Rega P10 v Complete rebuild Garrard 401!

gunners01

I currently have a Rega P3 that I’m generally happy with, but looking to upgrade and I’m in two minds. Go old school with Garrard 401 or keep with new tech and get a P10.

Scenario A - Stock Rega P10 vs stock Garrard 401 (novice restored, I presume) - likely somewhat apples and oranges presuming the arms and cartridges are evenly matched.

Scenario B - Stock Rega P10 vs. professionally restored, well sorted and highly optimized Garrard 401 idler drive platform with modern improved parts, well designed plinth and appropriate internal parts and engineering enhancements. Sorry, the modest little Rega belt drive simply cannot compete I am afraid.

Do not skimp on the plinth. If you are seeking a really top level Garrard 301/401 plinth, then the Artisan Fidelity route is definitely where you want to be. They can tell you why Panzerholz is not necessarily the most suitable base material for these idler drives as well.

I listen to a wide range of music, from classic jazz, funk, soul and classic rock but admittedly i spend the majority of my vinyl time listening to thinks like Bowie, the Smiths, New Order, A Certain Ratio, Chameleons or similar.

Perfect musical genres to enjoy on the idler drive platform.

Another nice thing about a well sorted out Garrard 301/401 is that they will likely hold value much better over time over a run-of-the-mill production Rega, as they have proven themselves over the years time and time again to be highly desirable legacy record players. They also are fairly bulletproof in terms of reliability and easy to maintain.

Go with the P10. I own a P9 and its a vast improvement over a P3. What you get with a P10 is a near reference quality tonearm that offers many cartridge upgrades giving you a long term investment. As you might know Rega tables are known for PRAT which complements Pop/Rock which is your stated choice of music. 

I think your decision to go to someone like Chris is a good one. Idlers aren't alway plug and play so unless you're comfortable getting inside one it's good to make sure to buy from a reputable source. Audio Grail 401s blow my mind and I've almost pressed buy more than a few times on Ebay but I'm happy with the footprint of my current Thorens 124. By the way, I'm not sure the 301 is actually better sounding than the 401. I've talked to owners of both who say that the sexiness of the 301 can affect hearing a bit, although both tables are fantastic.

@scar972 Great setup. How does the Raven stack up against the idlers?

The idlers have more tone when compared to the Raven. This is partially due to the stacked ply wooden plinth I’m using, a different plinth material will likely yield different results.
I measure the wow and flutter of all 3 turntables and they measure pretty much the same with the Raven very slightly lower than the 401 and 301. For those that say idlers rumble and the effects are audible, I really don’t have this issue, this is largely the result of choice in footers being used under the table.
As for speed accuracy, I’d have to give the Raven the edge. Garrards speed accuracy is dependent on the motor pulley, especially changing from one speed to another. Pulleys are sold by a few different manufacturers and I haven’t tried them all.