2. analog
  3. 174769-68726

Unexpected issues with Rega planar TT, a respectful manufacturer product?

About a year ago I bough a Rega planar 2 turntable. I do not play much LPs, I bought it just for a few LPs I have. It should have around 20 hours of burn-in now. It turned out that a more than $600 unit has  a 1-dollar phono cable incorporated into it (which, by some reason is called a "premium" one). In fact, I did not see an RCA cable that bad even with cheap equipment. Well, not really nice but this was not yet fatal. A few weeks ago,  my attempt to use the TT has failed. One of the channels did not work, and after a few tests it was clear that it is TT, one of the RCA terminals. There was no force made on it or something similar.

Surprisingly, i did not find a technical support option on the Rega web page, they merely send you to their dealers. I have contacted the local Rega dealer and the answer was that they can check replace the cable at a some cost (whereas supposedly, it has a "life-time warranty" and it is a practically new unit). My question was, if they have some instructions to replace their "premium" built-in RCA cable, that I could follow for the replacement. Since then, there was no answer. I also contacted the US/International Rega dealer with whom I bough the TT, still no answer. 

In addition, the TT has another problem, just from the beginning. Normally, when it is powered on, the plate moves to the opposite direction. After several  (identical) attempts (on/off), it may finally choose the right direction. This is of course quite bothering but i did not try to clarify this issue before since i do not use the TT often. 

Normally I try to avoid complains but i think that this case is "quite special".

128x128niodari
niodari's avatar
niodari OP
298 posts
 

Guys, i should be missing something. The signal may be coming out of a single channel/wire. If I swap the channels the signal from the working channel will move to the other channel, while the other channel will remain silent. So if, after swapping the wires/channels on the cartridge  the problem moves to the other channel, then the cartridge is potentially able to reproduce both channels, so the problem should be in the silent wire. In what precisely am I wrong? 

By the way, the problematic right channel is not completely silent. A barely auditionable  signal accompanied with some noise is coming out from that channel. 

Thanks again guys for your posts. 

Nodari

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

@niodari - OK - this is an example of how I understood your post...

First case represents the cartridge connected correctly

  • RIGHT channel (cartridge) connected to Red+Green wires
    • i.e. the right channel - Hear music
  • LEFT channel (cartridge) connected to White+Blue wires
    • i.e. the left channel - silent
  •  

But swapping the wires on ONLY the cartridge

  • LEFT channel (cartridge) connected to Red+Green wires
    • the right channel - Silent
  • RIGHT channel (cartridge) connected to White+Blue wires
    • i.e. left channel - Hear music

Is that what you are experiencing?

  • if that is the case then the left channel of the cartridge is at fault

Regards - Steve

niodari's avatar
niodari OP
298 posts
 

I still think it’s cartridge related. Second guess would be a bad tonearm wire. One other check you can do is try to flip the channels by swapping leads and connecting the cartridge left ch to right and right ch to left. See what happens. If the problem moves to another channel, you most likely have a failed cartridge. If you have another cartridge you can try it would help. 

This was a very good suggestion, thanks!

I agree with @knock1 - it’s the cartridge - because you have observed a signal coming out of both left and right channels - it cannot possibly be the wires

 

 

 

 

Thanks for this note that made me check my logic.

Yes, since I didn't change the channels in the phono input and both channels sounded in the two opposite settings, the wires of both channels should be fine (the same right  channel that did not sound, it  worked when the signal came out from the cartridge to that channel, and this happened because the channels were swapped on the cartridge - the left channel signal now went through the wires of the right channel). 

Perhaps, since likely it is the cartridge, it is not the worst outcome.

But how the cartridge got broken after just 20-30 hours of use?

I have to look for a new cartridge, would you have any suggestions for P2?

 

williewonka
3,072 posts
 

I have to look for a new cartridge, would you have any suggestions for P2?

@niodari - Since you are not really "into vinyl", I would probably recommend the entry level Rega Carbon cartridge (I’m assuming you need a Moving Magnet cartridge ?) for the following reasons

  • should NOT require VTA alignment
  • will match the Rega tonearm
  • elliptical stylus
    • provides reasonable retails
    • easy to setup
    • you can change just the stylus when it wears out
  • reasonably priced - around $95 CDN
  • reasonable performer

https://www.trutone.ca/products/view/rega-carbon-turntable-cartridge

There are many other options, but the process gets more complex and more expensive

Just a thought - if the Rega Carbon IS the cartridge you currently have...

Hope that helps

Regards - Steve

 

 

niodari's avatar
niodari OP
298 posts
 

Thanks Steve again. 

Each time i play an LP i realize that this is the sound. But i do not have many well-recorded LPs and i think there are less well-recorded LPs than CDs. A few well-recorded LPs sound better for me than the corresponding CDs, but most of the music i like are better recorded on CDs (jazz, classic and even many rock albums). And it is a bit too much care one should take for LPs also changing sides every 20 minutes and hearing noise caused by LP scratches etc.  

The dealer from which I bough the TT has replied. I asked him if the cartridge can be replaced.  I will also try to move the stylus. The $95 cartridge on the page looks like one I have. 

 

More to discover