Turntable Reviews

Job one is to spin the platter at the correct speed so I’m always amazed by how many turntable reviews don’t bother to check and report speed accuracy on non-speed adjustable ‘tables.

Every Rega turntable I’ve reviewed has run slightly fast. Mr. Freeman told me that Rega specs their ‘tables to run within a quarter of a percent (0.0025) of exact speed, preferring any error to be on the fast side of exact, which makes sense. Our brains better tolerate slightly fast than slightly slow.

First I used the Clearaudio 300Hz strobe disc and light and clearly the RP8 was running fast at both 33 1/3 and 45rpm. But how fast? I used the Feickert Platterspeed iPhone app in conjunction with their 7” Adjust + test record’s 3150Hz tone and then double checked using the 3150Hz tone on Analogue Productions’ “The Ultimate Analogue Test LP”.

The iPhone app confirmed two things: firstly that the ‘table’s speed consistency was excellent. Low pass filtered (to remove record eccentricity contributions) it was a perfectly symmetrical ± 0.02%.

The graph looked as good as the numbers, but the mean frequency was 3175Hz for the 3150Hz test signal and while recording the tone, the meter never crossed into the program’s correct speed (±.2%) green zone. 3175 Hz is eight tenths of a percent fast (0.008). At .0025 the 3150Hz tone would have been approximately 3158Hz.

So yes, this RP8 sample ran faster than factory spec, at least proving I wasn’t sent a “gone over” reviewer sample. I asked Freeman if there was a way to adjust the speed. He said I could loosen the screws holding the motor to the plinth and adjust the O-ring tension.

Lessening the tension did lower the speed somewhat but the speed consistency went completely to hell so my suggestion would be to not mess with this if you buy an RP8 and it runs faster than spec. My suggestion would be to return it or perhaps to first request a new set of O-rings to see if that solves the problem.

A turntable, particularly one costing $3000, should run at the correct speed ± a reasonable deviation of, as Phil Freeman suggests, ±0025!

Two other observations: the plinth is lively as one might expect from a lightweight, rigid frame. Tap on it while a record plays and the impulse is transmitted seemingly unimpeded through to the speakers but tap on the shelf holding the ‘table (in this case a Harmonic Resolution Systems base) and there’s nearly full attenuation. Do place the RP8 on a well-engineered shelf!

A stethoscope on the plinth with the motor running revealed a significant high frequency motor hum. Put the stethoscope on the “stress beam”’s Magnesium top plate and again, nearly complete motor noise attenuation.

One last observation before the sonic assessment: leave the dust attracting, static electricity producing and discharging, clingy felt mat in the box! If you don’t, be sure to always mute your preamp before attempting to remove records from the platter, or your system will be rocked by seismic static electricity sonic discharges that can cause serious damage—I experienced this in the usually low static summertime. Dry winter can only be worse.

If you use insist on using the mat and leave the platter spinning during your listening session as Rega suggests, you risk losing your cantilever to the clingy mat as it can (and will) partially cling to the record and as you lift it from the rotating platter, spin its way towards the stylus. You’ve been warned.

Best Sounding Rega Turntable Ever?

Leaving aside one review sample’s speed issue (that I trust does not afflict them all) and the felt mat (I substituted the thinner Boston Audio graphite mat), the RP8 more than lived up to high expectations, with or without the dust cover holding outer frame (I ran the RP8 almost exclusively without it).

This ‘table sounded as if it didn’t store or waste any of the considerable energy produced at the stylus/groove interface, dumped into the soon to be reviewed $21,000 Thrax phono preamp, which has prodigious bass reproducing abilities. Had low frequency slop entered, it would have pour forth alarmingly.

The bass this ‘table transmitted was taut, exceedingly clean, very well-extended, powerful and masterfully articulated. Try the recent double 45rpm reissue of Ray Brown’s “Soular Energy” for instance, recently reissued by Analogue Productions as a double 45rpm 200g set (AAPJ 268).

This is record reissue perfection—emphasis on “energy”—the trio arrangements are all about it. Brown’s bass is prodigious, Gene Harris’s closely-miked piano explosive, and Gerryck King’s drums sparkle, pop and shimmer.

When Brown digs for the deepest notes, you don’t get the woody fullness my big rig delivers, but the pluck’s power and sensational articulation make a case for the RP8’s rendering. The same was true of Harris’s piano. Less woody sounding board but the transient clarity more than makes up for that and there was sufficient harmonic and textural follow through to produce a sufficiently rich, full piano sound that never sounded metallic, “tinkly” or incomplete.

The trio emerged from absolute blackness, thanks to both the stunningly quiet pressing and the RP8’s ability to suppress what little residual groove noise there was and its ability to unleash fierce amounts of fully gripped perfectly timed, pulsating energy.

Omnivore’s superb reissue of Jellyfish’s 1993 classic “Spilt Milk” (OVLP-6) mastered by John Golden from the original analog master tape contains very busy, densely packed musical and vocal arrangements and while here the big rig better sorted it all out, the RP8 never sounded strained or confused.

The album is a witty brew of Brian Wilson, Beach Boys harmonies, Andy Partridge and XTC’s exuberance; throw in some Queen-style harmonic exclamations and maybe melodic twists courtesy Difford-Tillbrook.

Rhino’s superb reissue of Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” expertly remastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering can sound a bit bright and metallic on lesser turntables fitted with middling cartridges, but the RP8 running either the recently updated Transfiguration Phoenix or a now “vintage” Lyra Helikon SL avoided vocal smear, grit and/or sibilant imprecision. Image solidity and three-dimensionality were the best I’ve heard from a Rega other than from the P9.

Dynamics both micro and macro were well expressed, particularly for a turntable/arm combo at this price point. The background pitch-blackness was also well beyond what one expects at this price point. The big Wilson XLFs were fully engaged.

Every play of every familiar LP emphasized the ‘table’s remarkable rhythm’n’pacing, its expressive dynamic abilities and its precise instrumental attack against a dead black backdrop. This turntable’s overall detail resolution, but particularly of the low level, reverberant variety and its handling of instrumental decay was exceptional regardless of price.

Most significant was the consistent integration of all of the elements that join forces to produce a great vinyl playback experience. The RP8 speaks with but one voice and that proved true using a variety of cartridges (read Art Dudley’s Apheta review here).

Still, for those who like “thick and rich”—and there are those— they may find the RP8 somewhat harmonically (forgive me) skeletal. For those folks, a warm cartridge might do the trick, but in my opinion that’s like removing the low profile Pirelli P Zero Neros from your Porsche and substituting some all-season “soft rides”.

If you are a Metallica fan, you have to hear the 45rpm edition of “Metallica” on this ‘table! Not that there was anything wrong with how it decoded a recent IMPEX reissue of an old RCA mono Heifetz album of Beethoven violin Sonatas Nos. 8 and 10 (LM-1914). The RP8 floated a solid, stable, supple and pleasingly silky image between the speakers, reproducing a fine rendering of the recording space as well as of Emanuel Bay’s piano, well in the background, microdynamics and harmonics intact.

Despite a few speed bumps along the way, and despite the arm’s lack of azimuth and VTA/SRA adjustability, Rega’s new $2995 RP8 turntable/RB808 arm combo is the most exciting and truly revolutionary turntable to be introduced in quite some time. It’s one I know I will strongly recommend to those looking for a high quality vinyl introduction, particularly as a “plug and play” for $3995 fitted with the Apheta MC cartridge. It will blow their digital minds.