Ever proud of it’s reputation as a defender of high quality sound at great prices, Rega is delighted to announce it’s new progeny, the P1 turntable. As the first new addition to the Planar range of turntables in quite some time, we hope you’ll agree it was worth the wait. Featuring a completely new tonearm, the RB100, and the classic Ortofon OM5E phono cartridge, the P1 proves once more that you don’t need to pay exorbitant amounts of cash for high-fidelity performance.
The completely British-made P1 features the Rega RB100 tonearm, a high quality main bearing and sub-platter assembly, a stabilized MDF platter, a 12V AC synchronous motor with belt drive, and the Ortofon OM5E cartridge.
Manual Rega P1Stereophile Recommended Components April 2010 $395 $$$The "purposeful unfussy" P1 is a two-speed belt- driven turntable with a synchronous AC motor, MDF platter, pivoted RB100 tonearm, and Ortofon OM 5E MM cartridge. Setup was quick and easy and platter speed was accurate at 45rpm but 1% high at 33.3rpm The P1's somewhat dark sound was especially forgiving of poorly recorded material and worn-out LPs, and though it lacked the deep bass and richer textures of much more expensive players, it succeeded at communicating the tension, momentum, and flow of the music. Its only consistent flaw was "a lingering trace of pitch instability." Some reviewers, ST and MF for example, express concern over the P1's build quality, hence longevity, but AD dismisses such comments: "It sounds good, the price is right , and Rega stands a better chance than most companies of being here tomorrow." "The first in my experience that a designer whose work sometimes ranks with the very best created an audio component this affordable," said AD "Very highly recommended."
Stereophile Rega P1 record player By Ary Dudley May, 2007The Rega P1 surprised me by being the rare turntable whose performance changed noticeably during the break-in period. It was a decently musical player right from the start, but its sound became a bit cleaner after the first week, with an audible decrease in flutter. Perhaps the bearing, or even the drive motor itself, required running in?
Absolute Sound Rega P-1 Turntable and Orofon OM5e Cartridge May 5th, 2007 By Wayne GarciaLike other Regas, the P1 runs ever so slightly fast, which gives the music a fine sense of energy and pace—two hallmarks of the Rega sound. This also brought out the unique phrasing in a Sinatra vocal line, the dynamic snap and insistent march beat to the opening passage of the Stravinsky, the interplay of the Adderley-Jackson group, and the rhythmic starts and stops of the White Stripes. These are, of course, many of the qualities vinyl lovers cherish, and ones harder to find in digital audio sources. The Rega/Ortofon combo also displayed excellent focus and three-dimensionality in Gerhard’s Libra [Decca].
Canada HiFi Magazine Rega P1 Turntable Review By Giovanni Militano As the P1 became a replacement for my older mid-fi turntable, the excellent sound quality from the entry-level Rega P1 turntable made a strong positive first impression. It produced a rich, warm sound, solid images and a large soundstage that engages one with the music. It is no wonder why some of the younger generation who has been accustomed to the thin sound of MP3 are discovering and enjoying the vinyl medium.
Don Lindich's Sound Advice Rega P1 and Pro-Ject Debut III By Don Lindich The sound was a little rough at the extremes but the midrange was relatively unmolested and music had a good sense of rhythm and pace. Soundstaging was good with a nice wide stage, stage depth, although image specificity was a little vague. Detail and dynamics were fine. There was a sense of liveliness and ease of reproduction that made for hours of enjoyable listening.
AudioEnz Rega P1 By Michael Wong June 2007 I dare say that anyone uninitiated to quality analog reproduction is likely to be blown away by the sound quality of either of these turntables, and I have no problem recommending either of them.
