Anything special about the Rega TT wall shelf?

I recently launched myself into the world of vinyl with my first TT, but it's currently sitting on a somewhat dodgy hifi rack that's precariously wedged into a semi-level position with wads of cardboard... So at some point in the near future I want to remedy the situation with a wall shelf.

The obvious choice is the Rega branded one, but it's like 60 quid new and I recently saw one go for more than 40 quid on eBay, plus shipping.

However, I can get a 2nd hand Target wall shelf locally with little difficulty, quoted at 35 quid (but I think I can get him to bring the price down a bit). Logistically and financially this would be highly preferable to waiting for another 2nd hand Rega (or shelling out for a new one). But I was wondering if there is anything special about the Rega that meant I should hold out for one, over the Target? The Target is very solid looking, all welded, with an MDF platform. It's also quite large so would probably be nicely accommodating of future TT upgrades.

So, any reason not to go for the Target?

Cheers,

Dunc

 

The Target's a bit uglier, but the Rega shelf's no great looker either. I doubt there'd be any significant sonic difference either way.

-- Ian

 

If aesthetics aren't a major factor ( eg to Match your TT ) then I think that the Target wallshelf might actually perform better than the Rega. The reason i say this is that The wall shelf Chassis will be bolted to the wall, giving excellent isolation from your floor, the platform that the record player will be placed on is then firmly 'spiked' to the Chassis which fully epitomises the true meaning of a light and rigid support (IMHO). I often recommend the Rega wallshelf to folk asking about wallshelves for no other reason than it looks to be well made by a well regarded manufacturer and is cheap.
If you can get an equally well made wallshelf ( which the Target will be) for even less cash then go for it.

 

Cheers,

Dunc

 

IMHO, the Rega wall shelf over the Target. They are both constructed using similar designs but the Rega has three strategically placed cups so that the three feet on a Rega tuntable sit perfectly. Once the TT is sited on the Rega bracket it all kind of blends together and is a little less un-sightly than the large Target shelf.
Having also used the Target shelf in the past the first thing I would do is throw away the horrible piece of MDF and replace with a piece of marble cut to size, this looks a lot better as well as having less vibration characteristics than the MDF sheet.
Rega bracket is available in black or white finish as standard I believe.

 

Dunkyboy,

The Rega shelf is great for Rega decks, however I'm not sure how suitable it would be for other TTs (ie. the 3 cups described above). If you are planning to stay with Rega decks for a while then their shelf is likely a good bet.

Stuart.

 

Thanks for the replies.

I like to think of my current deck as being a first step, and I have no way of knowing if the next step will involve a Rega deck or not, so the versatility of the Target seems like a good thing. I'm also not especially concerned with aesthetics. The marble plan seems like a good'un.

Dunc