Rega Planar 3 (user experience)

[Deleted member 38504]

My journey of turntables began a few year's back when I inherited quite a number of LP's from my grandfather. Being fascinated and curious I decided to dip my toes into the world of vinyl without caution.

My first TT was a Phillips 242 which I purchased from a dealer in Mumbai. Wanted an upgrade soon. Bought a pristine Technics 1200 MK5. Bought lots of upgrades, including mats, original headshells, warp weight. Cartridges including nagaoka, AT and denon. However I wanted a change in aesthetics and maybe a lil bit in sound.

Step in the Rega planar 3. White. To match my dyns. Placed an order and waited 2 month's for the white. Other options were the project. But the dealer/distributor for project in India have very inflated prices. And the Rega is a better product IMHO.

A very dear friend hand carried the Rega from blr to my place. Setup was a breeze. It comes factory fitted with a Elys 2 cartridge. All we had to do was fix the platter on the sub platter. Balance the tonearm. Set the tracking weight to 1.75, move the antiskate slider to 1.75 and done!

The Rega doesn't have its own phono so an external phono will be required. Very good RCA Neutrik RCA cables are provided.

The plinth is a super high gloss acrylic laminated plinth. The platter is a "optiwhite" glass platter. It looks stunning especially at night with the record spinning in ambient lighting.

It's got three rubberized feet. Very sturdy and keeps the TT planted on my shelf.

The tonearm is where the TT excels. It's a highly regarded RB330. Used on other brands as well. It's such a simple and beautiful TT to look at and setup. VERY high WAF!

My first song. Your latest trick by dire straits. It's my favourite song. The Rega just churned out fuss free music from the word go! Nice and smooth. I missed the analog sound for too long! There is just something about spinning a record that just won't come on a cd or a network player. And I'm glad I got the Rega.

The sound is nice and smooth. Like a fine glass of single malt. I think the highs are a little less refined but other than that the TT is very well balanced.Maybe it's the Elys 2 cart or maybe it's my old ears. But I can live with that. No problem.

Played a few more albums. Julio Iglesias, Neil diamond, Clapton. I just can't state enough the beauty of having a TT in your home system. If you don't have a TT, Ur definitely missing out on something! Sitting back and watching a record spin, while listening to the occasional crack and pop of the tt, sigh!

Coming to cartridges, there is an upgrade available called the Ania. However at present I don't think I'll be thinking of that. Maybe in the distant future. One downside of owning a Rega, they prefer you use their own cartridges. Fixing another cart, requires a lot of fixing and know-how. Neither skill I possess.

Oh and there is no grounding wire. That took me by surprise. However @jls001 mentioned this to me. And gave me a clear reason why Rega doesn't do ground wires. Thanks buddy for all the advice always.

If one is looking for a fuss free, smooth Brit sounding TT with a high WAF, this is it. Look no further. Thank you for reading.

 

[Ashenden]

Congrats on the purchase! Looks stunning , must sound very good! How much did you pay for this [if you don't mind sharing]?

 

[Deleted member 38504]

So the price depends on dealer to dealer. How much of a crook you are as a dealer and how much you want to be. I'm grateful to have friends who helped me procure this TT for a great price! The MRP is around 85k I think. If Ur serious about buying I can help u surely. If your just asking because in India we want to only know " kya average deta hai" and "kitne ka Liya" then sorry

 

[Ashenden]

I was getting an offer around CDN $1200 [~60K] in Vancouver. So was wondering whether to buy there and bear the risk of carrying it here.

because in India we want to only know " kya average deta hai" and "kitne ka Liya"

Also I don't think it is good form to mock Indians for being thrifty. Yes, we all love a good deal

 

[Deleted member 38504]

60k is a good deal. It will be about 10-15k more here. However unless u plan to bring it down here yourself or hand carry it (it's actually very light) u will be attracting shipping and customs.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

[QUOTE
Also I don't think it is good form to mock Indians for being thrifty. Yes, we all love a good deal
[/QUOTE]

I don't see why not. Everyone loves a good deal. However this is not about being thrifty. I also find it offensive when someone asks me "kitna average deta hai aapka gaadi ". U don't hear it in a western culture. That's THE first question we Indians ask.

I could never afford a high end speaker or TT or amplifier or car. So, I find it foolish to ask kitne ha hai, when in reality, what am I going to do with that knowledge or information. Nothing personal against you in this particular case. You're probably a one off genuine case. I have so many guys asking kitne ka hai when in fact I know they aren't going to buy anything

Btw if u are buying in Canada there is a website called kijiji.com. Some super deals on used items. I nearly bought from there as I had a trip planned to Toronto. Good luck. If u need guidance here I'll be happy to help.

 

[Ashenden]

60k is a good deal. It will be about 10-15k more here. However unless u plan to bring it down here yourself or hand carry it (it's actually very light) u will be attracting shipping and customs.

Yes. It will be hand carried. Was worried about airlines handling the package. They're pretty rough.

 

[Ashenden]

Btw if u are buying in Canada there is a website called kijiji.com. Some super deals on used items.

Yes. It's very good. Though I'll be getting from a friend who has a nearly new/unused unit. Will check it out and see if it is as good as everyone says it is

 

[Naturelover]

Curious what jls told you about the grounding.

 

[Ashenden]

Curious what jls told you about the grounding.

What will happen if there is no ground wire? Will there be a audible hum? Just trying to understand.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

@jls001 waiting for your explanation.

@sandeepss there is no hum! That's the beauty of the TT!

 

[sanjivnayak]

very soon we will witness a nice looking TT on sale !!!!!

 

[Mayank Shah]

Passionate write-up @celester340. Have got some brand new Rock/metal Lp's. Looking forward to dropping in for a listen soon. Hold on to that single malt, would you

 

[Deleted member 38504]

very soon we will witness a nice looking TT on sale !!!!!

In fact my TT is the only thing constant in my setup! Haha my previous TT was with me for 3 year's! That's definitely a "record" of some sorts for me! owning close to a 1000 lps, I don't think I'd let go so easily now hehe

 

[sanjivnayak]

Thanks @celester340 for the confidence resurrected in you. But unfortunately in all previous occassions, after a great review of the upgraded product of your choice ( you only open up a thread for suggestion) we find that you yourself discard your choice and give some picked-up-reason as to why you can no longer live with that product anymore.
My assumption can be ruled out if historical events donot repeat itself.

 

[bigron]

Adding to your thread. Just got back to vinyl after 20 plus year. Picked up a Pro Ject Debut Carbon DC and upgraded to the Ortofon 2M Blue and an Acrylic platter. It is indeed a visual and an audio delight to see a record spinning. Something soothing about that analog sound with a crack here and a pop there.Time to get Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye back into the living room.

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Thanks @celester340 for the confidence resurrected in you. But unfortunately in all previous occassions, after a great review of the upgraded product of your choice ( you only open up a thread for suggestion) we find that you yourself discard your choice and give some picked-up-reason as to why you can no longer live with that product anymore.
My assumption can be ruled out if historical events donot repeat itself.

Is that a problem? I chose to buy and upgrade because I want to. And I can afford to take a loss. What’s the big deal? Also could you be more specific regarding the historical events u have mentioned? What’s a picked up reason? You don’t like what I have sold or you don’t like the reason given by me for what I have sold? Which one is it? Do I need to justify it to you? I like to experiment and most of the times I buy something better. Or I sell something that I bought impulsively and is no longer needed. All the guys I have sold my items to are very very happy with what they have got wrt quality and pricing.

So why are u being so bitter and sarcastic? You want to read what I have written, do so? Want to comment on that,do so? But what’s the deal with trying to educate me on how I spend my money or what I like and dislike? Assumptions?

 

[Deleted member 38504]

Adding to your thread. Just got back to vinyl after 20 plus year. Picked up a Pro Ject Debut Carbon DC and upgraded to the Ortofon 2M Blue and an Acrylic platter. It is indeed a visual and an audio delight to see a record spinning. Something soothing about that analog sound with a crack here and a pop there.Time to get Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye back into the living room.

Wow 20 years ha! What were u listening to for so long then? CDs or streaming? The carbon DC is also a super TT. Is that the one with the inbuilt speed change? Me, I have about 1000 lps and maybe say 200-300 odd CDs. I still love taking the effort to get up, play the lp and sit down. All without a remote or pause button! The sight of a needle drop onto the record is a sight to behold!

 

[Mayank Shah]

I got the Project Debut TT too very recently to rekindle the passion which my father infused in me when I was a kid. At the time we all used to think he was crazy not only to have 3 of them (for different genres) but the meticulous ritual he would follow just to play a record. Now after all these years, I can perfectly feel the sheer joy he would have experienced then. This is something I will pass on to my kid as well as she is already asking a lot of questions about it. I also got a Rega amp recently, not hard to guess my next TT upgrade. "How you play the music is as important as feeling it" - he would always say.

 

[sanjivnayak]

Is that a problem? I chose to buy and upgrade because I want to. And I can afford to take a loss. What’s the big deal? Also could you be more specific regarding the historical events u have mentioned? What’s a picked up reason? You don’t like what I have sold or you don’t like the reason given by me for what I have sold? Which one is it? Do I need to justify it to you? I like to experiment and most of the times I buy something better. Or I sell something that I bought impulsively and is no longer needed. All the guys I have sold my items to are very very happy with what they have got wrt quality and pricing.

So why are u being so bitter and sarcastic? You want to read what I have written, do so? Want to comment on that,do so? But what’s the deal with trying to educate me on how I spend my money or what I like and dislike? Assumptions?

My goodness why are you so upset ? I never tried to write anything to disregard your liking for experimenting things. In fact I dont have any problem with your buying and selling stuffs. And in those 3 lines I have not used a single abusive words. Which line was bitter and sarcastic ? All I wanted to convey is like in your previous upgradations, this also may not last very long.