Have your say & ask the experts

I'm no vinyl fan, but I've got a few LP's that's not available on file of CD, so I want to keep my old Rega in shape.

After 20+ years the insulation on the signal cable is starting to crack, and I want to replace it.

It's an awkward job to solder a new signal cable to the tonearm base; besides I suspect the tonearm wires might be as moth eaten as the external one. So I would like to replace the whole thing, from cartridge to RCAs, with one run of cable.

There's the Incognito/Cardas set, but it's too expensive when the only thing I use the Rega for is playing a few scratchy discs from the 70's and 80's. Buying tonearm wires and dress them in the proper shielding and insulation won't be much cheaper, and it's too much job in my opinion. So what I'm looking for is a 4 or 5 lead cable I can strip for the last foot to fit in the tonearm.

Will one of those microphone or 'multicables',  made for use on stage or in studio, do?

hi i rewired my rega tonearm a while ago with some cable allegedly the equal of cardas so ill check if its still available

you have to use cable that isnt at all stiff or youll affect the tracking if you use one run

also the cable is a *** to solder as the plastic burns back at alarming speed if you dont get it spot on first time and those spades dont exactly give you a large surface to work with

I'd buy a new arm. Far easier. (RB250/251 from as little as £99 new)

With shipping fees and taxes, that would be more than the Cardas solution...

Besides, I've got this environmental consciousness -- dont' like to throw away things that's perfectly OK, for the sake of convenience...

Strange thing that Rega don't sell a complete replacement cable, by the way. 

Fahnsen:

Besides, I've got this environmental consciousness -- dont' like to throw away things that's perfectly OK, for the sake of convenience.

Nor me.

In 30 years of buying hifi - every single component I have ever owned (including cables) has been sold to or given away to other people. (Even cartridges/styli) The last items I gave away were a Yamaha KX-580 cassette deck a few months ago (excellent,working and boxed) to my brother -  because he still uses tapes - and a Denon tuner I got for a tenner from ebay. The last items I sold were a year old Arcam Solo-Mini for £500 and a three year old Nikon film scanner for £550.

At least in terms of hifi. my recycling 'credentials' have been impeccable.

With one exception - all those items were sold (or given away) in their original boxes too. (I put the £10 Denon tuner's box in the recycling bin.)

All of our old computers have either gone to friends or been donated to places like adult learning centres.

Same with all my cameras and lenses for the last 30 years too. Never thrown one away yet.

It helps to buy good stuff that lasts. Which brings me to your Rega. I have had Regas since 1983 (on and off) and never known one to suffer what you describe. A friend still uses one with the old Acos style (pre 1983) arm and his cable and connectors are fine.

Did you store it in an attic or garage?

Fahnsen:

I'm no vinyl fan, but I've got a few LP's that's not available on file of CD, so I want to keep my old Rega in shape.

If the deck still sounds fine - but you are not committed to vinyl any more - then how about ripping those few LPs to your computer (there are free and paid for software packages that do a good job.)

All you need is an RCA phono - 3.5mm jack cable. Connect betwixt 'tape-out' on your amp and the 'mic' input on your laptop/PC and just use the software like it was an old cassette deck. I use Vinyl Studio (about £22) but there are good freeware alternatives.

You end up with some very respectable sounding files that import easily to iTunes (or whatever you use) and can easily be ripped to CD too.

Then you can store the LPs safely away for posterity and sell the Rega on ebay.  Even with 'iffy' cable it will sell. (Someone will probably dismantle it and sell as spares.)

Actually plastic materials have a limited lifespan. The insulation of old cables will inevitably crack.

I've ripped a few LP's. But when you (or me, that is) are not a fan of the 'vinyl sound' as such, that's not a good solution. Every pop and crack are ripped too, you know. Removing them will dull the sound. And the slightly out-of tune sound of some instruments that comes form LP's never being completely flat you'll never be able to remove.

I can cope with that when actually playing a vinyl record. Listening to it from file is too much of a disappointment.

Therefore, I'll re-buy my old LP's from the iTunes Store if they're available, or in better sound quality if the music is worth it (old rock recordings seldom are). And I keep my old Rega for convenience.