Rega P3 advise sought

[StanleyB]

No sure where to stick this, ADMIN feel free to move it.

I git a weird offer today. Someone with two pieces of Rega P3 fitted with the RB200 or 250 arms is asking to exchange them for two of my TC-7510 DACs. Is this a good deal, and what do I do with a pair of Rega P3's????

Stan

[Acorn3a]

Rega3 with rb300 arm sells for about £150.so imho i would say 2 of your dacs would be worth more than the 2 rega2's........I,ve been looking round ebay etc and i suppose really you would not lose anything.

[StanleyB]

Is the P3 that cheap?

[Ali Tait]

Tell him your new dac is very sought-after (I'm sure it will be!) and offer one dac(with maybe the new power supply) for both TT's.Sell both on ebay and you're quids in!

[Acorn3a]

Is the P3 that cheap?

Round about that price second hand.

[Colin]

The P3 with a RB 250 is not a P3, the RB 250 was fitted to the P2, and prior to that the Planner 2. The 3 with the RB 200 will a be planar 3, not a P3. The difference is not me being pedantic. BUT it could be 15 - 18 years or more old. I think the RB 200 was dropped in favour of the RB300 in 83 or 84..

[StanleyB]

That is some useful info Colin. So let me get is straight:
The P3 comes with the RB200 if it is prior to about '83, and after that it came with the RB300? Am I correct in my understanding?

Stan

[DSJR]

The Planar 2 and 3 came with R200 arms until October 1983, after which they had the RB250 (Planar 2) and RB300 (Planar 3) fitted.

The old R200 used in the Planar 3 had some black tubing in the rear out-rigger onto which the weight was pushed as hard as it would go in an attempt to damp it. These days, the wiring of these arms suffers and more terminally, the bias control linkage (in the form of a small toothed belt) snaps and spares are not available as far as I know. if you get a good one though, it's a more "flowing" musical performer than the sometimes tight a*sed sounding RB250/300 arms.

Old Regas shouldn't cost more than a ton or so, as they're so old and being reliable, the main bearing may be running dry with dried up sludge for lubrication. Main bearing wear is rapid without a drop or three of EP80 to lubricate it (I've seen the consequences).