Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsWow! Upgrade from Audio Technica AT-120LP
Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2023
I’ve had an AT-120LP turntable for many years and it served me well. Early on I removed the internal phono preamp (per Steve Hoffman forum), added an external Cambridge Audio preamp, and added a Shure M97xE cartridge. Audio components at time were Emotiva Airmotiv B1+, Emotiva a-100 amp, and Dayton audio 1200 sub. For a budget hi-fi system it totally rocked and led me to buy 100+ albums and get way into vinyl.
Then I started down the upgrade path. I started by adding an Emotiva PT-100 preamp and Emotiva Airmotiv se8 sub. Bass got way more tight, punchy and balanced. Next I got an Ortofon red which sounded great but not much difference than my Shure. Sound was a bit clearer but man that Shure sounded so good. Couple years later the needle broke off my Ortofon and I bought an AT-VM95SH cartridge with Shibata stylus.
After dropping $200+ it I was stoked to be blown away by the sound. I installed it using a protractor and scale, but the AT-120LP anti-skate adjustment didn’t work. Not sure why but the cartridge did not sound good on my setup. Some albums were super clear, but the sound was analytical and unbalanced. Amy Winehouse’s voice blended into the midrange, rock albums were muddy, jazz was super clear but lacking cohesion. Returned it.
The time came to upgrade my system and I did a ton of research. Top contenders were the Rega planar series, Technics sl1200, Project Debut Pro. The planar 3 was my initial top choice but decided dropping $1k+ was overkill. Research is difficult because there are audiophiles that say everything isn’t good unless it costs thousands. Truth is nowadays you can get killer sound for way less. I was drawn to Rega due ti their indisputable reputation, killer What Hi-Fi reviews of the Planar line, and overall reviews on sound and build quality. Went with the Planar 2 due to the slick glass platter, one piece tonearm with frictionless bearings, and once I learned the new Planar 2 had anti-skate adjustment, that was it.
The build is totally different than the AT-120 in every way. It is designed to totally isolate the sound and eliminate and vibrations or interference. Tonearm has one piece cable from cartridge to preamp. Motor is separated completely and only connects to platter via rubber belt.
The planar 2 does not have VTA adjustment, you need to add a spacer. Folks say over 2mm spacer and the lid won’t close. Others say a spacer is not needed. My next upgrade will be a Nagoaka MP-110 cartridge (many say spacer is not needed) but man it sounds so good I’m gonna wear out this carbon for a while first.
Other item of note is you need to move the belt to switch from 33 1/3 to 45 speed. I don’t listen to many 45s, but when I do, I’ve got no prob being more hands on to switch it; it’s part of the experience.
The Rega turntable is built well. Every part of it feels quality when you use it. The tonearm is super light and the bearings are perfectly smooth with no play. Tonearm drop has a metal piston. Platter is perfectly balanced and floats above the table on the smaller diameter sub-platter. It looks killer and is fun to use.
The Rega Carbon cartridge sounded great out of the gates, but is really opening up after about 25 hours of play. Now it sounds really really good. The table has a lot to do with that, but honestly I was planning to upgrade the cartridge right away and now I am going to wait. Super balanced sound, great separation of vocals from midrange, tight bass. The cartridge isn’t expensive, but Rega engineers matched it so well to this table it sounds incredible. Super stoked!!
