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View Full Version : Slowly building a system. Upgrades?


Marc1t
04-04-2018, 08:47
Currently my system consists of .......

Rega RP2 TT
Dennon DRA-325 Amp/receiver, I think the amp is 45W/channel TNT’s 8 ohm.
Dennon DCD-660 CD player
Mourdent Short Aviano 6 floor standing speakers.

I also have a Nad 3130 amp unused at the moment.

As most of us on here I’m sure, I’m constantly thinking of upgrading. I’m quite new to owning a hi fi & most of this equipment came to me by way of my late father so not sure what’s out there apart from the TT which is a recent purchase so probably a bit of a mismatch. Though it works. & cost me nothing:) except for the TT obviously.

In hinsight possibly I should have gone for a better Rega TT as the power adaptor looks cheap & buzzes not through the speakers just the plug, & the phono leads look a little cheap aswell, all I could afford at the time.
I want to upgrade the cartridge & was thinking of a Rega Elys2, would this be a markedly improved upgrade or could I do better?

Also in time I would like to upgrade the amp, as allways improved sound quality is the goal rather than pure power possibly a pre/power amp combo. Can anybody recommend a decent amp to go with what I have. probably looking at 2nd hand as I don’t have an endless budget looking to spend up to about £500 for the right gear.

Any other upgrades/ improvements worth considering?
Many thanks for your input
Marc.
chris@panteg
04-04-2018, 09:03
Well I would say yes upgrade the cartridge and the natural amplifier to go for would be perhaps the Rega Brio, try and get a listen to one.

Should be able to get one second hand if you like it and save a few quid.
hifi_dave
04-04-2018, 09:05
I would agree with the above.

If you want a Brio, I do have lightly used ex-demo from time to time.
MarginWalker
04-04-2018, 17:06
You could do a lot worse than going for a complete Rega system - I have seen RS3 speakers go for about £250 so you may be able to get a pair of them and an old style Brio R for around your £500 budget. There are certainly better speakers and amps out there but the Rega kit does have great synergy
Scooby
04-04-2018, 17:16
I would agree, although I don't care for Rega cartridges. Far better out there I'd say.
Marc1t
05-04-2018, 08:57
I would agree, although I don't care for Rega cartridges. Far better out there I'd say.

What would you recommend for similar price to the Elys2?
Marc1t
05-04-2018, 09:08
While we are on the subject of Rega TT upgrades another question".....

Iv seen a few adds & eBay listings for replacement sub platters for Rega turntables. You know aluminium & steel ones reclaimed from spaceship parts, to the tolerance of a few microns or so it’s claimed����.

Do these really work in improving sound? I must admit the plastic one I have doesn’t look that great? Is it worth it?
hifi_dave
05-04-2018, 10:03
Don't go there. I have seen, used and removed many after market Rega 'upgrades' over the years. Some make no difference at all, some make things worse and some are very poorly made. Rather than spend money on these, I would recommend you save up for a Rega further up the chain, where the improvements are tangible.
walpurgis
05-04-2018, 10:16
Don't go there. I have seen, used and removed many after market Rega 'upgrades' over the years. Some make no difference at all, some make things worse and some are very poorly made. Rather than spend money on these, I would recommend you save up for a Rega further up the chain, where the improvements are tangible.

I'm inclined to agree.

If you buy a Rega, It'll do a good job at its price, but in my opinion, 'upgrading' is just throwing money at it that could be better used towards another turntable.
Lurch
05-04-2018, 17:29
What would you recommend for similar price to the Elys2?

I would say either an Ortofon 2M Blue, as there is a natural upgrade path by changing stylus head colours, or something from Audio Technica within your price range. The Goldring 1000 series also offers a similar upgrade path.
Svend N
05-04-2018, 17:50
I would say either an Ortofon 2M Blue, as there is a natural upgrade path by changing stylus head colours, or something from Audio Technica within your price range. The Goldring 1000 series also offers a similar upgrade path.

+1 Agree with this, but it depends on the arm on your Rega. Assuming it's a later model RB arm, and not the original S-shaped R-200, then I would like to recommend a Goldring 1000 series. I had an RB-300 arm on my TT and tried an Ortofon 2M Bronze (a model up from the Blue) and it sounded very nice but nothing special. Then put a Goldring 1022 on it and it really came alive - big improvement in dynamics, tonal range, soundstage, depth and fullness. It's a great match for the RB-series arms. The 1022 sounds esp. good for jazz and rock. Very punchy.

OTOH, the 2M Bronze sounded much better on the older R-200 S-shaped arm than it did on the RB-300. Very nice cartridge, but fussy over what it's mounted on, it seems.

Good luck.

Svend
Scooby
05-04-2018, 18:24
I would've said Goldring 1000 series as well. No love for the Ortofons myself.
MikeMusic
07-04-2018, 13:23
I usually advise to start with the mains.

If you don't have one already, are truly confident swap your existing switched socket with an unswitched one.
Assuming that works well as I think it will you could put in a second to cover all 3 bits of kit.