Rega Planar 2 walnut with Nd3 cartridge

Rega Planar 2 Turntable with Rega Nd3 Cartridge

The Rega Planar 2 is a manual turntable designed in the UK. It now comes factory-fitted with the new Nd3 moving magnet cartridge, developed over a 10-year period, replacing the award-winning Elys 2 moving magnet cartridge. This new cartridge promises to deliver significantly superior performance by using ultra-powerful neodymium magnets, creating a completely unique design.

The Planar 2 is the result of two years of development conducted alongside the latest Planar 3. It stands out with its RB220 tonearm, ultra-quiet 24V motor, and laminated acrylic plinth with a glossy finish.

Design and Manufacturing

Chassis and Plinth

The chassis, made from a laminated acrylic and ultra-rigid material, minimizes resonances to ensure stable playback. The turntable’s design is enhanced by a smoked dust cover, which protects the device from dust and debris when not in use. The plinth is available in three elegant finishes: gloss black, lacquered white, and red.

Polished Glass Platter

The turntable is equipped with a 10 mm floating glass platter, providing a stable and resonance-free platform for the record. The platter is made from high-quality optiwhite glass, ensuring excellent clarity and an elegant appearance. Beneath the platter, a new self-securing brass main bearing (patent pending) offers a better fit and reduces stress on the bearing, preventing potential energy transfer.

Low-Noise 24V Motor

The Planar 2 + Nd3 features a low-noise, low-vibration 24V motor, along with a redesigned circuit board. This advanced motor system ensures consistent speed and minimal vibrations, resulting in cleaner and more precise sound. The turntable offers manual speed control, allowing users to easily switch between 33 1/3 and 45 RPM.

Tonearm and Cartridge

Rega RB220 Tonearm

The RB220 tonearm is a centerpiece of the Planar 2. Fully made of aluminum, it offers excellent rigidity and precise tracking. The very low-friction bearings, designed by Rega, are housed in a redesigned, lighter, and more rigid casing. The RB220 includes an anti-skating mechanism and an adjustable counterweight for precise tracking force adjustment. A lever allows for smooth raising or lowering of the arm, and a clip holds the arm in the rest position after use.

Nd3 Moving Magnet Cartridge

The Planar 2 + Nd3 comes factory-fitted with the Rega Nd3 moving magnet cartridge, a high-quality option that delivers excellent sound performance right out of the box. The Nd3 cartridge features a diamond stylus and a lightweight aluminum cantilever, ensuring precise tracking and minimal distortion. The cartridge’s moving magnet design offers balanced and dynamic sound, with a wide frequency response and good channel separation.

Sound Performance

The Rega Planar 2 offers a very high level of sound reproduction, combining clarity, dynamics, and musicality. Every element of its design has been optimized to extract the maximum detail from the grooves of vinyl records.

The laminated chassis and polished glass platter ensure stable playback free from unwanted vibrations. The low-noise 24V motor guarantees smooth and silent platter rotation, with no audible speed fluctuations.

The RB220 tonearm, with its high rigidity and precision bearings, allows the Nd3 cartridge to accurately follow the grooves and capture all the nuances of the recording. The cartridge compliance is perfectly matched to the tonearm’s mass for optimal synergy.

The Planar 2 thus reproduces the full harmonic richness and dynamics of your vinyl records. The tones are natural, the vocals present, and the musical message intact. The soundstage is wide and stable, with a beautiful depth of sound field.

Ease of Installation and Use

The Rega Planar 2 is almost ready to use straight out of the box. Only a few simple adjustments remain, such as setting the counterweight and anti-skating. The Nd3 cartridge is already pre-mounted and factory-calibrated. The turntable is equipped with a standard RCA output, allowing easy connection to a phono preamp or an amplifier with an integrated phono input. Additionally, it comes with a detachable power cord, simplifying its installation within your audio system.

The daily use of the turntable is a true pleasure thanks to its refined ergonomics. The controls, intuitive and well-arranged, offer a smooth experience. The lever allows precise handling of the tonearm, while the on/off switch is easily accessible.

Key Advantages

• Careful design and manufacturing, high-quality materials
• Laminated chassis and polished glass platter for optimal stability
• Quiet and consistent 24V motor, drive belt
• RB220 aluminum tonearm, rigid and precise, high-performance bearings
• Pre-mounted Rega Nd3 cartridge, matched to the tonearm, faithful groove reading
• Clear, dynamic, and musical sound reproduction, rich in detail
• Elegant white lacquer finish, includes cover and felt mat
• Ease of installation and daily use

Technical Specifications

Main Features

• Speeds: 33, 45 RPM
• Silent 24 V motor
• High-gloss acrylic laminated plinth
• 11 mm self-locking brass bearing
• 10 mm white optical floating glass platter

Physical Characteristics

• Dimensions (lid closed): 447 × 117 × 360 mm (W × H × D)
• Weight: 5.5 kg
• Included accessories: transparent protective lid, felt mat

RB220 Tonearm

• Construction: one-piece aluminum tube
• Three-point mounting system
• Extremely low friction
• Technical specifications:
  • Effective mass: 11 g
  • Distance from platter center to tonearm hole center: 222 mm
  • Effective length: 236.5 mm
  • Overhang: 14.5 mm

Rega Nd3 Cartridge

• Construction:
  • Bonded elliptical stylus
  • Aluminum cantilever
  • Neodymium magnet
  • Ultra-rigid and lightweight PPS (polyphenylene sulfide) body
• Specifications:
  • Nominal output voltage: 5 to 6 mV
  • Tracking force: 1.75 g
  • Rega three-point mounting system
  • Miniaturized parallel coils
  • Color: red
  • Manufacturing: hand-assembled stereo cartridge

Non-contractual photo, turntable shown with the previous Elys 2 cartridge