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In Reply to: Rega upgrades posted by Joe in Seattle on September 15, 2006 at 17:48:48:
These tweaks fail because they go against the philosophy of the turntable itself: keep things light and rigid. The point is to drain vibrations quickly.Good support, such as an Ikea Lack table ($15) is worthwhile.
On P3 or lower, new tonearm wire is worthwhile.
Stay away from acrylic platter and heavyweight tonearm tweaks.
Follow Ups:
They really didn't fail. How can you say that when I put them in and they succeeded?
"These tweaks fail because they go against the philosophy of the turntable itself: keep things light and rigid. The point is to drain vibrations quickly."Exactly.
A light, rigid support and top notch wire are all these 'tables need to make tight, lively, emotionally connective music. Using an acrylic platter or adding mass anywhere screws up Rega's great pacing and negates the entire design goal. These tweaks may seem "bigger and warmer" to hifi new comers, but bloated bass, smeared note attack, and lackluster rhythm aren't the ticket to an involving musical presentation.
Are you joking, Ikea Lack table? If you're going to bash Rega tweaks, at least recommend a good foundation such as Ken Lyon's Nuance platform. It's no wonder they call this place the asylum.
Using an ikea lack tabletop on your rack with a Rega works killer. Indeed, a poor man's nuance.
It was Ken Lyon who came up with the idea of using the light, rigid Ikea Lack as a TT support in the first place. They may be a poor man's Neuance, but they sound a lot better than many big-buck mass-loaded audiophool racks.
I respect Ken a great deal but I do not cite the Ikea Lack table as a RIGID support. I have toyed with one myself. They are nothing like the Nuance, I own one myself and my P3 sits happily on it. Mentioning an Ikea Lack table in the same sentence as the Nuance has got to be a joke, you're kidding.....aren't you. If not, what do they have in common? Oh, I do agree, the Lack table is light.
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Have you actually ever tried any of these or are you just against the philosophy of tweaking? Some people are. That is fine. I am not (nor will I ever be) in a position to afford a table that costs thousands of dollars. Then, you have to go out and buy an arm, cartridge and pre-amp of some sort that goes with it. All of this can end up costing as much as an automobile. With a Rega, there are many options that can change the sound of the table for the better. There is a whole camp out there that still like the sound of the LP 12, before the Cirkus upgrade and all that. That is fine. I just like to see what tweaks will do, for better or worse. To tell someone to leave it alone is like telling someone to close their mind. I have several Planar 3s that have all been tweaked to some degree. They all sound different from each other and they all sound better than the stock version, to me. I say, try your tweaks in moderation. Do not go out and do several things at once. Examine what each one does to the sound. If you like it, then try something else. Just keep an open mind and listen.
I've tried the heavyweight tonearm mod. I've tried acrylic platter. I've tried heavy/massive supports. I haven't tried the metal subplatter. But based on everything I have tried, the concept of mass kills the Rega's musicality. Every time. Sucks the life out of it, as Ken Lyon says.
They said this same kind of thing with the Linn Cirkus upgrade. I said this earlier. Some people just like the sound they have and do not want to tamper with it at all. I also think that what some people call the "life" in the sound of a table is just a particular distortion that they find appealing. When this distortion is removed, they do not hear the "sound" they liked before and so they say it has to be bad. I listen for detail in the music, but not at the expense of the entire musical picture. If a tweak makes one thing great and the rest sound awful, then the tweak is bad. This is why I try about everything. If I feel that it brings me closer to the music, it is good. A Nuance shelf is a tweak. You could say that Mr. Gandy did not design the Rega using this type of support. So, we are going against his design philosophy/wishes. If you like the sound of your table with a Nuance shelf, then is there anything wrong with this? I do not think so. You could change the brand of tires that are on your car. You feel a smoother ride and better contact with the road. You like the way it feels, when you drive it. Where these tires part of the design philosophy behind the car? No, but you feel a better driving experience. There are a lot of bad tweaks out there, but I do not think that it is good to discourgage experimentation. Just listen and decide.
"A Nuance [sic] shelf is a tweak. You could say that Mr. Gandy did not design the Rega using this type of support. So, we are going against his design philosophy/wishes."Rega's setup flyers recommend a light, rigid, level shelf for their turntables--Neuance caters to this design philosophy in an exceptional way.
I am just reporting my experiences with a certain kind of tweak. The numerous mass-oriented tweaks that seem to help VPI and other mass-loving turntables simply have not worked for me on my Rega. That's what I am saying. I said nothing about tweaking in general. I admitted that I have the tweak bug myself. For example, a tweak that worked for my Rega was using the thin rubber shelf liner from the grocery store for the mat. It also acts as a VTA-lowering device. Ha!I find it very useful to read other people's experiences with tweaks before I try one. That's why I'm reporting my results with the ones that are mentioned here. OMalley had different results. That's great, it's the whole point of forums like this for people to relate their various experiences.
Hukk
you say a change makes a positive difference and they talk concept.
I have tried some of the tweaks you have done and I have had the smae experience as you. They were for the positive and removed 'distorion', as you pointed out.
You're hitting on all cylinders Huk!
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