Rega RB600 Rewire.

I see this in the near future. Probably with a incognito rewire Kit. I might make a youtube video out of it.

I'm considering rewiring my Rega P25 with bulk Cardas 4x33 gauge cable, which I believe is what the Incognito kit uses at it's core.

Cardas makes fantastic cables, very neutral and transparent. The Incognito kit should be a great match and take your P25 to the next level. 

Keep us updated!

I got my Incognito rewire in today. It took me about 1 hours and 30 minutes. Holy Shit!! Its like I have a brand new TT. The Sound-Floor is black as Hell. Seperation of instrument is astounding! Amazing Prat. love it. I could not be happier. During my install I realized that who ever assembled my Tonearm was a complete moron and it was probably the worst Quality assurance I have seen in a long time.

1. The main reason why I decided to install new wires is because I noticed splits and bare wire showing at the point where the rubber gromit meets the head shell.

Here is a picture:



1. Whoever assembled the cabling must of broken the blue lead because it was soldered on!  Man, was I pissed!!! The white And green wire were showing bare wire and the red was crimped.

2. Basic Cabling 101! The original wire in my rb600 were not twisted where as the incognito were twisted Blue/white, red/green. Very basic. Done to minimize crosstalk.  yet it wasn't done.

I'm in love with my Rega P25!!!!

Wow, that's awesome! Can't wait to hear it in a new video.

It looks like someone modified your tonearm cable and terminated it with aftermarket connectors since mine look radically different:

[attach=1]

The cables on my RB600 are thick all the way through the tonearm. The individual wires are one continuous piece, from cartridge connectors to the Neutrik, spring loaded RCA's. The connectors in your photo don't look OEM.

Wow, that's awesome! Can't wait to hear it in a new video.

It looks like someone modified your tonearm cable and terminated it with aftermarket connectors since mine look radically different:

[attach=1]

The cables on my RB600 are thick all the way through the tonearm. The individual wires are one continuous piece, from cartridge connectors to the Neutrik, spring loaded RCA's. The connectors in your photo don't look OEM.

I put on those cardas connectors around 5 years ago, I never noticed the breakage in the wire before and I definitely didn't notice the blue wire solder since it was in the Rubber gromit. Jammin to Duke Pearson's Wahoo LP. OMG GOD! 

Wow, that's awesome! Can't wait to hear it in a new video.

It looks like someone modified your tonearm cable and terminated it with aftermarket connectors since mine look radically different:

[attach=1]

The cables on my RB600 are thick all the way through the tonearm. The individual wires are one continuous piece, from cartridge connectors to the Neutrik, spring loaded RCA's. The connectors in your photo don't look OEM.

That's odd! Is your tonearm wire stock? Because the only wire that I know of on rega's that go directly from leads to rca jacks (1 piece) is on the P9. I know that the p5 or p7 are not one continous piece. Here is a pic from the Wire that I removed and you see it soldered on:

Wow, that's awesome! Can't wait to hear it in a new video.

It looks like someone modified your tonearm cable and terminated it with aftermarket connectors since mine look radically different:

[attach=1]

The cables on my RB600 are thick all the way through the tonearm. The individual wires are one continuous piece, from cartridge connectors to the Neutrik, spring loaded RCA's. The connectors in your photo don't look OEM.

That's odd! Is your tonearm wire stock? Because the only wire that I know of on rega's that go directly from leads to rca jacks (1 piece) is on the P9. I know that the p5 or p7 are not one continous piece. Here is a pic from the Wire that I removed and you see it soldered on:

I assumed it was stock, but I did buy it used, so maybe it was changed before I got it. I read conflicting stories about what wire was used in the P25. One review said the one-piece P9 cable was used, another site claimed an upgraded 'Klotz GY 107' cable was used. When I removed my tonearm to install the adjustable VTA, I checked my cable and it's one continuous piece with no solder tabs from the cartridge connectors through the tonearm, and into the heavy cables leading out to the Neutrik RCA's.

One thing I find strange about my tonearm is that it's missing the molded lifting arm on the side of the headshell. Instead, it has a short piece of metal screwed onto the top of the headshell. It's the only Rega arm I ever seen like that. Was that another modification made by the previous owner, or did it come from Rega that way? I have no idea.

Well, I stand corrected! I think the Rb1000 is not one continous piece. Check out Pic #13

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/factory%20tour4.htm

Well, I stand corrected! I think the Rb1000 is not one continous piece. Check out Pic #13

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/factory%20tour4.htm

Wow, that's strange. Our RB600 is supposed to use a cable similar to the RB900 cable (Rega's flagship arm when the P25 was made), which some say is one piece, others say it's segmented. I guess they changed to a multi-section cable with the RB1000. Hmmm...

I'm beginning to suspect my cable was already replaced by the previous owner.

Did your original cable terminate with the black, spring loaded Neutrik RCA's?

Well, I stand corrected! I think the Rb1000 is not one continous piece. Check out Pic #13

http://www.rega.co.uk/html/factory%20tour4.htm

Wow, that's strange. Our RB600 is supposed to use a cable similar to the RB900 cable (Rega's flagship arm when the P25 was made), which some say is one piece, others say it's segmented. I guess they changed to a multi-section cable with the RB1000. Hmmm...

I'm beginning to suspect my cable was already replaced by the previous owner.

Did your original cable terminate with the black, spring loaded Neutrik RCA's?

The black cable which is Ground was terminated to the Blue on the Neutrk RCA. I have a seperate wire cable that I connect to my Cinemag. Have you ever tried disengaging the Spring mechanism (VTF) and dialing in the VTF with the tonearm? Some say that the Spring adds resonance and rings.

Modifying the tonearm spring scares me a bit. lol

I can see how it could create resonance and ring, but yanking it out could change the sound characteristics away from the quick, lively 'Rega' signature sound that I like so much. Removing the spring may deaden and dull the sound character, or it may brighten and thin out the sound, depending on the cartridge.

I know from my own experience with my Zyx cartridges, they love Rega tonearms - just the way they are. Both of my Zyx cartridges are a good match with the RB600 tonearm, but my Zyx R100H was a terrible match with the VPI Scoutmaster's uni-pivot arm. I know that's not a good analogy since the RB600 and JMW9 tonearms are like comparing apples to oranges, but it proved to me at least that cartridge/tonearm matching can have a dramatic influence on the sound quality.

Apart from maybe a lower noise floor (and a more accurate motor), I really can't imagine my Rega P25 sounding better than it already does. At this point, I would be hesitant to go beyond swapping out the stock wiring and counterweights. Rega may have tweaked the spring during the build process so the tracking force dial is more accurate and tampering with that could be akin to taking apart an automatic transmission; even if you put it back together the exact same way it came apart, it's never the same as it was when new.

Then again, my theory could be complete hogwash. lol   

I can see a slight advantage to using a spring, since the pressure could be more stable and consistent when the tonearm plays a thick 200G+ LP vs a thin LP, since the spring tension is the same with the tonearm being slightly above or below parallel to the platter. In theory, spring tension in either case would be more or less the same. I know that 'free' tonearms that use only a counterweight for tracking force can track lighter on thicker LP's and heavier on thin LP's, by as much as .05 grams.

The VPI uni-pivot was a nightmare for setting the VTF and I got the best results by making sure the scale was at the exact same height as the platter, plus the thickness of an average LP. If I placed the scale on top of the platter and set the VTF, then re-checked the VTF with the scale being closer to level with the platter, the tracking force would be slightly higher. When I tried the same experiment on my Rega P25, the tracking force was virtually the same above or below platter level.

I would like to hear before and after samples from someone who modified their turntable before making the decision to modify my own. 

Are you going to try it? 

Modifying the tonearm spring scares me a bit. lol

I can see how it could create resonance and ring, but yanking it out could change the sound characteristics away from the quick, lively 'Rega' signature sound that I like so much. Removing the spring may deaden and dull the sound character, or it may brighten and thin out the sound, depending on the cartridge.

I know from my own experience with my Zyx cartridges, they love Rega tonearms - just the way they are. Both of my Zyx cartridges are a good match with the RB600 tonearm, but my Zyx R100H was a terrible match with the VPI Scoutmaster's uni-pivot arm. I know that's not a good analogy since the RB600 and JMW9 tonearms are like comparing apples to oranges, but it proved to me at least that cartridge/tonearm matching can have a dramatic influence on the sound quality.

Apart from maybe a lower noise floor (and a more accurate motor), I really can't imagine my Rega P25 sounding better than it already does. At this point, I would be hesitant to go beyond swapping out the stock wiring and counterweights. Rega may have tweaked the spring during the build process so the tracking force dial is more accurate and tampering with that could be akin to taking apart an automatic transmission; even if you put it back together the exact same way it came apart, it's never the same as it was when new.

Then again, my theory could be complete hogwash. lol   

I can see a slight advantage to using a spring, since the pressure could be more stable and consistent when the tonearm plays a thick 200G+ LP vs a thin LP, since the spring tension is the same with the tonearm being slightly above or below parallel to the platter. In theory, spring tension in either case would be more or less the same. I know that 'free' tonearms that use only a counterweight for tracking force can track lighter on thicker LP's and heavier on thin LP's, by as much as .05 grams.

The VPI uni-pivot was a nightmare for setting the VTF and I got the best results by making sure the scale was at the exact same height as the platter, plus the thickness of an average LP. If I placed the scale on top of the platter and set the VTF, then re-checked the VTF with the scale being closer to level with the platter, the tracking force would be slightly higher. When I tried the same experiment on my Rega P25, the tracking force was virtually the same above or below platter level.

I would like to hear before and after samples from someone who modified their turntable before making the decision to modify my own. 

Are you going to try it? 

No need to yank the spring out. To disengage the spring, you have to put the dial pass the "3" and use to counterweight and a digital scale to dial in the vtf.

No need to yank the spring out. To disengage the spring, you have to put the dial pass the "3" and use to counterweight and a digital scale to dial in the vtf.

I'll give that a try later today.