Hello Paul the difference between the 2 tone arms was fairly dramatic to My ears. overtime you will come to appreciate the difference more I believe. Congratulations, and thank you for letting me know about this very interesting Tone arm. Also congratulations for getting your WAF filled up enough to get some new cool gear. I always enjoy your videos My friend, Cheers Ron
Thanks Ron. A couple of years back I was tempted to get a Technics to place next to the Rega. When I even mentioned it to my wife, I got the response, 'What's wrong with the turntable you got? Isn't one enough?' So I had to drop the thought. She knows I've been eyeing some of the high mass designs though but I am content to sit on it for awhile. The new arm coupled with my new cart, are creating a nice soundstage.
Dang now dig the opening here! catching this in the a.m. ☕️morning 👋🏻☕️Paul great to see you! Love the gear vids! Thank you in advance watching😳...have a good day and week ahead- Lis
Thanks Lis. My family is out for a bit, leaving me alone at home. So I am free to play records on a whim if I want too ;) The upsides and downsides of family life.
Hey, Paul. It’s always great to see a new video from you. Beautiful tonearm. The AudioMods 6 seemed to have a bit more clarity and a weightier sound to it. I wasn’t even aware that Rega arms were internally grounded. I love tweaking my turntables too, adjustable VTA being somewhat of a must, and love modding most other audio gear of mine too, so I completely understand. Most warranties don’t stand a chance. A good light above your turntable is also an absolute must. Excellent vid as usual. Thanks, Paul!
Thanks Nick. I swore if I ever got a new turntable, an arm with adjustable VTA was a must, as I like trying out different carts with different profiles from time to time. So even though I won't be getting a new table at the moment, this arm was a bit of a win/win for me. I also like to see what small changes in the VTA will do to the sound of record to try and get the rake angle at around 92 degrees.
Paul beautiful tone arm man this opens up horizons for listening to vinyl I definitely down the line am thinking of this but first I’m going to upgrade cartridge that dynavecter or Hanna cartridges . Love that Uber light it one on my wantlist Paul this review was very informative love it. Lovellandrew
A new cart will make the biggest change in sound to your rig. If you haven't switched over to a Moving Coil cartridge yet, I would go that route. I am a bit biased towards the Dynavector. All of their carts are great and well regarded. You just to make sure your phono stage can handle it with an extremely low loading.
Hi Paul, Nice to see someone else talking about this fabulous tonearm of Jeff's. I've been using one paired with a Dynavector XV-1s now for a couple of years having ordered mine soon after they became available. I also tried it briefly with a Hana ML and Lyra Delos. Each of those cartridges painted a completely different sonic picture which leads me to believe that it is adding very little sound of it's own to what comes through your speakers. It's been set and forget. At about $1500 it's not inexpensive but competes toe to toe with the likes of SME V and other uber arms.
Thanks for the great comment Playback! I have mounted a new cart on to the arm now and I hope to do a comparison just to see what kind of sonic picture it paints. Personally, I am a Dyna man and I bet that XV-1 sounds really good!
@@BarakaPDub I'm leaning towards DS Audio D1 or DS 003 myself for the next cartridge exploration. Really intrigued by this new technology which is really the first major change in cartridge design since the into of MC cartridges.
Thank you. I only wish I had some representative sample before I started to upgrade and/or hack my own turntable. That way, I would have a good baseline for people to see how much of a difference all the upgrades made. Maybe sometime in the future. Thanks for watching Now Spinning TV.
Hey Paul. Boo on Rega not correcting that problem even though they are aware of it. I got an education on the tonearm aspect. The light over the turntable is very cool. Definitely comes in handy late at night when you're trying to wind down and chill with some tunes! Always fun to see your upgrades! I'd never be able to tweak my setup by myself. Hehe! I'd probably bust it.
I've been using the light quite a bit recently, just to lay back and play nothing but music, laying in a lounge chair. The upgrades seem daunting but really, it's not that difficult. Cartridge mounting on the other hand...that can be a huge pain in the bottom at times. Some carts, it's just damn challenging to get it mounted correctly. Thanks for watching Hanna.
Good videos, thanks for sharing. I have a similar experience with my Nottingham Ace Spacedeck/Ace Spacearm performance. Being a structural engineer with the focus on designing composite material such as carbon fiber to mitigate structural deficiencies, I understand why you prefer this tone arm. I’m looking into upgrading my TT in the near future and I’ve been considering the upcoming Rega NAIA with its interesting CF design. I agree with you, I would like to use other cartridges than Rega’s, such as Hana/Koetsu, unfortunately the Purple Heart isn’t available any more. Do you still have your PH cartridge and do you still like it? Good taste in music too!
Thanks Mahab. Yes, still running with the Kiseki and it's odd, they seem to have disappeared. I did a search on Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds and sure enough, they are no longer available from them. I wonder if its an artifact of COVID. Lots of things being sourced from Japan are in short supply.
Amazing system but it has gone above my head. Married to an accountant lol. Good info. My wife is not one, I could just say I spent a $100 and she would say okay. I do appreciate the listening samples, that was very cool to hear. Steve
Hi Paul. Love the adjustability of the new tone arm. It's always fun to fiddle around and learn about the different parameters. The RB300 is a classic, and it is amazing Rega is still using the same principle design. Hahah, vinyl is an addiction, but tweaking stuff too :) Have a great week. Cheers. /Paul
Thanks Paul and sorry for my delayed response. I've been taking a bit of a break from UA-cam. Rega's Tone Arm does have some nice features. I do like the magnetic anti-skate and I wish other arms would use it but I am betting Rega has a patent on the design.
Hi Paul, thank you for the video Ive been eying this tonearm for a while. It does sound like an improvement, but I had no idea you were a mechanical engineer. I just entered my 2nd year as a mechanical engineering major. So seeing you mention the material and benefits of carbon fiber dissipating vibration was great. Great video, love the channel. Thanks!
And you want to know the funny thing...I hated vibrations when I was going to school. I had a class on vibrations, which I did terribly in, and I remember saying to myself, when the hell am I ever going to use this? I was more of a heat transfer guy. Low and behold, I'm head deep in a hobby that's all about vibrations and I have a job where vibes are one of the biggest concerns. Thanks for watching David!
This was awesome. I could definitely hear alot more details with the new tonearm. The Rega tonearm was good but there was an audible improvement. When I quit buying records and actually save some money, I'm going to upgrade my turntable. I definitely want to make sure that I have a great tonearm and cartridge. That's where a big part of the budget will be spent. The light is cool as well. I have a little spot in the kitchen that I have to stand at to see the deadwax. Lol. It would be nice to see the deadwax (and the dirt) in the proper spot. What a fun video and I really liked the music played throughout.
Hello Melinda and thanks for watching. The desire to upgrade never ends ;) I am doing my best to try and slow down on the record buying. I am running out of physical space so diverting funds to the tonearm went in place during COVID. IMO, a change in cartridge will make a bigger change to your sound. Switching to good Moving Coil cartridge made a big change. I did install a new cart which I hope to review here soon. You could see it in some of the photos I spliced into the video. The light is cool and to be honest, it would work better in a dedicated listening set up where you could leave it in place. My set up is shared with our living room television so I don't leave it place long term.
The difference in tone arms is astounding. Minute, sure, but I think it will pay dividends in those quieter moments, fuller soundscapes where you may have multiple sounds blended but not screaming loud and probably the most in headphone listening. And all those dials, knobs and adjustments I know are right up your alley. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing Paul.
So it has taken me forever to respond Tim...been breaking from UA-cam for a few weeks. In person, especially with the new cart I hope to review, it's been magical. The sound stage and sonics seem much more natural. Got a little something on the way to you by the way. There is no note with it but I hope you will enjoy it.
@@BarakaPDub Paul, I love the depth you do on these, makes me think long and hard about my upgrades. When I do I will rely on you for sure. I did get the package today and and I am speechless sir. Truly a wonderful selection and I am humbled you thought of me. I sent a message on IG as well, in case you see this first. You need to talk to the office and come out here for a business trip. Its time you visit the coast office ;)
Dude you are the king of effects and editing and I haven’t even progressed past the intro! Great music also, Ok, back to your video ;) Are you a FinalCutPro user?
All of my edits are done in Premiere Pro and the a lot of the graphics/effects are done in After Effects. I pretty much invested in the Adobe architecture for good or bad but the video thing is another hobby for me. The UA-cam channel allows me to merge both hobbies, record collection and videography, together.
Nice upgrade, Paul! I’ve been waiting for you to make this video ever since you said you got a new tonearm for your turntable. It’s really nice to have an adjustable VTA now. I have a Rega P3 turntable and I Love it. I want to upgrade the Subplatter, Platter & get the Rega Neo TT PSU for it eventually. Take care!
Thanks George. I hope you'll get to start on the upgrade path soon. I still recommend doing the subplatter first. That modification was the one that made the biggest impact on the sound.
@@BarakaPDub Is this table in the video a P3? That arm looks freaking awesome! (Especially the "sexy late night" shot). Nice video. Thanks for all the great info. Looks like it might be time for a new arm...
Hi Paul, Great video ! 👍️ You convinced me to go with the series 6 for my RP8 rather than upgrading to the Rega RB3000. I just ordered it from Jeff and I can't wait to get it... !😊
Good choice Soundfreek. I think you'll be getting a lot more out of this arm vs. what you get on the RB3000. The design on the RB3000 is no different than the other models and it only uses higher quality parts. Thanks so much for watching!
I don't know if you saw it yet but I threw in some Mighty Blimp boots in the video that I posted the other day. Let me know if you are buying any of the newer ones. Killer Highlights sounds good as does the Berkeley Daze shows~ Rob/Boston
Hey Rob. I caught that video, early in the morning yesterday, while running on my treadmill. I loved it! Where are you grabbing those bootlegs? I was really impressed with the Berkeley Box with the replica Will Stout art. That one I would be very tempted to get. The band was always on fire when they played L.A. or the surrounding area.
Fantastic system you have there Paul. Between you and the one and only Ian in Japan. Nobody does it better. I would love to know how hard this would be to set up the AudioMod 6 Tonearm onto my Technics 1200 mk2? It kind of sounds like Floyd Rose. Once you lock it in there is very little tweaking it. I kind of like to play around with my settings from time to time. Well done as always brother Paul~ Rob/Boston
So supposedly, you could mount the arm on a Technics. There are photos out there of people mounting them to a Technics table. Several times I have been tempted to by an old 1200 mk2 but the wife has shut me down on both counts. If I ever buy a bigger house, with a dedicated record room, getting a mk2 is high on the list.
@@BarakaPDub I have a diy lenco ptp turntable that I'm enjoying very much but like you I also want a DD turntable. Preferable the sp15 but the 1200 would be good too
should be ok as long as the spindle to pivot point is correct what can be made correct with the right arm board what is the length of the Technics arm with overhang. You get some laminated rosewood at 22 degrees offset to each other, glued with resin. what I have done with another tables to the thickness and size of the diameter hole the outer ring, and mount it in there with nylon washers you just need to drill the hole for the tonearm shaft and the right spindle to pivot distance with overhang. You really need to remove the transformer and power supply circuit bored a big mistake for the Technics turntable and put it in an old metal case computer power supply fixing the BNC 75ohms plug to the turntable
Hi Paul, Even though your turntable is no "Rega" anymore, it's very interesting to see how technical modifications affect the sound. Have fun with your setup!
Thanks Kara Ben Nemsi. I just wished I had documented a little bit more from the get go, where I used one record and recorded the same sound sample throughout the process.
Yeah. It was a huge step up for me in person. Something that's hard to replicate in UA-cam but I am glad it's coming through. Thanks for watching Jerry.
Wow! That was a noticeable difference in a positive way ; a lot has to do though in getting the proper VTA on your cartridge . Dialed in properly your Dyna really began to shine! Audio mods has been at it for a long time ( their earlier modded Regas are great ) so has Origin Live ! They also make fabulous Rega mount tone arms as well as a terrific mods for Rega arms ; the Origin live 250 was one of my all time favourites! BDR (Black Diamond Racing) make sweet little feet for the Rega as well ! (Very Affordable ) if you wish to tweak even more ! Thanks for a very revealing video even with the compressed sound the difference you could hear a distinctive difference , keep spinning!
Thanks for the comment Nigel. I had investigated Origin once, a very long time ago, and never bothered to look at them again. I will definitely check out the BDR feet. I think Music Direct our of Chicago had those at one point.
Hey Paul, Great to see you. It's been a while. I really enjoyed this video. I'll be honest .I have zero experience in upgrading my turntable. . But it was great hearing the difference a tone arm can make. I have quite a bit I should do to my turntable. ..like chance my stylus. ..currently using a Otfon Red...and everything else is the stock stuff with this Project turntable. Still sounds decent but I'm sure a few mods could make it much better. ...oh and I love the light idea...especially since I'm a deadwax fanatic. Take care and I hope you are enjoying the new Projekt Gemineye album - " In the Year 3073-Book II ". ....I'm assuming you received it? Mark Anthony K Projekt Gemineye
Hello Mark! So a new cart will make the biggest change in sound to your turntable. The nice thing about the Ortofon Red's is that your can upgrade to a Blue just by buying the replacement stylus. I gather the bodies of the Red and Blues are compatible. I really like that Ortofon did that because it's a simple plug and play upgrade. I did get In The Year 3073- Book II. It's fantastic Mark and I am glad to hear your signing another act to your label ;)
I admire you for doing these tweaks. Not something I’d probably tackle. I used to have some hum w my RP6 but none whatsoever with my RP8 Switching to a Hana MC cart is the biggest upgrade I’ve done in the past year. Nice video Paul ✌🏻
When you go up to the RP8 and the RP10, you better not have any hum at all. I bet they're doing a lot more QC on those tables. Or at least they should be with the price. I do like the skeletal plinth design. That will dampen the resonance even further. I highly recommend folks go MC if they can afford it. I have heard nice things about the Hana.
Ha. Nothing wrong with Technics. Those things were and still are built like tanks. I wanted to bring one into the house a couple of years back to ride side saddle but the wife gave me the evil eye when I proposed the idea.
@@BarakaPDub should have said look at all those shoes stack side by side what's the difference lol and I bet they are expensive some of them and not even used
Yes! Your next upgrade must be the flogging of the REGA. I did exactly that ten years ago and I felt like I had moved from a congested town to the mountains. like moving from a subway station to a home at the beach. Have you ever tried to keep your Rega at a constant speed for half an hour? I flogged the cheap Rega quality for extraordinary engineering of a 60 years old product that belonged to my late Father: A Lenco L78 player. All I had to do as the tonearm was not a standard Lenco one, was the replacement of the V blocks, a new totally rectified and calibrated traction wheel; a set of copper rings to allow the adjustment of the tonearm height, and last but not least, a Copper and Cork platter mat. After a good clean-up and lubrication, it was ready to go and replace the laughable REGA. Sorry to all Rega lovers but that is what I feel about all Rega products from turntables to amps and also cartridges...sadly laughable.
Thanks for watching and commenting Mario. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but my next turntable will not be a Rega for the reasons you described ;)
Hey Paul, great overview! The proof is, as they say, in the pudding. Subtle or not the Audiomods had more definition and clearness in the samples, at least to my ears. I know you like to tweak so I'm sure this was a fun project for you and with positive results. How hard was it to sit on the tonearm upgrade project for 5+ months? By your recent Instagram posting it looks like you are giving the new tonearm a nice workout. I've been enjoying seeing the variety of what you've been listening to. The light was cool too. I like the different light settings it gave you. Take care, Paul! Have a great week! -Bill
Thanks Bill. So it was hard to sit on the arm for so long and really, the cartridge mounting it the challenging part a times to get everything set correctly. I needed a long, family free afternoon and with COVID, those have been a rarity as of late. My evenings have been family free for a couple of hours so that's allowed me plenty of spin time. Thanks for watching Bill. Can't wait to see your footage from your NC trip.
@@BarakaPDub It’s expensive af tho! But one of the most beautiful tonearms I’ve ever seen, and I love its adjustability. Its bearing is used by military and only can be had if you are given clearance. Only Triplanar has it.
Hi Paul! Great video, I'll probably pick that light up myself. I have a question for you about something else though. I Myself have the Rega Planar 1 turntable and I'm wanting to buy the Nagaoke mp110 + the Schiit Mani. My only doubt is, my Onkyo TX-8250 receiver has a phono pre amp built in already. Would it be a waste to get the schiit Mani and would it even work on my Onkyo TX8250 receiver? Would be amazing if you could let me know! Have a wonderful day.
So just to add to my other response...so I have a Marantz 8801 Pre-Amp with a Phono. The Schiit outshines my Marantz phono by a mile and I really wasn't surprised. The Pre-Amps and Receivers try and cram so much electronics in the box that they have to make certain sacrifices in the design and hit a certain price point. I think you should hear a big difference with the combo.
Hi Paul You know, I would have liked to see a video of the removal of your Rega tone arm and the installation of the AudioMods 6 Tonearm, also highlighting the differences between the two, i.e. the adjustability features of the AudioMods 6 against the non-adjustability features of the Rega tonearm.. Hope you give my suggestion some thought. BL
Hello Bob. So that was kind of the game plan going in to this and I did shoot some footage but I started to get annoyed because my window for mounting the arm was limited. I had a couple of guests coming that same evening ruined that complete video install plan. It takes a bit of time to set up the camera to get the different angles needed for it. Jeff Spall's instructions for the mounting are okay but I wish there was a little more guidance on the initial drop in. Overall, I didn't find it too complicated.
why new cartridge and what is it? Do you know the difference between length of that tonearm and for the Linn, has he got a phone number ends 698 is that correct, got a link don't do emails. I can't go on his website it flashes up as a security issue! Got a link cheers! Yes it's sounding good, I am interested looking at the dynavector tonearm looks interesting I don't know what that's like if that's better or not then this. I'm curious what type of cable use with the tonearm I suppose it's silver coated copper internal litz wire? Is there a connection at the other end din plug? And what rca or lxr cable is it using ? is that straight to your phono stage or to sockets?
Hello John. The new cart, which you saw in a few photos is a Kiseki Purple Heart. I have been breaking it in and will do review of it down the road. Jeff's number is +44 (0)1304 379698 if you want to give him a call. And I failed to mention it but it's all silver litz wiring which I am pretty sure is tied directly into the RCAs and fed directly into my phono stage.
I feel out of the loop on this one... I had an LP-60 for 3 years and just got an LP-120.. that is now non functional. Why? In the process of cleaning my stylus with my poop slime (If you do not know about that... sorry.. It is a "thing".. Not all can afford that onzo stuff...lolol) I was not paying attention and clipped the stylus with the plastic container and bend it.. I tried to carefully bend it back and it snapped off. So... I will say this... Even for blatent "non-audiophiles" like me.... and with UA-cams compression... I was able to hear a significant difference in your examples. Now to be Vinyl-less until my next check.... I am sending my love as always! Have a great week Paul!
Ouch!!! Yeah, those styli are extremely delicate. Hopefully, your can get a replacement head shell for the LP-120 without having to purchase a whole brand new cartridge.
I bought a planar 3 when it first came out (before the Rega 6 and 8 were upgraded), I then added the Grovetracer subplatter, Mr Lim double pulley, and a Neo PSU when it became available . Last year I replaced the Rega 330 tonearm with an Audiomods 6. Very happy with all the improved performance BUT the dust cover doesn't clear the tonearm. Any suggestions other then having one custom made? Thanks for all you do for the vinyl community.
Hello Steven. The arm brace definitely creates an issue with the dust cover. I know some people have purchased rubber cushions from hardware stores. The kind that are used with cabinets and have placed them in the corners. The down side is that there is no complete seal but it doesn't look terrible. There are people on the Vinyl Engine that have had different DIY solutions to it.
Nice tonearm Paul...Im thinking of upgrading my Jelco arm in my Nottingham turntable....beautiful arm....I like the. VTA adjustment on the fly....I can hear the difference sounds more like live music...enjoy it !!!....Ed in New York....😎🗽🏙
Thanks Heriberto. I am enjoying it and on my system, I am hearing better resolution in the playback. I am sure you might be able to mount this guy on the Nottingham turntable.
I personally think it would be a step up because of all of the individual adjustments you can make. While the RB880 is not a bad arm, the only thing that advances it is the quality of the bearings and materials used in the manufacturing. Keep in mind, that's only my opinion.
Did you get it installed on your P10? I just like how you can adjust so much more than the original design. I honestly think Rega should change their designs on their higher end models to allow for more adjustments.
@BarakaPDub sorry no I have had rough December, I had a fall and dislocated my left shoulder and have been dealing with severe pain since the 2nd week of December, than I caught the chest infection that's going around Christmas weekend and still am fighting that, I am exhausted I will get better soon I hope. I star PT Monday for my shoulder trying to avoid a shoulder replacement st my age :(
Hi Paul, happy to see you in s new video, honestly, rega tonearms are very basic. I tweaked one like you and it improved a lot but upgrading to a better model is far more interesting, so I did, when you are going to buy a new turntable, buy one, which makes it possible to have 2 or 3 tonearms at the same time, you will feel more satisfaction, have fun,
Hello Enrico. That's my dream table. I would at least like to have one that allows for two arms to be mounted as I would like to have one where I can do a dedicated Mono configuration.
The difference for me was not subtle, I found the AudioMod clearly cleaner and more detailed which made the individual strands of the music more discernible and therefore the overall musical experience more engaging. I listened on my headphone setup which is made up of the following: Apple iMac/Schitt Modi/Little Dot MkII/Sennheiser HD600.
Thanks msee. I am glad you could pick up on the difference and I like your lineage there for digital listening. Do you like your Schitt Modi? I've been thinking about picking one up for office listening.
@@BarakaPDub Thank you. I don't have a wide range of experience with different DACs, however I use the Schitt on my headphone system but prefer the more laid back sound of my SMSL Sanskrit 6 and linear PSU in my speaker system - Mac mini/Marantz PM6006/Elac B6.2
Salve Paul anch'io come te con gli anni ho stravolto il mio Rega ,mi manca solo il braccio è mi piacerebbe sapere come sta andando dopo 1 anno . Buone feste dall Italia
If you play a slightly warped record on a technics, will it scratch or push the arm back cuz my copy of The Time- Shake 12" is slightly warped and I tried it on the Jenson portable record player and on one part, it pushed the arm back so I'll just wait till I get my Panasonic record player stereo out of storage.
If the record is really badly warped, I don't recommend playing it. You won't really damage the arm but you could damage the grooves of the record. You may want to try flattening the record.
Sounds to me like you took a backward step with your new tonearm. The Rega has more dynamics, harmonics and weight. Don't know about the hum though, I could not hear it.
Totally Agree - unfortunately most watching this WILL listen with their eyes! His original RB303 arm is not even as good as a RB330(the latest incarnation of the legendary RB300)so a move to that arm would`ve made more sense sound quality wise, but the real upgrade is a RB880 I do understand how some Rega RB Tonearm users would be fooled into thinking that these arms(modified RB Tonearms,I had TWO by the way!)are a "upgrade",I would say it`s a sideways move at best,as long as the end user is happy & still enjoying the music that`s the main thing.
@@evowhite777 not really a modified Rega though, is it? The other Audiomods arms only used the lift and the arm tube and that's it; the Series 6 is completely bespoke. Btw not saying which sounds is better as I'm watching on my phone and listening via Bluetooth... Clearly different though.
I may try something different one day but I will never get rid of my Technics sl 1200 MK5 . Love my Technics sl 1200 MK5, purchased in 2016 and over 10,000 trouble-free hours on it so far. Great tone arm that accepts many cartridges and there are many upgrades available. I have not tried any moving coil cartridges yet but the ortofon 2m black and Audio Technica at440mlb sound really good run through a project tube box s phono preamp.
I would never ditch a Technics SL 1200 at all. Those things are built like tanks and are great sounding decks. I highly recommend going MC when you're looking to change. I started out with a 2M Black but when I stepped up to an MC step up, I was a world of difference.
Paul first time viewer who apreciates the Audiomods review just wish it went into what for me is the vexing issue of removable vs fixed headshells.I had a Rega way back when (P3) and there philosop'hy is rgigidity screw everything else.And when you hear people talk ab out SME V being suchan upgrade from removable 309 headshell it's about continuity of wire no break in leads etc.But there is no denying that the SME bayonet connector on many arms is a lot easier when swapping cartiges be it a Technics or now Schick,Groovemaster,et al.Now the reviews,price,apperance etc of Mr.Small arms look great I am wondering if for me who now wants the ability to easilyb awap carts that this is a not a dealmkiller.To me the SME 309 was less than ideal bec ause like the Audiomods 6 it was a half measure between sonics of a fixed headshell or a one screw mount like 309 and the 6.Yes you ahve to dthe basic set of of VTA,VTF,etc but seems a lot easier with the bayonet and collar (hey think of that plastic tube one can do an instant overhang setting now that's covemient).Well any thoughts on this issue?Great site man Cheers Chazz
The bayonet mount, to me, has always been something I've wanted to try but it's hard for me to justify the means. I think if I had a good Mono cart, I would probably go for one but I normally, try to get about 700 hours of play in a cart before looking to swap. I don't have any first had experience with a bayonet but the additional piece adds to another item that needs to be checked and could throw your sound off a tad. That's the fun about these things, all of the design trades. I don't think there is a perfect arm out there and it all boils down to user preference. Thanks for watching and commenting Charles.
I had no problem hearing the difference with these mono records. There's a lot less stored energy in the Audiomods which translates into much better articulation.
Hello Gabriel. Yes, I have a couple I purchased when I was in Japan. The Japanese swear by them but I honestly couldn't tell the difference in the audio. I don't know if they're still making them now since SHM CDs have become the latest rage.
@@BarakaPDub I have heaven beach by Anri & strawberry time by seiko matsuda. The heaven beach blu spec cd is compressed, limiting the dynamic range, it’s really loud & the channels are reversed.
Great video Paul. It does look sexy. That's a good enough reason for me. Us audiogeeks sure like to spend money on our music. I tweet too. Retirement with cancer makes my wife give me the evil eye on me spending large sums of money. I enjoyed this.
I hear you on the evil eye. I get that now whenever a new record arrives at our door from the postman because I have way too much. I hope you're getting that cancer beat by the way!
Those arms look nice, especially for the price. You forgot to mention Rega's lack of azimuth adjustment, which to me is an even greater sin of omission than the lack of vta/sra. Maybe I'll sell a couple of other tonearms and get one, I love the gold plated counterweight!😉
Yeah...I didn't do a very good job at describing all of the adjustments but you can adjust the azimuth on this arm as well. I also failed to mention the silver litz wiring as well. I suck!
Nah, you did a good job! And it was nice getting a close look at these. I remember when he was drilling holes in stock Rega arm tubes, etc., he's come a long way. A lot of arm for the money.
Curious if anyone can speak to whether this arm significantly improves the ease of cartridge instalation & adjustment versus most intermediate or entry-level arms.
Easy is a bit of a relative term. There are a few more things you can do with the arm, like adjust your Vertical Tracking Angle. The arm height can be adjusted far more easily versus putting in a spacer. With all of these additional parameters, it can make it a bit more daunting but it's worth it if you get it dialed in just right.
Thanks for the replies. This tonearm looks like a good replacement for the original carbon arm on my older Pro - Ject RPM 10. It came with similar points of adjustment, but they're executed a bit crudely and seem to require the end-user have a 3rd & 4th set of hands.
Nice video as always Paul. I think its as you said, quite subtle, but the new tonearm seems less rolled off perhaps. Its always questionable to me though as, if fine tonearm adjustments are believed to make a difference too, how do we know its all not just due to the Rega lacking a spacer or two lets say. Im not of that mindset but it seems troublesome to believe both create and impact, how do we know which is at play?
Good point Leon and that might make for a fun video. One of the things I have wanted to try is to see if I can't glean a little bit more out of older Mofi pressings with a change in VTA. The early 80s Mofi's never sounded super stellar for me but they were pressed on very thin vinyl. I wanted to adjust the VTA on the fly to see what difference it would make on the sounds.
@@BarakaPDub Do try it and report back. When Ive personally tried on fly adjustments like Anti Skate, VTA and Azimuth there hasnt been much change on the overall sound. In my mind they are just lessening the tracking distortion when set optimal. I think you will find that Stan Rickers early Half Speeds will always have a bit of a strange sound unless there is a drastic change in the frequency spectrum output, but who knows.
Thanks ERG Loo for commenting. In person, I know I am hearing an increased sound stage and I am not sure how well this was going to come across on UA-cam.
I think the give and take - Aluminum Tone Arm wand vs. CF tone arm wand - is yes (as you said) CF posesses 'slightly' higher dampening characteristics, however, in my experinces (and others I know), alloy arm wands carry over a better tonality - high / mid / and low end with most phono carts. I used to run a Clearaudio Satisfy (aluminum arm wand) with a Lyra Lydian Beta (Soundsmith ruby cantilever) cart. I sold it (w/o the cart) and purchased the Satisfy Carbon. I ran it for about 3 months. I found that Bass extension became looser and a bit mudier with the CF wand. I sold it and repurchased the same tonearm again with Aluminum wand. Nevertheless, the choice you made with that tonearm is undoubtibly wayyyy better, and it sounds great, and looks fantastic too. Super choice! - TONE
Thanks for the comment Tone! It really sounds better in person and I am happy with the change. The only downside to it was the anti-skate. I like the Rega magnetic design but I am betting they have a patent on it so no one else will want to pay their competitor to use it.
Hello Paul the difference between the 2 tone arms was fairly dramatic to My ears. overtime you will come to appreciate the difference more I believe.
Congratulations, and thank you for letting me know about this very interesting Tone arm.
Also congratulations for getting your WAF filled up enough to get some new cool gear.
I always enjoy your videos My friend, Cheers Ron
Thanks Ron. A couple of years back I was tempted to get a Technics to place next to the Rega. When I even mentioned it to my wife, I got the response, 'What's wrong with the turntable you got? Isn't one enough?' So I had to drop the thought. She knows I've been eyeing some of the high mass designs though but I am content to sit on it for awhile. The new arm coupled with my new cart, are creating a nice soundstage.
Dang now dig the opening here! catching this in the a.m. ☕️morning 👋🏻☕️Paul great to see you! Love the gear vids! Thank you in advance watching😳...have a good day and week ahead- Lis
Thanks Lis. My family is out for a bit, leaving me alone at home. So I am free to play records on a whim if I want too ;) The upsides and downsides of family life.
@@BarakaPDub well then happy Father’s Day my friend!👏🏻
Thank you Lis!
Hey, Paul. It’s always great to see a new video from you. Beautiful tonearm. The AudioMods 6 seemed to have a bit more clarity and a weightier sound to it. I wasn’t even aware that Rega arms were internally grounded. I love tweaking my turntables too, adjustable VTA being somewhat of a must, and love modding most other audio gear of mine too, so I completely understand. Most warranties don’t stand a chance. A good light above your turntable is also an absolute must. Excellent vid as usual. Thanks, Paul!
Thanks Nick. I swore if I ever got a new turntable, an arm with adjustable VTA was a must, as I like trying out different carts with different profiles from time to time. So even though I won't be getting a new table at the moment, this arm was a bit of a win/win for me. I also like to see what small changes in the VTA will do to the sound of record to try and get the rake angle at around 92 degrees.
@@BarakaPDub what's the best angle you found does it give you minutes of degrees?
Paul beautiful tone arm man this opens up horizons for listening to vinyl I definitely down the line am thinking of this but first I’m going to upgrade cartridge that dynavecter or Hanna cartridges . Love that Uber light it one on my wantlist Paul this review was very informative love it. Lovellandrew
A new cart will make the biggest change in sound to your rig. If you haven't switched over to a Moving Coil cartridge yet, I would go that route. I am a bit biased towards the Dynavector. All of their carts are great and well regarded. You just to make sure your phono stage can handle it with an extremely low loading.
Hi Paul,
Nice to see someone else talking about this fabulous tonearm of Jeff's. I've been using one paired with a Dynavector XV-1s now for a couple of years having ordered mine soon after they became available. I also tried it briefly with a Hana ML and Lyra Delos. Each of those cartridges painted a completely different sonic picture which leads me to believe that it is adding very little sound of it's own to what comes through your speakers. It's been set and forget. At about $1500 it's not inexpensive but competes toe to toe with the likes of SME V and other uber arms.
Thanks for the great comment Playback! I have mounted a new cart on to the arm now and I hope to do a comparison just to see what kind of sonic picture it paints. Personally, I am a Dyna man and I bet that XV-1 sounds really good!
@@BarakaPDub I'm leaning towards DS Audio D1 or DS 003 myself for the next cartridge exploration. Really intrigued by this new technology which is really the first major change in cartridge design since the into of MC cartridges.
actually a big improvement ... your element thanks you with finally showing it quality...
Thanks Eric! Glad you were able to pick up on the differences.
This was awesome to watch and also the improvement in sound with your new tone arm. Great video intros!!
Thank you. I only wish I had some representative sample before I started to upgrade and/or hack my own turntable. That way, I would have a good baseline for people to see how much of a difference all the upgrades made. Maybe sometime in the future. Thanks for watching Now Spinning TV.
Really enjoyed this video. This looks like a lovely tonearm, Paul. Bravo, sir!
Thank you sir. I am glad you enjoyed it.
Hey Paul. Boo on Rega not correcting that problem even though they are aware of it. I got an education on the tonearm aspect. The light over the turntable is very cool. Definitely comes in handy late at night when you're trying to wind down and chill with some tunes! Always fun to see your upgrades! I'd never be able to tweak my setup by myself. Hehe! I'd probably bust it.
I've been using the light quite a bit recently, just to lay back and play nothing but music, laying in a lounge chair. The upgrades seem daunting but really, it's not that difficult. Cartridge mounting on the other hand...that can be a huge pain in the bottom at times. Some carts, it's just damn challenging to get it mounted correctly. Thanks for watching Hanna.
Paul is in the house!
Yeah...it's been awhile. Changed jobs at work and the new one is sucking up a lot of my time.
Good videos, thanks for sharing. I have a similar experience with my Nottingham Ace Spacedeck/Ace Spacearm performance. Being a structural engineer with the focus on designing composite material such as carbon fiber to mitigate structural deficiencies, I understand why you prefer this tone arm. I’m looking into upgrading my TT in the near future and I’ve been considering the upcoming Rega NAIA with its interesting CF design. I agree with you, I would like to use other cartridges than Rega’s, such as Hana/Koetsu, unfortunately the Purple Heart isn’t available any more. Do you still have your PH cartridge and do you still like it? Good taste in music too!
Thanks Mahab. Yes, still running with the Kiseki and it's odd, they seem to have disappeared. I did a search on Music Direct and Acoustic Sounds and sure enough, they are no longer available from them. I wonder if its an artifact of COVID. Lots of things being sourced from Japan are in short supply.
Amazing system but it has gone above my head. Married to an accountant lol. Good info. My wife is not one, I could just say I spent a $100 and she would say okay. I do appreciate the listening samples, that was very cool to hear. Steve
Thanks Steve. I think my wife would scream if she knew how much I've spent on records ;P Hope Puerto Rico is treating you well.
Hi Paul. Love the adjustability of the new tone arm. It's always fun to fiddle around and learn about the different parameters. The RB300 is a classic, and it is amazing Rega is still using the same principle design. Hahah, vinyl is an addiction, but tweaking stuff too :) Have a great week. Cheers. /Paul
Thanks Paul and sorry for my delayed response. I've been taking a bit of a break from UA-cam. Rega's Tone Arm does have some nice features. I do like the magnetic anti-skate and I wish other arms would use it but I am betting Rega has a patent on the design.
Hi Paul, thank you for the video Ive been eying this tonearm for a while. It does sound like an improvement, but I had no idea you were a mechanical engineer. I just entered my 2nd year as a mechanical engineering major. So seeing you mention the material and benefits of carbon fiber dissipating vibration was great. Great video, love the channel. Thanks!
And you want to know the funny thing...I hated vibrations when I was going to school. I had a class on vibrations, which I did terribly in, and I remember saying to myself, when the hell am I ever going to use this? I was more of a heat transfer guy. Low and behold, I'm head deep in a hobby that's all about vibrations and I have a job where vibes are one of the biggest concerns. Thanks for watching David!
This was awesome. I could definitely hear alot more details with the new tonearm. The Rega tonearm was good but there was an audible improvement. When I quit buying records and actually save some money, I'm going to upgrade my turntable. I definitely want to make sure that I have a great tonearm and cartridge. That's where a big part of the budget will be spent.
The light is cool as well. I have a little spot in the kitchen that I have to stand at to see the deadwax. Lol. It would be nice to see the deadwax (and the dirt) in the proper spot. What a fun video and I really liked the music played throughout.
Hello Melinda and thanks for watching. The desire to upgrade never ends ;) I am doing my best to try and slow down on the record buying. I am running out of physical space so diverting funds to the tonearm went in place during COVID. IMO, a change in cartridge will make a bigger change to your sound. Switching to good Moving Coil cartridge made a big change. I did install a new cart which I hope to review here soon. You could see it in some of the photos I spliced into the video. The light is cool and to be honest, it would work better in a dedicated listening set up where you could leave it in place. My set up is shared with our living room television so I don't leave it place long term.
The biggest upgrade for record players ot the cart and phono stage...fact!
The difference in tone arms is astounding. Minute, sure, but I think it will pay dividends in those quieter moments, fuller soundscapes where you may have multiple sounds blended but not screaming loud and probably the most in headphone listening. And all those dials, knobs and adjustments I know are right up your alley. Fantastic. Thanks for sharing Paul.
So it has taken me forever to respond Tim...been breaking from UA-cam for a few weeks. In person, especially with the new cart I hope to review, it's been magical. The sound stage and sonics seem much more natural.
Got a little something on the way to you by the way. There is no note with it but I hope you will enjoy it.
@@BarakaPDub Paul, I love the depth you do on these, makes me think long and hard about my upgrades. When I do I will rely on you for sure.
I did get the package today and and I am speechless sir. Truly a wonderful selection and I am humbled you thought of me. I sent a message on IG as well, in case you see this first. You need to talk to the office and come out here for a business trip. Its time you visit the coast office ;)
Dude you are the king of effects and editing and I haven’t even progressed past the intro! Great music also, Ok, back to your video ;) Are you a FinalCutPro user?
All of my edits are done in Premiere Pro and the a lot of the graphics/effects are done in After Effects. I pretty much invested in the Adobe architecture for good or bad but the video thing is another hobby for me. The UA-cam channel allows me to merge both hobbies, record collection and videography, together.
Nice upgrade, Paul! I’ve been waiting for you to make this video ever since you said you got a new tonearm for your turntable. It’s really nice to have an adjustable VTA now. I have a Rega P3 turntable and I Love it. I want to upgrade the Subplatter, Platter & get the Rega Neo TT PSU for it eventually. Take care!
Thanks George. I hope you'll get to start on the upgrade path soon. I still recommend doing the subplatter first. That modification was the one that made the biggest impact on the sound.
@@BarakaPDub Is this table in the video a P3? That arm looks freaking awesome! (Especially the "sexy late night" shot). Nice video. Thanks for all the great info. Looks like it might be time for a new arm...
Hi Paul,
Great video ! 👍️
You convinced me to go with the series 6 for my RP8 rather than upgrading to the Rega RB3000.
I just ordered it from Jeff and I can't wait to get it... !😊
Good choice Soundfreek. I think you'll be getting a lot more out of this arm vs. what you get on the RB3000. The design on the RB3000 is no different than the other models and it only uses higher quality parts. Thanks so much for watching!
I don't know if you saw it yet but I threw in some Mighty Blimp boots in the video that I posted the other day. Let me know if you are buying any of the newer ones. Killer Highlights sounds good as does the Berkeley Daze shows~
Rob/Boston
Hey Rob. I caught that video, early in the morning yesterday, while running on my treadmill. I loved it! Where are you grabbing those bootlegs? I was really impressed with the Berkeley Box with the replica Will Stout art. That one I would be very tempted to get. The band was always on fire when they played L.A. or the surrounding area.
Fantastic system you have there Paul. Between you and the one and only Ian in Japan. Nobody does it better. I would love to know how hard this would be to set up the AudioMod 6 Tonearm onto my Technics 1200 mk2? It kind of sounds like Floyd Rose. Once you lock it in there is very little tweaking it. I kind of like to play around with my settings from time to time. Well done as always brother Paul~
Rob/Boston
So supposedly, you could mount the arm on a Technics. There are photos out there of people mounting them to a Technics table. Several times I have been tempted to by an old 1200 mk2 but the wife has shut me down on both counts. If I ever buy a bigger house, with a dedicated record room, getting a mk2 is high on the list.
@@BarakaPDub I have a diy lenco ptp turntable that I'm enjoying very much but like you I also want a DD turntable. Preferable the sp15 but the 1200 would be good too
should be ok as long as the spindle to pivot point is correct what can be made correct with the right arm board what is the length of the Technics arm with overhang.
You get some laminated rosewood at 22 degrees offset to each other, glued with resin. what I have done with another tables to the thickness and size of the diameter hole the outer ring, and mount it in there with nylon washers you just need to drill the hole for the tonearm shaft and the right spindle to pivot distance with overhang.
You really need to remove the transformer and power supply circuit bored a big mistake for the Technics turntable and put it in an old metal case computer power supply fixing the BNC 75ohms plug to the turntable
Hi Paul,
Even though your turntable is no "Rega" anymore, it's very interesting to see how technical modifications affect the sound. Have fun with your setup!
Thanks Kara Ben Nemsi. I just wished I had documented a little bit more from the get go, where I used one record and recorded the same sound sample throughout the process.
Holly cow !! Dynamics are amazing
Yeah. It was a huge step up for me in person. Something that's hard to replicate in UA-cam but I am glad it's coming through. Thanks for watching Jerry.
Wow! That was a noticeable difference in a positive way ; a lot has to do though in getting the proper VTA on your cartridge . Dialed in properly your Dyna really began to shine! Audio mods has been at it for a long time ( their earlier modded Regas are great ) so has Origin Live ! They also make fabulous Rega mount tone arms as well as a terrific mods for Rega arms ; the Origin live 250 was one of my all time favourites! BDR (Black Diamond Racing) make sweet little feet for the Rega as well ! (Very Affordable ) if you wish to tweak even more ! Thanks for a very revealing video even with the compressed sound the difference you could hear a distinctive difference , keep spinning!
Thanks for the comment Nigel. I had investigated Origin once, a very long time ago, and never bothered to look at them again. I will definitely check out the BDR feet. I think Music Direct our of Chicago had those at one point.
Hey Paul,
Great to see you. It's been a while. I really enjoyed this video. I'll be honest .I have zero experience in upgrading my turntable. . But it was great hearing the difference a tone arm can make. I have quite a bit I should do to my turntable. ..like chance my stylus. ..currently using a Otfon Red...and everything else is the stock stuff with this Project turntable.
Still sounds decent but I'm sure a few mods could make it much better. ...oh and I love the light idea...especially since I'm a deadwax fanatic.
Take care and I hope you are enjoying the new Projekt Gemineye album - " In the Year 3073-Book II ". ....I'm assuming you received it?
Mark Anthony K
Projekt Gemineye
Hello Mark! So a new cart will make the biggest change in sound to your turntable. The nice thing about the Ortofon Red's is that your can upgrade to a Blue just by buying the replacement stylus. I gather the bodies of the Red and Blues are compatible. I really like that Ortofon did that because it's a simple plug and play upgrade. I did get In The Year 3073- Book II. It's fantastic Mark and I am glad to hear your signing another act to your label ;)
I have the previous series 5 installed on my lenco ptp turntable and I can attest it is a very very good tonearm.
Thanks for chiming in rockness87. I've seen several photos of people putting them on their Lenco. Originally, I wanted to get a series 5 but held off.
I admire you for doing these tweaks. Not something I’d probably tackle. I used to have some hum w my RP6 but none whatsoever with my RP8 Switching to a Hana MC cart is the biggest upgrade I’ve done in the past year. Nice video Paul ✌🏻
Hello Norman grats on the Hana MC very nice
When you go up to the RP8 and the RP10, you better not have any hum at all. I bet they're doing a lot more QC on those tables. Or at least they should be with the price. I do like the skeletal plinth design. That will dampen the resonance even further. I highly recommend folks go MC if they can afford it. I have heard nice things about the Hana.
Nice setup Paul. All I got is old 70’s Technics equipment setup by a Russian Sasha whose repair shop is a front for selling coke out the back lol
Ha. Nothing wrong with Technics. Those things were and still are built like tanks. I wanted to bring one into the house a couple of years back to ride side saddle but the wife gave me the evil eye when I proposed the idea.
😅😂🤣
@@BarakaPDub should have said look at all those shoes stack side by side what's the difference lol and I bet they are expensive some of them and not even used
Yes! Your next upgrade must be the flogging of the REGA. I did exactly that ten years ago and I felt like I had moved from a congested town to the mountains. like moving from a subway station to a home at the beach.
Have you ever tried to keep your Rega at a constant speed for half an hour?
I flogged the cheap Rega quality for extraordinary engineering of a 60 years old product that belonged to my late Father: A Lenco L78 player.
All I had to do as the tonearm was not a standard Lenco one, was the replacement of the V blocks, a new totally rectified and calibrated traction wheel; a set of copper rings to allow the adjustment of the tonearm height, and last but not least, a Copper and Cork platter mat. After a good clean-up and lubrication, it was ready to go and replace the laughable REGA. Sorry to all Rega lovers but that is what I feel about all Rega products from turntables to amps and also cartridges...sadly laughable.
Thanks for watching and commenting Mario. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond but my next turntable will not be a Rega for the reasons you described ;)
Hey Paul, great overview! The proof is, as they say, in the pudding. Subtle or not the Audiomods had more definition and clearness in the samples, at least to my ears. I know you like to tweak so I'm sure this was a fun project for you and with positive results. How hard was it to sit on the tonearm upgrade project for 5+ months? By your recent Instagram posting it looks like you are giving the new tonearm a nice workout. I've been enjoying seeing the variety of what you've been listening to. The light was cool too. I like the different light settings it gave you. Take care, Paul! Have a great week! -Bill
Thanks Bill. So it was hard to sit on the arm for so long and really, the cartridge mounting it the challenging part a times to get everything set correctly. I needed a long, family free afternoon and with COVID, those have been a rarity as of late. My evenings have been family free for a couple of hours so that's allowed me plenty of spin time. Thanks for watching Bill. Can't wait to see your footage from your NC trip.
I like the Triplanar tone arm.
I like the Triplanar design too and I would love to hear one in person.
@@BarakaPDub It’s expensive af tho! But one of the most beautiful tonearms I’ve ever seen, and I love its adjustability. Its bearing is used by military and only can be had if you are given clearance. Only Triplanar has it.
Hi Paul! Great video, I'll probably pick that light up myself. I have a question for you about something else though. I Myself have the Rega Planar 1 turntable and I'm wanting to buy the Nagaoke mp110 + the Schiit Mani. My only doubt is, my Onkyo TX-8250 receiver has a phono pre amp built in already. Would it be a waste to get the schiit Mani and would it even work on my Onkyo TX8250 receiver? Would be amazing if you could let me know! Have a wonderful day.
So just to add to my other response...so I have a Marantz 8801 Pre-Amp with a Phono. The Schiit outshines my Marantz phono by a mile and I really wasn't surprised. The Pre-Amps and Receivers try and cram so much electronics in the box that they have to make certain sacrifices in the design and hit a certain price point. I think you should hear a big difference with the combo.
Just stopping by to say hello👍 by the way, it's been a few years, time to check the status of your Mofi inner sleeves😁
Ha...No issues so far. Not like the one bad batch I got.
Happy Fathers Day My Friend !!
Thank you sir. I had a few hours to play records which had been a challenge during COVID.
Hi Paul
You know, I would have liked to see a video of the removal of your Rega tone arm and the installation of the AudioMods 6 Tonearm, also highlighting the differences between the two, i.e. the adjustability features of the AudioMods 6 against the non-adjustability features of the Rega tonearm..
Hope you give my suggestion some thought.
BL
Hello Bob. So that was kind of the game plan going in to this and I did shoot some footage but I started to get annoyed because my window for mounting the arm was limited. I had a couple of guests coming that same evening ruined that complete video install plan. It takes a bit of time to set up the camera to get the different angles needed for it.
Jeff Spall's instructions for the mounting are okay but I wish there was a little more guidance on the initial drop in. Overall, I didn't find it too complicated.
why new cartridge and what is it?
Do you know the difference between length of that tonearm and for the Linn, has he got a phone number ends 698 is that correct, got a link don't do emails. I can't go on his website it flashes up as a security issue! Got a link cheers!
Yes it's sounding good, I am interested looking at the dynavector tonearm looks interesting I don't know what that's like if that's better or not then this.
I'm curious what type of cable use with the tonearm I suppose it's silver coated copper internal litz wire? Is there a connection at the other end din plug? And what rca or lxr cable is it using ? is that straight to your phono stage or to sockets?
Hello John. The new cart, which you saw in a few photos is a Kiseki Purple Heart. I have been breaking it in and will do review of it down the road. Jeff's number is +44 (0)1304 379698 if you want to give him a call. And I failed to mention it but it's all silver litz wiring which I am pretty sure is tied directly into the RCAs and fed directly into my phono stage.
I feel out of the loop on this one... I had an LP-60 for 3 years and just got an LP-120.. that is now non functional. Why? In the process of cleaning my stylus with my poop slime (If you do not know about that... sorry.. It is a "thing".. Not all can afford that onzo stuff...lolol) I was not paying attention and clipped the stylus with the plastic container and bend it.. I tried to carefully bend it back and it snapped off. So... I will say this... Even for blatent "non-audiophiles" like me.... and with UA-cams compression... I was able to hear a significant difference in your examples. Now to be Vinyl-less until my next check.... I am sending my love as always! Have a great week Paul!
Ouch!!! Yeah, those styli are extremely delicate. Hopefully, your can get a replacement head shell for the LP-120 without having to purchase a whole brand new cartridge.
I bought a planar 3 when it first came out (before the Rega 6 and 8 were upgraded), I then added the Grovetracer subplatter, Mr Lim double pulley, and a Neo PSU when it became available
. Last year I replaced the Rega 330 tonearm with an Audiomods 6. Very happy with all the improved performance BUT the dust cover doesn't clear the tonearm. Any suggestions other then having one custom made? Thanks for all you do for the vinyl community.
Hello Steven. The arm brace definitely creates an issue with the dust cover. I know some people have purchased rubber cushions from hardware stores. The kind that are used with cabinets and have placed them in the corners. The down side is that there is no complete seal but it doesn't look terrible. There are people on the Vinyl Engine that have had different DIY solutions to it.
Nice tonearm Paul...Im thinking of upgrading my Jelco arm in my Nottingham turntable....beautiful arm....I like the. VTA adjustment on the fly....I can hear the difference sounds more like live music...enjoy it !!!....Ed in New York....😎🗽🏙
Thanks Heriberto. I am enjoying it and on my system, I am hearing better resolution in the playback. I am sure you might be able to mount this guy on the Nottingham turntable.
Hi , Do you think the ToneArm Audiomods 6 series will perform better than the ToneArm Rega RB880 from a Planar 8 ?
I personally think it would be a step up because of all of the individual adjustments you can make. While the RB880 is not a bad arm, the only thing that advances it is the quality of the bearings and materials used in the manufacturing. Keep in mind, that's only my opinion.
Hope you still like it, just ordered one to replace the P10 stock arm, hope it is better
Did you get it installed on your P10? I just like how you can adjust so much more than the original design. I honestly think Rega should change their designs on their higher end models to allow for more adjustments.
@BarakaPDub sorry no I have had rough December, I had a fall and dislocated my left shoulder and have been dealing with severe pain since the 2nd week of December, than I caught the chest infection that's going around Christmas weekend and still am fighting that, I am exhausted I will get better soon I hope. I star PT Monday for my shoulder trying to avoid a shoulder replacement st my age :(
Hi Paul, happy to see you in s new video, honestly, rega tonearms are very basic. I tweaked one like you and it improved a lot but upgrading to a better model is far more interesting, so I did, when you are going to buy a new turntable, buy one, which makes it possible to have 2 or 3 tonearms at the same time, you will feel more satisfaction, have fun,
Hello Enrico. That's my dream table. I would at least like to have one that allows for two arms to be mounted as I would like to have one where I can do a dedicated Mono configuration.
@@BarakaPDub if you are interested I can send you a picture and explain how and why I have 3 tonearms, do you have an email address?
what is the turntable model in this video?
The difference for me was not subtle, I found the AudioMod clearly cleaner and more detailed which made the individual strands of the music more discernible and therefore the overall musical experience more engaging. I listened on my headphone setup which is made up of the following: Apple iMac/Schitt Modi/Little Dot MkII/Sennheiser HD600.
Thanks msee. I am glad you could pick up on the difference and I like your lineage there for digital listening. Do you like your Schitt Modi? I've been thinking about picking one up for office listening.
@@BarakaPDub Thank you. I don't have a wide range of experience with different DACs, however I use the Schitt on my headphone system but prefer the more laid back sound of my SMSL Sanskrit 6 and linear PSU in my speaker system - Mac mini/Marantz PM6006/Elac B6.2
Salve Paul anch'io come te con gli anni ho stravolto il mio Rega ,mi manca solo il braccio è mi piacerebbe sapere come sta andando dopo 1 anno . Buone feste dall Italia
Che bello sentire un altro utente della Rega. Grazie per la visione e buon anno nuovo
If you play a slightly warped record on a technics, will it scratch or push the arm back cuz my copy of The Time- Shake 12" is slightly warped and I tried it on the Jenson portable record player and on one part, it pushed the arm back so I'll just wait till I get my Panasonic record player stereo out of storage.
If the record is really badly warped, I don't recommend playing it. You won't really damage the arm but you could damage the grooves of the record. You may want to try flattening the record.
Sounds to me like you took a backward step with your new tonearm. The Rega has more dynamics, harmonics and weight. Don't know about the hum though, I could not hear it.
Totally Agree - unfortunately most watching this WILL listen with their eyes!
His original RB303 arm is not even as good as a RB330(the latest incarnation of the legendary RB300)so a move to that arm would`ve made more sense sound quality wise, but the real upgrade is a RB880 I do understand how some Rega RB Tonearm users would be fooled into thinking that these arms(modified RB Tonearms,I had TWO by the way!)are a "upgrade",I would say it`s a sideways move at best,as long as the end user is happy & still enjoying the music that`s the main thing.
Different strokes for different folks I guess. I still prefer the AudioMods for the adjustable VTA, Litz wiring, and decoupled ground (earth) wire.
@@evowhite777 not really a modified Rega though, is it? The other Audiomods arms only used the lift and the arm tube and that's it; the Series 6 is completely bespoke. Btw not saying which sounds is better as I'm watching on my phone and listening via Bluetooth... Clearly different though.
I may try something different one day but I will never get rid of my Technics sl 1200 MK5 . Love my Technics sl 1200 MK5, purchased in 2016 and over 10,000 trouble-free hours on it so far. Great tone arm that accepts many cartridges and there are many upgrades available. I have not tried any moving coil cartridges yet but the ortofon 2m black and Audio Technica at440mlb sound really good run through a project tube box s phono preamp.
I would never ditch a Technics SL 1200 at all. Those things are built like tanks and are great sounding decks. I highly recommend going MC when you're looking to change. I started out with a 2M Black but when I stepped up to an MC step up, I was a world of difference.
Paul first time viewer who apreciates the Audiomods review just wish it went into what for me is the vexing issue of removable vs fixed headshells.I had a Rega way back when (P3) and there philosop'hy is rgigidity screw everything else.And when you hear people talk ab out SME V being suchan upgrade from removable 309 headshell it's about continuity of wire no break in leads etc.But there is no denying that the SME bayonet connector on many arms is a lot easier when swapping cartiges be it a Technics or now Schick,Groovemaster,et al.Now the reviews,price,apperance etc of Mr.Small arms look great I am wondering if for me who now wants the ability to easilyb awap carts that this is a not a dealmkiller.To me the SME 309 was less than ideal bec ause like the Audiomods 6 it was a half measure between sonics of a fixed headshell or a one screw mount like 309 and the 6.Yes you ahve to dthe basic set of of VTA,VTF,etc but seems a lot easier with the bayonet and collar (hey think of that plastic tube one can do an instant overhang setting now that's covemient).Well any thoughts on this issue?Great site man
Cheers
Chazz
The bayonet mount, to me, has always been something I've wanted to try but it's hard for me to justify the means. I think if I had a good Mono cart, I would probably go for one but I normally, try to get about 700 hours of play in a cart before looking to swap. I don't have any first had experience with a bayonet but the additional piece adds to another item that needs to be checked and could throw your sound off a tad. That's the fun about these things, all of the design trades. I don't think there is a perfect arm out there and it all boils down to user preference. Thanks for watching and commenting Charles.
I had no problem hearing the difference with these mono records. There's a lot less stored energy in the Audiomods which translates into much better articulation.
Thanks Martin. I am feeling much the same and to me, it sounds much better in person but I am glad the differences are coming across in UA-cam.
Hi, have you tried blu spec CDs?
Hello Gabriel. Yes, I have a couple I purchased when I was in Japan. The Japanese swear by them but I honestly couldn't tell the difference in the audio. I don't know if they're still making them now since SHM CDs have become the latest rage.
@@BarakaPDub I have heaven beach by Anri & strawberry time by seiko matsuda.
The heaven beach blu spec cd is compressed, limiting the dynamic range, it’s really loud & the channels are reversed.
Great video Paul. It does look sexy. That's a good enough reason for me. Us audiogeeks sure like to spend money on our music. I tweet too. Retirement with cancer makes my wife give me the evil eye on me spending large sums of money. I enjoyed this.
I hear you on the evil eye. I get that now whenever a new record arrives at our door from the postman because I have way too much. I hope you're getting that cancer beat by the way!
Those arms look nice, especially for the price. You forgot to mention Rega's lack of azimuth adjustment, which to me is an even greater sin of omission than the lack of vta/sra. Maybe I'll sell a couple of other tonearms and get one, I love the gold plated counterweight!😉
Yeah...I didn't do a very good job at describing all of the adjustments but you can adjust the azimuth on this arm as well. I also failed to mention the silver litz wiring as well. I suck!
Nah, you did a good job! And it was nice getting a close look at these. I remember when he was drilling holes in stock Rega arm tubes, etc., he's come a long way. A lot of arm for the money.
Curious if anyone can speak to whether this arm significantly improves the ease of cartridge instalation & adjustment versus most intermediate or entry-level arms.
Easy is a bit of a relative term. There are a few more things you can do with the arm, like adjust your Vertical Tracking Angle. The arm height can be adjusted far more easily versus putting in a spacer. With all of these additional parameters, it can make it a bit more daunting but it's worth it if you get it dialed in just right.
Thanks for the replies. This tonearm looks like a good replacement for the original carbon arm on my older Pro - Ject RPM 10. It came with similar points of adjustment, but they're executed a bit crudely and seem to require the end-user have a 3rd & 4th set of hands.
should not be knocking rega too much when you consider the price gap between the ywo arms
Don't get me wrong. I think the Rega arms are the best for the entry level design and I love their magnetic antiskate.
In a video we can not note the soundstage...which may make a big difference....
True, very true! I am glad you picked up on that difference hbaboris!
I would bet the tonearm wiring and material would make up most of the turntable cost.
The wiring is silver litz and that's what many of the higher priced arms use.
Nice video as always Paul.
I think its as you said, quite subtle, but the new tonearm seems less rolled off perhaps. Its always questionable to me though as, if fine tonearm adjustments are believed to make a difference too, how do we know its all not just due to the Rega lacking a spacer or two lets say. Im not of that mindset but it seems troublesome to believe both create and impact, how do we know which is at play?
Good point Leon and that might make for a fun video. One of the things I have wanted to try is to see if I can't glean a little bit more out of older Mofi pressings with a change in VTA. The early 80s Mofi's never sounded super stellar for me but they were pressed on very thin vinyl. I wanted to adjust the VTA on the fly to see what difference it would make on the sounds.
@@BarakaPDub Do try it and report back. When Ive personally tried on fly adjustments like Anti Skate, VTA and Azimuth there hasnt been much change on the overall sound. In my mind they are just lessening the tracking distortion when set optimal. I think you will find that Stan Rickers early Half Speeds will always have a bit of a strange sound unless there is a drastic change in the frequency spectrum output, but who knows.
Audiomod much more open, delicate and probably has a better sound stage, real difference to my ears
Thanks ERG Loo for commenting. In person, I know I am hearing an increased sound stage and I am not sure how well this was going to come across on UA-cam.
I think the give and take - Aluminum Tone Arm wand vs. CF tone arm wand - is yes (as you said) CF posesses 'slightly' higher dampening characteristics, however, in my experinces (and others I know), alloy arm wands carry over a better tonality - high / mid / and low end with most phono carts. I used to run a Clearaudio Satisfy (aluminum arm wand) with a Lyra Lydian Beta (Soundsmith ruby cantilever) cart. I sold it (w/o the cart) and purchased the Satisfy Carbon. I ran it for about 3 months. I found that Bass extension became looser and a bit mudier with the CF wand. I sold it and repurchased the same tonearm again with Aluminum wand. Nevertheless, the choice you made with that tonearm is undoubtibly wayyyy better, and it sounds great, and looks fantastic too. Super choice! - TONE
Thanks for the comment Tone! It really sounds better in person and I am happy with the change. The only downside to it was the anti-skate. I like the Rega magnetic design but I am betting they have a patent on it so no one else will want to pay their competitor to use it.
Lol are you kidding it was night and day. But only if your monitoring is up to scratch
Cool. Yep. If you have good gear, I am hoping you'll hear a difference. Thanks for chiming in Mr. X!
More cleaner sound
Thank for commenting and watching. I am glad you found the sound to be a bit better.