The new pee nine, then.

Posted by: Mike Sae on 31 January 2002

[This message was edited by Mike Sae on FRIDAY 01 February 2002 at 01:22.]

Posted on: 31 January 2002 by Mike Sae

- Love the way they go on about everything being lighter. Now they need to work on their wall mount!

-The new logo blows; it's far too "Terminator 2". The old one had the Naim font thing going on.

-I like the Jules Verne approach to tonearm aesthetic.

-New surround looks too big but I'll have to see it in the flesh. Anyone for Burl?

-Anyone want to sell me their old, obsolete P9?

cheers

mike

Posted on: 31 January 2002 by redeye

its a right bastard..

when you really want to like something and it ends up looking as g*y as that thing does...

Double Yuk!!

Posted on: 01 February 2002 by Dev B

Just popped over to www.rega.co.uk to have a closer look. Thanks for posting the link.

Posted on: 01 February 2002 by Dev B

where's the counter weight on the arm then? is it a special design or something. or just removed for piccys

Posted on: 01 February 2002 by John C

A guy on the audioasylum list posted this picture. Here is website with more pictures and comments www.sigsound.com/potm.htm

Pˇˇ

Posted on: 01 February 2002 by Greg Beatty

quote:
when you really want to like something and it ends up looking as g*y as that thing does...

Personal preference I know, but I think it looks stonking

And...the arm is now too? And what will be the price in USD?

Just curious really as an "almost" P9 owner.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 01 February 2002 by Mike Sae

According to the Signature Sound link above, 3300USD. That seems like a fantastic deal, as it's not too much of a hike from the old pee nien.

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by Mark Dunn

Anyone know if the RB1000 provides 'traditional' VTA adjustment?

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by Craig B

Mark,

Rega doesn't believe that VTA adjustments are worth the bother.

I have a copy of their 'VTA Fact Sheet' in text file format that I could forward to you if you would like to read about their views/findings on this topic.

Craig

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by Craig B

I find it interesting to note that Rega seems to have given up on pursuing alternative corner joinery in favour of bolting the existing tongue in groove.

I just this morning had a look at a used P25 that had a protruding tongue affliction in both front corners.

Has anyone else experienced this un-joinery?

Craig

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by Mark Dunn

Hi all:

Craig Best wrote:

>Rega doesn't believe that VTA adjustments are
>worth the bother.

Why don't they admit that they were wrong and provide simple adjustment I wonder? I mean, it's so easily demonstrable that VTA has a marked effect on tracking, detail resolution and tonal presentation that surely someone at Rega MUST have heard it! Plus, they concede to produce the arm base washers.

>I have a copy of their 'VTA Fact Sheet' in text
>file format that I could forward to you if you
>would like to read about their views/findings on >this topic.

Yes please, I'd liek to see it. My e-mail is:

mdunn@usit.net

Best Regards,
Mark Dunn

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by ken c

craig:

I have a copy of their 'VTA Fact Sheet' in text file format that I could forward to you if you would like to read about their views/findings on this topic.

can u email this to me as well please. email as in profile with obvious anti-spam modification

enjoy

ken

Posted on: 02 February 2002 by sonofcolin

Power supply and motor look good! Might be worth side grading just for that.

Sonic improvements? Impossible. The original is perfect.

Posted on: 03 February 2002 by bob atherton

Has anyone actually bought the new P9 & what are the differences to the original. Nice photos BTW.

Bob.

Posted on: 03 February 2002 by Top Cat

quote:
Rega doesn't believe that VTA adjustments are worth the bother.

Jesus H! Surely they can't be serious? Of course it is worth the bother - no two cartridges are the same in terms of 'their optimal zone' and VTA adjustment isn't just worth the bother, it's essential.

I guess we have a case of retrospective justification here...

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

Posted on: 03 February 2002 by ken c

i have read the rega blurb on vta and i must say i find it, theoretically at least, convincing. now it would be very useful to hear the counter-arguments (and not just of the "i know it makes a difference" variety). any offers??

fwiw, when i asked my dealer, infidelity, about vta, they advised me not find something else to worry about.

enjoy

ken

Posted on: 03 February 2002 by Craig B

I don't believe that Rega are stating that VTA does not make a difference. What they seem to be saying is that obsessing over minor VTA adjustment is a futile exercise given their stated findings wrt the difference between the measured maximum arm height adjustment range of all the tonearms tested vs. maximum resultant change in VTA (and this, in turn, relative to average VTA of the original cutter).

I think that the gist of their 'argument' is that proper tonearm and cartridge 'fixing' will have a greater effect upon ultimate performance than will making minor arm height adjustments. Reading between the lines a bit, one might concur that they are hinting that certain tonearm adjustment facilities may compromise performance to a much greater extent than minor VTA changes might benefit it. Swings and roundabouts.

Rega appear to be saying 'just get it close and forget it' hence the availability of 'official' Rega arm spacers to accommodate cartridges that are taller than their own. Would they bother to make them available at all if they thought that VTA absolutely made no difference?

Roy must know something about all of this as he has been in a better position to experiment than most.

The Vinyl Asylum is loaded with conversations and heated debates over this old topic, with one industry pundit going so far as to recommend the use of a set of machinists feeler gauges to enable arm height adjustment of a few thousands of an inch!

I am of the opinion that it is changes in stylus rake angle (SRA) that make the bigger sonic difference (VTA and SRA adjustments are not mutually exclusive - i.e. you are changing both by a small amount when you change arm height).

As a simple test, one will note that a spherically tipped cartridge's performance will not vary nearly as much with arm height changes as will an elliptical or (especially) 'fine line' cartridges performance. Sphericals, in effect, have no SRA factor as their contact patch is round.

I once had an opportunity to experiment with varying VTA/SRA with a number of different stylus profiles using a Meitner turntable. The Meitner allows dynamic VTA/SRA changes via adjustable platter height i.e. the arm mounting is not changed/compromised. A fine threaded rack and pinion mechanism allows the bearing housing and hence platter to be raised or lowered during play via a easily accessible knurled knob.

Using a cheap and nasty spherically tipped AT93 (Linn Basik) there was a very wide range of adjustment possible before the sound went further off than it normally is with this lowly device. Swapping the stylus assembly for an ATN95E (slightly elliptical) made very little difference to the listenable adjustment range, despite noticeable HF tracing improvements. Fitting a AT120E cartridge and then an ATN140MR (Micro Ridge profile stylus assembly) narrowed the listenable range of vertical adjustment considerably and made it very easy to find the sweet spot. BTW, all of these AT MMs share the same static VTA.

Now if only someone would tell me which zenith is best for a given pivotal arm design, I can finally get off my meds.

Not surprisingly, Rega are firmly entrenched in their own camp here as well with an unusual 60mm inner null radius specified (and somewhat enforced via the three bolt mounting arrangement of their Elys, Super Elys and Exact models).

Note to self...better renew that prescription.

Craig