Analog specialist Dylan Oberbeck reacts as Kevin Deal presents him with a Rega Planar 6 RS Edition.
A heartwarming video about a stone-cold rigorous process.
In our latest video, analog specialist Dylan Oberbeck introduces us to the Rega Planar 6 RS Edition and tells us a bit about Upscale Audio's multi-step "premount" process. This time-consuming and exacting procedure was perfected by our analog manager, Sean-Paul Williams, to set up, finesse, and test new turntables before shipping them to the customer.
The process is available free of charge for all turntables above $600, and the analog department performs 10 to 15 of these a week, with more during busy times. Little did Dylan know that this time, the all-new Planar 6 RS he was setting up was for a very special person indeed.
The Rega Planar 6 RS comes with a plinth ensconced in brushed aluminum.
Always Playtest
You can request our free premount service just by checking a box on the website as you buy your turntable. All final settings are photographed and marked on the turntable with red tape, making it easy for customers to hit the target when they put everything back together at home.
No matter how many tools and machines are used during the setup, the final test is always by ear. The sound of Norah Jones singing "Don't Know Why" emanates from the service room throughout the day, as everything from an $895 Rega Planar 2 to a $40,000 VPI Avenger Direct is listened to before it is carefully broken down for shipping.
You may wonder why we offer this expert service at no charge, but the efficiency, time savings, and customer goodwill are worth every cent.
All settings are marked with red tape, making it easy for the customer to duplicate the perfect setup at home.
The Planar 6 RS Edition
Rega has two RS (Rega Special) Editions out for the Planar 3 and the Planar 6. For the Planar 3, this means an upgraded plinth with a brushed aluminum skin. The Planar 6 also features the metal skin, and it's not just a cosmetic upgrade, but one that lends greater rigidity and vibration dissipation.
The other big upgrade for the Planar 6 RS is the RB880 arm, which normally comes with the Planar 8. There's also a twin-belt drive system, and Bryce Allan, of The Sound Organization, Rega's US distributor, explains it this way: "It's all mathematics. If you have a tiny error on one belt, the effect is divided across the number of belts. That's why the Naia [Rega's flagship table] has three belts."
Whether you're getting a ready-built Rega or a totally modular VPI with all the trimmings, it's a no-brainer to tick the "expert premount" option and wait a few extra days to get a fully tested, carefully set up, groove-tracking precision instrument. Now watch the video, and stay to the end to see Dylan's reaction when he finds out who is getting our very first Rega Planar 6 RS Edition!