Sound, ease of set-up, looks, build quality

dust cover

This is one sensational turntable! I considered buying a Planar 3 but the 25's upgraded tonearm and wiring convinced me to splurge on the 25. Although the rest of my equipment is not up to the quality of the Rega 25 (I'm presently using an Ortofon X5-MC cartridge, a Yamaha RX-595 receiver, Phase Technology 7T speakers, and a Nakamichi MB-3s CD changer), it still sounds absolutely amazing. I can only imagine what it would sound like coming through some really great equipment. The improvement from my old B&O is really unbelievable!

One very minor gripe is with the dust cover (which a true audiophile wouldn't use, anyway!). A couple of times when I tried to lift it using one hand on the left side, it actually came off the turntable. This problem can be avoided by using both hands to lift it, one on either side.

If you love LP's, you owe it to yourself to check out this turntable. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Similar Products Used:

Bang & Olufsen TX-2

BUILD QUALITY, LOOKS, NICE TONEARM

REGA EXACT CARTRIDGE LEAVES A LOT TO BE DESIRED

I really like this table. It sounds good, full bodied
and instrument seperation is excellent.
But I have to say the Rega Exact cartridge
that came with it sucks!.
This cartridge is so lifeless & dull, it's a pity.
For $600.00, I can think of a lot better.
This cartridge has almost no transparency,
my $120 Benz MC-20 was better.
The only thing this cartridge can do is track well.
My 15 year old Audioquest AQ-404 Moving coil, IMO,
BLOWS IT AWAY. I wish thet still made it.

Similar Products Used:

SONOGRAPH SG-3, AUDIOQUEST AQ-404, BENZ-MC-20

Everything. This is one very nice sounding and operating turntable/arm combination. The only thing I don't like is that it, like all high-end turntables, is manual. Pain-in-the-ass to get up every 15-30 minutes to flip over the vinyl. While it is the best sounding media available for listening, it is also the least user friendly. That's why I have a CD changer and tuner. But, the sound from this combination (I purchased with the RB900 arm and use the Grado Sonata and Shure V15MxR cartridges). Wonderful, smooth and extended sounds. Occasionaly get a bit of hum from the motor when listening to the Grado, but is not bad. I did have to add the spacer under the arm to level out same with the Grado. The importer offers terrific support, once you find them. Extremely high grade unit and looks as good as it sounds. I have mine set on 80 lb. of marble.

As with all manual turntables (read high-end) is a pain-in-the-ass to have to get up to turn over the vinyl. Not the turntables fault. I just like to complain.

Terrific turntable with the RB900 arm. Can't say it isn't the same with the RB600 or RB300, but I got the RB900. Works very well with the two cartridges I use. The Grado Sonata and latest Shure V15. Both sound just great. Nice tight bass and extended highs. Very smooth. Can't beat that good vinyl sound and the fact that more and more good albums are available new is an added bonus. I listened to this through a Threshold FET ten/pc phono stage for about a year (same with all my other turntables from '87 when I got the Threshold) and then bought a preamp with a phono stage. I A/B'd them for about six months before I decided to sell the Threshold, as it had become redundant. Have used several other high-end preamps with phono stages and none were as good as the Threshold, until now. Great turntable/arm combination. My highest recommendation. My other gear:
Sony TA-E90ES preamp
Sony TA-N77ES amp (200 wpc)
California Audio Labs CL-10 CD changer
Sony ST-S444ESII tuner
Nakimichi 202SX casstte
Magnepan 3.6R speakers

Similar Products Used:

Sony PS-X7 - a truely wonderful 1970's table that is no longer supported so I could not get parts for repairs. Too bad, as it was great.
Thorens TD-190 - a piece of junk I would not recommend to my worst enemy. No one can dislike vinyl enough to use this.
Thoens TC125 Mk III w/Thorens arm - a real class act that makes one wonder how they ever made the TD-190.
Luxman PD164 (I think I remember the numbers correctly) - a nice semi-auto turntable. Not high-end, but very serviceable and nice sounding.
Rega 3 - thought enough of it to move on up to the 25 with the RB900 arm.

Super nice unit, good quality and price.

Made me spend thousands to upgrade my system to catch up!

I have had My Rega 25 for about a month now. I have experience recording and doing sound reinforcement for bluegrass bands and I play acoustic guitar & bass. I think I have a pretty good ear and I'm used to listening critically to all the parts of music and how they fit and balance. I've recorded and mixed a couple CDs for local bands including my nephew's high school Jazz Ensemble .

I recently had occasion to listen to a state of the art ($100,000?) Hi-Fi system of a friend. I didn't know that kind of sound was out there! I was blown away by the 45 rpm Louis Armstrong singing "St. James Infirmary". Loui was sitting right in front of me, big as life! "You could hear the spit" as they say. Incredible! My friend played a few of his show off LPs with CD's in between. I was amazed how richer and fuller the LP's were. The CD's were much more distant and "colder".

I went out and bought the Rega 25 the next day and hit the record store that afternoon. I bought the Clearaudio Beta (not the S regretfully as I didn't know). The package has amazing tone texture and warmth. CD's just can't compare. The problem was the rest of my system. The studio monitors and an old pair of large JBL's couldn't do the Rega justice. I now have an AR SP16 pre, my old solid state studio amp(similar to Haffler), transparent musicwave bi-wire speaker cables, NBS Stingher III interconnects and PMC FB1 floor standers(an amazing speaker with wonderful range and detail).
I'm still fiddling and upgrading things. Running the "Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-In Record" really opened things up. The high end is clear, precise and creamy. The Bass is so rich, tight and deep! [All with only a 6.5 inch speaker and a transmission line that works!].

I absolutely love the Rega 25, LP's and Hi-FI! It's a whole new world for me and very satisfying to finally hear ALL the music. Each instrument genuine, real and in position on the stage. Just like the real stuff, only better actually.

I'm debating going next to a Benz Micro Glider 2 high output or the MC H2 (my pre only goes down to 1MV). Anyone have experience or input?

Similar Products Used:

"Record players". Gave up on records in the 70's. Took up CDs when they came out with a decent home "consumer" system with JBL 500's. Also had some pro audio gear: Event 20/20 studio monitors, Alesis Matica 900 "studio quality" Amp, Macki 1604 VLZ mixing board, Tascam digital recording equip, some Neuman and other mics, etc. Recently upgraded family room to Sony ES with Spendor 1/2s and SC3 center.

Absolutely musical - none fussy It's amazing what kind of sound there is here

No VTA adjustments...ground wire is a absolute need with my Grado Sonata.

The turntable is a super best buy. To get the most from it, I put it on Pon-Tunes (the best resonance control things I've ever heard) - VERY MAJOR difference for the better. I then installed a Heavyweight (Expressimo Audio) which made another huge difference for very little money. I then got a thing that Expressimo sells for cheap that permits VTA adjustment which cleaned up the sound a LOT. Fineally, Expressimo also makes a lifter which lifts the arm at the end of the record for great convenience. I've had a Linn, Sota and other high priced stuff...let me tell you that the sound I get from my li'l old Rega trounces both of these.

Similar Products Used:

Linn Sondek Sota/SME

easy use without a lot of tweaking, reliable, good dynamics and range

none

This is my replacement for an old Pioneer tt circa 1984; I had forgotten how good vinyl can be until I got back into analog with this tt and a Benz Glider cartridge. I don't think this is bright or sharp, at least with my setup.

Associated equipment: Plinius SA 100mk III, Plinius M16 with phono board, Hales Rev 3's, Rega Planet, Nakamichi BX 300, Tributaries and Vampire cables/IC's, and Power Foundation 2.

Similar Products Used:

old Pioneer tt, Rega P3

If you are a Rega fan, this is a must audition. Appearance is a cross between the Planar 3 and Planar 9. The table looks like the 9 without the power supply. It has a glass platter like the 3. There is a frame around the mdf base that is cut inward at the bottem, with three rods connecting the 1/8" space to the inner base plate, like the Planar 9. The new RB-600 arm looks like an RB-900 arm of the Planar 9, accept the mounting base is like the RB-300. It has the silver finish and very heavy cable of the RB-900. I had the new Clearaudio Aurum-beta mm cart. installed, which brings up the only cavet with the Rega, -no VTA adjustment, which is a must for the Clearaudio, so I will have to put in spacers to get the raise and lowering lever to work. I am using this turntable on my secondary system which consists of the AudioTechnica PH-1 phono-preamp, VTL Maxline pre-amp, Luxman 64 tube amp on Spendor SP-100 speakers. My first impressions: "HOW SWEET IT IS". The Clearaudio is about the best mm. cart. I have heard, sweeter then the Rega Exact I have in my primary system, and conferm the comments made in Dec., l998 issue of "Absolute Sound". As for the over-all star rating: I will give the five star rating to the mucho-multi-buck turntable systems, maybe five stars for this price range, but, four stars overall.

This is an addidum to my previously posted review. I did discover an adjustment that can be made on the support platform of the arm. There is a very small screw, approached with a very small allen-wrench, inwhich you can raise this platform on it's vertical rod enough for the Clearaudio cart. to clear the record enough so the the raising and lowering lever will work. This discovery has enhanced my appreciation of the Rega more. I believe the Clearaudio mm. cart. to be clearer, and more detailed then the Rega Exact cart., with a replaceable styles even. Also, pricewise, it is a better value. I still am not sure this system is up to my used Roksan Xereses with RB-900 arm and Exact cart. though. There are no 4 1/4 stars, so I'll give it 4.

no nonsense solid & high presicion design
perfect build & exclusive look's

At the end of the millenium, I just wanted to make a step forward. Since one of my kids is playing the violin, I become more and more into classic music. So I found out that there was a lot of second-hand vinyl to take home. Thes classic music records where all in a good shpe, the original owners were mostly older people, and they were good housefathers... At that moment I had my 20 year old MicroSeiki DD35 with teh original Stanton 681eee. these player is ok, but i thought let get a replacement for the stanton. Looking at today's market, I found out that the S-shaped S arm with SME-head was completely out of date, expecially the effective weigth of this arm coul be a bottlenedk for progression. The cartidge I wanted was a Dynavector Karat23Ruby with a vdHul cantilever/needle modification. This cartridge was demonstrated in the RegaP25/RB600 configuration. I took the cartidge home, put it in the Micro, eand there was music....
At this moment I had my hobby back, and I was thinking can it be better. So I wnt back to the shop, and took the Rega with me. so far the history...

Now, this table is something special.
Music is back, musical instrument are at there place (violins on the left, cellion the right etc.etc.) the picture is clear.
Because the musical balance is so much better, you never get tiered of listening to the music (which i cannot tell from CD, you NEED the remote control to skip the music faster).
Stereo imgaing is excellent, definition is perfect.
My Keff 105.3 speakers are better now (?), I mean you now can hear how really great they are !!!

for 2000 $ you can not play major legue CD-player, but at vinyl you can with this combination !!
5 star rating !!

Lex

hint;
Just before you start the platter-drive, give the platter a little push clockwise with your left thumb, this will probaly expand the lifetime of the belt .....

Similar Products Used:

micro Seiki DD35 & Stanton 681eee

Outstanding clarity & low end definition. Breaths new life into vinyl - even the old stuff that I didn't exactly pamper.

Only a minor one: Must remove platter to reset pulley to play 45's.

Using with a Grado Platinum Cartridge L.O. and Monolithic Sound PS-1 Phono Stage. I should add that I'm using with a Pioneer Elite PD-65 Reference CD player but find myself playing older stuff on the turntable because older jazz recordings (which I spend a lot of time listening to) have better depth on the Rega.

If you can justify dropping $1200 for a recorder player - this is definately the way to go. The player sounds as good as the Basis looks and for a lot less money.

I strongly agree with the earlier reviewer who recommended giving the platter a push when turning on the power. Also, if you opt for a Grado Cartridge make sure its the low output variety otherwise, expect some hum.

Similar Products Used:

Thorens TD-280 IV, Rega Planar 3, Basis 1400