Rega Exact 2 Cartridge

The top of the Rega cartridge line.

The EXACT shares the same body moulding as the rest of the Rega cartridge line. This is a one piece body and has no energy sapping joints between the stylus mounting and headshell contact face. The EXACT has a highly expensive non removable cantilever, fitted with a "Vital" diamond tip. The headshell face is machined perfectly flat to ensure maximum contact between the cartridge and headshell. Rega has designed and developed its own coil winding machine leading the way to new and innovative techniques in coil winding. Approximately one third less wire is used than in our other cartridges, making the EXACT even more efficient than the ELYS.

Rega entered the cartridge market in the early 80's and now has six moving-magnet designs. All cartridges are hand made by Rega utilizing custom coil winding techniques and ultra high precision molded bodies. The Rega cartridge is a one piece molding made of Pocan, a polymer with a hardness greater than industrial aluminum. Most cartridges loose high frequency energy by the movements generated in many joints created in conventional manufacturing. Most cartridges have five or six joints between the stylus mounting and the cartridge/headshell face. Rega cartridges have none! Most cartridges have to allow for large tolerances when manufacturing automatically with a reasonable gap of 0.7mm between the moving magnet and the pole pieces. This gap on Rega cartridges is only 0.25mm, much lower than any moving magnet cartridge we have tested.

Stereophile Recommended Component, Class C, 10/01, Vol.24 No.10, Page 79
Hand-built MM without a removable stylus that MF claimed "will get your heart racing, that's for sure." The Analog Kid was knocked out by its explosive, energetic sound, breathtaking midrange purity, and transient snap. He was less fond of its ?aggressive? top end and abundant low-frequency and midball energy. Even so, he recommended auditioning the Planar 9 as a system incorporating this cartridge and concludes that "the Exact could bring a somewhat reticent system to life." (Vol.20 No.8)

Hi-Fi News R.R.(G.B.) Aug. 96
"I was reminded of the Supex 900 sound of yore. This cartridge has a similar midrange sweetness, a rightness on vocals, saxophones ad strings, but at the same time it has a brighter, more forward balance, and a "modern" kind of snap and punch. The bass of the old Supex, and although it could create reasonable depth, the Exact is far from "laid back". But the Exact does have the ability to surprise you ccontinually with new detail from old records. Or perhaps it is wrong to say "new detail." Really what comes over is new life and pace. The Exact works wonders with pre-digital jazz, rock and R"n"B recordings."

I found myself hurrying to pull out old favorites one after the other, eager to hear them respond to the freshening up this cartridge seemed ready to give them. The Exact often seemed to bring out the dynamics in a quite unexpected way, and I can only assume that it really is extracting more of the dynamic range on the record.?

Stereotimes Review The Rega Exact Phono Cartridge An Overlooked Gem
I rank the Exact among my 'Music Master' cartridges: cartridges that you listen to for deep musical satisfaction. To deliver its best, it should be matched with components that are also highly adept at communicating music. Very highly recommended.