Replacing the award-winning and five-time Product of the Year award winner from What Hi-Fi? magazine, the RP3 model, was not going to be an easy task. It took our team of designers, led by Rega’s Roy Gandy, two years to develop a new “Planar 3” following the biggest revamp of the iconic “three” model ever seen.
Our team worked tirelessly to improve every aspect of this turntable, delivering improved ergonomics, greater ease of use and, above all, better sound performance. The new “Planar 3” is really a new turntable that only carries two components from the previous model.
PRODUCT DETAILS
New features of the Planar Three
RB330 arm – designed using the latest 3D CAD & CAM technology, the new RB330 is the culmination of over 35 years of arm design experience. A new bearing and our latest arm tube designed with proper mass redistribution in mind ensure that this arm will have fewer potential resonance points. The extreme stability and virtually friction-free movement of the high-precision bearing ensures maximum information extraction from your vinyl.
-New bias, newly designed stiffer vertical bearing, integrated arm support and improved spring housing with better numerical readout.
-New low capacitance phono cable, manufactured by Rega, with Neutrik connectors
-Lower friction, precision vertical and horizontal bearings
-New 100g tempered steel counterweight design.
Base Glossy acrylic laminate, more rigid and better looking, power switch in ergonomic position. Two finishes available at launch: lacquered black and lacquered white.
Double reinforcement – 3mm thick phenolic bottom reinforcement, better construction and reduction of pressure on the bearing itself.
Sub-platter redesigned, greater precision and rigidity.
New platter 12mm “Optiwhite” float glass with polished edge – Greater precision in manufacturing and impressive finish.
New foot design – Improved feet to increase stability and reduce vibration transfer.
24V motor – New motor PCB control with integration for the incorporation of the TT-PSU for electronic speed change and advanced anti-vibration circuit (sold separately).
Engine cover with integrated cooling.
SPECIFICATIONS
DB Technology (“Double Brace” – double reinforcement)
“Mass absorbs energy – lost energy equals lost music.”
Rega is a pioneer in the use of rigid and light bases. The clever use of a lightweight particle core with a highly rigid phenolic resin coating became the cornerstone of the high-level performance achieved by the now iconic original Planar range.
The new Planar 3 takes this design philosophy to the next level. A lightweight laminated acrylic base strengthened by an improved double bracing system mounted specifically where greater rigidity is needed (between the armrest and bearing), forming a structured sound package. This rigid base design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances, which would add unnatural distortions to your music.
Likewise, greater mass can transfer more unwanted energy, such as motor or bearing noise, directly to the vinyl. The use of these reinforcements instead of a full coating allows the use of double thickness phenolic resin in these key areas, but reducing the weight of the base, which directly helps the problem of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission.
-Hand-assembled RB330 arm.
-Silent 24V motor/12mm floating glass plate
-Light double reinforced base
-High precision bearing
-Factory-mounted MM Elys2 capsule (optional). -Support TT-PSU electronic power switching and power supply (optional)
-Dimensions (cover lowered; HxWxD): 11.7 x 44.7 x 36 cm
-Weight: 6kg