Ever notice that Sam never does full fledged reviews outside his own column? I have a feeling he's not allowed to.

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Ever notice that Sam never does full fledged reviews outside his own column? I have a feeling he's not allowed to.

Sam has always been a columnist rather than a reviewer.

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

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Dudley gets his own budget component to review in the new Rega P1. And, yes, it spins 1% fast. Surprise! It's a Rega!

Monty,

I take it your not a fan of Rega turntables (?)...Been shopping for a new tt and was considering a Rega (the P2 or P3). Or would you recommend something else? Thanks.

Mike

The P3 is a homerun and I would also look at the MusicHall MMF 5, and 7 if within your budget. You can also check Brit Audio and Underwood HiFi for good opportunities.

I think if you are vinyl serious you should go to the P3 or MMF 5 or better. If not you will be trading up. This is especially true if you listen to classical music and some steady-state tones like AD described in listening to sustained Piano notes. Speed stabilty is critical.

I am a huge fan of Rega tonearms.

Greetings to all!
I've been registered here for awhile and have been reading & responding to some posts here, but I received my first issue of the magazine today. While most if not all of the magazine contents are here,(eventually) I couldn't resist the $10.00/YR subscription price!
Anyways, I'm mainly writing because I just finished reading the review of the Oppo. I love music & good sound, but as I'm fairly poor(low pay job)I need something in this general price range. I was all set to buy a Cambridge DVD 87 in the next few months from Audio Advisor. Now I read this review of the Oppo and wonder if I should go with that instead. I like what I hear so far on my few DVD-A Discs with the Dolby Digital mixes,(including the Chesky Swing Live-my favorite!) so I'd like to get a Universal player first & then a reciever(wish I could afford a Multi- Channel amp) for Multi-Channel playback(DVD-A & SACD). Cambridge Audio as a company seems to have a good reputation as a maker of well built budget products(though I can't find any reviews of their products listed here). Do any of you have any experience with either of these players? Thanks!

Welcome aboard. If the OPPO floats your boat that is fine. WP made it clear that as a transport it is more than fine. You can alsways add an outboard DAC later.

There are plenty of home theater receivers in the $200 range to get you started. It may not be high end, but it is a beginning. We all started somewhere nearer the bottom than the top of the audio food chain. The secret of this hobby is to enjoy what you have at the moment, not wearing yourself out about what you don't.

Thanks for the encouragement Jim!

Yeah - I love getting a new Stereophile. Only problem I have is reading it too fast!

Speaking of Sam - I love his articles and mini-reviews.

Keep up the great work!

> Yeah - I love getting a new Stereophile. Only problem I have is reading it too fast!

No you're not reading too fast, you're doing just fine to be so excited about high end audio. The numbers following high end audio are too small. If it was as large as football or baseball...which makes more sense because everyone watches the TV and listens to music during some part of their day then we would have a magazine with several hundred pages every month.

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Rega tables are notorious for running a tad fast. They still sound great and the P1, according to AD, continues that tradition.

Monty,

It was recomended to me to swapping out the MDF platter, on the P1, with an acrylic (IronHorse.com, I think) or glass platter will significantly improve the sound.

As far as "running a tad fast"...I'm sure a new tt will be much better than what I have now.

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I think if you are vinyl serious you should go to the P3 or MMF 5 or better. Speed stabilty is critical.

Just as you've suggested, Jim, I have checked out those model Music Hall and Rega tt's and they are impressive. But my vinyl collection is small and not played very often. What I am looking for is a tt, and cartridge, that will not only sound good but, mostly, be "gentle" with the vinyl.

I have also checked out a couple of the Pro-Ject tables which seem just as nice as the Rega and MH.

If you check with BritAudio their P2 is $399 with an RB250 arm. What you get is a better table (motor) less cart for $50 more than the P1. You can always add the acrylic platter later for $59? I think.

See if a friend has a cartridge you can borrow short term that is in good condition. If not then check with the Needle Doctor and see what specials he has in the $50 range. If you can stand the price I would recommend the Shure M97HE for $90. It is one of the best trackers out their for that price range and probably under $200. This would be a nice rig for sure.