czarivey.
Why is a Rega an overly-overvalued deck with very poor build quality?
As to value in turntables, I’d say 99% of the population will say any turntable above $500 US is overly-overvalued. Add the fact that some turntables cost as much as good used cars, good new cars and some as much as a house is for 99.9% of the consumer population silly and overly-over valued. But among the vast array of turntable choices and manufactures though, why would you feel Rega is overly-overvalued as to any of its competitive peers?
Rega is one of if not the most top selling turntable manufactures over the last 40+ years. Rega kept on with turntable R&D and manufacturing even in the darkest times for vinyl LP sales (the 1990’s to the mid 2000’s). Are you saying that the hundreds of thousands of Rega turntable buyers over the years as turntable users are somehow stupid, wrong or off their meds?
Then look at their tonearms as stand alone sales, they probably sell more tonearms to other OEM’s than any other tonearm makers do, are these other OEM turntable manufactures stupid, wrong or off their meds too?
As to build quality and being poor, again if this was so, how did and does Rega Research survive 40+ years as a profitable company?
The manufacturing quality of Rega products is as good as any of their peers. They have followed and follow for say just their turntables for this discussion and tonearms here a standard ideology of R&D and manufacturing going back to day one. Many others have not been so consistent to their ideology. Those that have, have often not changed or updated R&D to make better products to their ideology as Rega Research has. Rega stays to its core ideals but has engineered new techiques and materials in R&D and manufacturing to take the turntables and tonearms even closer to their ideology.
They do not just slap a cheap motor and in their case being they make belt drives, a belt onto a slab of MDF, quickly attach some feet and whack down a slammed out tonearm and cartridge.
I’ve owned numerous turntables, cheaper Made In Japan types, Kab modded and lovely SL-1200MKII direct drive, TOTL classic Made In Japan direct drives, entry level newer belt drives and two Rega’s, a P3-24 and now a Planar 3. The motor design of a motor to drive a belt drive platter is essentially the same as a direct drive except the motor to drive a belt drive pulley spins faster (300rpm or 600rpm are typical) and the sub platter or outer platter depending on design is a gear reducer attached to a belt of some sort.
A direct drive motor has usually more torque as it has to get the platter directly up to speed and runs at a slower speed, 33.3 or 45rpm. In both cases speed control and accuracy is and must be engineered to be within acceptable variances. In my case my two Regas spun audibly as accurate as any of my classic direct drives and Kab modded SL-1200MKII. Whether any one or more of these turntables I’ve owned measures more accurate is in the end irrelevant as sonically I and others in my company could not and can’t hear any difference in speed accuracy and w&f.
Lets look at plinth. R&D of plinths are straight forward. Back in the day most Made In Japan turntables has molded plastic plinths. They were cheap to make over and over by the tens/hundreds of thousands and if designed right can control or deal with resonances acceptably well. Others used various pressed board designs and as such met acceptable variances. Some manufacturers engineered metals in design and boutique makers went high mass, high weight or lesser/low mass, low weight. Making plinths that work and look well enough to consumers tastes at acceptable price points is the same in either case. Do not think that a Rega plinth for any of their current turntables is of lesser quality because they weight mere lbs. and not much heavier in weight as to many of its peers may do. Adding weight to a plinth cost mere pennies over all. Proper engineering of plinths to a standard is a cost part of a turntable. Rega Research invests much into continued R&D, as much or more than many if their peers.
Attaching motors to plinth. Rega is all about RIGIDITY, STIFFNESS, LIGHTER GENERAL WEIGHT! They have moved from screwing down motors firmly to plinth and now using high stickiness tape as they feel this keeps a motor affixed stiffly and more evenly to the plinth over just screws or loose with rubber bands /grommets others may use. IF IT WORKS AND KEEPS COSTS UNDER CONTROL THEN THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT!
Yes, Rega does not offer some features of user adjust-ability as many of their peers do. They believe these choices compromise rigidity and stiffness, as such then Rega does not employ such at the OEM part of manufacturing. A buyer can buy and mod Rega’s to carry on these user adjustable ideals with after market parts.
Rega tonearms are world renowned and are among the highest cost parts of their turntable costs. These tonearms have and are known for accuracy and rigidity. Thus why many other OEMS buy and use Rega tonearms.
Now as to hum that appears in some cases to some buyers experiences. IT’S AN ODDITY!!! Given how many Rega turntables have been sold over the years it’s not a common issue or Rega would have had to deal with it. For me my first Rega a P3-24 with the TTPSU, hummed when I had the Elys cartridge attached. PERPLEXED I WAS!!! It just would not go away, I could make it a bit less so if I move the TTPSU away from the P3-24. Of course it bothered me. I chose to buy a Denon DL-110 which is what I wanted anyways as I owned one before, but the P3-24 came as a part of my purchase with Elys, so I figured give it a try. Once I put the DL-110 on the hum went 100% away Hmmm ??????
Is this an issue at times with Rega? I hear that the TTPSU may be the biggest culprit as it’s not grounded and maybe causes some sort of ground loop with certain Rega turntables and cartridge set ups. A Youtuber has a video explaining how after he properly grounded his TTPSU his turntable’s hum went away. NO! This should not be an issue with Rega’s and maybe they need to look in how their TTPSU’s ground with their turntables.
My new Planar 3 and yes I have a Denon DL-110 on it, has ZIP, ZERO, NADA hum issues, it’s dead silent electronically and mechanically it makes NO SOUND/NOISES. If you could not see the platter spinning when on BTW SPINNING DEAD FLAT/LEVEL SQUARE AS SQUARE CAN BE! you’d not hear any motor, bearing or other noise from my Planar 3. I did not buy the optional TTPSU to keep my purchase costs down and I wanted to hear my new P3 first to see/hear if any speed, w&f issue were there. IT RUNS TRUE AND NO W&F ISSUES! If I feel the need to add TTPSU especially for easier speed changes to 45rpm and back to 33.3rpm I may one day though.
So yes we read/hear of some Rega owners having issues, but given Rega is one of the biggest sellers of turntables globally it’s gonna happen. But if one digs into it they will read and hear of issues with other turntable brands too and these include brands many LP record fans like/love as well.
