a tape deck in for repair. It did need some sprucing up but the main issue was my right channel head going nuts and the needle pinning with no tape in the deck. Took it home and had the same issue. Once I Moved the tape deck out of the cabinet and above it, silent as a mouse. I also tried everything turned off with the TT as well but it was still there. All I know is the only cure was/is distance from the EMI source which I have yet to fully flush out. The new location is working though and the WAF has actually increased, so thats a win =) This is One of the draw backs of renting, and doing so in an older building even when its updated. You never know whats behind the wall. |
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Post by metaldaze on Jun 1, 2019 19:07:52 GMT -5
Also its worth mentioning all my components in the main space are plugged into a Panamax MR5100, amps excluded, which are drawing from the same 20amp duplex.
I tried grounding the fono to the pre-amp, even an extra length from the TT screws near the power supply to the fono. I know Rega grounds their decks internally on their hard wired cables but I really wish they would just separate it entirely into a separate run.
I've had ground loop issues in the past, but those were always 60Hz hum in the background- independent of volume control. This hum was what sounding like mains hum but went up and down as I raised and lowered the volume on my pre-amp. Er-go all thats left is interference being picked up directly from the cart.
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Post by novisnick on Jun 1, 2019 20:08:44 GMT -5
Have you checked all the lights and dimmer switches on the same or close proximity circuits?
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Post by dsonyay on Jun 1, 2019 20:19:32 GMT -5
Also its worth mentioning all my components in the main space are plugged into a Panamax MR5100, amps excluded, which are drawing from the same 20amp duplex. I tried grounding the fono to the pre-amp, even an extra length from the TT screws near the power supply to the fono. I know Rega grounds their decks internally on their hard wired cables but I really wish they would just separate it entirely into a separate run. I've had ground loop issues in the past, but those were always 60Hz hum in the background- independent of volume control. This hum was what sounding like mains hum but went up and down as I raised and lowered the volume on my pre-amp. Er-go all thats left is interference being picked up directly from the cart. I run a ground wire from my preamp to wall receptacle in addition to the Rega ground setup. |
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Post by metaldaze on Jun 1, 2019 20:28:50 GMT -5
Have you checked all the lights and dimmer switches on the same or close proximity circuits? I have actually. There was one dimmer switch that was a problem in particular, but my better half helped me solve that one and that was when we first moved in around a year ago. That noise was present on all inputs HDMI included and was constant. This one is isolated to the TT input which is line level after the fono, and only in the main listening area.. which figures ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ |
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) to my Hi-Fi puzzle should come from the dealer this week. As the title reads a Rega Planar 3 w/ an exact 2 cart. Currently using an ATLP 120 this deck is a huge step up and I'm excited is an understatement. I use the preout on my darkvoice with nice tung-sol NOS tubes to 'liven' up the sound after the cambridge CP1. I can imagine I may try this at some point again but for the first introduction to the Rega I want to hear it straight out of the phono pre. 
its basically a useless dial Lol I would say you're absolutely right about the P2 fitting your needs though. Its a nice piece of equipment for a great price. Really maximizes what you can get for your money with records. I only have about 75? or so records, but my Dad has hundreds and I plan to keep this table for a long long time. Good luck with it!
It was there with the Cambridge & worse with the Rega Fono (higher gain). Took the whole set up to my second system in the other room and - dead quiet.. at max volume. Skip to TL;DR it was wicked EMI. The deck is back in the main system on longer AQ interconnects after the phono, away from all the other offending components. The hum is actually still there, but its such a drastic improvement from before I am keeping the deck, but considered moving to something else. 