Happy New Year 2015!

Jorge of Canary Island who had bought a number of my upgrade components earlier, including  underslung stainless steel CTW, finally decided to mod his Rega TT with the new Acrylic Plinth and Motor Isolation Base. He new project is now completed! Bravo, just in time to enjoy more wonderful analog music! during this festive season!

Let's hear his comments:

Hi Michael  At this point all upgrades are installed and I am very happy with them.  Focused, wide stereo image and zero noise. Also looks awesome!!!  The height adjustment is now a breeze, and the leveling is easier than ever.  In the following months I will try to purchase some more upgrades from you, I am thinking of the suplatter, dual pulley, dual belts and base...  Cheers and Happy New Year 2015...!!!

 Thanks Jorge!

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How time flies; 2014 is coming to an end soon. Hope all of you are enjoying and will continue to enjoy good analog music with all your upgrades! I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a wonderful year ahead!

Sharing with you here Mick's RP6 upgrades, enjoy!

Hi Michael  It’s been a few weeks now since I installed the upgrades and I thought I’d let you know how it is going.  Counterweight Dual Pulley Aluminium Sub-platter  Silicone belts  It is all working perfectly and sounds really good, I noticed straight away how much better the bass was and now it’s all had time to run in it increased to the point that I Have had to adjust the cut off on my Sub-bass speaker “Twice”.  The turntable is running perfectly and at exactly 33.3 rpm, I am very pleased with the fact that the sub-platter has corrected the deck running to fast.  That all for now.  Fund permitting I’ll be back in the new year for more upgrades.  Keep up the good work.  Best regards  Mick Ballard

Thanks Mick!

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Aluminium sub-platter (model ALSP-FS6) - USD169.00
(add extra USD6.00 for ceramic ball bearing)

Some RP6 owners requested for a full size RP6 aluminium sub-platter as they preferred not to "wear the stock cap" if possible. A very good reason to keep me occupied. So I went ahead to design and machine a new model (ALSP-FS6 ) to use with the newer underslung RP6 glass platter which is a good upgrade that many would like to keep.

As I have mentioned earlier, other than anti-resonance design, low mass is one of the important factors to consider. Hence, this new full size sub-platter (ALSP-FS6) is designed to be of mass not more than 150g(~5.3 oz), a tad lower than the stock phenolic/aluminium cap combo. Being one of the lowest mass sub-platter in the market, rest assure that it would not add extra load to the little motor (~2-4 watts) and main bearing at all.

Even if we are looking from moment inertia point of view, by increasing the mass of sub-platter (say 2 to 3 times) would not do the job better than using a slightly heavier underslung platter with more mass at the outer rim/segment. So in my opinion, it's important not to stress the main bearing and the motor by having a heavy sub-platter.

Here's the full size ALSP-FS6 sub-platter for RP6 : 

ALSP-FS6 on RP6 with acrylic plinth upgrade:

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For old tired Rega Planar TT's, stainless steel pulley upgrade brings back "youth" and liveliness to challenge the new generation of the "RP's"!

A successful upgrade I experimented on my own Planar years ago, believing it can do much better than the stock plastic pulley, brought about amazing results. Sharing the good news with you guys, I am glad that more and more people around the world are enjoying beautiful music with this little stainless steel pulley!

Barrington (of United Kingdom) is one of us who is thrilled by the stainless steel dual pulley with silicone belts upgrade:

Hi Michael,  I have an old Rega Planar 3 which has been upgraded with a 24v High performance motor upgrade kit, Drive Belt Upgrade and Rega TT-PSU. I have a Reference Groovetracer Subplatter arriving shortly. To add to my upgrade path, I wish to purchase one of your legendary dual pulleys and extractor tools..... The items arrived a few days ago and are fully installed. Your instructions are very clear and easy to follow. They are a marriage made in heaven with the Grovetracer Subplatter. Hi Michael, Here are some pics as requested. Mr Limm you delivered to me a wider sound stage, more body to voices. Also I am aware of the background voices are singing quietly or with power. It also applies to all instrumentation. And yet a quieter background noise. Barrington

Read more >> Barrington's Next Upgrade : Acrylic plinth  ...

New Transformed Acrylic Plinth TT 

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Christophe and his large record collection

Christophe Bodin of Sydney is one of us who not only enjoys analog music, but taking upgrading turntable as a hobby. He has recently added the following to his Rega P1 TT:

1. Aluminium subplatter

2. Top Bracing

3. Dual pulley with silicone belts

4. Bearing sheath 

Let's hear what he says after this first stage of upgrades:

Hello Michael.  Greetings from Sydney.  Thank you for making all those components commercially available online.  My upgraded HiFi system is sounding amazing! Great, great improvement... I can't believe the difference this has made!  Photos attached. Christophe Bodin

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"Turntable" may appear to be something vintage; something of the past to a lot of people. But for us, analogue lovers, it's more than that. Not just a piece of art, it's the key which leads us into the wonderful world of analogue music!

Bill of Melbourne has just joined us in the journey of tweaking and enjoying beautiful analogue music.

Enjoy!

Hi Michael,  I was on the look out for a turntable for my system, when a friend introduced me to the wonderful world of vintage hi-fi.  I ended up buying off him a Rega Planar 2 in mint condition which he had for sale. TT came equipped with a 747 Grace tonearm. Upon first listen, I was impressd and never thought my records could be reproduced in such way compared to mid priced modern TT. Being new to vintage audiophile hi-fi, I decided to do a research on Rega and was surprised on how much information there is.  Wanting to improve on the TT performance, you were mentioned in a forum and.......BANG! Turntable candy for Rega's. Over the past few months I have purchased your upgrades except for the sub platter and finally assembled all parts as per your instructions. Thanks heaps for sending me the smaller rubber feet to fit the aluminium iso feet as the originals were larger in size.  Stainless steel dual pulley Motor isolation base, bottom bracing, aluminium feet I did not test every item individually to compare the difference from the originals, but made the comparison upon completion. Cartridge is a Micro Benz high output MC.  Top Bracing Acrylic platter Rubber/Cork mat Powering up and listening to favourite recordings was breathtaking. Bass, Mids and Highs were all transparent and projected with authority. Soundstage had depth and a three dimensional feel. The overall improvement is phenomenal.  Thank you... and well done. Regards Bill

Thanks, Bill !

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Thorens TD124 is a classic, high end vintage turntable of the nineteen fifties. Even till today it's a well-known model to all turntable enthusiasts and it's very much sought-after by many. Grab it, if you do come across! Not just a piece of antique to appreciate, with some proper servicing and upgrading, you'll marvel at the music it brings out....

Arthur of Now York is a lucky guy to have owned one of this rare finds! He is sharing with us here his Thorens TD124 with my Underslung Counterweight and Record Clamp upgrade. Enjoy!

Hi Michael,  I wanted to send you a few pictures of my vinyl setup. I am running the Rega RB300 arm on the TD124. A great combination. As you can see, your counterweight and record weight has been put to good use. The counterweight really opened up some extended clarity and firmed up the bass. I am using the Denon DL 103 cartridge, which requires a more exacting tracking weight, and your counterweight makes this more possible than the stock one.  For speakers I am running high sensitivity Fostex full range drivers so the improvement in clarity is very noticeable!   The record weight is great also, adding a more steady pace.   Great products!!   My next project is to upgrade the wiring on the RB300.   All the best,  Arthur

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It's a well-known fact among tweakers that the Underslung stainless steel Counterweight is one of the best upgrades available for  Rega TTs'.

.

Jimmy Ng's (of Klang) Michell Gyrodec is with a Rega RB300 tonearm. So my Underslung Counterweight which is meant for all Rega tonearms could be fitted to it easily without problem. 

How does it sound? Let's see Jimmy's feedback here : 

Hi Michael, I m currently using a Michell Gyrodec with upgraded Orbe platter and clamp. Rega RB300 tonearm with van den hul silver wiring.  Attached was the setup with your counterweight. Noticed a big improvement to the sound. Sound became more refine from top to bottom frequency. Separation of the instruments was marvellous.  Thank you.  Regards,  Jimmy

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Corey Manders, a Canadian engineer resident in Singapore. A saxophonist, he plays at the Raffle's City part-time during weekends. Corey has earlier added almost all my upgrades to his Rega P2 TT(with stock sticky pad motor):

1. The stainless steel dual pulley with silicone belts
2. underslung counter-weight
3. Aluminium sub-platter
4. Acrylic platter
5. Motor isolation base
6. Top and bottom bracings
7. Record clamp and rubber cork mat

Though he thought he has done all that's necessary to uplift his "tired" P2 TT,  the beautiful look of acrylic plinth in my website was too tempting for him to resist! So another round of upgrade for him....

Here's his new P2 TT with Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge, what do you think?

Hi Michael,  Though it took me some time, I did change the plinth to my Rega P2, I'm really happy with it. Here are some pictures previous to the change:  So, I have listened to quite a few albums after the initial changes (motor adjustment, adding the braces, the underslung counter balance of the tone arm, cartridge change, platter and sub-platter change, the pulley change, and the belt changes). There is definitely an improvement in the bass with the plinth change, which results in an overall increase in volume. I was listening to a few steps ahead albums, and the change in bass really requires lowering the amplifier volume. After the change, my family kept asking me to turn down the system for fear of neighbors complaining. I think that is directly attributable to the increase in the gain in the bass. So, here are a few images after the change: I've put a switch in the box for the PCB you passed to me. I have resoldered all of the wires and extended the red, green, and blue wires leading to the motor. I have temporarily stuck that box under the plinth on the right hand side, using some double-sided tape. It works for now, but I may look for a better looking solution.  But thanks Michael, awesome job designing the plinth!  Cheers,  Corey

Thanks Corey!

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For Rega RP3 TT, aluminium sub-platter would be the easiest upgrade to begin with. It's almost a "universal truth" that aluminium sub-platter upgrade is a must to replace the stock phenolic one. Here's another testimony from Thim Lee of Perth :

Hi Michael  Just reporting back on the aluminium sub-platter. After almost two weeks or 30 hours of listening to my RP3 with your Basic Aluminium sub platter.  All I can say is that I am happy with the product. I am no audiophile but what I notice after the sub platter has settled down is stronger bass, much stronger than on the standard sub platter. And it was lower and tuneful, which makes my whole system come alive. Stronger than any cd I have heard through my Stello transport and dac. Tracking is also much better than before. Lots of ambience and on occasions sounding almost surround like.  Well, being patience is indeed a virtue. The first time I installed the upgrade, it almost made me beg the question why? There was so much sibilance and transients were gone, and my favorite Dave Grusin record sounded lifeless. And now, a totally different beast. I am listening to Kevin Eubanks at the moment and the bass, the transient, dynamic range are all there. It is clear and 'smooth' sounding like how a record should sound like. Top end is clean too. Not splashy any more and triangle sounds sharp without the glare though without an absolute extension compared to my cd but I would blame this on my cartridge.  Now eagerly waiting for my aluminium feet to arrive and that should be it for now until my Elyss 2 give up the ghost. Bought some plasticine to use on the feet.  Take care and talk to you soon.  Thim

Thim's second upgrade : Aluminium feet

Hi Michael  Photos of my Rega with metal sub-platter and aluminium feet.  The new set of feet has certainly improve focus and reverb and the change is not subtle.  The sub-platter has I think finally settled in and the overall sound is much more balanced and cleaner with no audible distortion. Have a good one.   Kind regards   Thim

Thanks, Thim!

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Cejatan of Queensland (Australia) has a RP6. It's a very good Rega turntable. I also have a bright red RP6 which I have been experimenting with various upgrades (refer to my earlier post on RP6). And I can assure you that Underslung Counter-weight and stainless steel dual pulley upgrades which  Cejatan has chosen to begin with would definitely bring significant sonic improvement to his system. 

Another point to highlight here is my underslung counterweight retrofits the original Rega stub. In case you decide not to remove the original stub for some reasons ( may be fear...  or a stubborn stub simply refuses to budge), you can still add the underslung counter weight to your TT without problem.

Cejatan shares his experience with us here. Enjoy!

Hi Michael,  HI Michael, Here are pictures of the completed project. I bought the following from you:  a. Counterweight  b. Double pulley and 2 belts  Although I have problem trying to take out the original stub, I still managed with your direction to install the counterweight. With only this, the high registers opened by and the sound was more spatial and stereo separation was much better.  I next installed the double pulley and the 2 belts. This was much easier with the pulley puller. It took less that 10 minutes.  I also changed my stainless steel ball to ceramic to complete. With all these changes, I invited some of my friends over to listen. One came bearing gifts....2 dozen vinyls which he had in his garage. Whooola!!!!  Here are some photos to show the improvements. Anyone out there, I would recommend Michael for the tweaks.  Until next time.  Best Regards Cejatan

Thanks, Cejatan!

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