Rega RB250, how good or bad are they?

[Mr Kipling]

What'snot?

Maybe better known as "Bogies" or "Dingle Hoppers".

[struth]

I don't quite understand why they get such a hammering at times. The original price for an RB300 was £88 if I remember rightly. For that sort of money and the engineering involved, what do you want? Not too sure what they go for now.

The first Rega turntables built during the 70's carried a Rega designed Japanese built 'S' shaped tonearm called the R200. By 1983 the time had come for Rega to design and build its own tonearm and so the world famous RB300 (Rega Britain) was born. The high pressure die-cast silicon alloy tube alone took two years to develop alongside the UK's largest die-cast company. The work and our casting subsequently won us an "international casting award" from America for what is still considered today to be a technically impossible casting. See if you can find one the same! Since its conception we have sold over 400,000 of the now legendary RB300 derived tonearm. The rb303 is currently £350 which is great value for a new arm.

[prestonchipfryer]

Flimsy cartridge connectors and the whole wirinbg loom cold be a loot beter.

[Gordon Steadman]

Flimsy cartridge connectors and the whole wirinbg loom cold be a loot beter.

The OL mods took care of that - for a wee sum of extra money of course

[walpurgis]

I tried to get on with the Rega arms and there's nothing wrong with them. But each time I went back to using my Mission 774, I breathed a sigh of relief, it was just so much better.

[dantheman91]

Works for me

[mimoser]

An RB250 with 5-pin connector came with my TT2. As the bearing was knackered I had it serviced and rewired. The glued-in plastic stub was removed.
What I changed and what it did:
- steel stub, tungsten weight: cleared up sound, lighter, so moves backward, might get tricky with heavy carts (higher effective mass?)
- Espressimo Heavyweight: more crisp bass, better definition, heavier, so moves forward (lower effective mass?)
- Mitchell VTA riser and finger nut: simple convenience

I had an RB251 with similar ingredients on an LP12 for an A-B comparison, so changes did not have to be remembered, but could be heard.
Rega original wiring is not half as bad as its said to be …

I kept the RB250 as it came with a Heybrook sticker which fits the TT2, but could have also kept the RB251.
A new 251 or similar with preloved steel stub and dropped counterweight should cost around GBP 200,– which ain’t a lot. If you don’t like what it does, you might lose GBP 50,– when selling.
hth
Michael

[Oldpinkman]

I tried to get on with the Rega arms and there's nothing wrong with them. But each time I went back to using my Mission 774, I breathed a sigh of relief, it was just so much better.

The 774 is several classes above the 250 and that has nothing to do with wiring. The 250 was decent enough value for money, but definitely an "entry level" arm. It's not hard to do much better (at a price)

[dowser]

I ran a rewired, re-end stubbed & bearing fiddled 250 on my LP12 successfully for a number of years - great arm. Only changed when I finally tracked down a 774, which (as above) is in a different class altogether

[awkwardbydesign]

The RB250 and RB300 are OK on the right turntable, I've had a few.

I had one on a Techie and found it awkward though, the armlifter sits too low for my liking with that TT due to the relatively shallow platter.

Depends on the TT and cartridge, I guess. I tried one (RB250?) on a Gyrodeck with an ATOC9 and it was horrid. The 774 worked, though.