Listening to the Rega P10
Contents
The Rega P10 is open and transparent sounding, with a very good balance between bass, mids and highs. As with all Rega products, the distinctive slim sound is present. Those who prefer a fat bass sound are in the wrong place with Rega. The responsiveness of the Apheta 3 element adds an airiness to the reproduction that is very pleasing to the ears, it is sometimes hard to believe it is vinyl you are listening to.
At this level of playback, digital, CD and vinyl inches towards each other, but it still feels and sounds different. We won’t fall into the trap of labeling something as “better”.
Should you have a romantic image of spinning records, with a somewhat warm midrange and broody bass accompanied by some mechanical noises at a not always stable rotation speed, the Rega P10 belies this. This is a seriously good, stable and quiet player. High End in the good sense of the word. But without the playback becoming very serious in nature, rather the opposite: it remains playful sounding.
A generous sounding table
The Rega P10 is fairly inescapable when you put on a record. Playing some ‘simple’, nice background music is not an option; the player fills every nook and cranny of your room with sound.
Musicians know the phenomenon that ‘professional’ versions of an (acoustic) instrument often stand out because the sound carries far and also ‘sounds’ in the far corners of a room. So does the Rega P10, it is a sounding player.
‘We’re going deeper underground’
Full of anticipation, your reviewer puts on “Countdown to Ecstasy” by Steely Dan, in the most recent remaster by Bernie Grundman and of which very expensive vinyl editions have also appeared. This is the “regular” version.
On the Rega P10 with the Grimm PW1 you are taken as a speleologist through the caverns of recording; this is a voyage of discovery especially for audiophiles. If that’s your thing, fine, but the “Citizen Steely Dan” CD box gives much more musical pleasure. This LP release demonstrates what the combination of Rega P10, the Apheta 3 element and the Grimm PW1 is capable of: extracting the last bit of information from a groove, it is impressive. But I lose the music in the detail.
Maniacally correct
“Inertia Creeps” by Massive Attack on the 12″ remixed double LP, sounds very spacious, the percussion is clear and natural sounding, has texture and the bass is well deep and tight. It’s the control and placement of the instruments in the mix, especially at the various positions in the depth of the stereo image, that stands out. Not only is it insightful, it is tight, rhythmic and convincingly musical.
Especially the version made by the Manic Street Preachers tells the story of what the Rega P10 does. You can hear that the musicians actually add tracks on which they play along with “Inertia Creeps,” adding a new melody to the song. The playback gains a depth and layering that I have never heard before, while still sounding fresh and open and at the same time it simply rocks.
Then still the ecstasy
The band UK’s LP “Danger Money” is the latest to be highlighted from the many, many LPs that have been given a listen. The layering and nuance in the sound of the electric violin and in Eddy Jobson’s keys is a delight. Everything is right about the reproduction of this album: how the sound is positioned in space, how the three musicians complement each other, the sound of the instruments, but especially the dynamics in the album. I can hear the sound of the CD from memory, which sounds somewhat metallic. On vinyl, that effect is completely absent. It is as if more foundation is given to the notes, bringing the music to life. The virtuosity of John Wetton, Eddie Jobson and Terry Bozzio shines.