Rega Carbon Stylus

The Rega Carbon Stylus — The Part Planar 1 and Planar 2 Owners Eventually Need

Rega's replacement stylus for the Carbon moving magnet cartridge, sold singly. Rega describes it in five words on its own site — the “Replacement stylus for the Rega Carbon MM cartridge” — and that is the whole of it.

The Carbon is the cartridge Rega supplies as standard on the Planar 1 and the Planar 2, so this is the part a great many turntables will want first. The tip is detachable by design, which is unusual at the price and the reason this page exists.

Fit, Profile and Compatibility

Which Bodies It Belongs On

It fits the Rega Carbon and nothing else in the range. Rega's other cartridges are separate designs with their own arrangements, so the Carbon is the badge to look for on the body before ordering.

If your deck is a Planar 1, a Planar 1 Plus or a Planar 2 and it still carries the cartridge it left the factory with, the Carbon is what is on the arm. Rega also sells the cartridge separately, so it turns up on other turntables too.

The Numbers That Matter at Setup

The Carbon's diamond is a conical profile on a carbon cantilever, and Rega specifies the cartridge at 2.5 mV of output at 1 kHz. Tracking pressure is 2 to 3 g — a wide window, and part of why the Carbon is as tolerant of a rough setup as it is.

The cartridge fixes to the headshell with two standard screws, but none of that comes into it here. The stylus assembly detaches from the front, so the body never moves and the alignment you have never changes.

Who Is the Rega Carbon Stylus Best For?

• Your Carbon is worn — the tip is the consumable, and the cartridge behind it is unaffected
• You run a Planar 1, Planar 1 Plus or Planar 2 as supplied — the Carbon is the fitted cartridge on all three
• You want the original voicing — the conical profile is what Rega specified the Carbon around
• You keep a spare — a detachable stylus makes that practical in a way most budget cartridges do not
• Your cartridge is an Nd3, Nd5, Nd7, Nd9, Ania, Apheta or Aphelion — this is not the matched part for those; check the badge on the body, and see replacement styli for what is

How Do You Fit It?

Rega's own method: hold the plastic housing between thumb and forefinger, then pull down and towards you to release the old stylus. Offer the new one up at a slight angle so the hook at its end engages the cartridge, then push up until you hear a click. The cartridge stays on the tonearm throughout.

Pairs Well With

What most Planar owners shop alongside a new stylus.

• Stylus force gauges — how you set the 2 to 3 g this one asks for
• Stylus cleaning — what decides how long the new tip lasts
• Record cleaning solutions — a clean record is the cheapest stylus insurance there is
• Record brushes — a pass before each side keeps grit out of the groove

Frequently Asked Questions

Will it fit my cartridge?

Rega lists it as the replacement stylus for the Rega Carbon moving magnet cartridge. If your Planar still has the cartridge it shipped with, that is what you have; other Rega cartridges take their own parts.

Do I have to remove the cartridge?

You do not. The stylus housing releases from the front of the cartridge, so the body stays screwed to the headshell and the alignment stays exactly where it was.

What tracking pressure should I set?

Rega specifies 2 to 3 g for the Carbon. Set it after fitting rather than assuming the arm is still where it needs to be.

How long does a stylus last?

Around 1,000 hours is the usual figure, though it turns on how clean your records are and how accurately the cartridge is set up. A worn tip damages records, so replace it on schedule rather than by ear.

See It in Action

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