3/1/2024
We did one of these before back in the mists of time so we thought that we might repeat and update it.
Rega are a top down R&D company, which means they invest in high end products which prove and test new ideas and materials. They then scale this technology down through their range so that every product benefits. This means they are almost always working on something new and exciting. Because Rega follow top down design process we have listed their products from top to bottom. It soon becomes clear that the Rega philosophy marries a light, low mass and rigid design with engineering excellence. Read on.
Rega launched the Naiad in 2017, but they didn't tell a lot of people about it. Initially it was designed as a test bed for new technology and was never intended to come to market. However they ended up making around 30 of them after being asked to do so by a number of customers and at an RRPof £30,000.
The result of the test bed turntable was that the reduction of mass and the increase in rigidity meant that more information was recovered from the groove. This should be no surprise to anyone who has read about or owned a Rega turntable before. This philosophy underscores everything they do.
You can discover more about the Naiad here.
https://www.rega.co.uk/about/naiad
The first commercial realisation of the new technology is The Rega Naia. Even the name takes its clue from the R&D testbed.
The Rega Naia is a product of the years of painstaking development which was used to create the ‘Naiad’ test bed turntable. The Naia takes the best of this development and technology and transfers it into a production ready version without compromise. The Naia is packed with ground-breaking features, materials and technology developed by Rega over many years to reach new levels of vinyl replay.
We see carbon fibre married with graphene to produce an even lighter and more rigid plinth. We see a ZTA Zirconium toughened alumina (ceramic) central bearing. The tonearm has been improved with a one piece titanium vertical bearing and Titanium vertical spindle assembly.
All of this adds to further accuracy and information retrieval from the groove. You hear more music and less noise. This is quite notable too. When we first heard the Naia we were astonished at how good it was with less than perfect vinyl.
Visually the Naia takes its appearance from the P10 and P8 turntables. But introduces tech as described above. We’ll get to those shortly.
Full specs and equipment rundown can be found here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/naia
The Naia costs £9995 without cartridge and £12495 with the Rega reference Aphelion 2 MC cartridge fitted.
Rega P10
The P10 looks very similar to the Naia and shares a lot of features but at a reduced cost. It uses the same external power supply and doubled bracing system with a very similar lightweight plinth design but this time does not feature carbon fibre or graphene. It also uses the RB3000 tonearm but not with titanium components.
Again the stripped down design, low mass and high rigidity offer improvements in terms of signal retrieval and signal to noise ratio.
You can see the full specification here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-10
The P10 costs £3960 without cartridge
£4950 with Apheta 3 MC
£6840 with Aphelion 2 MC
It is also available in white.
The story is the same with the P8. It is as much of the P10 as Rega can afford to use at a reduced price.
It shares the same tancast plinth and bracing ideas but uses a less expensive arm and a smaller Neo power supply. It also uses a tri-laminated glass platter, as opposed to a ceramic platter. Other than the similarities to the P10 and Naia are substantial.
More info here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-8
The P8 costs £1870 with no cartridge
£2330 with Ania MC
£2585 with Ania Pro MC
It is available in black and white
As with all Rega turntables we can fit your cartridge or one from a wide range of alternatives. Rega do however supply their cartridges at a reduced price when purchased as part of a package with the record player of your choice.
P6
This is the first turntable in the range to use the foam plinth. This reduces weight and improves rigidity, which in and of itself is a substantial factor in performance. Some people think that the P6 is a P3 but with an external power supply. Far from it in fact as this is a very different beast.
Here the plinth is kept traditional in shape and has a conventional lid fitted. This design suits some people who can’t get on with the uniqueness of the models above. However we generally find that those reservations disappear when they are heard.
We still have the external Neo power supply and we have a dual layer glass platter. The tonearm is the RB330 tonearm and a choice of dark grey and white are offered.
More info here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-6
P6 no cart £1155
P6 with Exact MM £1385
P6 with Ania MC £1615
P6 with Ania Pro MC £1870
P3
There’s so much been said about the P3 and it has really been one of the products that has built the company's success. It represents fantastic performance and value for money and has years of superb reviews and has been in continuous production since the seventies. Of course it has improved during that time too.
“Rega has pioneered the use of lightweight rigid plinths. Clever use of a lightweight particulate core with a highly rigid phenolic resin skin became the foundations of the high level of performance achieved by the now iconic original Planar range.
It features a lightweight acrylic laminated plinth strengthened using a new improved double brace system mounted specifically where the increased rigidity is required (between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing) which forms a structurally sound “stressed beam” assembly. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonance, which will add unnatural distortions to the music. Equally, heavier mass can transfer more unwanted energy, such as motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record. The use of braces instead of the complete skin allows double thickness phenolic resin in these key areas while providing further weight reduction to the plinth which directly addresses the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission”
This doesn’t match the foam filled plinths of higher models but then again it is superb for the price. It is supplied without an external power supply, although that can be added at extra cost should the customer so wish. It features an RB330 arm.
We think this is the point in the range that Rega’s turntables start to get really good. I mean the P1 and P2 are exceptional value for money but this is in another league.
More info can be found here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-3
P3 is available in 3 gloss finishes - white, black and red.
P3 no cart £660
P3 with Elys 2 MM £799
P3 with Exact 2 MM £880
P2
Essentially a less expensive P3. Loses the plinth bracing, has a cheaper tonearm and comes with a budget MM cartridge fitted as standard.
You can find more information here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-2
P2 is available in gloss white, gloss red, gloss black and a wooden wrap effect has been added recently.
P2 complete is £499
P1
In our opinion the P1 is the best value budget turntable on the market. It scales down the P2 and has a less expensive platter and tonearm. It is available in 3 different incarnations as follows;
P1 standard turntable. Requires an amplifier with a dedicated phono input.
P1 Plus has a built-in phono stage that enables it to be plugged into any amplifier, active speakers or sound bar.
P1 Eco is a new concept that allows Rega to save money on screen printing and to also use slightly cosmetic seconds. The performance is the same but the price is reduced accordingly.
P1 in soft black or white £299
P1 in walnut wood wrap £329
P1 Plus in soft black or white £385
P1 Plus in walnut £299
P1 Eco in black or white £199.
More info on the P1 derivatives can be found here;
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-1
&
https://www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-1-plus
The only way to evaluate these turntables is to listen to them for yourself and determine which one suits your requirements and budget. We can help with that as we keep them all on demonstration.
We also frequently get very good used examples as we upgrade people from one turntable to another. Always supplied with a warranty, these represent an opportunity to save money or get a better turntable for the money you want to spend.
Trade-ins are welcome.
Please get in touch if you’d like to start your turntable journey or to improve on what you have.
