Old B&O vs. new Rega P1

I'm a Rega dealer and I don't consider the P1 to be anything other than a cheap way to get in the door. It may compete well with other entry level (meaning nothing cheaper out there worth considering) tables but you need to stretch a bit higher to get something special. As ususal, you get what you pay for. Except for the cartridge issue, I wouldn't bother "upgrading" to a P1; a P2 perhaps, or better.

To what Piedpiper said I went from that NAD (Rega 1 to P3 before I went to $5500 VPI and thier is big jump from P1 to P3.But under $1K I'd look a Music Hall Line as well.P25 is good for some but I think used Scout will get you there for $1K throw nice Grado ( I worked at shop with Grado being my fave of limited line) say a $500 Sonata new and you might not feel and need for a better table i.e. that'
s sweet spot of most bang for least buck.Plus if you do want to mod i you can get the Scoutmaster double plinth or a havy platter both of which allow ring clamp to be used (stock Scout does not) also arm upgrade.Linn pioneer4d this lose your mind gradually approach and it can be loads of fun.Plus VPI maybe best for those who want more than one cart since you can add an extra arm tube (like some where you can add extra head shell but this takes more time to individually hook up leads).
Chazz
again)

For me B&O is about three things; looks, sound and convenience in that order. In my studio I have a 9000 and a 8002 tt with mmc 1,2, and a 4 for the not so good lps. If you are interested in casual listening B&O offers great products. At current used prices you are getting innovative technology at a very cheap price. As to comparison I had a Rega P-25 with a modified RB 250 arm which to my mind had a much fuller sound. Choices choices good luck

I owned a B&O 3000 with the tangential arm for more than 20 years. With the MMC3 it put out pretty good sound and I maintain they remain the most stylishly engineered components ever. But then, I like minimalist Swedish furniture, too, so that's just personal taste.

But, after my second $400 repair on the tracking arm and staring at several hundred dollars for new cartridges, I bought a Rega P1 more than a year ago and have been very, very happy.

I sprung for the glass platter upgrade and the sound out of the Rega is easily equal and I think better. Great clarity and range. Now, I am not somebody in a position to plunk down $5K for a turntable. Someday I may spring for a Rega P3 or something similar but for the casual audiophile, this is a great bang for the buck table. About $400, simple to set up and fine sound.

Also, the upside is that I sold a couple of used B&O cartridges on ebay and they just about paid for the new Rega.

I own B&O Beogram 8000. With the original B&O cartridge the performance is ho-hum. It sounds smooth and rich, but seriously lacks detail and high frequency sparkle. I've then replaced B&O MMC 20CL with Sound Smith SMMC 20CL, and the difference is amazing. The performance with Sound Smith cartridge is very close to the Rega setup that I loaned from my friend. Rega with good MC cartridge sounds more detailed, but the difference was small, small enough so that I could forgo in favor of the convenience of automatic operation with B&O table.