Rega RB220

The key change in the RB220 is its new arm tube, made from a single piece of aluminium. Rega designed it to reduce the stresses placed on the bearings and to keep overall mass low without sacrificing stiffness.

Fewer joints, less vibration

Every joint in a tonearm is a potential source of vibration and energy loss. With a one-piece tube and an in-line integrated headshell, the energy created by the stylus travels through a single rigid body to the bearings and the plinth, rather than bouncing off intermediate points. This principle runs through all of Rega's tonearms, from the RB220 to the RB Titanium.

The arm is light and well balanced, qualities that help it follow record grooves accurately. The stiffness of the aluminium keeps the geometry stable even in the most demanding passages, so the stylus stays exactly where it should in the groove.

Low effective mass

With an effective mass of 11 g, the RB220 belongs to the low-mass class of tonearms. This makes it an ideal partner for most modern moving magnet cartridges, especially Rega's own, which are designed precisely for these arms.

The right combination of arm mass and cartridge compliance places the system's resonance away from audible frequencies and from record warps. In practice this means stable tracking, clean bass and less sensitivity to warped records, so that the music flows without wow or flutter-like disturbances.

Every RB220 is assembled by hand at Rega's factory in the UK, using tools the company makes itself and predetermined tightening torques. The goal is simple: the lowest possible friction.

Bearings with no play

A tonearm must move freely both horizontally and vertically, yet with no measurable play in its bearings. Rega has published an entire technical paper on the importance of zero play, because even movements of a few microns are enough to mask the high-frequency detail cut into the groove.

With the right selection and tightening of the bearings, the RB220 moves almost without friction in both directions. The stylus follows the groove without fighting the arm, so it recovers more detail from the record and presents it with greater clarity.

Care in every detail

The arm wiring is soldered by hand, and the parts are assembled to controlled torques so that every unit behaves the same way. This consistency is what allows Rega to offer a lifetime limited warranty against manufacturing defects.

The result is a tonearm that is simple to set up and works reliably for many years, with stable geometry and no need for frequent adjustment, making it equally suited to a first hi-fi turntable and to a long-term system.

For the owner of a Planar 2 or an older Rega turntable, this means the arm will keep performing as it did on day one, even after thousands of hours of listening.

The current version of the RB220 adds adjustable bias, so the arm works with a wider range of cartridges. At the same time it adopts Rega's modern three-point mounting system.

Balanced tracking

During playback, friction between the stylus and the groove tends to pull the arm towards the centre of the record. The built-in bias (anti-skating) system counteracts this force and adapts during play, so that the stylus presses equally on both groove walls.

Balanced pressure means correct channel balance, lower distortion and even wear of both the stylus and the records. With its adjustment, the RB220 can be matched to cartridges with different tracking forces, from Rega's own MM designs to many third-party models.

A stable base

Three-point mounting connects the arm to the plinth through three contact points instead of one large nut. This makes the connection stiffer and more stable, and reduces unwanted vibration that could otherwise reach the cartridge.

The RB220 fits easily to all Rega turntables that use this system, and installation is completed quickly with the help of Rega's manual, which also covers mounting data and set-up of bias and tracking force.

For anyone with an older Rega turntable fitted with an RB250 or RB251, the RB220 is a simple and worthwhile upgrade that brings the improvements of the current generation without changing the plinth. Installation by a specialist dealer is recommended, so that cartridge alignment and tracking force can be checked.