Used Rega P3

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dcarlson
dcarlson Posts: 1,740
edited June 2003 in 2 Channel Audio
I'm working on a deal for a used Rega P3 with a Shure V15VXMR cart at $570US. Not much more info, the dude says it has around 25 hours of use and is in mint condition.

Too much money or a good deal?

Derick.
SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    dc,

    It looks like the P3 is being discontinued.

    New V15xMR Cartridges go for ~$225 +/- 25 regualrly on ebay, so you're paying $350 for the TT.

    Checked out audiogon and several ones are there. At low end were $350 and $425 with the latter including a Rega cartridge...
    http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?anlgtabl&1058752063
    http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?anlgtabl&1058332007

    This one looked interesting...
    http://cgi.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?anlgtabl&1060883274

    Happy hunting...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • fireshoes
    fireshoes Posts: 3,167
    edited June 2003
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    Shure cartridges make a HUGE difference on cd players Venom. I think you should give it try! Night and day difference! :D
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    I passed on the P3. If they're going to be discontinued, I might be able to pick one up a little later, maybe at a better price. Plus, I have the Thorens, so I'm not without a TT.

    Once again, thanks Tour.

    Venom, your post wasn't all for not, it actually made me think twice about the deal. ;)
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    You're welcome dc...

    Might as well save your loonies (sp?) for a nice TD-124 with a SME 3009 or 3012... :D
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    Might as well save your loonies (sp?)

    Ha, I didn't know you guys down south knew what a loony was. :D What do you mean by sp? :confused:
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    sp?= spelling?

    Just watched Robin Williams - Live on Broadway again this weekend. One of his Canada lines was, "How can you take an econmic crisis seriously when your currency is the loonie?" Another was "Living in Canada is like living in a loft over a great party."

    He sends up many nationalities in this 90 minute show... very funny material including a hysterical bit on the Scots and the origins of golf. If you've not seen it, it's recycling on HBO weekly now. No HBO? It's worth a rental.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    I've seen the golf one. I don't quite remember it other than it was funny. I'm a golf freak.

    We have $2 coin we call the Twoony, I have no idea how to spell it though. Lately, there's been talk about a $5 coin. Who knows what they'll call it.
    "Living in Canada is like living in a loft over a great party."
    That's hilarious....:D I think I'll give it a rent.
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited June 2003
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    Originally posted by ATCVenom
    And here I thought we were talking about the REGA cd player
    DOH!

    FYI,
    I think they are talking real audio here... CD people need not apply.
    madmax :D
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited June 2003
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    Derick,
    That's a really good deal. It's too bad you changed your mind. I'm sure you're getting great sound from your current TT. Is there anymore tweaks/mods you can do to the Thorens?

    Maurice
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    It's not the greatest time for me to unload $800CDN on a turntable considering I'm not without one. There will be other deals to come along I'm sure.

    The Thorens TD-160 is totally tweakable, I haven't bothered tweaking it too much yet. I'm waiting to move into a house this weekend then I'll ge able to set it all up properly. It's a very simple sub-chassis design. Everything is pretty much manual.

    How's that turntable deal looking for you? Do you know what make and model yet?
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited June 2003
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    Oh crap, I totally forgot about it. It's not being used right now because I think the cart got damaged on the way home. He put it in the trunk and the arm likes to bounce around and I have a feeling the needle hit the table. When we hooked it up we knew something was wrong. The cart would skip a lot and the needle is barely visible. The cart says MMC 5. When I hooked it up on the MC input, I got no treble at all and no sound on the MM input. I'll have to look for a new cart.

    The TT is a Bang&Olufsen Beogram RX2. It looks very simple and it's easy to operate. I will have to do more reading on the net about this table.

    Maurice
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    Cool, my next upgrade is going to be an amp. You'll have to let me know how your TT sounds on that tube amp.
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    organ,

    Sorry to hear of the damage.

    Memo to yourself: Always tie-wrap the tone arm on place during transport. Also should tighten down on the chassis springs to prevent table from bouncing around.

    B&O made some nice TT's back in the 70's, ala the original Beogram. Don't remember your model though... pics?

    Edit: Is the cartridge a Plug-in or standard mount?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • organ
    organ Posts: 4,969
    edited June 2003
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    Tour,
    OMG I'm so stupid. The cart is MM and I forgot about the MM and MC switch on the back of my pre. I fired it up last night and at low volume and it sounds just like my CD player. I need to read about weight setting before I play around with it again. So far, I've set up the weight so that the cart is just light enough to prevent skipping.

    Sorry, I'm not sure what you mean by plug-in and standard mount. This is my first real TT. Anyways, I think it only accepts B&O carts and the MMC5 is the lowest model cart for this unit. I'm guessing it's a plug in.

    Do you think I should bother going for the Rega or just stick to this. It is a beogram RX 2.

    Maurice
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    Maurice,

    I'll reply, even though I don't seem to see any pics yet... :( … oh well, I’ll find one…
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3031584955&category=3283
    Yup, the B&O “cool factor” is in play…

    First off... patience... the Regas will be around a while... enjoy what you have.

    I don't understand your MM/MC switch comment. Was the switch stuck in the middle of the two choices? MM's are higher output, so if anything it should have been overloading the MC stage, if that's where the switch was... Should have sounded distorted, but not soft... What cartridge came on the TT?

    "Standard" cartridges are held in place with two vertical screws and there are four tone arm wires that are pushed onto the cartridge’s posts, whereas P-mounts just plug in to the end of the tome arm. I think yours is the latter...
    http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3283&item=3031585994

    Tracking force-wise, neither too little nor too much is a good thing. If you are just above the “fly-out-of-the-groove” point, add ¼ gram. It should sound even better. Even if it is not flying out, it may be resonating in the groove, which damages the vinyl. It’s a balancing act between insuring solid contact with the groove, i.e., anchoring it in the groove, and dragging it through the groove. The setting on the TT’s arm is an estimate. Shure makes a stylus force gauge ($20 at AudioAdvisor.com) that is a good investment. You can also find them on ebay, but often they go for more than the AA.com price.

    POP QUIZ: How many grooves are there on the standard album?

    Don’t forget the anti-skate adjustment. Most, but not all TT’s have them. Pretty sure the B&O will, but I did not see it in the ebay pics. They usually are a knob by the tone arm pivot with two scales, one for elliptical cartridges (usually the scale with an oval by it) and one for round (scale with a circle). Most modern cartridges are elliptical. Again the setting is an estimate, but matching the final tracking force setting is a good place to start.

    To fine-tune the anti-skate, gradually increase the setting until you hear distortion in one channel and note this point. Then return to the setting you started at and decrease the setting until you hear distortion in the other channel and note this point. Mid-way between the two points is your final setting. Best to do this with an older and/or less prized LP about mid-way between the outermost and innermost groove.

    I looked at the B&O website and it appears that they are no longer in the TT business. Do you have the manual? It should list some basic maintenance info, such as lubrication points.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited June 2003
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    2. One on each side. What do I win?
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    Nothing... you did not raise your hand... :D
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    POP QUIZ: How many grooves are there on the standard album?
    Trick question. :mad: I started counting. :D Just kidding!!!

    Maurice, that B&O looks cool. I like the low profile. Is that a clamp on the spindle or just a 45 adapter?

    I agree with tour, now that you have a TT take your time to get the Rega. This thread and my bidding on that Rega has taught me that. An amp is next on my list and based on your praise of that dynaco, I'm going to go to my local shop and see what I can listen too. I know they have an Anthem pre and power. I think the price tag might kill me though.

    http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3031394959&category=3283

    Tour, I'm guessing with a suspended sub-platter this stabilizer is a bad idea, right? Why are record clamps so expensive? Are they worth the price? Is there a moderately cheap one out there?
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited June 2003
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    I'll settle for the ante.

    I missed a local sale for a Thorens MK 125. It was quite sexy and may be similar to yours. I may be interested in offsetting any future analog upgrades.
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    I may be interested in offsetting any future analog upgrades.
    What do you mean?

    Gidrah, There seems to be a lot Thorens' hanging around ebay. Don't you already have a TT?
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited June 2003
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    dc,
    Never have owned a clamp, but have read some on them.

    You are correct a heavy one is not a great choice for the suspension your 160 has. As for their cost chaulk it up to some machining involved plus the "tweak factor".
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • gidrah
    gidrah Posts: 3,049
    edited June 2003
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    Yes and yes! So what. That hasn't stopped me before:D
    Make it Funky! :)
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  • dcarlson
    dcarlson Posts: 1,740
    edited June 2003
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    'nough said :D
    SDA-2a, Anthem Pre-2L, Anthem Amp 1, MF A324 DAC, Rotel RCD1070

    Senn HD650 Cardas, Mapletree Audio Ear+ HD2, Kimber KS1030, Bel Canto DAC2, M-Audio Transit, Laptop.
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