Probably overkill, but still. Break-in time is real. It is a great cartridge, but somehow left a little bit in the shadows by its bigger brother, the VM540ML we reviewed earlier. Audio. Which makes it easier to get the alignment correct if you select a cartridge from Rega’s lineup as your upgrade cartridge. I seriously considered the Rega Elys 2 when I was picking a cartridge for my Rega Planar 2. Many readers, that have acted upon my cartridge recommendations on this site, have emailed me and said that their cartridge upgrade didn’t give the expected results. Set-up remains possible in under 30 seconds making this the easiest to use, and most flexible Rega turntable to date. Rega Planar 1 design - new and improved It would take longer to list all the upgrades applied to this Planar 1 than it does to get it up and running, such is the breadth of tweaks Rega has applied here, and the simple set-up process that remains. He does more than that, though. VTA is a controversial topic. When I upgraded from the Rega Carbon cartridge to a Rega Exact cartridge on my Rega Planar 2, it absolutely transformed the turntable. Join the FREE newsletter and get amazing vinyl tips and fantastic offers delivered to your inbox. Fitting a cartridge from Regas own cartridge line, such as a Rega Bias 2, will not alter the VTA. Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT, Preamps Do true justice to the quality of your LP collection, with the supreme audio of this beautifully sleek and user-friendly turntable. (With VM540ML Cartridge) More openness. The Rega Planar 2 can be categorized as Rega’s top ‘entry-level’ turntable. I suspect that the Rega engineers would very much like to ship the Planar 1 and Planar 2 with a higher-quality cartridge than the Rega Carbon. In my opinion. If you want a guaranteed worry free cartridge installation on your Rega Planar 1, it might be wise to give extra points to the Rega Bias 2 or the Rega Elys 2 when choosing your cartridge. Not bright or harsh. Two spacers will life the tonearm 4mm. And that they have experienced great results from upgrading from the Rega Carbon to the Rega Bias 2. The Rega Planar 1 Plus is just like the Planar 1, plus it has a super convenient phono stage built in. Forums. ! More punch. If you are looking for a very good cartridge for the Rega Planar 1, and have a decent budget for a cartridge, then the Rega Elys 2 is a very good choice. There is probably a reason why Rega put the Elys 2 on their extremely popular audiophile rated Rega Planar 3 turntable. I am the founder and writer of Vinyl Restart. It is also quite affordable. If Rega has a cartridge that offers great performance, then I would choose that one. The Planar 1 Plus benefits from all of the advantages of its sibling, the Planar 1, such as a low noise 24v motor, precision hub bearing assembly and hand made RB110 tonearm with a factory fitted Rega Carbon cartridge. The Rega Elys 2 is often considered as a smooth and pleasant sounding phono cartridge. Apart from the logo printed in the corner, the two decks are virtually identical. When I opened the box it didn't contain a manual and assume it must be in a download format. So the spacer might not be necessary. And good for Rega’s sales department. More drama. Which makes Rega’s turntables attainable for more people. The DL-103R is probably the next cartridge I will buy. The Plus is identical to the Planar 1, with the addition of a built in phono preamp. and added a… You are free to manage these via your browser settings at any time. A world where cartridges often costs thousands of dollar. This a simple and cost-effective solution. The only parts passing from Rega's previous model, the RP1 is the Drive Belt, Sub Platter & Dust Cover. Bowers & Wilkins 705 S2 The whole vinyl listening experience simply became more engaging and enjoyable. Rega seems to have set the Planar 1 Plus to be inherently forgiving, no matter the condition of vinyl it spins. Rega Planar 1 Plus. Since it has the same height, it will not require spacers to get the VTA spot on. But as I have done more and more research, that picture has changed a lot and I am now confident that the Rega Elys 2 is a very good cartridge. This is a full-sized turntable. It is probably the lowest priced cartridge on this list of seven great cartridges. Set-up remains possible in under 30 seconds making this the easiest to use, and most flexible Rega turntable to date. It now sounds great. Which is what this article is all about. I agree with the answer below on some points. Hisense 7100 65" 4k TV, Pioneer SC-LX82, Pioneer BDP LX71, Apple TV 4K, Monitor Audio BX2, Gale centre, Speakercraft Sub. When I was choosing a cartridge upgrade for my Rega Planar 2, I chose the Rega Exact for two main reasons. Alternatively, consider the new Planar 1 PLUS which contains a good pre-amp built in. The Carbon cartridge is pretty decent but already thinking ahead to when the need for a replacement comes. The Rega Planar 1 PLUS is a brand new plug-and-play turntable that benefits from all of the Planar 1’s advantages and adds a brand new built-in phono stage. The new built in phono stage offers the ability to connect the Planar 1 Plus directly to almost any system that has a standard line input via a standard phono to phono cable (supplied) or phono to 3.5mm lead. In 2018 Rega added a new model to the series, a Planar 1 Plus. It seems that Rega’s point of view is that a slightly altered VTA will not impact the quality of the sound in most cases. But if you want to swing for the fences, this cartridge will take your Rega Planar 1 to very high levels. It is known to be a cartridge with a lot of grunt that is great for rock music. The benefit the Denon DL-110 has over the Denon DL-103R we reviewed earlier is the lower price and the possibility to use it with a regular MM phono preamp. That said, all the cartridges on reviewed above are truly great cartridges that comes up over and over again when I research great phono cartridges for turntables. It has a sound character that is slightly on the detailed and bright side. And to give you help and advice on yours. The Ortofon 2M bronze is definitely a fantastic cartridge that will take the Planar 1 to a very high level. The Rega Exact is probably overkill for the Planar 1. It will be easy to fit and perform perfectly on Rega’s tonearm. Below are 7 great cartridges to consider if you want to take your Rega Planar 1 to the next level. The Planar 1 Plus benefits from all of the advantages of its sibling, the Planar 1, such as a low noise 24v motor, precision hub bearing assembly and hand made RB110 tonearm with a factory fitted Rega Carbon cartridge. The Rega Bias 2 definitely has a bigger standing among Rega Planar owners that I initially thought. The comment is often that the Rega Bias 2 is a big step up from the Rega Carbon. Set-up remains possible in “under 30 seconds making this the easiest to use, and most flexible Rega … I then brought out a Lenco L-3808 (£200), flicked its internal phono amplifier switch to external (if Lenco has such a thing, why doesn’t Rega?) The Rega Planar 1 can become an even better sounding turntable with a simple cartridge upgrade. Edifier R1280DB. And can be a very good cartridge if your system have a lot of warmth but lack a bit of details and openness. The Planar 1 Plus benefits from all of the advantages of its sibling, the Planar 1, such as a low noise 24v motor, precision hub bearing assembly and RB110 tonearm with a factory fitted Carbon cartridge. I created this site to share my vinyl journey with you. Bigger soundstage. The Planar 1 Plus is a combination of the Rega P1 with the company’s Fono Mini A2D phono stage albeit without the analogue to digital converter and USB output of the latter, which makes it slightly more affordable package than the two units combined (£329 rather than £339). So don’t judge the success of your cartridge upgrade too early. It is a good cartridge, but it is not great. I’m not a huge fan of Pro-Ject phono stages and find them to be overpriced in general. Whereas the Rega Exact has a more normal output level for MM cartridges at 7.0mV. And will not require spacers. Pro-Ject Tube Box S2, Speakers No question about that. Re: MM cartridge upgrade for Rega Planar 2 Post by soupladel » 19 Feb 2020 11:54 Yeah static is a bit of issue right enough, i am relatively new to the Vinyl game but a recent purchase of Black Sabbath Paranoid seems to be particularly awash with static! The sound became more detailed, more … For more about how we use cookies, please see our, Manufacturer Upgrades, Parts & Accessories, © Analogue Seduction 2020 | Vat reg no 983293580, Kirmuss Audio Upgrades Parts & Accessories, Michell Engineering Upgrades, Parts & Accessories, Nottingham Analogue Upgrades, Parts & Accessories, Rega Turntable Replacement Dustcover Hinge Set, Rega 24v High Performance Motor Upgrade Kit, Rega 3 Point Metal Spacer 2mm (For RB301, RB700, RB900 etc), Rega P1/P2/P3/P5/ P6/P7/P8 Felt Platter Mat (Black), Rega Stylus Guard Protector (Original Rega Part), Rega Turntable Felt Platter Mat (Different colours available). I would use the same selection process if I were looking for a cartridge upgrade for the Rega Planar 1 as well. Vinyl Restart is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. 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