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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Expressimo Audio Rega Heavyweight Accessory by robotk Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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Model: Rega Heavyweight Category: Accessory Suggested Retail Price: $90.00 Description: Assymetrical counterweight replacement Manufacturer URL: Expressimo Audio Model Picture: View
Review by robotk ( A ) on December 16, 2003 at 19:54:45
IP Address: 65.81.175.184Add Your Review
for the Rega Heavyweight
I bought this product based solely on the reviews I have read on Stereophile and other publications. Like everyone else who buys this thing, I bought it expecting to be completely disappointed. I was not.The table is a Rega P25 with a RB600. This table was a fairly significant improvement over the P3 I had with greater smoothness in all aspects of the sound as well as much more solid images. The table sits on a spiked IKEA/Target table. Overall, prior to the addition of the Heavyweight, I'd describe the Rega as fast and exciting if a bit on the thin side.
The Heavyweight itself is a nice chunky piece of machined steel with a removable weight for light carts and a set screw to fasten the weight directly to the arm. It replaces a high density tungsten CW with double O-ring attachements. The arm VTF spring is disabled and the pressure set with a Shure gauge.
The addition of the Heavyweight has proved to be a worthwhile one. It has effectively fleshed out the sound of the Rega and made the sound even smoother. Most noticeably, however, it has added more punch to the bass. Overall, I guess you could say the Rega is a bit warmer with the Heavyweight -- but not excessively so. Just enough, for my taste without any sacrifice in speed.
The bass improvement is fairly noticeable and very much welcomed -- notes are easier to make out than before.
The only real dispute I have with the literature and other user's experiences is that I have seen no change in the soundstaging/imaging qualities of the table.
In the final analysis, the Heavyweight provided a very pleasant and worthwhile incremental change. If I am not "blown away" it is only because the difference was not as profound as changing from a P3 to a P25 as the reviews would have me believe. This is nitpicking though -- the sound with the Heavyweight is richer and improvements in bass quality make this one of the few tweaks that this skeptic believes actually works.
Product Weakness: Price - I can't get over the fact that a small piece of steel should cost this much. As far as tweaks go, however, this one is definitely worth it. Product Strengths: Richer more well rounded sound with better bass delineation and emphasis. Slightly smooths out some distortion I was hearing on some records
Associated Equipment for this Review: Amplifier: Primare A20MkII Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): None Sources (CDP/Turntable): Rega p25/ Grado Plat/ MF X-LP Speakers: Spendor 3/5 Cables/Interconnects: PBJs Music Used (Genre/Selections): Indie rock Time Period/Length of Audition: 1 week Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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Topic - REVIEW: Expressimo Audio Rega Heavyweight Accessory - robotk 19:54:45 12/16/03 ( 13)
- Nice review - Steve Culton 11:37:11 12/17/03 ( 0)
Smaller of Larger Rega weight? - Stale 10:05:26 12/17/03 ( 7)
- Re: Smaller of Larger Rega weight? - reb 10:17:28 12/17/03 ( 5)
- Bearing wear can occur, but not from... - spence 17:17:32 12/17/03 ( 3)
- For Rega arms even that does not matter - Stale 06:26:41 12/18/03 ( 2)
- No, the bearings ARE concentric - garth 09:06:08 12/19/03 ( 1)
- You are right about that, my mistake <nt> - Stale 11:23:37 12/19/03 ( 0)
- You must be joking about bearing wear? - Stale 13:36:08 12/17/03 ( 0)
Oops, reply is for Heidi2000's post <nt> - Stale 10:13:32 12/17/03 ( 0)
Expressimo Audio Rega Heavyweight Accessory - Heidi2000 05:41:39 12/17/03 ( 3)
- Weights - Kal Rubinson 08:13:38 12/18/03 ( 0)
Hi - robotk 15:56:36 12/17/03 ( 0)
Re: Expressimo Audio Rega Heavyweight Accessory - Ronnie.S 11:23:50 12/17/03 ( 0)