About The Rega RB330 Tonearm
With the RB330 Tonearm Rega have worked tirelessly to improve every aspect of this new tonearm. Offering improved ergonomics, usability and sonic performance.
The RB330 is packed with new features pushing the boundaries of tonearm design. Featuring a new bias assembly, re-designed stiffer vertical bearing housing, integrated arm clip and an improved spring housing with easier to read numbers. Other improvements include a Rega made, low capacitance phono cable terminated with high quality 'Neutrik' plugs, improved lower friction, precision horizontal and vertical bearings and a re-designed 100g mild steel balance weight.
Cutting Edge Design
Designed using the latest 3D CAD & CAM technology, the new RB330 is the culmination of more than 35 years of tonearm design experience. Featuring a brand new bearing housing and our latest tonearm tube designed using intelligent redistribution of mass, ensure this arm will exhibit fewer points of possible resonance. Extreme stability with almost friction free movement from the new high precision bearing assemblies guarantees to gather more information from your vinyl than ever before.
Featuring a new bias assembly, re-designed stiffer vertical bearing housing, integrated arm clip and an improved spring housing with easier to read numbers. Rega made, new low capacitance phono cable with Neutrik plugs. Improved lower friction, precision horizontal and vertical bearings.
Rega is famed for its tonearm designs. One unique characteristic of these designs is the achievement of near frictionless movement horizontally and vertically whilst having no measurable free play in the bearing assemblies (and in reality one or two microns of pre load). So, why has Rega spent over thirty years and invested so heavily in this area of tonearm design where the removal of even microns of movement has been pursued?
Look at a stereo vinyl LP under an electron microscope and you will see microscopic ridges and bumps that the diamond stylus of the pick-up cartridge tracks and reads. The length of a ridge depends on its frequency. The height is its amplitude. Towards the centre of an LP, a 10 KHz signal is just 26 microns long and if it's very quiet it may be less than 10 microns high. If your tonearm has 10 microns of movement within the bearing assemblies (and even very expensive tonearms usually have much more play and movement), reading the bumps will be difficult and musical vibration will be lost in arm movement. It is impossible to quantify exactly the musical distortion or loss of measured information. This is due to the random nature of pivot or bearing movement. However, it is easy to see that accurate measurement or tracking of a 10 micron bump is not possible if the tracking stylus can move randomly at least the same distance that it is trying to measure. Thus the importance of zero play in the bearings of a Hi-fi tonearm.
RB330 Set Up Instructions
Arm Balancing & Setup: With the cartridge correctly mounted and with the stylus guard removed, ensure that the tracking force dial and Bias adjustment are set to zero. Adjust the balance weight until the arm is "floating" with the stylus approximately 1mm clear of the record. Note: It is normal for the arm to swing back towards the arm clip position even with the bias set at zero. Therefore it is advisable to gently hold the arm bearing carrier (just below the tracking dial) thus preventing horizontal movement during the balancing procedure.
Applying Tracking Pressure: Once the arm is balanced rotate the tracking force adjustment dial to the required tracking force. Numbers '0' to '3' are marked on the dial. If in doubt it is advisable to use a tracking force that corresponds with the upper limits of the cartridge manufacturer's range.
Applying Anti - Skating (Bias) Adjustment: Set the bias adjustment slider to the same figure as the cartridge tracking force pressure quoted by your cartridge manufacturer. Note: This is not critical and a figure between 1.0 & 1.5 will normally be suitable for moving magnet cartridges and 1.5 & 2.0 for most moving coil cartridges. Simply push the slider in to the required anti skating setting .Your arm is now balanced, setup and ready to use. If you have any doubts regarding installation or setup please contact your official Rega dealer who will be able to carry out the work for you. Thank you for purchasing this Rega product and we wish you many hours of musical enjoyment.
Main Features & Specifications
- Effective Mass: - Low/11g
- Overhang: 17.2mm
- Mounting Distance Platter Centre to Arm Hole Centre: 222mm
Note: Features & Specifications Subject To Change Without Notice. E&OE.