What turntable upgrades or tweaks have you done?

[Gary]

That have worked. ;)

Please. :D

I'm thinking of getting a moving coil cart. with a step up transformer for my Rega. I also want to upgrade the power plug with *something better* - what, I don't know and upgrade the wires - phono and perhaps the wires in the tone arm.

Just curious - what else have you people done out there?

[PsychFan]

Tweaks and upgrades that have worked on my Rega? Lessee ...

(1) Upgrading from a relatively inexpensive Benz-Micro MC20E-II high-output MC cart (my first serious one) to a relatively more expensive Dynavector 10x4 Mk II (also a HO-MC). I got a lot more than I paid for. What a leap up! Definitely the best upgrade I've yet made.

(2) Applying an Atmasphere tonearm wrap to my RB300 arm.

(3) A tip I found on this Web page (4th "star" down): http://www.tonearm.co.uk/rb300-arm.htm

(4) Buying a high-quality stylus-cleaning tool/fluid, and using it properly.

(5) Learning to remove the dustcover from the turntable while listening.

(6) Swapping out the standard felt Rega mat for a Ringmat. I did a lot of back-and-forth testing and decided in the end I liked the effects of the felt mat better, but it was good to do the test, and I believe some listeners, depending on their tastes, turntable platform, and the rest of their system, might prefer what the Ringmat does. It's sure worth a listen.

(7) Despite what Roy Gandy of Rega advises (he actually says it's unnecessary): Keeping my records CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. (Disc Doctor products, and AudioQuest carbon-fiber brush. Tried the Hunt brush, but the AQ is more suited to the Rega, IMO.)

[Ronflugelguy]

Try this, it made everything sound more focused , on my RB-300 and VPI JR. About $90.User installable:D

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Ronflugelguy
Try this, it made everything sound more focused ...

I wanted to try the "Heavyweight," but I read that my Dynavector cart is too light for it. :(

[Beagle]

Gary: I had my RB300 tonearm rewired and cable upgraded with the RB900 cable. I had this done by the US Rega distributor Steve Lauerman. One of the tonearm wires broke (at the headshell) so I had to get the arm rewired and opted for the cable upgrade at the same time.

They replace the tonearm wire with the standard Rega wiring, they don't do specialty wire upgrade. So in essense I was just bringing it back up to spec. But the RB900 cable sounds cleaner and smoother that the stock one.

Re-wiring is best left to the professionals. I wouldn't attempt this yourself unless you really know what you are doing.

Jeff: What does the Atmasphere tonearm wrap do? Is it supposed to damp vibrations? Could I use Saran Wrap? :D

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Beagle
Jeff: What does the Atmasphere tonearm wrap do? Is it supposed to damp vibrations? Could I use Saran Wrap?


Hi Beagle ... Yes, its purpose is to damp. It was invented by Warren Gehl of Audio Research and originally sold by Sumiko as the Analogue Survival Kit. It's made of a material called "Sound Coat" -- it's a very effective damping material that returns to its original size after being stretched. You stretch it and, with tension on it, wrap the arm with it as though it were an elastic bandage. The wrap shrinks, and grips and damps the arm. I found the improvement significant (more detail, less smearing of low end sounds). For more info, check this page: http://www.atma-sphere.com/wrap.htm

Saran Wrap? Hey, try it and report your findings!! :p

By the way, I second any kudos for Steve Lauerman of Lauerman Audio Imports, the US Rega distributor. They're great to deal with when you need any kind of advice or repair (I too had them do a rewire on my RB300, and they did a great job, quickly and inexpensively).

[Todd Fredericks]

This is very, very obvious but sometimes over-looked. Make sure that the TT (especially platter) is level. I check every once in a while but I find this to be one of the most important basic tweaks...

Todd

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Todd Fredericks
Make sure that the TT (especially platter) is level. ... I find this to be one of the most important basic tweaks...

Agreed. I've been guilty of neglecting this in the past, or doing it the wrong way (leveling the shelf the table sits on, but not the platter). And I used to wonder why my cartridge wouldn't track the test tracks on my Hi-Fi News test record so well ...

It's very important to make sure the platter is level at every point the needle covers across a record.

OH ... and there's another very, very important tip for Rega owners: to ensure a long life for your motor, always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS remove the platter before moving the turntable, even if you're just moving it one inch.

[Beagle]

Thanks Jeff!

Yes, dealing with Steve Lauerman was wonderful, both by e-mail and phone. He would explain what he was going to do in great detail, and why he was doing it. No waiting either, he had my arm re-wired /cable upgraded the day after it arrived.

[Sckott]

Big dittos. Steve Lauerman is a wonderful guy, and they KNOW Rega.

[Beagle]

Jeff: Did you try that 3 gram setting/counterweight VTF adjustment thing? I just did this evening and I was astounded.

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Beagle
Jeff: Did you try that 3 gram setting/counterweight VTF adjustment thing? I just did this evening and I was astounded.

Yeah, I first did it months ago. Quite a difference, no? Especially for something I just stumbled across on Origin Live's Web site ...

They have some good tips in general on that site, but that one was surprising.

[DanG]

Jeff Partyka posted:
Learning to remove the dustcover from the turntable while listening.


Jeff, what's the reasoning behind this?

Sure is the least expensive tweak. :D

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by DanG
Jeff Partyka posted:
[b]Jeff, what's the reasoning behind this?
Sure is the least expensive tweak.

Those are the best kind!

The dustcover can vibrate during record play, and that has the potential to affect the sound (depends on a lot of things, like how well the table is isolated and where it is in the room). I've heard of people putting all kinds of things on top of their dustcover to stop it from vibrating, but why use vibration control when you can just remove the thing that's vibrating?

Also, for me switching records isn't as much of a pain with the dustcover off, since I don't have to keep lifting and putting the cover back down. I also worry about the Rega dustcover falling down on my hands or on a record when it's "up" (it's not very sturdy in the "up" position). I don't have a particularly dusty environment (and I run an air purifier in the listening room when I'm not in there), so I don't worry too much about dust settling on the records as they play.

[Beagle]

Originally posted by Jeff Partyka


Yeah, I first did it months ago. Quite a difference, no? Especially for something I just stumbled across on Origin Live's Web site ...

They have some good tips in general on that site, but that one was surprising. Yes, it's like the arm simply disappeared and I was just hearing the cartridge with nothing between it and the music. Apparently you can go a step further by disengaging the anti-skating as well but I don't like this idea because of uneven stylus wear.

I'm just guessing at my VTF though, I don't have a stylus pressure guage. I'm going by feel and the amount of deflection on the cantilever when the stylus lands. Oh, and my ears of course.

[PsychFan]

Originally posted by Beagle
I'm just guessing at my VTF though, I don't have a stylus pressure guage.

I use the Shure gauge -- probably a little too frequently because I'm so retentive about all this stuff. I just like to make sure things haven't wandered away from the "right" settings ...

[mazort]

(Linn LP-12)

1) Lingo external power supply.

2) Silver Audio solid silver phono cable.

3) Grado The Statement low output moving magnet.

4) Audio Research PH3SE JFet/Tube Phono Stage.

5) Now I have to upgrade all the cables in the rest of the system... one thing leads to another... AAHHHH, I'm channeling Humorem!!!

[Grant]

Tweak? I put a record on my turntable and played it!:p