Rega bearing hub - bronze or ceramic?

[Wrackandruin]

Hi all,

Having realised the benefits of a bearing upgrade for my Technics, I'm now looking at doing the same for my old Rega Planar 3.

I just can't decide on whether to opt for the bronze or ceramic peek versions.

I was hoping some members could let me know if they'd done a similar upgrade?

(Please note that I'm not referring to the spherical ball but the actual bearing hub the bearing sits in.)

Cheers,

Al

[hifi_dave]

Don't spend too much on modifications because they are not always improvements. Best to upgrade the turntable to a new Planar-3.

[Audio Al]

I used a ceramic bearing and a better belt , its ok but no hi end TT

[DSJR]

My P3 'Mule-deck' came with a ceramic ball 'upgrade.' All it does is increase wear in the main bearing spindle and that's not a good idea - it was smaller diameter too... Fortunately, I replaced with the original steel ball of the right diameter (4mm I seem to remember) and after some hours running, the main bearing 'dimple' looked more like a proper Rega bearing should (don't forget the EP80 oil in the bottom which should be a good few drops but not too much or flooding will result).

Rega decks have VERY quiet and incredibly smooth running main bearings if correctly serviced and lubricated, as ime, all but ALL of the rumble and added noise is really from the motor and if you really must do an upgrade, get the 24V motor with external supply, as the speed voltages can be trimmed for quietest performance (not fine tuning the speeds incidentally).