Rega - RP1 Turntable - White Review
| Product Code | B004B3GO9I |
| Product Rating |  |
| Price | $445.00 |
| Where To Buy | See More Details |
| Customer Review | See More Reviews |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #41107 in Consumer Electronics
- Color: White
- Brand: Rega
- Dimensions: 4.00" h x
15.00" w x
17.50" l,
Features
- Brand new Rega RB101 tonearm
- Precision main bearing and sub-platter assembly
- High quailty low vibration motor
- All new Phenolic resin flywheel effect platter for excellent speed stability
- Ortofon OM5e moving magnet cartridge
- Brand new Rega RB101 tonearm
- Precision main bearing and sub-platter assembly
- High quailty low vibration motor
- All new Phenolic resin flywheel effect platter for excellent speed stability
- Ortofon OM5e moving magnet cartridge
Product Description
Rega's new RP1 turntable was designed and engineered to achieve outstanding performance way beyond the expectations of a product at this price point. Excellent build quality, reliability and ease of use combine to make a product, which will offer a lifetime of musical enjoyment. Omitting all the usual gimmicks allowed Rega to concentrate the manufacturing costs on the high quality parts necessary to reproduce records accurately. "Rega's new RP-1 turntable might just be the perfect source for Stereophile's new monthly column, 'The Entry Level'," reports Stephen Mejias in his Stereophile blog for July 30, 2010. "All the cool kids are going to want one of these." The RP1 uses a highly accurate manual speed change rather than an automatic mechanism. This approach eliminates speed inconsistencies and also reduces wear of the drive belt. It has a huge added benefit, too. The money which Rega saved is spent across the design, including a new hand assembled RB101 tonearm, precision main bearing, phenolic resin flywheel effect platter, and a high quality low vibration motor which would normally be used on a turntable costing two or three times the amount. The RP1 also comes ready-fitted with a great sounding Ortofon OM5e moving magnet cartridge. The minimalist design of the Rega RP1 and the use of extremely high quality components ensure that this turntable will last for many years - just like every product that Rega manufactures. The RP1 is the first in a new generation of Rega turntables offering far greater performance than their predecessors. The performance of this amazing new product will knock you out. The only thing entry level about the RP1 is the unexpectedly low price!
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
Welcome back, vinyl
By C. Jackson
For many that are discovering vinyl for the first time, and those of us that are rediscovering vinyl, there aren't many options between crap and second-mortgage-the-home-to-afford turntables. Thankfully, the most affordable turntable Rega builds, the RP1, is a great starter table that has many future upgrade parts if you feel so inclined. Everything from the platter to the drive belt to the motor can be upgraded to higher quality components if you so choose. But I digress.This turntable appears very basic and minimalistic. There's a tonearm with a cartridge, a platter, a slipmat, an on/off switch, and a cover. That's pretty much it. And you know what, that's all you need to start hearing what's been hiding on your records for all these years. The deck suspension/isolation consists of 3 hollow rubber feet that compress slightly when it is placed on a level surface. Less is more. The tonearm is light and well balanced, and the tonearm descending mechanism glides slowly and smoothly down at the flick of a lever. You'll never drop the needle hard on the record using the mechanism.The default cartridge is a Rega Carbon, moving magnet type. It gets the job done, although some prefer the extra warmth of an Ortofon red or blue, it's a great little starter cartridge. The low noise floor of the table is one of its hallmarks, and records benefit greatly during quiet passages. The platter itself is made of Bakelite, and is quite thin and light. Many buyers report that the platter is ever-so-slightly warped, or perhaps the main bearing is slightly off center (it gets shipped from England, who knows what happens en route), but it doesn't detract from playback and has no influence over sound or function. You OCD types may let it bother you, but again, there is no practical downside to a slightly imperfect alignment here.While I personally haven't experienced the competition in this price range (Pro-ject Debut Carbon), most reviews lean towards this table as there are frequent complaints about the Pro-ject tables having weak motors, difficult anti-skate, speed control problems, etc.Lots of pros, and only a few cons, which are somewhat nitpicky. The plexi cover looked like it cooled off too fast during manufacture; the side walls are noticeably puckered although the top remains flat. The way it fits to the table is pretty lousy, but it gets the job done. Some people never use these, unfortunately I am not one of them, so I took note. The speed change from 33 to 45 is accomplished by lifting off the platter and moving the drive belt to a larger cylinder on the motor spindle. Inconvenient, but not unusual in this range, and ultimately pointless unless you have a mixed collection with lots of 45's in rotation.Overall, I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to get more out of their music. Pair it up with a nice phono amp since your newer receiver probably won't have an amplified and balanced input for a turntable. Throw some good stereo speakers into the mix, disable any DSP wonkery your receiver may use (my Yamaha calls this "Pure Direct" mode), and prepare to be impressed.
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