New Rega Planer 8 (P8) Turntable - Apheta 2 Cartridge Combo - Thoughts

Guys - this is awesome info and I really appreciate it. I am going to give another analogue rig a shot for sure.


I got all my money back and actually made a couple bucks. Not much but the keys is no money lost and so I am going to take another crack at it for sure.


I’m at work now on my phone but will respond to all the folks that just send in comments. 

i spoke to Josh at Walker Audio and my Magico S5 MK II are in so I’m so psyched - I ordered these at Thanksgiving and they are on the Doc ready to ship to me.

They cannot release them until my trade in’s - S5 originals have a tracking number and are in possession of shipping company. I can’t wait.

its kind of a process though. They are over 200 pounds a peice and the big wooded crates in my basement are another 60 or 70 pounds. Needless to say I can’t pick these things up. I’ve got a furniture moving company coming and bringing the crates up from my basement and then loading my speakers in them that are in my great room then they are bringing to their warehouse that has a loading dock then Walkers Audio’s shipper is picking them up there. 

When my new ones land they bring them in my house and hopefully open and help me set up but we shall see I guess. They are so heavy but worth it. I love Magico and can’t wait to get the new MK II models. 

As far as Rega and the last thread response.

I wanted to like Rega and am not a Rega badger. I actually bought the P8 and Apheta 2 Cart and Sutherland Engineering Duo phonostage that won Stereophile Componet of the Year, AudioQuest Fire Interconnects and 2 Audience AU24se LP Power Cables for the phonostage and AudioQuest 1000 conditioner to plug in the phonostage and Rega Neo PSU Audioquest Tornado AC Cable for the 1000 so this isn’t crappy stuff. I did all I could to get this Rega to sound good but it just didn’t at lease compared to my digital rig.

Hate to say it but honestly it sounded like half decent mid fi at best. No contest. It sounded nothing like real music never mind good Hi-Fi. Bummer because I really wanted to like it. Give Rega credit though got all my money back. 

You didn’t let the Apheta 2 break in.  Takes a fair amount of time.  Having experience with Rega and other brands and also high end streaming, I think your conclusion is misguided. 

I listened to an RP8 when I was auditioning.  I thought the table was really good except I did not like the way it reproduced strings in an orchestra.  Maybe it was the cartridge.  It was just very plug and play for me.  Not sure about using other cartridges other than REGA.  

Misguided?? I mean you could say wrong or erroneous but misguided? How does that make sense?

I got good advice and followed directions?

Sure, I am sure if it was more broken in it would have been much better but how much better? 10 times better, 100 times better?

Maybe, I can tell you I just saw no night at the end of the tunnel?

It just gave me nothing to make me want to try to stick with it? I was just like - ya - no thanks.

Next, this hobby is great and fun and I love it but I have been at long enough to know what sounds good and what doesn't. My wife - total non audiophile said "why does it sound like that"? I knew it wasn't just me being picky.. 

It very well could have improved a great deal. I don't doubt that at all but it wasn't for me. I read over and over people say how great it sounds out of the box and how it just gets better and better. 

Not my experience but that doesn't mean it isn't for others but it just wasn't for me. Honestly, if people like how that TT sounds then I recommend they buy a used 2nd hand Bricasti M1 with Ethernet server player for just a few grand more then tell me what you think.

I mean that set up cost quite a but of money. It was not cheap at all when you look at table, the cart, the dual phono's, the IC's, the PC's and the conditioner. Maybe they will prefer the Rega over the M1 but I doubt it, not if it sounds like it did in my room. Its a bummer too because I wanted to like the Rega and I like the brand and how they roll and what they stand but it just didn't work out for me.

I have been trying to decide if I should try another TT set up or maybe upgrade my pass amp and sim preamp to a Luxman M-900u and C-900u. Selling off my analogue front end with the proceeds I am thinking of applying that doe with trading my amp/pre and changing to the Luxman flagship combo.

Part of me wants to try another table and the other part is telling me to try these Luxy twins.  

I went to the Technics Sl1200g TT after owning 3 other turntables.  When I had the other turntables I lost interest in playing vinyl as they didn’t even sound close to my Esoteric SACD Player or to my Sony HAPZ1ES Music Server.   The Technics makes me want to play records.  Is the sound better than my digital, in some ways yes and in other ways no.  It certainly is competitive.