Rega Research is a high-end audio equipment manufacturer based in the UK. A few years ago, one of its co-founders, Roy Gandy, invited a group of industry journalists to his home so they can see first-hand how he develops his products. One of the more intriguing discoveries was a turntable unlike anything previously released, something Gandy quickly dismissed as a mere “design exercise” which might never go into production.
An earlier version of this turntable was released by Rega last year, but now a full version was released as the RP10, the British company’s new flagship product. It features a variation of the ceramic-composite platter theme the previous star in Rega’s lineup, the P9, was famous for, as well as the new RB2000 tonearm and Apheta moving-coil cartridge preinstalled.
The skeletal carbon fiber plinth is another revolutionary element, the embodiment of Rega’s design philosophy, according to which mass is detrimental to retrieving all of the delicate sound from the grooves of vinyl records. For those who prefer the traditional design there’s always the outer plinth, which as a standard, hinged polystyrene dust cover and rectangular base. Both the skeletal and standard plinths are fully decoupled from the platter so that they do not impede the RP10’s ability to provide clear and nuanced analog playback.
The hi-tech RP10 turntable by Rega Research is priced at $6,495.
[Robb Report]
