Rega Planar 3 with ND5 Pick-up

Rega Planar 3 - The most acclaimed turntable has become even better

The new Rega Planar 3 is a turntable packed with all the technological innovations that Rega has developed over the past 40 years. This makes the Planar 3 a state-of-the-art turntable, equipped to be the reference for many years to come when it comes to which turntable can reproduce the LP medium most accurately at a price many can afford.

One of the first things you notice about the Planar 3 is the beautiful plinth in high-gloss white, high-gloss black, or light oak. As you move closer, however, you see that there are several innovations in the form of the new RB-330 tonearm, new main bearing with new subplatter, new platter, and new isolation feet. The only things carried over from its critically acclaimed predecessor are actually the motor and the lid itself - everything else has been replaced with new and improved elements. When you replace everything in one of the most acclaimed turntables of all time, you can of course get nervous about the result. But there is absolutely no need for that, because the result speaks for itself. The Planar 3 is back, and it is better than ever!

HIGHLIGHTS:

• What Hi-Fi's Product of the Year 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• 12" glass platter for rigidity and precise speed stability in Opto-white finish
• New subplatter with improved rigidity
• Short round-polished belt with precise speed
• Double-mounted phenolic braces with main bearing and arm base for optimal rigidity
• New Rega RB-330 tonearm with Rega Exaxt cartridge
• Beautiful lid that protects the vinyl records from dust when you play
• 24V low-vibration motor, which can be upgraded with the separate Rega Neo-PSU motor control
• Lightweight and rigid plinth for minimal distortion. Available in high-gloss white, black, and red.

Better than its predecessor in every way

Rega has just launched their brand-new Advanced EBLT drive belt, which delivers a significant sonic improvement. This drive belt reduces small speed irregularities, wow, and flutter by as much as 70%, and this cannot only be measured - it can very clearly be heard. Here, the improved clarity presents the music in such a way that you get closer to the artist than ever before. The soundstage becomes much clearer, the bass becomes more lifelike and "tighter," and the treble gets more air, so the instruments do not sound compressed.

The new RB330 tonearm is also a significant improvement over that of its predecessor, and it offers a completely new vertical bearing housing, a new tracking force adjustment housing, and a new counterweight with a smaller diameter. Rega has, so to speak, fine-tuned the horizontal and vertical bearing so that the cartridge gets the optimal working conditions down in the groove.

The plinth has also been improved, and it consists of acrylic-laminated LDF with low weight, high rigidity, and beautiful finishes. The phenolic braces themselves have been made stronger than those of the RP-3, and this has ensured that the connection between the arm and the main bearing is held in a tighter grip. In addition, improvements have also been made to the subplatter, which has been redesigned for higher precision and rigidity, and at the same time it rests on a newly designed main bearing, which has been shaped to minimize stress in the bearing. The platter has also been improved, and its 12 mm floated glass is both dynamically balanced and hard, so loss from the motor's rotations to the vinyl record is minimized. As the finishing touch, the feet have been optimized to provide better vibration isolation and a more stable setup.

Reviews:

What Hi-Fi - click here.

The Ear - click here.

Hi-Fi Choice - click here.

AVforums - click here

Tone Audio - click here.