Rega P9 User manual

Rega Research Limited, England
p9
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owners manual
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Mission Statement
Rega’s philosophy is to make high quality products at sensible
prices, as a means of reproducing music as faithfully as
possible. Rega is committed to the design and development of
new and existing products, both in hi-fi and other areas, that will
perpetuate Rega’s values of quality and value for money.
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Contents
Introduction.......................................1
Design Innovation..........................2-3
Caring for your P9............................4
Power Supply...............................5-6
Setup................................................7
Hints and Tips...................................8
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Your Rega P9 has been designed to be effective, easy
to use and above all - to reproduce music better than
any other turntable. We have omitted all the usual
gimmicks and genuinely concentrated the
manufacturing costs on the high quality components
and design necessary to reproduce records accurately.
For example: a complex sub-chassis suspension is
normally necessary to reduce motor noise. However
they are difficult to maintain and degrade performance.
Rega have designed a unique phase adjustable power
supply which eliminates motor vibration at source and
therefore eradicates the need for a suspension.
Rega's design skill and the use of extremely high quality
components ensure that your turntable will perform at
its optimum. The tips we give here may help to give you
maximum musical enjoyment and ease of use for many
years.
1
Introduction
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Tonearm
The New P9 has an extensively redesigned tonearm, the all new RB1000.
Many changes have been made to improve the original RB900 even further.
The aluminium tube has been polished rather than lacquered so as to reduce
the weight. The entire bearing housing is now manufactured from stainless
steel and all parts have been manufactured to exacting tolerances which are
apparent from the tonearms appearance.
The tonearm tube itself (which is a one piece silicone/aluminium casting) is
very rigid, whilst being low mass. The tonearm assembly is concentrated
around precision, hardened stainless steel, miniature ball races of the
highest quality. The bearings fit on to ground shafts and into the tonearm
using interference fits. This means that no adhesive is required and therefore
none of the associated (component - adhesive - component) losses in rigidity
prevail. It is fitted to the plinth by a 3-point fixing. This technique will cause
less stress on the plinth and the bearing housing of the tonearm, and
therefore the least possible resonance.
The RB1000 tonearm is designed to maximize the cantilever acceleration
and travel as much as possible with the utmost accuracy within the cartridge
body, thus providing new levels of information.
2
Design Innovation
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Platter
The platter is produced from a ceramic oxide powder which is compressed,
fired and diamond ground to size. (Because this platter is as stiff and hard
as sapphire, the only improvement that can be made would me to make it
from diamond.) This is again a first in the industry at volume production
levels. Even so, each platter takes many hours to produce. Expensive detail
design ensures it only sits on three points on the centre hub.
Plinth
The new P9 plinth is made from an even lighter material than the original
Planar which again offers advantages over its predecessor.
The plinth is of a skeletal design. This allows the mass to be reduced and the
rigidity increased in comparison to a solid section construction. All organic
materials used in the production of the plinth and surround are obtained from
sustainable sources.
Motor
The motor is a high specification, 24V twin phase synchronous unit
controlled by Rega's unique and innovative power supply. The motor drives
the computer-numerically-controlled (cnc) machined pulley and sub
platter/hub-bearing assembly via a twin belt drive. Two belts are used so that
any small inaccuracies in one belt will be cancelled out by the second, giving
unusually low levels of wow and flutter. A Mu-metal shield is used to minimise
extraneous electromagnetic radiation interfering with the cartridge.
3
Design Innovation
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4
Interconnects
We have used the highest quality XLR and phono connectors and low noise,
wide bandwidth interconnect cable. These are genuine professional products
and are the best available for the job. Do not attempt to fit any other wires or
cables.
The New Logo
The logo was designed to complement the turntable and tonearm from the
aspect of them being “cutting edge”. The design is clean, sharp and very
precise... which adds to the overall look of the turntable.
Design Innovation
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5
Transporting your P9
Should you need to transport your P9, to avoid any possible transit damage,
the following recommendations must be followed.
1. Remove tonearm balance weight and secure the arm in its rest with tape
or covered wire. This will ensure no sudden or violent movement is
transmitted to the delicate bearings.
2. Remove ceramic platter. When removing, hold down the metal hub at the
same time as lifting the platter on each side. When removing or replacing,
ensure it is done evenly to avoid chipping to the platter.
3. NEVER place your P9 upside-down or on its side. This would allow oil in
the hub/bearing assembly to leak and cause speed and or wear problems.
4. If you have to ship your turntable or use a carrier, use ALL the original
packaging. If in doubt ask your dealer.
Caring for your P9
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6
Power Supply
When the power supply is first switched on, the power L.E.D. in the power
switch will flash. 33 rpm is selected by pressing the 33 rpm button. Once
pressed 33 rpm is selected and the L.E.D will flash until the turntable has
settled. To deactivate 33 rpm press the button again or press 45 rpm. If 45
rpm is pressed then the L.E.D will flash again until the turntable has settled
at 45 rpm. To deactivate 45 rpm press the 45 rpm button again or 33 rpm.
When in the idle state the power L.E.D will flash. This is to show the power
supply is in standby mode and no output is present. The unit remains
powered up but in an idle state. i.e. the drive amplifier is disconnected
(muted) from the motor.
To switch off at any time, simply press the power switch.
The external power supply unit is a quart crystal locked system. To ensure
accurate speed stability of the platter motor, two quartz crystal control
reference oscillators have been utilised. This system produces a high
frequency (3 MHz for 33 and 4 MHz for 45) signal, which is then divided
Power Supply
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33
45
Power Switch Speed Change
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