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Thread: RB330 / Planar 3 (2016) upgrades?

  1. #11
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    I've tried six different c/weights (IIRC) and none of them improved on the standard offering. Three of those were appallingly poorly turned and were an eyesore.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Aug 2008

    Location: Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 1,473
    I'm Paul.

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    A very cheap and easy thing you coulld try...

    Buy a car sponge and cut a long square section about 5mm x 5mm x 120mm. VERY GENTLY push it down inside the armtube with something like a wooden kabab stick.

    Its just a nice cheap way of dampening the arm tube.
    ~Paul~

  3. #13
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

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    The RB300 used to come with a tungsten counterweight in its early days and I believe the heavier version is still available - at a price ;( Many cartridges are massy things and one of these heavier weights used to help no end I remember...
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  4. #14
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Primalsea View Post
    A very cheap and easy thing you coulld try...

    Buy a car sponge and cut a long square section about 5mm x 5mm x 120mm. VERY GENTLY push it down inside the armtube with something like a wooden kabab stick.

    Its just a nice cheap way of dampening the arm tube.
    Not possible. There is a bung in the end of the tube to prevent the internal wires from pulling out and adds a bit of damping to the tube.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Nov 2017

    Location: exited

    Posts: 27
    I'm off.

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    Thanks all.

  6. #16
    Join Date: Oct 2017

    Location: Ontario, Canada

    Posts: 791
    I'm Svend.

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    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

  7. #17
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    Svend, with your older 3, a Rega motor upgrade kit, Rega power supply and a white belt will improve the performance but forget the other 'tweaky' bits which won't make a scrap of difference and could even make it worse.

  8. #18
    Join Date: Oct 2017

    Location: Ontario, Canada

    Posts: 791
    I'm Svend.

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    Hi Dave,

    Agreed on the tweaky bits. After doing a LOT of reading on this subject, I came to the conclusion that almost all the tweaks didn't necessarily "improve" the sound...just made it different. Enough reasonable, sensible voices out there said the same and that convinced me to save my money and spend it on a good cartridge. The motor on the old P3 is another thing, and I've not decided on that as yet. Michael Lim makes a below-board motor mount (US$100) that separates the motor from the plinth, and since I will be building a solid support for the deck anyway upon which the motor can comfortably sit, this seems like a reasonable solution. I have checked out pricing for the Rega motor upgrade and PSU -- quite costly here, as is almost everything from the UK these days, for some reason (e.g. Goldring cartridges are crazy-expensive here...C$800 for a 1042?! No thanks...). But I digress.... You are quite right, the motor needs attention -- I will check further into the Lim mount, and if that doesn't suit, then at least the Rega motor (sans PSU) would be the logical solution.

    Thanks for the insight.

    Best,
    Svend

  9. #19
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex

    Posts: 7,087
    I'm Dave.

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    A Rega motor upgrade kit is £108 without VAT here and I would suggest that is your best option as there are no issues with movement between motor and platter hub.

  10. #20
    Join Date: Oct 2017

    Location: Ontario, Canada

    Posts: 791
    I'm Svend.

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    Thanks Dave...sending PM now...

    PS -- the kit costs C$300 here (~170GBP)

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