Planning to offer these in the new year to Rega owners. I have a couple out on review and initial feedback is very positive one associate suggesting it's better than Michell's Tecnoweight on an RB250. I find it is much better in performance terms than OL's mod. Just need to fine tune the quality of finish before release.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n304/sondek/P1000005.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n304/sondek/P1000006.jpg


John R.

Looks like an SME and thats about as good a compliment as one can get!

Hello Andrew - thanks indeed !

Yes, unashamedly so I'm afraid.. It also just works so damn well on this arm.

I admit to borrowing heavilly from the SME style but it's the material selection and means of attachment that makes the difference in performance to the Rega. I don't wish to go into it too deeply for obvious reasons, but it performs better than I had initially expected.

Nice to see you in the business section too! Hoping your shoebox cases are going well.

John R

Hello John,
Re finish, looks darn good now. Love the way you clamp the weight to the stub, any chance of an Ittok or Ekos version . I just Know my Ekos would sound better with the counter weight close to the bearings

Rosie

Hello John,
Re finish, looks darn good now. Love the way you clamp the weight to the stub, any chance of an Ittok or Ekos version . I just Know my Ekos would sound better with the counter weight close to the bearings

Rosie

Thanks for your positive comments! Our aim is SME quality - but this example is a fair way off that . At this stage we're just going to concentrate on the large market that is Rega RB series arms.

Regards

John R

Great idea, particularly if you can undercut the TW.
Don't like the finish though - needs to be anodised black for a 300 or 250 IMO.

Great idea, particularly if you can undercut the TW.
Don't like the finish though - needs to be anodised black for a 300 or 250 IMO.

It has to be remembered the kits in the pics are pre production models, currently out on loan for evaluation and not retail examples. Options on finish may be offered, but the actual weight itself will be in natural finish - only the stub and clamp will be offered anodised black.

I'm not yet happy enough with the quality of finish myself, it has to be hiked up a little before they are offered. I agree that pricing has to be competitive. Early indications are that the AI weight performs better than the TW and I know it performs better than the OL kit - having first hand knowledge and experience of OL's kit.

Appreciate your valued opinion all the same - thanks!

John R.

Any pfm member who would wish to have (on loan) one of my Rega counterweight kits for a trial period, in return for a honest assessment of:

1. Quality of finish.

2. Ease of fitting.

3. Ease of adjustment.

4. Effect on sound quality.

Please PM me with your details. I will then respond with my conditions which will basically include the fact that it must be returned to me undamaged by insured mail within an agreed timeframe.

The kits will fit RB 250, 300, 600, 900 etc and the latest 251 301 etc.

John R.

Hello John,
Re finish, looks darn good now. Love the way you clamp the weight to the stub, any chance of an Ittok or Ekos version . I just Know my Ekos would sound better with the counter weight close to the bearings

Rosie

Hmmm that wasn't my experience when I fitted a ZYX cartridge. Origonally fitted without top plate which made the counterweight very close to the bearings, it is now with top plate which puts the counterweight further back & I feel it is for the better.

Anyhow lets not make a discussion of it here as it is a trade section.

Hi john

if you want to send one up to Loud & Clear I will give you some feedback.

Regards

John C

Hi john

if you want to send one up to Loud & Clear I will give you some feedback.

Regards

John C

Very kind of you John. PM me with your mailing details and I'll get one up asap.. Right now tho' I have all of them out some due back some going out, so it'll be a little while.

John R.

A big thanks to John for the extended loan of his excellent counterweight.

I initially fitted this to a Standard Rega RB 250 I was using. To give some context to the review, the RB 250 was fitted to a Garrard 401 which was in turn mounted in a twin level slate plinth. The cartridge of choice was an Audio Technica AT33PTG. The deck was connected to a Highphonics T5 Step up transformer which in turn fed into a Puresound P10 phono stage. A WD preamp, and WD Psu and then into a Glasshouse 300B amp and onto my Tannoy GRF Memory speakers all via various 99.99 solid silver interconnects and Mogami speaker cable.

The weight looks excellent straight out of the packaging. John suggests that the production models will be better finished, my opinion is that there is no need for a better finish at the risk of increasing the unit cost of the weight and potentially losing out against the competition.

I found the weight far easier to set up and use than other weights I have tried on the Rega.

Its a well thought out design with low slung counterweight with reduces the centre of gravity of the arm assembly

The weight is well made and well presented using quality materials and finish.

My initial listening impressions with the weight fitted was that the sound is now more dynamic top to bottom with more texture to the sound, bass is deeper and the higher frequencies are brighter. Voices are clearer and sweeter. The main most noticeable thing the weight does is focus and makes the bass more prominent in the mix.

I then changed the tonearm and fitted a Rega RB 600. As generically this is the same arm as the RB 250 the comments regarding ease of fitting apply equally to this arm.

The improvements sonically were not as marked as had been noted in the RB 250 probably due to better Quality Control being employed by Rega with the 600 over the 250, however there was still an improvement in bass dynamics.

The improvements I have spoken about are not comparing Johns weight against the standard Rega weight but against Technoweights which were fitted to both my Rega Arms.

In conclussion to my ears the weight is a complete success and I would certainly consider buying one having heard and tried one.


Andy

PS John your weight will be winging its way back to you next week sometime

...low slung counterweight with (which) reduces the centre of gravity of the arm assembly

What is the advantage of reducing the centre of gravity?

Hmm.....

What is the advantage of reducing the centre of gravity?

Dunno, but I prefered the arm with John's weight fitted.

Dunno, but I prefered the arm with John's weight fitted.

Thanks Si! Good to hear you and Andy liked it and thanks to Andy for giving it an extended trial.

John R

Just to be clear, I'm not questioning its efficacy - it's the theory I'm interested in (perhaps not the right thread though).

I think the correct terminology is lowering the centre of gravity, and I think the theory is that it helps with the response to vertical movement at the stylus end - ie warps.

Ah yes indeed......but does it (help that is)? Surely, what you gain on the way up you lose on the way down.

I wasn't interested in the mechanics merely the performance. The test wasn't carried out on my arm either so I've no axe to grind and I can't speak for Andy's thoughts or conclusions, only my own.

The one thing that I thought made a difference is that the weight is made diagonally and follows the horizontal bearing axis so maybe loads the bearings more evenly ?

Its a well thought out design with low slung counterweight with reduces the centre of gravity of the arm assembly


This comment was made more as an observation, and nowhere did I say that this made the sound any better.

Patrick is right my terminology was wrong in that the centre of gravity will be lowered rather than reduced.

Hope this clears up any confusion

Well, reduced in height - as it were.

Maybe the optimum is for the CoG to be level with the stylus tip - which is generally below the arm tube?

Calling Darrylfunk.

Darryl.

Would you please afford me the common courtesy of replying go my PM regarding the counterweight you have on loan.

I would like som feedback be it positive or negative so that I may prepare to send it to the next reviewer - I have folk waiting.

Kind regards

John R

John,

your counterweight and end-stub look really good. I like the SME look of it and I guess that if that design works for them, then it must also work for the Rega too.

A question; How does your counterweight affect the effective mass of the arm?

Good luck with it. Looking forward to hearing about availability and pricing in the future.

John,

your counterweight and end-stub look really good. I like the SME look of it and I guess that if that design works for them, then it must also work for the Rega too.

A question; How does your counterweight affect the effective mass of the arm?

Good luck with it. Looking forward to hearing about availability and pricing in the future.

Thanks for your thoughts and kind wishes Mignun!

The counterweight is designed to maintain the effective mass of the OEM arm. This current design - one of which is currently out with Darrylfunk for trial will handle most cartridges in the range 5.5 to 10 gms

Given that we've not had too much interest thus far it is doubtful that we'll make this available until the interest levels rise. We were hoping to pitch this kit at the £70 - £80 level.

Once Darryl has completed his listening trial I can let you have it on loan for you to have a listen should you wish to? Darryl has it for another 30 days as it currently stands.

I have one more kit for loan but there is a small waiting list, though that one is not going out to anyone until I this one back from Darryl.

John R.

I have one more kit for loan but there is a small waiting list.
John R.
Hallo,
i'm interested in that counterweight.
I´ve got a rega planar P3-24 piano with the RB 301 and a benz glider (6.8 gramm). (http://www.hifi-phono-house.com/product_info.php?language=en&products_id=8185)
Since the Benz needs the rega spacer to raise the tonearm, the original counterweigt now touches the lid of the turntable.

Your counterweight is lower then the original, so i would like to give it a try.

kind regards,
Jens from Germany

Hi Jens.
You're on the waiting list, when I'm ready I'll PM you.

John R

Calling Darrylfunk.

Please clear your PM inbox. I'm requesting return of the counterweight kit you have on loan.


John R.

hi john,
your counterweight is on it's way....

and i have to say i miss it !

full write up to come.

very interesting.

best wishes
darryl.