Ever feel like you’ve been both in and out of your comfort zone at the same time? Where you have a tonne of knowledge in one area and virtually none in another? Almost like you know exactly what you're talking about but at the same time you don't have all the answers? Well, if that’s the case, you’re not alone. As the newest member of staff at Audio T Enfield, I invite you on my journey of discovery in to the world of Hi-Fi.

As a lover of music, my world wouldn't be right without hearing my favourite songs throughout the day. Having an ear for hearing almost every instrument in a song and being aware of every single detail throughout is something I consider a blessing - something only like-minded people will understand. Being possibly the biggest Spice Girls fan (literally an out-of-control fanatic with zero shame) threw me in the deep end of the world of music as a toddler, which in turn enabled me to be the musically minded person I am today.

Spice up your life

You see, although they come under the very broad, and sometimes unfair, umbrella of “pop music”, almost each Spice Girls song is a different genre in itself. Their debut album, Spice (released in 1996) is a mixture of conventional pop, acoustic, funk and Urban RnB, with favourites such as safe-sex anthem, “2 Become 1”, and bass heavy hit “Who Do You Think You Are”. Whereas their second album Spiceworld (released in 1997) consists very much of that era-defining “Bubble-Gum Pop” sound. Some tracks even mixed a bit of a Latin influence that was popularised at the time by the likes of Shakira and Enrique Iglesias. Fast-forward a few years, and their third album, Forever, truly embraces the ever-popular R’n’B vibe of the early 2000’s.

Despite being Spice Girls mad, or as I was recently called, a “Pop Princess” it's not difficult to gauge why I can happily listen to many different genres of music. My favourites have to be old school R’n’B, Hip Hop and UK Garage. Aside from the fact that the songs are blooming brilliant, they bring a whole feeling of nostalgia for me, as that's the just some of music I was raised on. As you can imagine I listen to a lot of digital radio stations such as Kisstory.

Where music meets Hi-Fi

So, with this burning passion for music just sitting there, I didn’t know where to take it - I came across a job opening at Audio T Enfield. I couldn’t help but think to myself, "my love of music would be so beneficial for this job". This is where we come back to our opening statement – I find music is my biggest comfort, I know it all so well; the systems we play them on however... let's just say I didn't have that much experience. So, at this point I feel like I'm already halfway there – I know what makes a good composition (to my ears at least)... But which systems would get the best out of my beloved music?

Now, from here I guess it's all about navigating the Hi-Fi world, getting to know the systems and their best qualities. But where to start? As I’m sure we all know, when it comes to Hi-Fi, your overall system is as strong as the weakest link. Each component is arguably as important as the next. But as far as I’m concerned, we should start with the source. And just as an excuse to show off my coveted Spice Girls vinyl, let’s start with turntables –

A first look at entry-level turntables

Project Primary E Phono

The Project Primary E is the most affordable turntable we stock at Audio T. It comes in two variates - The standard version and the Primary E Phono. The difference? Well, it’s all in the name. The latter has a built-in phono stage for those amplifiers that do not have one built-in. It also allows you to plug straight in to an active speaker.

This turntable was described to me as a “plug and play”, which fundamentally means it’s ready to go straight out of the box. So for a novice such as myself, it should have been a doddle. However, I found the built-in cables were a little bit fiddly and delicate with this turntable, especially the ground wire (not ideal for a clumsy person like myself). Nonetheless, the set-up was fairly straight forward (minus the fiddly cables). In this set-up I used the Rega IO Amp and B&W 607 S2 speakers.

Once more, the sound of a record I’ve heard time and time again surrounded me in it’s mist-like fashion and I sat, gathering every detail I could hear. There is a particular album track, “Last Time Lover”, which has many hidden instruments in the background that aren’t too prominent. This turntable, like the others, had made these background instruments come to the forefront with the rest of the track. The plucking of guitar strings sound sharp and the subtle trumpet smooth playing through the Primary E Phono.

Rega Planar 1

I hooked up the turntable with a Rega IO Amp and Dynaudio Emit 10 speakers – this was all pretty straightforward to set up, a few cables plugged into their correct places and Bob’s your uncle! Moving on from the technical perspective, I put the needle on the record and gave it a listen, with admittedly high expectations, and I was not disappointed at all.

The quality of sound that penetrated my ears was amazing! I could hear every part of each song so clearly – particularly on “2 Become 1”, where I’ve never been able to hear a consistent bassline, but this turntable proved to me it does indeed have a consistent and prominent bassline! Without popping this record onto the Rega Planar 1, I would never have heard it.

After inspecting the turntable more thoroughly, I was a little confused as to how you change the speed on the Planar 1. One of my colleagues informed me of the manual belt change required to move from 33rpm to 45rpm. As I didn’t have any 7” singles or 33rpm 12” I couldn’t help but try the album… Instantly, the Spice Girls turned in to Alvin and the Chipmunks, which was highly amusing.

Having listened to this album hundreds of times in standard CD or streaming quality, it was beautifully refreshing to hear it sound so much clearer and smoother – the music felt as though it was a light mist surrounding me completely. Overall, The Rega Planar 1 is a great turntable for those who aren’t looking to spend too much, but still want a record player that offers a high quality of sound. Especially when you consider that this is handmade in the UK, you get a lot of bang for your buck!

Rega Planar 2

On this occasion, I managed to set up the Rega Planar 2 alone; once again it was fairly simple, ensuring the cables are in the right place, using the same amp and speakers.

To offer the fairest comparison, I started the record from the beginning, listening extra carefully for any changes. Admittedly, I didn’t instantly appreciate the differences…

At a first glance, the Planar 1 and 2 look incredibly similar. If it wasn’t for the difference in the P1’s matte finish to the P2’s gloss finish, you would be forgiven for thinking they were the same product. But on closer inspection you’ll see there is much more to separate these two models…

So what’s the difference in the Planar models?

The Plinth

Let’s start with the plinth. This is the main platform (or deck) on which the turntable is built. These plinths are designed to be rigid to prevent unwanted resonance or vibrations being transferred from the motor, which can have a negative affect the music and even be heard through your loudspeakers.

Whilst they may look the same with the exception of their finishes, the Planar 1 plinth is made from a composite material and covered with a really hard resin material called thermoset laminate. The Planar 2 plinth is an MDF core coated in a high-gloss acrylic laminate. I’m sure there is some sort of reason behind this, but it has been decided by greater minds than my own.

Both Planar models use the same, low noise, 24v motor, but there is more to these two models.

The Platter

The platter is that spinning circular disc that you sit your records on. Whilst different manufacturers use varying designs and materials for their platters, they are important as they are crucial for consistent speed and good musical reproduction.

The platter needs to weigh enough to deliver a constant rotational speed but must not be so heavy that it will put the drive motor under unnecessary strain or potentially stretch the drive belt on start up.

The Planar 1 uses a resin platter that is heavier on the outside edge to help it run consistently The Planar 2 uses an extremely high quality 10mm float glass platter that not only performs better, but looks great too. Both come with a felt mat which sits on top of the platter to improve grip.

Tonearm

If, like me, you’re new to Hi-Fi, you probably thought that all tonearms were the same… Oh how wrong I was! The tonearm is a seriously important part of the turntable.

The RB110 on the Planar 1, uses a single piece aluminium tube with a rigid headshell. It’s a proper “plug and play” design.

The Planar 2 uses the upgraded RB220 arm. It is more adjustable which means you can use a wide range of cartridges other than the Rega Carbon that is fitted as standard.

If I’m being completely honest, unless you are a hardcore Hi-Fi enthusiast, you probably wouldn’t know what advantages the upgraded components give. However, there is definitely an improvement to the sound and detail you get from your records. I noticed this particularly during “Say You’ll Be There”, where there was an extra set of percussion during Mel B’s verse – the Rega Planar 2 made the presence of this particular sound very evident where I hadn’t heard it on the Planar 1 or Primary E. I do recommend playing an album that is familiar to you so that you can listen out for tiny details you wouldn’t normally hear. As for my experience, overall I did notice the quality improvement – the music sounded that little bit smoother, that little bit tighter, that little bit more prominent. I think it’s safe to say that the price difference is warranted in the improvement of sound.

The final thoughts…

To conclude. After careful comparison and analysis, I found that, whilst the Project Primary E Phono turntable gave an impressive performance for its price, there is a marked improvement in moving over to the Planar 1 or better still, the Planar 2. There is a noticeable improvement in quality when you switch over to the British made Rega turntables.

But why take my word for it? Why not book a demonstration today at your local store.

Thanks for reading.

Elena, Jason & John - Audio T Enfield

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