Get Inspired by a Truly Special Turntable: British-Made Rega Planar 3 RS Features Brushed-Metal HPL-Laminated Plinth, Neo MK2 PSU Power Supply, Reference Belt, Nd5 MM Cartridge, and Ravishing Fidelity

An inspired upgrade to one of the most acclaimed, popular, and iconic turntables ever designed, the Rega Planar 3 RS is true to its “Rega Special” badging and value-addled heritage. Made with a new aluminum metal-skin HPL laminate to form the stiffest plinth available in its price class, this 13.2-pound spinner also comes with Rega’s custom-tailored Neo MK2 PSU power supply unit (each motor vibration circuit is hand-tuned to each individual motor), a Reference EBLT drive belt for unstinting accuracy, and factory-fitted Nd5 MM phono cartridge (read more below). 

Offering vinyl playback marked by excellent cohesion, sumptuous tonal balance, accurate pacing, addictive resolution, and constant fun, Planar 3 RS leverages a host of other audiophile-minded strengths in delivering the kind of involving sound that will likely have you soon shopping for additional LP storage. Devised via 3D CAD and CAM technology, its RB330 Precision tonearm is a bias assembly with a stuffer vertical housing bearing, integrated arm clip, and refined spring housing that provide excellent stability, near-friction-free movement, and advanced information retrieval. In addition, RB330 touts a low-capacitance phono cable with Neutrik plugs and a 100g mild steel balance weight.

Indeed, every little detail on the British-made Planar 3 RS is obsessively engineered to allow the music on your LPs to flourish with revealing detail, clarity, nuance, depth, dimensionality, and liveliness. Those extend to the 24v low-noise motor, CNC-machined pulley, and double-brace engineering that forms a “stressed beam” assembly between the tonearm mount and main hub bearing. The use of braces allows double thickness phenolic resin in key areas, directly addressing the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission.

Of course, the standout highlight on Planar 3 RS involves the dark-brushed metallic plinth, edged in a high-gloss black satin finish for striking looks and taken from Rega’s higher-priced models. This complex plinth prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonance, which introduce unnatural distortions to the presentation. In addition, heavier mass can transfer more unwanted energy, such as motor or bearing noise, directly onto the LP. Planar 3 RS prevents both of these issues. Last but not least, the 12mm float-glass Optiwhite-polished platter lends sought-after elegance and furthered fidelity. Rega also sculpted the feet for reduced vibration transfer and put integrated cooling into the motor cover tray.

Sold with a smoked dust cover, Planar 3 RS touts a lifetime manufacturer warranty and promises countless hours of musical pleasure. If you have any questions or just want to know more about Rega, contact a Music Direct audio consultant at 312-433-0200. 

Rega Nd5 MM Phono Cartridge
Anchored by an aluminum cantilever and perfect elliptical nude diamond stylus profile, Nd5 offers stunning tracking ability, fantastic detail retrieval, and on-point accuracy that leads to enlightening imaging. Hand-made by Rega and devised over the course of a decade, it also features newly devised generator geometry for outstanding channel balance and an optimized pole gap for superb linearity and cross-talk characteristics. The sonic upshot: Extremely wide soundstaging and involving pacing.

Equipped with a three-point mounting system for easy installation, Nd5 boasts miniaturized parallel coils that are wound in-house with 38-micron wire and only 1275 turns. This approach allows Nd5 to excel when it comes to the areas of high-frequency response and low-noise operation. To give Nd5 lightweight and rigid characteristics — and ensure it does not add stress on tonearms — Rega devised a zero-tolerance, injection-molded, glass-filled polyphenylene sulfide body (PPS) inspired by the company’s MC models.