Rega Planar 3 RS

The Rega Planar 3 is a product that realistically warrants the term ‘iconic.’ It has been in production for decades, and the basic shape and design has remained unchanged in that time. The Planar 3 has been a belt driven, unsuspended turntable forever - and, so we can get it out of the way nice and early, the Planar 3 RS is (in these key regards, anyway), no different. 

It has come about because last year, to celebrate its 50^th Anniversary, Rega created a limited edition version of the Planar 3 (imaginatively called the Planar 3 Anniversary) which took the Planar 3, added some goodies to it, covered it in a unique finish and sold it for less than specifying the same spec on a regular Planar 3 would otherwise cost. Rega kept to its word and only made the Anniversary in 2023 - but enough people asked for another ‘special’ that it has obliged. The difference is that the RS is not a limited edition. It’s here for as long as people want one. 

It is also important to stress that the RS is not simply an Anniversary in a different finish. This is the first Planar 3 to use an HPL (high pressure laminate) covered plinth. HPL is usually reserved for the Planar 6, Planar 8 and Planar 10 models, which is a huge amount stiffer than the standard model and brings it closer to the foam filled laminated plinth of the pricier Planar 6. Combined with its aluminium coating, an RS plinth costs three times as much as a standard Planar 3 unit.

This plinth is fitted with standard Planar 3 parts, including the beautiful glass platter topped with felt mat and the RB330 tonearm which every Planar 3 uses. For the RS, though, the platter is rotated by a motor using an external 24v power supply that gives you external speed control - which is a welcome touch. At the end of the arm, you find an example of Rega’s new Nd5 moving magnet cartridge which is the second of three models (the normal Planar 3 is usually fitted with the more affordable Nd3) and a big step up over the older Rega moving magnet models. It combines a nude elliptical stylus and a very potent neodymium magnet generator, while the body borrows heavily from the company’s moving coil designs. 

The RS is similar to the Anniversary inasmuch as it is being sold for substantially less than it ‘should’ cost. The £999 price tag represents a saving of at least £200 over what the normal retail cost would be had the upgrades been specified to a standard model, and that makes the RS - on paper, at least - pretty solid value for money. 

Sound quality 

The Planar 3 RS is a slightly tricky device to describe in terms of its sonic output, because the following (and rather contradictory) statements are both true. The first is that the Planar 3 RS is unmistakably a Rega Planar 3. The second is that it sounds different from any Planar 3 I have tested before. 

Let’s deal with the first statement. The way that the Planar 3 RS goes about handling timing and the musical energy of a recording is pure Rega. It has an effortless ability to get to the core of what makes the record flow and ensure that it reaches you without the slightest sense of embellishment. If there is any way at all that the track you are listening to will get your head nodding, the Planar 3 RS will find it. You are never a spectator to the music when this turntable is involved - you’re front and centre, completely immersed in the experience. The faster the material, the more pronounced the Rega’s ability to generate a sense of effortless agility and musicality. 

But what about the second part? Well, that’s true too. There are moments when listening to the Planar 3 RS that I am reminded of the Planar 10 - which is a truly magnificent piece of engineering and which, even when purchased without a cartridge, costs four times as much as the Planar 3 RS. There is a transparency and lack of colouration that makes this an extraordinary listening experience for a relatively affordable turntable. So, to be absolutely clear: much as I loved the Planar 3 Anniversary, it still felt like a Planar 3 (albeit a really good one). The RS, by contrast, feels like the distilled essence of the company’s higher-end players. This makes it very special indeed. 

Some of the improvements are down to the Nd5 cartridge. It’s a superb device for the asking price, and it imbues the RS with tremendous bass that is fast, detailed and hard-hitting. It combines this with a top end that manages to be detailed and exciting, without sounding fatiguing or relentless with less than perfect material. The good news is that any Planar 3, new or currently owned, will benefit from this little box of tricks as well - but it has found a very effective home indeed on the RS. 

Living with

The Planar 3 RS has one very important thing in common with the normal Planar 3 and, indeed, every other Rega turntable. Unboxing and set-up is an absolute masterclass in how record players should go together. It is logical, free of infuriating fiddly moments, and completely and utterly confidence-inspiring. Even a complete novice won’t struggle. 

And once it is out of the box, you’ll own a genuinely beautiful thing. The Planar 3 is a device that can make a legitimate claim to be proportionally perfect. It simply looks right in a way that even devices that cost many times as much can struggle to match. In the specific case of the RS, these proportions are enhanced by the finish - when I first saw a pictures of the RS I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, but in the metal it’s a superb design. Where the Anniversary looked back, this is a turntable that looks forward. It’s clean, modern and pretty. There’s nothing else anywhere near the price that comes close. 

Of course, as it is still a Planar 3, some limitations of the design remain. Unlike Pro-Ject rivals with their excellent, pliant feet, the Rega is much more solid and will be vulnerable to outside interference on some furniture. As with most Rega turntables, the RS will do its best work on a dedicated shelf - it isn’t as fuss-free, in placement terms, as some rivals are. You will also need some extra space for the external power supply (although it’s not a very big box). Bear in mind that if you change the cartridge in the future (to be honest, I don’t think you will rush), the height of the arm over the platter (VTA) cannot be adjusted, so some designs will need a spacer fitted under the arm to work. 

The standard of fit and finish is excellent. The Rega is incredibly clever, because it is light and extremely simple but it feels both robust and well-finished where it could so easily feel delicate and insubstantial. The result is confidence-inspiring - and it truly feels worth the asking price. 

Conclusion 

The Planar 3 RS is more than an enhanced Planar 3. It feels like a cost-effective way of accessing what the high-end Rega decks can do, in a beautiful and unintimidating device. The concept has been around for decades, but this latest Planar 3 feels a lot like the future. 

Listening notes 

The Slow Readers Club The Slow Readers Club
This potent and hard-edged dose of indie rock is a perfect demonstration of how good the Rega is at timing, and the forgiving top end allows you to wind the volume up as high as you dare

Alabama 3 Power in the Blood
A unique blend of delta blues and electronica shows that the tonality of the Rega is effortlessly convincing, be it voices and instruments or the hulking digital noises underpinning them 

Grizzly Bear Veckatimest
Once upon a time, Rega turntables lacked a bit of top end space and three-dimensionality. Listening to this unique folk/prog effort on the Planar 3 RS shows it has very definitely learned some new tricks. 

If you have the extra money over the £600 Pro-Ject Debut Evo 2, the Planar 3 RS looks and feels more special - and offers higher performance too. This is the best £1000 turntable on the market, and sensational value for money.