New P9

Posted by: Chris Metcalfe on 05 September 2001

Had an interesting conversation with a Rega employee today after I expressed an interest in the P9; apparently it is being replaced with an almost all-new model fairly soon - I think the only component which will be exactly the same will be the ceramic platter. New plinth and surround, new motor unit, new arm development, and probably a moving-coil cartridge designed for it. Finally time to move on from the LP12?

Will cost over £2k though.

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Arthur Bye
Hmm.... That's interesting. Are they also changing the power supply and tone arm?

Arthur Bye

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Mick P
Chris of Swindon

For that sort of money you could get a refurbished Garrard 301/401, a loricraft plinth and a RB900 or even a Aro.

Regards

Mick

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Chris Metcalfe
It's interesting, in 1985 I tried a 301 with a Rega RB300 and found it had a very sweet and coherent sound very unlike the LP12 or Thorens I'd used before. Ultimately I couldn't get on with the slightly 'old-fashioned' sound of the Garrard (rumble?).

The 501 is a lot more expensive, so if the new P9 is nearer I may well be interested. I expect there will be long debates on the forum about the relative musicality of the old vs new P9, though.

I think the arm-tube itself is the same, other aspects will be enhanced.

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Arthur Bye
Let's hope that Roy Gandy is finally willing to get on the adjustable VTA bandwagon.

I've enjoyed the stone axe simple design and reliability otherwise. It's an excellent table.

Arthur Bye

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Mick P
Chris

The 301 / 401 always suffered from rumble because they were housed in a thin plinth.

Loricraft have solved that problem completely with their new heavy plinth.

Here's a link.... www.garrard501.com

You can always listen to mine.

Regards

Mick

Posted on: 05 September 2001 by Arthur Bye
FEP 3.0 perhaps?
Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Dev B
This sounds very interesting, certainly one to check out. I thought the old P9 was a very good deck, excellent timing and quite good resolution. A decent and well priced alternative to the LP12 in my view.

Anyone else got any other news?

Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Stephen Dupuis
I can confirm that there is a P9 replacement, I went to order one from the Canadian distributor and was told late October early November. An improved outboard power supply was part of the conversation, sorry I can't remember more.
Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Tony L
Anyone heard the word retrofittable used in any context with the new P9?

Tony.

Who just as soon as he gets new style Naim kit finds out he has an old style P9...

Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Greg Beatty
...might want to hold off on that CDX - it will probably be 'old style' in short order.

- GregB
With a 70's Look Sony System

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Evan D. Jay
Is it true that the ceramic platter will remain the same? I have heard that the ceramic platter dissipates energy too quickly, which causes the P9 to have an overly snappy and thin sound.
Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Chris Metcalfe
'thin'? Don't you mean lacking in artificial lower-mid bloom?

My only concern about the platter would be the way it looks after a few years' use, and I wondered if any present users feel that it discolours at all; surely it would be possible to produce a black ceramic platter?

I got the impression it's a new design, not an enhancement, so I suppose not retrofittable; then again, most of the LP12 has been replaced over the past 25 years. C'est la guerre.

The mark 1 sold very well in France, apparently.

Posted on: 06 September 2001 by Top Cat
Yeah, the new P9 will be a stonker. If it had been available now, I might have bought one, but instead the Clearaudio turntable I got was a better sounding table than the P9, although that's no criticism of the P9 which is an excellent deck...

John

Posted on: 07 September 2001 by Dev B
This is what I have heard.

1. New tonearm, in a silver finish, with no plastic parts at all, everything will be die-cast.

2. Platter the same as existing one.

3. New real wood surround, better quality wood.

4. New chassis, will be bigger than current P9.

5. Revised powersupply and handturned/selected motor.

6. Will cost £2000. Out in November

I for one, am very interested to hear this deck.

I thought the current P9 to be very good if a little thin sounding. If the one build on this my Well Tempered might be looking for a new home (well it is anyway)

DB/Mullet Audio
'Still confused by turntables? Fear not, at Mullet Audio so are we'