Rega RB220 Tonearm and Pre-Fitted Nd3 MM Phono Cartridge Help Make the British-Made Planar 2 Turntable a Triple Threat of Value, Performance, and Convenience: Hear Authoritative Sound, Enjoy Easy Operation
The presence of the revamped Rega RB220 tonearm on the Planar 2 is reason enough to become ensnared by the analog magic produced by this exceptional turntable, which in this package comes with a pre-fitted Nd3 MM phono cartridge. Featuring a low-resonance aluminum arm wand, patent-pending ball bearings housed within an extra-stiff vertical bearing, three-point plinth mounting, and an auto-biasing system that works with a wide variety of cartridges, RB220 is essentially plug-and-play – save for the simple act of balancing it. Its insightful, detailed performance and ability to extract scads of information from vinyl LPs justify Rega's decision to spend years perfecting it – and warrants spending a little extra on Planar 2 when compared to its little brother, Planar 1.
Yet the RB220 is just one of many sonic-first benefits offered by Planar 2, which carries on the tradition of a model that originally launched in 1976. Such longevity doesn't happen by mistake. Rather, it comes about via excellent build, design, and sonics – qualities that help you hear more from your records at a reasonable cost, and the very characteristics Planar 2 offers in spades.
Just look to the 24-volt low-noise motor, high-gloss acrylic laminated plinth, 11mm self-securing brass bearing, 10mm float-glass Optiwhite platter, and vibration-reducing feet. The pre-installed Nd3 cartridge (read more below) and a motor cover tray with integrated cooling further up the value, convenience, and function of Planar 2. Taken as a whole, and operating in sync with one another, these attributes elevate playback accuracy, cancel noise, prevent unwelcome energy transfer, decrease stress and wear, and heighten the overall listening experience.
Awarded a five-star review by What Hi-Fi? the week of its launch, Planar 2 is rhythmic, energetic, authoritative, and assured. Sleek, stylish looks and effortless operation – users need only to balance the tonearm, as Planar 2 is otherwise plug-and-play out of the box – add to the enjoyability of a British-made 'table that has all the marks of a classic. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
"The ability to tie all the musical strands together and paint them on a precise and spacious canvas seems to come easy to the Rega, and in that aspect its delivery just works."
– What Hi-Fi?, 5-star review
Rega Nd3 MM Phono Cartridge
Developed over the course of a decade, the hand-made Nd3 leverages the unique benefits of being the entry-level model of an MM cartridge range considered to be the first in the world to use high-powered neodymium magnets. With an aluminum cantilever and elliptical-profile polycrystalline diamond stylus bonded to a round titanium shank, Nd3 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, stable imaging, and involving pacing.
Further created with miniaturized parallel coils that are wound in-house with 38-micron wire and only 1275 turns, Nd3 excels when it comes to high-frequency response and low-noise operation. To give Nd3 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.
Highlights
- RB220 precision tonearm
- Rega Nd3 moving magnet phono cartridge factory fitted
- 24 V low noise, low vibration motor
- 10 mm float glass opti-white platter
- Gloss finish supplied with clear dust cover as standard
- Advanced EBLT drive belt fitted as standard from March 2021
- Tonearm: Hand assembled RB220 tonearm
- Cartridge: Factory fitted Nd3 moving magnet cartridge
- Motor: 24 V low noise motor
- Dimensions (lid closed) (W x H x D): 447 x 117 x 360 mm
• • Weight: 5.5 kg