An extended review of the Rega P5

[Josquin des Prez]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Took the opportunity to snag a GrooveTracer counterweight from Racetripper, as he is moving on from his Rega to a Clearaudio. It arrived today and I mounted it up on the P5. Looks great, and sure puts the mass lower and closer to the pivot. Like all GrooveTracer products, it's beautifully made.



Cuter than a speckled puppy!

Now that's a tonearm with balls!

Glad you are enjoying it. At the moment I'm using my Rega RP3/TTPSU without the Groovetracer upgrades (also sold my subplatter) while I wait to get my new table. Looking forward to it. The guy I sold my subplatter to was super happy after installing it.

[Removed]

Originally Posted by watercourse

Sold! ;-)

You should check out the Silvercore SUT's from Gemany or Choir Audio with the Hashimoto transformers......

[watercourse]

Originally Posted by A/V Solutions

You should check out the Silvercore SUT's from Gemany or Choir Audio with the Hashimoto transformers......

I was looking at the Choir top end one as well - have you compared with Bob's Cinemag blue? Would be interested in your thoughts if so. And if Puma Cat doesn't mind a minor hijack.

But back to scheduled programming: Yes, PC's balls-out P5 is a good thing

[Removed]

Originally Posted by watercourse

I was looking at the Choir top end one as well - have you compared with Bob's Cinemag blue? Would be interested in your thoughts if so. And if Puma Cat doesn't mind a minor hijack.

But back to scheduled programming: Yes, PC's balls-out P5 is a good thing

My time with the Choir and Bob's devises have been at seperate times.....I heard Bob's over a year ago and the Choir has been recent.

[watercourse]

Just put in the Bob's Devices 3440A yesterday, and I have to say it is not nearly as transparent, extended, or dynamic as the solid state MC stage in my Heed Quasar. It is more quiet, but just doesn't have the liquidity I am used to. I've got about 10 hours on it.

I actually ordered the 3440AH but was mistakenly sent the red version, so maybe the blue will sound better. At this point, I think I'd have to go way up the SUT ladder to better the Heed MC stage.

I'll report back what I hear. I'm also planning to demo the Choir SUT-H sometime soon.

[DonBattles]

Originally Posted by Puma Cat

Interesting. I've been thinking of trying the Delrin platter. I tried the acrylic platter on my Planar 3, and returned it as I thought the stock platter sounded better; the acrylic platter smeared the upper bass/lower mids detail, I thought. I'm convinced one of the reasons Clearaudio's Concept is as good as it is is because of the Delrin platter. It's interesting they have moved completely away from acrylic to Delrin for all their new models.

May have to give the Delrin platter a try. What Rega do you have?

Maybe you have seen this already, if not here another Rega platter option:

Choir Audio

[watercourse]

Forgot to mention that I am checking out the 1:9 and 1:16 version based on Bob's suggestion as ideal for my Shelter 501 and 901. I usually load these carts at 100 ohms.

After a few more hours, the SUT has opened up a bit, midrange is smoother, but the top end is still a touch ragged and the bottom end doesn't have the punch, weight or extension of the Heed MC stage. The midrange also has less presence than the Heed MC stage.

The positives: it is quiet, and the sonic characteristics of the Heed are more or less retained through the 3440A. So this SUT is very transparent, having little sound of its own.

Again, I initially wanted to try loading at less than 100 ohms to see if the bit of excessive but intermittent top end energy could be tamed through different loading values. As the 1:9 and 1:16 loadings are actually higher than the values I typically use with my Shelters, I wonder if too much resistance is the culprit?

[watercourse]

Very interesting. I got the 3440AH (blue) and have probably put close to 20 hours on it so far.
Out of the box, it was quite a bit smoother than the 3440A, and at about the 10 hour mark, had noticeably better bass and a very good coherence that stood it apart from from the red version with about the same hours.
Still and all, despite a very relaxed yet quite detailed presentation, the bass and treble seem to be rolled off at the extremes, and macrodynamics a bit less than my active MC stage. I would say it is a tad polite, but I can see if it opened up a bit more in the dynamics and frequency extension, this would be a keeper. I is definitely refined, but lacking a "live" sound.
Anyone have an idea whether this will happen, and after about how many hours?