HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

savvypaul wrote:Had a civilised 'exchange' with a Rega dealer on the Rega Research facebook group. I suggested that most if not all of the Rega TTs could be sold direct as the dealer is simply handing over a sealed box - cartridge fitted and aligned, piss easy job to fit the counterweight and balance the arm. 30 day home trial would be much better than a few tracks in dealer dem room and the dealer margins that Rega saved could be used to offer a 'full value' upgrade scheme within 2 years of purchase. He wished me a good evening...

Dealers used to check every single deck sold and act as final quality control, tightening, setting the cartridge up, checking belt behaviour and LISTENING to it before the customer took it home. I don't suppose they do now

antonio66 wrote:You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.

You can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be lead...

_D_S_J_R_ wrote:
Dealers used to check every single deck sold and act as final quality control, tightening, setting the cartridge up, checking belt behaviour and LISTENING to it before the customer took it home. I don't suppose they do now

The manufacturer couldn't be trusted to do so?

More than 90% of rega sales are export , pleasing the uk market is not high on rega's priorities .

taking the whole business direct would be more hassle and probably cost nearly as much as using dealers and a 2 tier pricing structure would not work .

Additionally , Rega as a fixed geometry , not sure what needs doing vis-à-vis set up.

Daniel Quinn wrote:More than 90% of rega sales are export , pleasing the uk market is not high on rega's priorities .

taking the whole business direct would be more hassle and probably cost nearly as much as using dealers and a 2 tier pricing structure would not work .

Additionally , Rega as a fixed geometry , not sure what needs doing vis-à-vis set up.

Hadn't realised their export % was so high.

It was mentioned on those fremer visits rega videos .

I think it goes to show there is a greater appreciation of sound quality abroad than in the UK.

savvypaul wrote:

_D_S_J_R_ wrote:
Dealers used to check every single deck sold and act as final quality control, tightening, setting the cartridge up, checking belt behaviour and LISTENING to it before the customer took it home. I don't suppose they do now

The manufacturer couldn't be trusted to do so?

This is back in my day... The customer chose what cartridge to use, the decks had been shipped to us and maybe dropped in transit, but hey-ho... I used to love opening up a new deck in front of the client, setting it up in my Linn jig (Rega and Thorens 160 type decks fitted perfectly too) so I could check fixing nuts for tightness (they will work slightly loose on older models as the board initially compresses slightly), fit and align the particular cartridge and check the main bearing for lubricant (older ones went dry for example and we did have one that had never been oiled at the factory) followed by a quick listen to make sure everything was working and sounding right. Also, the flexible motor suspension on pre '2000' models could be easily upset if the box had a clump in transit, so another thing to check and adjust if necessary. All this was part of the service as was future servicing and check-overs.

OK. New decks have fixed motors now and the phenolic (or whatever) cross straps from bearing to tonearm will allow for a more consistent stay-tight situation and of course current arms are fixed with three self-tapping screws now. Still, there's no excuse for any proper Rega dealers not to check every one they sell, Planar 1 and all, as this is hopefully why you visit such a dealer and not Tesco or other similar electrical stores where RP1's and Planar 1's are/were sold to keep the production quantity up...


P.S. The UK home market is tiny now as the industry has all but died here. Most of the main manufacturers export practically all they make and in the case of makers like GT Audio, EAR, SME, Harbeth/Spendor and so on, prices are pitched to the far east (including importer/distributor margins there), so we pay a HUGE excess as a result. I think one or two have increased prices recently so we don't look 'too cheap' now the pound has plummeted, but I can't be sure on that.

In many ways as long as no one else does it then in financial terms it makes it to my advantage, and I will still be the enemy and attacked at any opportunity. But for the industry eventually it has to be the way to go.