How much? Seriously? The Rega Carbon Pro Stylus Upgrade
/Hoo boy! No brainer right here! Probably the most cost-effective upgrade you could ever make. If Carlsberg did Hi-Fi etc., etc...
Our hero. so much joy from such a little package..
Superlatives aside, we think this is a brilliant move from Rega. A company that built its formidable reputation on beer-budget hi-fi that squeezed every gram of performance from every penny spent has, in recent times, brought us some spectacular (if a little spendy) components. The outrageously good Naia turntable at £11k* (without a cartridge) and the soon-to-be-revealed Mercury and Solis pre/power combination, set to be circa 14k, may have had long-term Rega fans wondering about the direction the company is taking. Worry no more!
If you recall, the new Mk7 Brio amplifier (£799*) launched last March, and the new range of Nd Moving Magnet cartridges (starting at £175) launched in June, reassuring us that Rega hasn’t forgotten its roots. But what about customers just starting out with a Planar 1 or Planar 1 Plus?
The Planar 1 has long been viewed as a “fit-and-forget” turntable — a doddle to set up, simple, reliable, and sounding every bit of its £329*. But it’s still a product with limited scope for upgrade that isn’t half the cost of the deck itself. We didn’t really think much about it — but someone at Rega did.
As soon as the Carbon Pro Upgrade hit social media, we were fielding orders. We went through our initial drop in an afternoon (!) and half of the next (much larger) batch over the weekend. It was the same across the estate, as we all scrambled for stock to fulfil orders — we’ve rarely seen such demand. Happily, our stock levels have now stabilised, and we’ve plenty to go around.
took me ages to get that shot.
What is it and what does it do?
Simply put, it’s all to do with the shape of the stylus itself.
The standard stylus is conical and made from titanium. Looking rather like a chubby chocolate ice cream cone, it’s easy to manufacture, inexpensive, and does a decent enough job of reading the groove — sounding perfectly pleasant in the process.
There are, however, better alternatives. The Pro stylus is also made from titanium but shaped elliptically — rather like the part of a sailing yacht’s hull that sits below the waterline. This shape allows the stylus to run a little deeper into the groove, retrieving more detail and, crucially, reducing the contact area on the surface. That means less surface noise entering the cartridge.
180g vinyl. oooh: suits you sir.
The result? A blacker background, wider dynamic range, and more colour from instruments and voices than before. And it’s not subtle either — as the stylus hit the groove of our Peter Gabriel So album, the quieter backdrop was immediately obvious, as was the extra bite and shimmer in the opening blast of rasping brass and plunging basslines from that notorious floor-filler, Sledgehammer.
Grins all round at Chez Swansea then…
Simply put, if you have a Rega Planar 1, Planar 1 Plus, or Planar 2 with a Rega Carbon cartridge, this is unreservedly the most cost-effective upgrade you can make. You don’t need any tools, setup knowledge, or even a steady hand — it’s literally a plug-and-play swap. Just remove the old stylus, slide on the new Carbon Pro, and you’re done. The improvement is instant and obvious, even to casual listeners. You’ll hear a cleaner top end, tighter bass, and an overall sense of clarity and control that just wasn’t there before.
If a loved one has a Planar 1 or 2 at home that still has the pale grey stylus on it — buy them one of these. It’s the perfect stocking filler or birthday treat for anyone rediscovering vinyl or just starting out. For the cost of two albums, you’ll gift them their entire record collection again — every familiar track suddenly more detailed, more open, and just more alive. It’s the kind of upgrade that reminds you why you fell in love with vinyl in the first place. And honestly, it doesn’t get better than that.Thanks for reading.
Words by Adrian, images by Adrian and Rega (tea and biccies by Nic & Andy) – Audio T Swansea
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*All prices, credit terms and interest rates quoted are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change. E&OE
