Home Vinyl Asylum

Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ.

[ Follow Ups ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ Vinyl Asylum ]
[ Alert Moderator ]

Heed Orbit PSU for Rega P2,P3 & P25 (longish)

A recent thread indicated that some fellow inmates had interest in information regarding an off-board power supply for Rega and other turntables that use a 4-pole 110V motor. I purchased a Heed Audio Orbit2S and originally posted my impressions a couple of months ago on the recently defunct Rega Forum. Here 'tis:

I finally picked up my Heed Audio Orbit2S off-board PSU from Pink Noise here in Brussels about two weeks ago and gave it a good running-in before settling down to some critical listening. This was easily accomplished, as I just left my Rega Planar 3 running 24/7 the entire time, playing records as usual and casually observing the sound of my new combo blossom as it began to settle-in.

This Hungarian treat is far from what we’ve come to know as goulash. The Orbit itself is compact to the point of being rather cute (3.5” x 2.75” x 10.66”), but by no means lightweight or insubstantial. Packed into its all-black, hefty shielded steel casework (protecting the unit from electromagnetic interference and vibration) are two mains-filtering transformers, a high-current amplification circuit, and a sophisticated quadrature-quartz speed generator.

The rear-panel accommodates the power cord for the Orbit, power-out socket connected via a proprietary mains adapter (depending on one’s location / plug system type) to the power cord of the Planar 3, and a single On/Off rocker switch. The façade is fashioned from a 4mm-thick panel of shiny-smooth black acrylic (white is an option) interrupted only by a single LED centered above a milled, tapered silver pushbutton. Minimalism at its finest!

Glancing under the hood of the Heed (!) reveals an impeccably elegant layout. Two ES-series Avisor encapsulated transformers and a pair of capacitors form the heart of the power supply and sinewave signal amplifier, while the well-regarded Philips HEF4541B programmable oscillating timer IC works in conjunction with the quartz crystal circuitry comprising the speed generator. The remainder of the board is made up of Heed’s special blend of transistors, resistors, a fuse, plus three additional IC chips and other bits that I’m unable to identify.

Usage

The Orbit2S could not be easier to use. When Heed says it’s Plug’N’Play, they mean just that! Simply take the mains lead from your turntable, plug it into the Heed via its adapter and switch the unit on. The single LED on the Orbit’s façade illuminates RED to indicate that it’s ready to play at 33 1/3. Switch on your turntable and enjoy it, as you have never heard it before!

To change speed to play those 45s or 12” singles, press the lone silver pushbutton on the front panel to the IN position. The LED will now glow GREEN to indicate that the speed is 45rpm. Depress the button to the OUT position, the LED switches to back to RED and you’re running 33 1/3 again. No more platter lifting, you can now flex the same muscles by hoisting beers. Enjoy the music and repeat as necessary!

A Cautionary Word Before Proceeding

A brief note about leaving the Orbit powered-up. Since the Orbit’s speed generator works by emitting a quartz-locked sine-wave from its amplification circuitry, your turntable should remain running fairly continuously throughout your listening session. If the Orbit is powered-up and the turntable is switched-off for an extended period of time, its amplifier continues to generate the sine-wave signal with no outlet for it and after an hour or two, the unit will become warmer than usual. While this is not dangerous in the short term, it is not optimal either. Heed recommends that the unit be switched-on at the start of your listening session and switched-off afterwards. If you need to switch-off your TT intermittently to clean your records or such, that’s absolutely fine. It’s just best not to leave the Orbit on for many hours at a time unless the turntable is also spinning. Simple enough, but I know that some components like certain phono preamps are designed to be powered-up constantly to achieve optimum results.

Observations

As I noted earlier, I left the Orbit powered-up and my Planar 3 spinning constantly for more than 10 days to allow the circuitry to run-in before beginning to listen with a critical ear. When I finally got down to it, I used a stroboscopic disc to check the speed of my TT without and with the Orbit. The Planar 3 at 33 1/3 without the unit exhibited a very slight drift in speed on the fast side (something that I had never considered problematic). With the Orbit switched into the system, the speed was dead-on! I repeated this for 45rpm and observed the same results.

Next, having read up on the possible side-effects of off-board PSUs, I sought to determine whether or not the Orbit had any detrimental interaction with my other components, more specifically my Njoe Tjoeb 4000 CD player and my Rega Mira3 integrated. I had read about instances where the power drawn by other PSUs such as earlier versions of the Linn Lingo and Naim Armageddon appeared to have a negative effect upon amplifiers and other electronics in the chain. I spent a considerable amount of time comparing the sound of my system with the Orbit switched on and off and I’m pleased to report that I could detect no degradation in sound quality or negative interactions whatsoever. Phew!

Listening

Cueing-up my customary mood-setter, an original Reprise pressing of Neil Young’s “On The Beach”, is definitely an eye-opener! “Walk On” lurches and surges as never before as I think to myself what a fool I’ve been for even considering a purchase of the album’s recent reissue on DVD-Audio. The soundstage broadens and deepens as Young and the remnants of the Stray Gators swing into full-on action. By the time of the LP’s closing track, the sublime “Ambulance Blues” I am reduced to a quivering mass of protoplasm embedded deep into the sofa haunted by the yin/yang counterpoint between Neil’s voice & harmonica and Rusty Kershaw’s most evocative fiddle!

Veering headlong into Television’s “Marquee Moon” I am so utterly riveted by the newfound pace and timing imparted by the Orbit onto Billy Ficca’s drum-fill eruptions, I want to leap up, grab his extra sticks and throw-down on the side-table. The dual-guitar euphoria of “Venus” swiftly follows and for the first time I’m grabbing my remote to crank that mutha (Mira) UP! Here the Orbit displays cahonés in spades as it negotiates the high-volume dynamics and transients like a real champ and I giddily keep feeding it more and more without nary a hiccup! Well into Side Two now and as Tom Verlaine spits out “Prove It!” I find myself reaching for a tissue to sop up the spray and the Orbit answers “just the facts!” When Verlaine finally snarls “This case is closed.” I’m figuring the Heed is as significant an upgrade to my kit as the Michell TecnoArm is.

But this case is far from closed. Venturing into the realm of 12-inchdom I run a quick survey of NYC’s seminal 99 Records label by slapping on 45rpm no-wave disco wax from ESG and Liquid Liquid. Suddenly it’s 1981 all over again and the pulsating basslines of “Cavern” careen into my brain, shaking me to my very foundation. No wonder Grandmaster Flash parlayed it into the early Sugarhill smash “White Lines” igniting Hip-Hop Nation! So I spin that too. I cool it down with ESG’s “Moody” and vamp about the room until “U.F.O.” vaults me into ecstatic catharsis. The Orbit becomes my secret-weapon MC.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, the saying goes, and the intrinsic sonic beauty of my new Black Box could only be truly appreciated by subtracting it from the equation. I retraced my steps by attempting to play all of the above without it and didn’t get terribly far. While I was less than horrified, I now listened with an achy yearning for what had been there just moments before. The soundstage was palpably diminished, and I could now sense my Planar 3 struggle somewhat during louder, quicker passages. If I had not had the opportunity to hear my deck with the Orbit, none of this would be much of an issue since I wouldn’t know any better. But now I know BETTER!

Sweaty from withdrawal, I shakily reconnect the TT mains, switch on the Orbit, and on we go. Over the next few days I make my way the following in whole or in part: John Coltrane “A Love Supreme”, The Fall “Hex Enduction Hour”, Iannis Xenakis “Electro-Acoustic Music”, Willie Nelson “Stardust”, Heart “Dreamboat Annie”, Richard & Linda Thompson “Shoot Out The Lights”, Brigitte Fontaine “Comme A La Radio”, Roky Erickson “The Evil One”, King Sunny Ade “Synchro System”, The Spacious Mind “Sleeping Eyes & Butterflies”, Velvet Underground “The Velvet Underground & Nico” (banana sticker intact!), Sonny Sharrock “Black Woman”, Johnny Cash “Everybody Loves A Nut”, Tim Buckley “Blue Afternoon”, The Residents “Third Reich ‘N’ Roll”, Nurse With Wound “Thunder Perfect Mind”, Richie Havens “Alarm Clock”, Minutemen “Double Nickels On The Dime”, Dennis Wilson “Pacific Ocean Blue”, and last but certainly not least La Monte Young “The Well-Tuned Piano”.

And as I listened to the new synergy of my Planar 3 plowing through this distinguished stack, I meditated on exactly what the Orbit, now working in conjunction with the TecnoArm, brings to the party. In my review of the TecnoArm, I stated that if I could think of just one word to summarize it, that word would be “Authority”. By adding the Heed to my audio gumbo, I can now think of three more: “Attack”, “Articulation”, and “Assurance”. Let’s consider this AAA trifecta individually.

“Attack” would incorporate the oft-bandied about PRaT ideal, a more true-to-life and musical presentation. Bass has more verve and drive, and you feel the sense of heightened anticipation throughout your listening. Speed now emerges hand-in-hand with power as dynamics become dynamic and transients morph into business-as-usual.

“Articulation” denotes a wider and deeper soundstage augmented by more focused imagery. Mids gain greater distinction and highs an airier feeling of space. A certain “rightness” adorns the proceedings but never gets analytical.

For me, never having owned a high-end turntable, “Assurance” reveals the genuine X-factor of the Orbit. As Joni Mitchell sings, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. By dispatching with the mains-borne grunge we all face and providing rock-solid speed control, the Orbit allows the astonishing TechnoArm to get down to business, bigtime, with an absolute grip on the grooves that never wavers.

When I test-drove the new Rega P5 a few short weeks ago, I was struck by its fine design, wonderful build quality and sublimely musical presentation. Now that the Orbit is firmly ensconced in my system, I can confidently say that I will feel no envy toward those able to upgrade to that superfine deck. Will I feel the same way when I finally hear the new Rega P7 with its dedicated PSU? That I can’t say, but I’d like to think of myself as an eternal optimist and that I’m now good to go for some time to come!

Don’t look for the Heed Audio Orbit at your Rega dealer anytime soon. It makes absolutely no sense within the upgrade path of their superb product line. If you own a P3 you are meant to step-up to the P5. If you own a P25, you should consider the P7. If your uncle dies and leaves you some unexpected dosh, do not pass “Go” and go for that P9! But if you’re like me and looking for a bit of a shortcut to the good life, then, at only 330 EURO (or $295 for the North American version without onboard 45rpm speed change), the Heed Orbit merits your serious consideration.

Best, Dex


Rega Planar 3 (w/Rega motor upgrade), Heed Orbit2S offboard PSU, Michell TecnoArm (a), Goldring 1012GX, Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000 w/upsampler, Rega Mira3, REL Quake, M&K Satellite 1 & Volkswoofer, Alphacore Micropurl ICs, QED Silver Anniv.

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  The Cable Cooker  

Topic - Heed Orbit PSU for Rega P2,P3 & P25 (longish) - Dexter 12:27:32 09/20/04 (2)
You can not post to an archived thread.

[ Top Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]