Some additional tips on mounting motor isolation base to Rega P5 .....

Wilson (watercourse) of USA mentioned in the vinylengine thread, "Michael Lim's Rega motor isolation base " that there were some additional tips to this motor isolation base installation which I had missed out. I would like to put down his comments with the pictures of his installation of motor base to his P5 here so as to benefit those who are considering doing this upgrade.

Wilson:

Some tips that Michael did not provide, but that did help me: 1. Before making any changes, measure the distance from the edge of the subplatter to the motor spindle (or from the subplatter spindle to the motor spindle if you prefer). This will help you to place the motor at the right distance once you've removed the motor from the plinth. You might also measure the height of the top of the motor spindle from the plinth, but this is less important. 2. Make sure that neither the base nor the motor touch the plinth when you're ready to spin. This is not explicitly stated in the instructions, but is a no-brainer considering what the unit is supposed to achieve. 3. Dress the cables so that they don't transfer vibrations.

Pictures : courtesy of Wilson (watercourse) of San Francisco

Weighing just under 2 lbs

Base next to CD

Taking measurement to motor spindle

Stock P5 ( p3, p7) motor out

Mount on motor base, tape loose wires, attach

rubber mesh netting to existing screw holes

Re-mounted with spacers

( to accommodate different thickness of plinth and feet)

Move pulley to correct distance from sub-platter

(after checking no contact between motor, base and plinth)

May I share Wilson's findings on this upgrade with you here ....

I've listened for a couple of hours last night and today, and can now report my findings. There is a consistent improvement from before in overall coherence - music is now more "of a piece" and has a sense of ease that simply makes me want to listen to more music as I am more drawn into performances. The "gestalt" is of a more smooth, enjoyable, and refined playback system. This is not night and day from the previous level, but consistent and positive. I have noticed consistent improvements in microdynamics, leading edges, and ambient information retrieval. I believe this speaks to a lowering of noise floor and less smearing or loss of information caused by motor vibrations. I have also noted more solid imaging and soundstage placement than previously. Again, this was not night and day, but consistent and positive. In being able to compare these differences, I think that Rega did a great job with minimizing the majority of the motor vibrations from entering the plinth. Assuming that the mounting system is similar between the P3-24 through P7, users will likely hear similar benefits. Based on Michael's clarifications on how to mount the unit to a P5, I will likely make changes to my install to be able to more easily transport the turntable. This will likely also obviate the need to re-check the pulley distance after moving as well. Had I known what the intended uses of the two mounting holes were, the install would have been complete in about an hour. Good work Michael, and hope this post allows others to experiment with your invention. Thanks, Wilson

Thanks, Wilson, for experimenting on this unconventional upgrade. And also for the additional tips too!