The humble Rega P1 turntables can be further improved without problems using many third party products/accessories. This could be one of the many reasons that makes Rega turntables very popular. Another reason is that the Rega turntables are simple, rugged and very well engineered - to last for a long time.

The stock Rega P1 is equipped with Ortofon OM5E stylus. By just changing the stylus to OM10E, you get an upgrade immediately. Just plug and play - a very simple upgrade. OM10E costs around USD 50.00-60.00, depending on where you buy it from.

Ortofon OM10E stylus

The first thing I am going to do is to change the original mild steel counterweight. Just remove the counterweight, followed by the plastic end-stub. Then screw in the stainless steel end-stub and fix the under-slung stainless steel counterweight.

Under-slung stainless steel counterweight (USD100.00)

The original wooden fiber platter of Rega P1 could be replaced or upgraded cheaply either by getting a used 10 mm glass Rega Planar 2 from the flea market for USD 20.00-30.00 or a new acrylic platter (24 mm thick) for ~USD 130.00. You can hear the difference immediately after the change.

Rega P1 with original wooden fiber platter

8 mm /10 mm glass platter (~USD 45.00)

Upgraded Rega P1 with
Acrylic platter (USD 130.00) and
Rubber/cork mat ( USD25.00)

To change the original plastic sub-platter to the aluminium metal sub-platter with anti-resonance pattern brings about immediate sonic improvement that no one can deny. Remove the plastic unit carefully and insert the aluminium metal sub-platter after wetting the stainless shaft with suitable lubricating oil.

Aluminium sub-platter (USD150.00)

All turntables are susceptible to ground-borne vibrations and a good isolating platform would help to reduce this undesirable effect, thus improving the sonic performance. So lastly I put my Rega P1 turntable onto a 20 mm acrylic isolating platform for better isolation from undesirable vibrations.

Rega P1 turntable with aluminium sub-platter, acrylic platter,

stainless steel counterweight, record clamp,
and 20 mm acrylic isolating platform (USD110.00)

Presto, now you are ready to spin the vinyl!!

Shall we sit back and enjoy beautiful music from this upgraded Rega P1 turntable!

Proceed to :

i) Detail steps to upgrade P1....

on Motor isolation base upgrade if you are adventurous.

ii) Stainless steel pulley ( Standard and dual ) for a surprise.

iii) Aluminium feet ( à la p7/p9 feet)

iv) Main bearing sheath 

( For P1 and RP1 only)

*Notes:

1. All upgrades for Rega P1 turntable are also applicable for Rega RP1, P2, P3, P3-24, P5, P25, Planar 2 and Planar 3 turntables.

2. Counter-weight upgrade can also be used for Rega P7 and P9 turntables to improve the performance.

*Read more on : "Tips on upgrading ........">>

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To renew your childhood interest in vinyl?

To go analogue and enjoy the warm feeling of vinyl music?

The question now is : to buy new or preowned turntables?

You are lucky if you have a unit in store that was left behind by your father or grandfather; by all means take it out and try to revive it with help from your neighborhood hi-fi shop. You might even be able to do it yourself as treasure trove of information on turntables readily available on the Internet.

Alternatively, you may hunt for a preowned turntable; the vintage turntables actually can perform as well as or better than some of the new turntables.

For those who are choosing to buy a new turntable, it might not be easy as there are many brands of turntables around and it can be confusing if you don't have much knowledge on turntables. Hence, it would be much safer to go for established brands like Pro-ject , Thorens, Rega, Clear Audio, Music Hall, Denon,Technics, VPI etc.

Pro-ject

Pro-ject Audio manufactures in EU (European Union) a full range of modern turntables from award winning entry level Debut to high-end models with advance carbon fibre and Ortofon tonearms. You can't go wrong buying from Pro-ject Audio Systems, headquartered in Vienna, Austria, land of the 'Sound Of Music' and Johann Strauss II. In addition they also produce a full range of supporting accessories from cork mat to record clamp etc.

RPM 1 "Genie"

(with decoupled motor and inverted bearing)

Debut

(with acrylic platter)

Thorens

If you are looking for Swiss/German precision, Thorens is the answer. Thorens, has been making audio/turntable equipment for 128 years. It manufactured a full range of turntables from entry level to high end turntables with typical Swiss and German engineering precision and the result is extremely well designed turntables that will last for a long time. I personally own several units of vintage Thorens (TD150/160/145/125/135) that were made in the 60'/70' and still produces exhilarating music far better than many costly modern turntables. It's not advisable to buy the entry level automatic models with light plastic body which are not upgradeable. These units are more prone to breakdown due to too many mechanical linkages and are generally poorer in sound quality compared to manual equivalents. You would get stuck with the mediocre sound with no hope of further improvement other than to give it away or to trade-in for a new model. Try to go for mid-range manual models.

Vintage Thorens TD150

( with acrylic mat )

Thorens TD 309

(with 3-point spring suspended chassis)

Rega

If your are looking for British conservatism and value for money turntables, your choice could be Rega, a manufacturer famous for their Planar 2 and Planar 3 budget turntables (and RB250/RB300 tonearms). These were made in 70'/80' and I have a couple of units that are still functioning well today. As for the new P2/P3,there are not much visible changes compared to Planar 2/3 except the motors are of lower vibration units, mounted directly to the underside of the wooden plinth by double-sided tape. This is an economical way of securing the motors but definite not the most ideal way as the double-sided tape tends to deteriorate with time especially in the hot and humid tropical environment.

I personally prefer my Planar 2 and Planar 3 with more massive plinth with RB250/RB300 tonearms. The P2/P3 are coupled with new RB251/301 tonearms with plastic three-point mounting base compared with brass and stainless steel mounting base for RB250/RB300. This method of mounting the tonearm is nothing new (The Luxman PD277 also comes with three-point mounting but with all stainless steel base, not plastic). I don't know how long the plastic base will last. If the plastic base cracks or breaks the whole arm would be rendered useless. Stainless steel mounting base is only available for higher models like P5/P7/P9.

Even though considered quite conservative, Rega offers turntables that are hassle-free, 'timeless', value for money, and more importantly upgradable. Personally, I would shy away from 'entry-level' unit for reason stated above.

Rega Planar 3

( with acrylic platter)

Upgraded Rega P2

(with glass platter and RB251 tonearm)

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Record weight with bull's eye level

(model RC1 : USD22.00)

This Record clamp/weight with bull's eye level is precision- machined from solid brass. The diameter of the brass base is 43 mm with a height of 12 mm. The total height inclusive of the bull eye's level is approximately 24 mm. It's weight is about 160 gm(~5.6 oz). A record clamp should not be too heavy but just enough to hold the the record steady. A heavy record weight or clamp would add unnecessary load to the motor and the main bearing hub, bearing in mind the motor and bearing hub are designed to carry a specific load and anything above is considered over-load!

Bottom view

It can be used to weigh down the record as well as for leveling the platter with the bubble level. It is suitable for all turntables. Besides it also improves the turntable performance.

Record weight on Micro Seiki turntable

Awty of Australia said :

The record clamp is pretty cheap and is good for leveling the suspended platter......not the prettiest thing, but again does the job.

Jim Pittman of USA said :

Greetings Mr Lim, Rec’d the record weight and pulley today. Thank you very much for such great prices on great products. Installation was a snap, and I am very pleased with the sound, Thank you again.  Regards,  Jim Pittman.

Arthur of New York commented on his upgraded Thorens TD124 :

The record weight is great also, adding a more steady pace. Great products!! All the best, Arthur

Ulrich of Switzerland said :

The record clamp also gives more details. I got a lot of quality for very little money.

The Star - Review on record clamp:

"The weight is simply plonked over the centre spindle on top of the vinyl record with no irritating screwing in, twisting, or pressure fitting which record clamps involve. This allows record changes without the need to stop the motor. The weight brought a better sense of ease and focus to the sound, its effect much subtler than with the platter substitute, but still worthwhile. It seemed to work more noticeably with the more transparent sounding Radius V, though, for which I will probably buy it."

HiFi unlimited: Read more >> 

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Underslung Counter-weight with end-stub : USD100.00
(inclusive of 4.5g and 9.5g thumb-screw weights)

Additional weight (14.5g) : USD10.00

Also available in ALL stainless steel look!

(Concealed stainless steel grub screw lock)

This stainless steel counter-weight (model CWT) is specifically designed for Rega turntables (Planar 2/3. P1, P2, P3, P3-24, RP1, RP3, RP6, P5, P7, P9, P25 ...) and tonearms ( RB100, RB101, RB220, RB250, RB251, RB300, RB301, RB303, RB330, RB600, RB700, RB1000 ).

Care has been taken in the designing of this counter weight so as to bring the weight in line with the cartridges, lowering the centre of gravity, thus improving the sonic performance. The anti-resonance counter-weight adaptor further enhance the sound effect.

Rear view of counter-weight

This counter-weight also retrofits all stock stainless-steel end-stubs including integral RB101 end-stub :

Counter-weight without end-stub : USD75.00

(inclusive of 9.5g thumb-screw weight only)

Additional weight (14.5g) : USD10.00

End-stub(with 4.5g thumbscrew weight only): USD31.00

Counter-weight on RB301

Counter-weight on RB250

All stainless steel look Counter weight  on RP6

Add-on thumb-screw weights

This counter-weight is extremely flexible in design. In addition to the basic counter-weight, one or two thumb-screws (combinations of 4.5g, 9.5g and 14.5g) could be attached to the bottom of the counter-weight or/and the end of the stub which makes it simple for switching to heavier cartridges (e.g. Denon 103/103R and Dynavector 10x5).

4.5g, 9.5g & 14.5g thumb-screw weights

Standard counterweight comes with 4.5g and 9.5g thumb-screw weights

Add USD10.00 for 14.5g thumb-screw weight (optional)

Easy fine VTF adjustment 

By adding a suitable thumb-screw weight, you can achieve various requirements for different cartridges without having to change to a new counter-weight.

Fitting thumb-screw weight

The thumb-screw weight at the end stub also facilitates fine VTF adjustment.

To summarise the advantages of using my CWT :   1. It retrofits all stock Rega stainless-steel end-stubs including integral RB101 end-stub in case you do not wish to remove the stock stub.              2. Easy fine VTF adjustment.  3. No problem with the lid as the CWT is even lower than the stock counterweight.

Robert of Michigan (with P3-24) has commented:

Hello Michael,  It's Bob in Michigan. I received the counterweight yesterday.It was a very easy setup, and looks great.  The difference on my heavily upgraded P3-24 was readily apparent in the bass,which was more taut and better defined. As impressive ,if not more so, was the difference in the soundstage. It was more detailed,more space between instruments, and a better sense of the recording space. The fine tune adjustment was a real help in zeroing in on the right tracking force . Thank you for such a well- designed product!

Euan Robertson (with RP40) has commented:

Hello Michael,  Following the success (beyond my expectations!) of the under slung counterweight for my Rega RP40, I am keen to proceed with the double pulley and aluminium sub platter upgrades next. By the way, the counter weight (CWT) was bought primarily to allow the original lid to fit over my newly fitted Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge, which needed your spacer (from my last TT) to raise the arm from the supplied Rega cart. I have read many times that this is a common problem with Rega. What was the biggest surprise however, was the sonic difference - even after reading other users results on your site, the greater overall clarity, bass depth, individual instrument definition, and lowered noise floor took me completely by surprise. Looking forward to the next tweak!  Regards  Euan Robertson

Read more : Review in hi-fi avenue: by Lam Seng Fatt:

... I fitted Michael Lim's end-stub and underslung counterweight to the RB300 tonearm of my Rega Planar 3 and the change in sound was immediately discernible - the bass went deeper and became more powerful, the sound opened up and became more transparent and there was greater clarity overall....

Read more : Review in hi-fi avenue :

I replaced the plastic end-stub and counterweight with Michael Lim’s steel end-stub and underslung counterweight. There was a dramatic difference - the low bass went deeper with more definition and the mid and upper-bass filled up to give the music lots more body and richness while retaining the RB250’s inherent transparency.

Yul (with P5) has commented:

....I then bought from Michael the underslung counterweight and the sound further improved with an extended range. The bass improved drastically.....

Chris Tasker (with P5) of Canada commented:

....I also installed the counterweight extension you sent. Perfect - it nicely brings up the capability to balance the DL103R I have in aluminium headshell...

Tuck1977 commented in Steve Hoffman Music Forums :

... I probably noticed the biggest difference with a lower hung counterweight then maybe the double pulley upgrade from mr Lim....

Farid (with Planar 2) of Malaysia commented:

MLim, I have tested my Planar with your tweaks. What can I say is, WOW! Everything's seem clearer, smoother, faster & tighter. Looking forward for my next upgrade. Those epos speakers complete the combo. Thank you

Joe (on RB300) of Chicago commented:

Under-slung counterweight added to my RB 300 tonearm. I was amazed at how much this mod alone improved the resolution of my Ortofon 2M Blue, increasing dynamics, low end heft and adding a much more refined top end, even before adding the additional mods.

Daniel Lee (Plywood plinth Planar 3) of Kuala Lumpur commented:

The under-slung counterweight was damn good, a lot of improvement, bass was just fantastic ... Thanks!

Jepson Teoh of Klang (Michell Tecnodec TT with RB250) commented:

Spent the afternoon listening to various records. I adjusted the vtf by ear and feel. First off, better definition across the board. Images more solid. There's even slam! Well done bro.

Roger Clarke of Barbados with upgraded Rega Planar 3 commented:

I couldn't believe the sound when I first tried the underslung weight. I just sat up in disbelief. I think that upgrade was even more effective than anything else I had tried up to that point.....     Regards

Richard of  Canberra with upgraded Rega Planar 3 commented:

To sum up I have installed a number of mods to my Planar 3 but this one takes top spot for the most dramatic improvement. Since then I have enjoyed many LPs including some ones I am very familiar with that seem to be remixed such is the difference. I love the fine adjustment screw which made it easy to adjust the cartridge to the correct VTF

Tony of Cumbria, United Kingdom with his upgraded Rega RP3 commented:

I did install counterweight in my Rega RP3 and it worked a treat thanks.                                              Tony

Robert Lopez of California commented on his Planar 2 with sub-platter and counter weight upgrades:

Now that my TT is set up properly and my records have been deep cleaned, the listening experience has moved to another level. Sound staging seems deeper and I'm hearing more detail. It's amazing to hear how much music are in those grooves! Thanks Michael for your great work. 

Cejatan of Queensland commented on Counter weight upgrades on his RP6:

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.

Jimmy Ng of Klang commented on Counter weight upgrade on his Mitchell Gyrodec with RB300 tonearm:

Notice a big improvement to the sound. Sound became more refine from top to bottom frequency. Separation of the instruments was marvelous. Thank you. Jimmy

Eddy Lim of Singapore commented on Counter weight upgrade on his RP6:

Hi Michael, 
Finally got the under slung weight hooked up after so many months with good results especially on the bass. 
Regards 
Eddy

Yann Richard of Reims, France, commented on Counter Weight upgrade on his RP3:

Hello Michael 
Your counterweight is a great improvement! All is cleaner and base is now controlled! 
Many thanks for your work. I think I'll go back to you for other purchase... 
Kind Regards!

Wes of Calgary commented on his upgrade Rega TT :

I Received the Counterweight in the mail today and the first thing I did was rushed upstairs to put a reference lp on to listen to what I have now , and then I put your counterweight to hear the difference. Since I basically have minimal noise floor, and no kind of electro-magnetic interference from anything , the sound was great before, but after I put the Counterweight on, The sound became greater. Everything evened out along the entire spectrum. The heights are high, the midrange is perfect, and the base was picked up a little more. It is true that what you don't have, you don't really know what you are missing; the muddy sound that I first listened to in the beginning before all the mods were performed are gone. On thing that I noticed most of all, was the bass became more vibrant, tight, and clear.                                           Wes Anderson

Dirk Steermann of Germany, commented on Counter Weight upgrade on his RP3:

Hi Michael,  I am so happy with ordering the counterweight as well.The technical building of this part is quite unbelievable! Michael, I love it! So I also ordered a new electronic stylus gauge. When it arrives, I will install the counterweight first....  Your underslung counterweight now runs about a year on my RP3 with a Ortofon 2M Black+Dr. Fuss-PSU. It's only a pleasure : colourful midrange, deep soundstage, punch und a powerful bass-performance. Every vinyl I haven't heard with this set-up before, it's a surprise!!! Amazing!. Thank you so much!  Best regards!  Dirk

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Acrylic isolation platform with metal spikes

(Model AP20m - USD130.00)

(448mm x 360mm x 20mm, approximately 4kg)

As all the turntables are subjected to interference from the environment, isolation platforms are necessary for unsprung (e.g. Rega P3) as well as sprung (e.g. Thorens TD309) turntables. This is the surest and easiest way to upgrade the sound of the turntables. In addition it is relatively inexpensive : from one hundred to several hundreds US dollars, depending on the makes.

Pictures below are various views of the transparent pure acrylic isolation platform (model AP20m), measuring 448mm x 360mm x 20mm, weighing approximately 4kg, with three brass isolation points which are adjustable in height (also use as leveling base).

This acrylic isolation /leveling base is suitable for all Rega turntables ( Rega P1, P2, P3, P3-24, P5, P7, P9, P25, Planar 2, Planar 3) and CD players, it could be used for any other model of turntables as long as the dimensions can fit.

*It is also suitable for Rega new models ( RP1, RP3, RP6 and RP8 TT's). 

Yul's comments on isolation platform:

" The P5 benefits greatly from the isolation platform. The sound "opens" up with greater separation and imaging in the wider soundstage. It, too, is a 'must buy'....".

Joe Crawford's comment on new acrylic isolation platform for Clearaudio Emotion Turntable:

Received  the platform assembled same and leveled it. Leveled the tt. Result improved bass, midrange and high end plus the sound stage seems bigger. Very impressed by the result and by the quality of the product. Many thanks Michael. Are there any other of your products you would recommend for my turntable

Hi-Fi Avenue - : interesting way of using isolation platform together with Hot/Cold packs

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