I find it very tricky replacing the plastic cover on the Apheta3 which I religiously do after every session. It’s very easy to misalign and catch the tip. I purposely leave the volume on so that I immediately know if ive got it wrong. I can’t imagine how tricky this operation must be for anyone who doesn’t have a perfectly steady hand. It almost precludes the consumption of excessive alcohol due to the challenge associated with attempting to replace the cover following a late night sesh…
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I don’t do that anymore. So much painful and stressful. The cover is enough.
So…why a need to cover the cartridge at night? Are there gremlins running about? Also, it is NOT a soap dispenser! Give me some f#$*&%n credit. The finest single malt flows as if it’s mother’s milt itself.
That was my impression when I heard a 30, when they were fairly new. I enjoyed my Rega on a Rock more.
The problem arises of you have little tykes around, unfortunately the TT cover does not give full protection to the cartridge cantilever…a spouse with a duster can also represent a serious threat…
ahh…another argument against tykes and spouses…
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Apologies for that soap dispenser remark Mitch, gremlins made me type that.
Apologies??? Not accepted. I thought your soap dispenser observation was hilarious. Of course, I may never look at my tonearm tower the same way again. But I still like my idea of a malt whisky dispenser a we bit more. Jus’ sayin’…
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Ah well, I have the same can’t look at it ever the same way issue with my high end coffee grinder being told it resembles a senseo machine.
Makes sense to me. So glad how obvious it is that all of us who participate on this forum are psychologically healthy!
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Well Richard we will see later how it and i get on.
From what i have been told, its just very neutral and adds no colour of its own to the mix, so its all about cartridge to get the sound the want, and with the turntable being so neutral it allows the cartridge you choose to fully Express its self.
I can’t really see it being a fair fight, or atleast it shouldn’t be, as like i said the cartridge alone i have to use with it costs more than a P10 with apheta3 fitted to it.
But 100% agree on the build quality of it all, it doesn’t get much better, also it sits on top of the fraim lovely, perfect size match.
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I’ve always liked the look of those SMEs. It’s very stealthy in black. The mega decks like Mitch’s Kuzma look ridiculous to me, something from the land that style forgot. Out of interest, the SME doesn’t have an arm lift. Does it attach when you put the cartridge on? If not wouldn’t it be tricky to move the arm to cue and then return it to its rest at the end of a side?
Looking forward to hearing your findings Dunc. From looks and feel of the SME brand alone I reckon I’d go there next from the Rega.
I’ve always admired SME turntables and especially the tone arms. Unfortunately I feel I’m too heavily invested in my LP12 to ever consider a change, but I look forward to reading about your experiences with it. I’m sure you’re in for some fun.
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It has an arm that you can fix on, using the cartridge bolts if you want
Just about to head home from work, so play time soon
Yeah I am quite interested to hear your thoughts on the SME. I have never actually heard any of the turntables myself (although I have heard there tonearms) but they did always have a bit of a reputation for being a little sterile sounding although I am not sure how much truth there is in this. They seem to be stocked by a lot more dealers these days many of whom also stock Naim. I guess this might have something to do with them being part of the Cadence Audio Group.
Btw Mitch, is your Kuzma the version with the air bearing?
That looks like it should sound good…awaiting the verdict!
Underwhelming was my first impression, it takes time to appreciate how good it is
Well a quick tea break, so a quick update.
So very early yet, but played a few of my favourite albums and the difference is quite shocking really.
The P10 with apheta 3 and aphelion2, is certainly a great combo, that punches above its price, its fantastic at detail and sounds nice, i always knew that the rega could be bettered, but at what cost and what more could i get?
Well today has certainly answered that, before today my rossini combo was my top source, the P10 couldn’t quite match it, even with a great recording, the rossini just had a bit more, it was darker, easier to follow music and just sounded wider, filling the complete room with sound, that the P10 just couldn’t do.
I guess i should once again, remind you lot that this sme has the dynavector drt xv 1t, this is there top of the range and costs about £6k i think, its run in, so all ready to go, i am pretty sure i have it all set up right, as it was all set up before and just had the cartridge removed for safty, while it was transported.
So the first album on, cued up and of we go, straight away i can tell its different, its nice and quite in the groove, slightly better, but not much, it has a much nicer bottom end, much nicer, fuller, deeper and very convincing and controlled. The rest is also very good, just as much detail, but it is much nicer in delivery, its like its just a walk in the park for it, compared to the P10, which in comparison sounds like its trying to hard.
I should think its mostly cartridge that is doing all this, as lets face it, a turntable is just that, a motor and a arm, the P10 has a good motor and control and the arm is good as well, but the sme certainly not hindering the process and its quality is better than the rega by quite a bit and so it should be given the price difference.
But i can honestly say that i have never heard vinyl sound this good, it just sounds so right, warm, detailed, fills the room like the rossini does, but has an air of ease over it, that the rossini cant match.
It goes to show that vinyl still has it and its still really the best wat to go and if i had more records then i could do without my rossini quite easily, but as we all know streaming and finding new music is great, but with a dec like this, you would want to be buying the vinyl and not the download.
But its not all a win for the sme, the rega is much simpler to use, faster to use as well, the screw on weight on the sme, having to seitch the motor off ever time, is already a pain over what i am used to, but once you drop that arm, its heaven.
Certainly not experienced it sounding cold or sterile, but as i was told before, the sme and arm, is as natural as it gets and you match the cartridge to what you like and you will get 100% what the cartridge can do, nothing else added or taken away, so i guess with that, maybe the cartridge used wasnt to the listener’s liking?
Anyway back to the music
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