Rega Planar 10
Yes, absolutely. The P10 is a bit of a giant killer with the caveat that a) you mate it with a high quality MC cartridge that is preferably not a Rega and b) you accept that a warm, winter-sweater sound profile is not on the cards for the turntable. The P10 is honest and calls a spade-a-spade, so it will tell you what’s on the record, good or ill.
I run a Shelter Harmony MC cartridge on mine and feed it into an Esoteric E-02 phonostage.
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You will find many Rega fans here as well as those that will swear blind a LP12 is better. With a P10 you have something that is below the entry price of the cheapest LP12 and when I demoed it I thought better. I succumbed to an upgrade from my P10 when I bought a Naia which is still half the price of a full specced LP12. Its my 4th Rega having had P3 and a P6 previously.
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Are you sure about that? Here in NZ the P10 is quite a bit more than a LP12 Majik. But, yes, the P10 should be a fine match provided you like the sound profile.
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Just checked current uk prices and you are correct. I recall them being very close in price when I bought. Majik is now less than P10.
Majik with MC is £3935. P10 with apheta 3 is £5400.
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Rega P10, Its a lovely turntable.
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Other TTs are available!
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It would be a good match for a 333 without an NPX300, I think. If the 333 has the power supply, I think you might find it slightly behind. However, it would only be a slight difference.
I am an LP12 fan, but the Rega 10 is a viable alternative to the Majic level LP12. Go to a dealer for a demo is my advice.
LP12 and P10 are not directly comparable in terms of SQ. They take a different approach and sould noticeably different. It comes down to preferences, as is frequently the case at these levels. Both sound really good.
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Never heard the 333 but the P10 (with Apheta3) was on par with a bare NDX2. A smidge less detailed but more organic. On a 252/300 OC system with what I was told were excellent pressings.
Rega and Naim have a long standing synergy and I’ve never heard the 10 but I think at 300 level I’d try and reach for the Naia.
At the price of either the P10 or the Ania, I would think that long dealer audition would be advised. I use a late model P9 which suits my needs. For me, contrasting a 333, which I own, with a TT is not productive. To me streaming and vinyl have a different SQ. They are only comparable in terms of expenditure and less so if one adds the power supplies. A lot might also depend on the phono stage. I am using the NCV TT without a PS. My cartridge is a Rega Exact MM, which I will change to a MC when it wears out.
I wouldn’t say Rega’s TT is honest just because it sounds clean, lean and things. If using long enough one will find everything carries that same sound, cause it’s a sound profile by design. Impossible to find a neutral one anyway.
I do agree they are not comparable and only down to one’s preference.
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Your points are well taken. It’s not only about the LP12 vs P10. The idea that it boils down to personal preference can be extended to any number of TT brands. For me it was other factors. I was a Linn user for many years. I moved to Rega b/c with disability, I was finding it too difficult to manage a sprung chassis TT. Also my dealer at the time was not a Linn dealer and I needed dealer support. There are many factors that shape these decisions.
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