Originally Posted by
Svend N
Hi Rick,
If you do end up installing any mods or upgrades to your Planar 3, please do post back here with what you did and how they worked out. I am interested in this, as I recently bought an original Planar 3 to use in our second system, and have been researching possible mods for the old thing. Much of what is out there is made to sound very tempting, with marketing jargon like "Stunning improvement!", "Night and day difference!", "Elevates to the next level!". It seems that some users who have bought these, and spent near the equivalent of a whole new deck, naturally report that improvements were clearly audible and worth every nickel, whereas others with more critical ears are not so keen.
That said, it's hard to sort out fact from fantasy, but what I have gleaned from all my reading is that turntable isolation is key with these Regas (i.e. wall shelf, solid platform, sand box, etc.). Other than that, given that you have a new model with quiet motor and PSU, I would guess that the remaining aftermarket mods would have little to no effect on your deck. My old one is different, and I am looking into making the motor quieter, and maybe a better belt...but that's about it.
Platter mats do make an audible difference on some decks, of that I am certain, having tried a few on my Heybrook. But what effect the different mats would have on a Rega P3 platter I can't say. Worth experimenting with, and some are very inexpensive DIY options (cork, leather), some more costly (Funk Achromat, etc.). I'm liking cork on my Heybrook, but that's an aluminum platter. Inexpensive little upgrade, this, but well worth doing.
Your P3, and mine too, would undoubtedly get FAR greater benefit from spending money on a good cartridge (properly set up!) and phono stage. Perhaps I missed it, but what cartridge do you have? And what phono stage? What about the rest of your system? Is it revealing enough that you would actually hear subtle changes?
Interesting subject, and I look forward to hearing how you proceed, if at all.
Cheers,
Svend