Does it matter if it's black or white?

The quest to improve the performance of my much-modded Rega Planar 3 with RB250 tonearm continues.


Since I had not changed the turntable's belt for many years and it felt a bit elongated, I went to Asia Sound at Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya to buy a replacement.


Eddie of Asia Sound said he had a black and a white belt in stock with the white one costing more at about RM120.


I had read about Rega's white belt which was initially released as a limited edition item.


I had also read about an owner in the United Kingdom who had fitted the white belt to his old Rega Planar 3 which still had the old motor which was suspended on a rubber band.


With the white belt, things went awry with the motor hitting the laminate of the plinth and causing a knocking noise.


My old Rega Planar 3 has undergone a motor upgrade and the new Premotec motor is simply stuck onto the laminate with strong double-sided tape.


Back home, I fitted the white belt on the motor and sub-plinth. I understand it is made of some kind of un-vulcanised rubber and it is stickier than the black belt.

White is better than black.

My understanding of how it works is that its extra tackiness results in better grip which results in improved torque, better speed stability and better sound.


I spun some vinyl and heard the improvements - the rhythm of music was more stable and the pace more precise. The effect was somewhat like improving the fly-wheel effect of the platter.


So it does matter if it is black or white.