What cartridge to use....Rega RB25 Structural Mod

I am not suprised that you preferred the Moerch and Scheu over just a rewired RB 250 because you have to do more than just a rewire.The smearing is there very noticeably until you also add a metal stub and then use TWL's amazing Tracking Weight Tweak.The control in the RB 250 then becomes feather-touch.A form of VTA adjustment is also required and then all your attention must be given to adjusting the base-nut to EXACTLY the right tension(Usually Finger-Tight with just a Nip).This is critical and quite labourious at first but the Rega literally "sings" when it comes together.Anything from cartridges as different as the old Linn Asak(MC)(Supex 1000) to the Ortofon VMS 20E Mk11(M.Iron)for example,sound great.The smeared darkness and murkiness that people notice with a Rega disappears,it is an extremely sensitive and balanced arm in reality.I guess as I don't have the urge to change now,it's doing something o.k.

“I am not su[r]prised that you preferred the Moerch and Scheu over just a rewired RB 250 because you have to do more than just a rewire”

Sigh ...

I used a number of stubs different stubs – brass stub & weight (from Brit Audio) a Michell stub & weight and a custom-made brass counter weight. They did improve the sound (especially on the 250’s) but did not bring it even close to the sound of a top-flight arm. In fact I would say the structural mod seems to be a bigger improvement that the rewire itself

I also tried it with spacers, Easy Rizer VTA, Pete Riggle VTA on the fly and the VPI VTA adjuster. The best sounding to my ear was with using the VPI adjuster, but again it was very disappointing compared to Morch.

The modified RB250/300 was on par with the RB600 I tried. Your posting indicating the level of quality (or should I say lack there of) pertaining to the bearings, fall in with my observations.

“A form of VTA adjustment is also required and then all your attention must be given to adjusting the base-nut to EXACTLY the right tension(Usually Finger-Tight with just a Nip).This is critical and quite labourious at first but the Rega literally "sings" when it comes together”

If you are eluding the poor performance is due to bad setup you are sorely mistaken. And no, the Rega only sings when you are not used to anything better – and there are many better arms out there.

Don't get me wrong, I think and RB250 is good value for money. If you happen like it, that is cool. Hifi is about enjoying what you listen to, no?

Ultimately though, you get what you pay for. Running a Koetsu on a RB is casting pearls to the swine.

Regards
Paul

"....I auditioned a Rega RB-300 vs SME V on a special Michell Gyrodec table that could accomadate two arms. Both had Koetsu Blacks mounted. We heard very little if any difference between the two arms/cartridges. The owner of this system then decided to sell the SME V and keep the Rega. Rest of system was ARC SP-9, Quad amp and Magnapan MG-III speakers." This is a post from Vinyl Asylum that seems to contradict the proposition that Rega's perform poorly with Koetsu cartridge's.Also did you actually try adjusting the Base-Nut of the Rega Arms you listened to,to the required tension?I know what an audible difference it does make,so as to eluding to what I hear as just being sorely mistaken,leads me to think that you did not explore the adjustments at this level.I think you have misconstrued what I intimated about the importance of the Rega bearings.This is my last post on this.We agree to disagree.

I seem to have become a bit sensitive to Pauly's condescending attitude towards the other members here, when clearly we are not the only ones with something to learn.

As such, I'll bow out of the conversation also, in deference to the "undisputed master" of tonearm design and cartridge matching.

Well. I seemed to have started WW3 with this topic. Thanks for the fight!! I went out and bought the bullet weights to try TWL's mod. It works just as he said it would. Truly amazing!! I don't think the Rega bearings are so bad. Never did. Then again, like previously stated, I would have to compare it to other arms. The reason I have not is 1) budget and 2) because with the Acoustic Signature Final Tool, the arm mount needs to be changed(around $100.00-$150.00 per arm mount if it's not a Rega style mount) which again is budget related. The Koetsu mates well with the Rega in my system so it stays. I was thinking of trying a ZYX Fuji. Any thoughts?? TWL, what is your counterweight mod all about?