BNC headaches

Sherman

I have a Garrard 401 fitted with a Rega RB300 arm which was originally supplied with the conventional phono connections. This was ok with my 32.5 which had phono connections as well.

Last year, I replaced the 32.5 with a 82 pre amp which had BNC connectors fitted as standard.

I temporaraly fitted BNC/phono adaptors which were ok. however, during a chance conversation with Loricraft (who are a small firm who service Garrard) I was informed that fitting BNC's to the end of the Rega lead is in itself, a brilliant upgrade.

He did this for me for the price of a pint and the difference in sound was certainly noticeable.

For the low cost involved.....its a no brainer.

Regards

Mick

I had this done to my Akito when I got my 72 and it sounded better than the adaptors. Modify the arm cable. Do not, as previous owner of my 82 did, fit phono sockets to the back of the pre-amp!!!

Thanks for your responses, Mick and Michael. Since the 102 is new and the Rega is not, and now with your comments about BNC connectors making the turntable sound better, I guess it really is a no-brainer. It does mean, however, that it would be more difficult to sell my Rega if I ever decide to upgrade (unless the next owner owns Naim equipment, too).

Sherman,

quote:

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It does mean, however, that it would be more difficult to sell my Rega if I ever decide to upgrade (unless the next owner owns Naim equipment, too).

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It will be a simple job to remove the BNC's and refit phono's for the next owner.

I'm not sure if things have changed over the years, but from my memory of owning a Planar3 / RB300 the arm cable is quite thin.

You need to ensure that you obtain the right size/type BNC connector for that cable. BNC's come in two impedances (50 ohm / 75 ohm) I believe that Naim use 75 ohm, but I'm sure they can confirm this.

You then need to choose a BNC with the correct cable entry size (or the closest match). The connectors will be defined by the type of coaxial cable (radio frequency type cables) that they are designed to work with, numbers such as URM76, RG174 etc.

As a guess, from memory, I would think the arm cable is similar in dimensions to RG179, this being the closest 75 ohm RF cable match.

Try to obtain soldered connectors, not twist-on or crimp, my own preference (for simplicity of installation and quality) being MACOM / Greenpar types.

Andy.

Andrew L. Weekes
alweekes@audiophile.com

Sherman,
I agree with the above responses and will add that you can remove the stock RB300 cable and "temporarily" install a better cable with BNCs. It is inexpensive and easy to do if you or a dealer have experience soldering small wires. I did this to the RB300 on my LP-12 because I needed a longer cable to reach the pre-amp. Also, not only does the BNC connection sound better than RCA, it is safer (doesn't get yanked out easily) and remains a tighter fit for a longer time. Another upgrade that can be done to the arm if the cable is changed is to install a separate ground wire for the tonearm. This arm is earthed to the right channel ground wire and in a Naim pre-amp and a system of your caliber there is an improvement though not as big as changing to BNCs.

Ron The Mon

Sherman:

When I got my P9 I took the RB900 arm off and sent the whole she-bang to NANA. Dave Dever did a real nice job of fitting it up with BNC's (looks OEM). Just make sure you're gentle with the tone arm and pack it carefully if you go this route. Had it back in one week. Can't remember the cost, but it wasn't a whole lot.

Arthur Bye

Thanks for all your posts and your detailed information. Printed a copy and am bringing it with me to the Rega dealer here.