The Rega Planar 3 is a Stellar Turntable (Review)

The Rega Planar 3 entered the marketplace in 1976, and has been beloved by turntable enthusiasts ever since.  But today, I’m going to review the new and improved Rega Planar 3.  I’ll give you its technical specs, assess its performance sound, and compare it to its predecessors and competitors to see how it stacks up!

So is the Rega Planar 3 any good?  Is it worth the money?  Let’s find out!

Pros of the Rega Planar 3

Here are the major benefits to buying the Rega Planar 3:

• Has exceptional build quality and design
• Has a new precision main bearing hub
• Is a manual turntable offering more control and upgrades
• Features greater speed accuracy (including better wow and flutter testing compared to the Rega Planar 2)
• Has a 12 mm float glass opti-white platter

Cons of the Rega Planar 3

Here are some major disadvantages to be aware of when buying the Rega Planar 3:

• Has no button for speed control (the Planar 3 requires an external power supply upgrade like the Rega Neo TT-PSU)
• Does not play 78 RPM records
• Price point (the Rega P3 is a mid-range record player that costs over $1,000)
• Base models don’t come with a cartridge (the Rega Elys 2 is an optional add-on)
• It’s not a fully automatic turntable

Technical Specs of the Planar 3 That I Love

Here are four major tech specs I love when it comes to the Planar 3:

RB330 tonearm (the RB330 tonearm comes with a brand new precision main bearing hub.  The new precision bearings help reduce resonance when playing records).

Double Brace Technology (along with the upgraded bearing well, the tonearm braces are 3mm thicker than the Planar 2).

24 Pole Quiet Motor (this 24 volt motor works with the Neo PSU power supply, which I’ll talk more about soon).

High Gloss Plinth (the Planar 3’s plinth is both acrylic and laminated.  It also comes in three colors: black, white, and red).

Performance Assessment

When you buy an expensive mid-range record player like the Rega Planar 3, you expect a level of high quality.  Fortunately, that’s exactly what you get with this turntable.

Admittedly, I still prefer the warmth of sound from the Clearaudio Concept turntable, and the clarity of the Marantz TT-15S1 (both of which I tested and reviewed).  But, the Planar 3’s accurate tracking and reproduction of sound compared to higher priced models is excellent.  

Comparing the Rega Planar 2 vs 3, the improvements made to the Planar 3’s RB330 tonearm (and its bearing hub) make a huge difference in the sound quality.  When matched with a cartridge that I love (I’m a big fan of the Ortofon 2M Bronze), the Rega Planar 3 sounds just as good as any other mid-range record player available.

The Planar 3 vs the Project Debut Pro is also an interesting battle.  In fact, both have similar price points ($1,100 without a cartridge for the Planar 3 compared to $1,000 for the Debut Pro).

If you simply want the best value for your money, I recommend going with the Project Debut Pro over the Planar 3.  The Debut Pro provides great performance and also comes with a built in electronic speed change switch (unlike the Planar 3).

But, if you care most about sound quality, the Planar 3 is unbeatable compared to the Project Debut Pro.  With the Planar 3’s low noise level, balanced sound, speed accuracy, and high quality plinth and glass platter, the Planar 3 is the clear winner over the Debut Pro.

Rega Planar 3 vs Planar 1 vs Planar 2

So now that we’ve examined some of the key features that makes the Planar special, let’s discuss how well it stacks up to the Planar 1 and Planar 2.  Especially because there’s such a big difference in price.

Let’s first discuss price briefly.  The Rega Planar 1 costs $595 with a pre-mounted cartridge.  

The Rega Planar 2 costs $775. 

And the Rega Planar 3 costs cost as little as $1,125 (with no cartridge) and as much as $1,400 with a premounted cartridge like the Elys 2. In short, the Rega Planar 3 with a pre-mounted cartridge is double the price of the Planar 2.

So, ultimately, is the Planar 3 really worth that massive price difference?  Well, let’s take look.

In terms of how these three turntables are built, they’re all quite bit similar, although the Planar 2 and 3 are better constructed.  On the Planar 1, you have high pressure acrylic laminate over particle board.  On the Planar 2 and Planar 3, the particle board is replaced with thicker MDF.

As mentioned before, the Planar 3 also steps up its game when it comes to taking the initiative to remove unwanted resonance.  To do this, the Planar 3 implements a double bracing feature.  This helps increase the plinth’s rigidity, as the bracing element connects from the main hub bearing to the tonearm.

As far as the platter is concerned, the Planar 2 and Planar 3 use the same float glass platter, but the Planar 3’s platter is thicker and heavier by about 2 mm.  The Planar 1, by contrast, uses a resin platter.

The Planar 1, Planar 2, and Planar 3 all use a 24 volt, low noise brushless motor.   But as mentioned earlier, the Planar 3 allows for the use of Rega’s external speed control unit: the Rega Neo TTPSU.

Rega Planar 3 vs RP3

Now, when it comes to some of these Rega turntables, the lineup can be a bit confusing due to the nomenclature.

In 1976, the Rega Planar 3 was released.  Over two decades later came the Rega P3 in 2000, which provided high gloss plinths.

Now, with Rega’s decision to go back to the “Planar” branding in 2016, the Rega Planar 3 reintroduced itself to consumers.  The Planar 3 excited customers with its RB330 tonearm, along with a thicker 3mm phenolic brace (as opposed to 2mm that’s found on the RP3).

With that said, you’re not going to find an overwhelming amount of differences between the Planar 3 vs the RP3—at least no differences that will overwhelmingly affect the sound of your music. 

The Planar 3 and RP3 both use an Elys cartridge (unless you choose to upgrade the cartridge). The Planar 3 and RP3 both utilize the double bracing feature on the plinth, as well. On top of that, the Planar 3 and RP3 both have a float glass platter, too.

Both turntables are compatible with the TT-PSU speed control unit, as well.

Ultimately, choosing to purchase the Rega RP3 over the Planar 3 is a great choice if you can find a good deal.

Upgrades for the Rega Planar 3

There are two upgrades you can make to the Rega Planar 3 that will improve your turntable’s performance.

1. Upgrade the Rega power supply
2. Upgrade the Rega cartridge

I recommend the Rega Neo TT-PSU external motor power supply.  With this component, you will be able to change the Planar 3’s speed from 33 RPM to 45 RPM with a touch of a button. 

If you don’t purchase the Rega Neo TT-PSU (or something similar), you must remove the Planar 3’s platter and manually move the belt position on the motor pulley to change the turntable’s speed.

I would also advise changing your cartridge in order to hear an improved sonic performance in the Rega Planar 3. It’s important to know that the Planar 3’s cheapest version comes with no cartridge attached to the tonearm. So you’ll need to determine which cartridge you want to buy for the Planar 3 when you purchase it.

If you’re confused and need some help, I’ve tested the following cartridges from the Ortofon line and love them all:

• Ortofon 2M Red (warm sound with good bass response)
• Ortofon 2M Blue (colder sound, but great treble response)
• Ortofon 2M Bronze (warm sound with excellent midrange and treble)
• Ortofon 2M Black (reproduces exquisite sound from high frequency record groove information)

You can also check out my reviews of all four of these Ortofon cartridges here:

• You Might Also Want to Read: Ortofon 2M Red review
• You Might Also Want to Read: Ortofon 2M Blue review
• You Might Also Want to Read: Ortofon 2M Bronze review
• You Might Also Want to Read: Ortofon 2M Black review

And if you’re enjoying my Rega Planar 3 review so far, be sure to subscribe to my Devoted to Vinyl YouTube channel and Facebook page!

History of the Rega Planar 3

The first Rega Planar 3 turntable was released in April 1976. It made its debut just three years after the company was founded in 1973.

It would take Rega another forty years to re-release the Planar 3 to customers.  In October of 2016, the Planar 3 indeed returned to the marketplace.  The Planar 3 was a complete re-build and replaced the beloved Rega RP3, which had debuted in 2000. 

The Rega Planar 3 has received award recognition for exceptional value from multiple music and tech outlets. 

Is the Rega Planar 3 Worth It?

The Rega Planar 3 is an expensive mid-range turntable that offers great sound reproduction and stability. Its wonderful build quality will reduce unwanted noise and sound resonance. The Planar 3 is also a beautifully minimalist turntable with a shiny acrylic plinth that’s eye-catching.

You will likely end up spending additional money making upgrades to this turntable in order to get optimal sound and performance. Upgrades to the cartridge and speed control (or power supply unit) should be high on your list.

But even if you don’t make these record player upgrades, the Planar 3 is a spectacular turntable that you can be proud to own. The Rega Planar 3 is Highly Recommended.

You Also Might Enjoy:

• Rega Planar 1 review
• Rega Planar 2 review
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