Rega Planar 2 vs Rega Planar 3 Features and Differences

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In this video, Mike at Hudson Valley HiFi gives a short overview of the Planar 2 and Planar 3 turntables from Rega, along with discussion of the feature differences of the two models. Any questions can be left in the comments section. Please SUBSCRIBE for future videos and click the notification button.
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[@my_username_was_taken]

Good to note for anyone stumbling upon this video that the Rega Planar 2 has been upgraded since. The PSU cable is no longer a wall wart and the tonearm has the anti-skate adjustment on the RB220 as well. This makes fewer differences between the P2 and P3. A used deal on these turntables is the way. Especially in the US where pricing isn't so great for Rega. Skip the cartridge as they are bad values as well for both tables though you're not going to be able to buy without on the P2. I have a P2 and love it. Upgrading the P2 with a metal subplatter (something like from TangoSpinner), better bearing (inexpensive), belt (very inexpensive), and cartridge (varies in price but even a AT-VM95ml is going to be leagues better than stock cart on either table) makes for an incredibly cost effective turntable that will sound better than the P3 stock. So don't feel as if the P2 has no upgrade options. Should you find a used P3 at a good price, it's definitely a better deal, but the P2 is probably the most cost effective quality turntable you can get. You could very very easily end up paying more for an interior table from another brand. In my opinion the P2 is underrated and often overlooked...You really may not be able to tell much if any difference between the two and would be better off looking at the P6 or something else instead if you want a significant jump in quality. For used pricing, currently in US; ~150-200 for P1, ~350 for P2, ~550 for P3. No more. Look at another turntable if you're paying more than that used or just go and buy them new.

[@mich298]

I have a Mira 3 amplifier ; a tuner Radio 3 ; a CD player Jupiter ; and a turntable Planar 3. I'm a REGA addict😵😵😵 A follower from France 🇲🇫

[@AudioElectronicsChicago]

I love the variety of colors they offer

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

The red really pops!

[@danielbentley0]

Bought my Planar 2 from Mike. Still very happy with it!

[@bobmclaughlin3851]

I became a customer at Hudson Valley Hifi a month ago because of this video, and this has been my experience with these gentlemen: Mike and Kevin are honest, knowledgable, and patiently answered all my questions. We discussed my limited budget, and unlike a lot of high end audio stores, I was not made to feel unworthy of their time and services. They set me up with a great sounding, and quality system. As far as integrity goes, you won't find anyone better. (even at their own expense). For example, when I wanted to make an expensive stylus upgrade to my turntable, they immediately advised me against my idea stating my tone arm wouldn't handle it, costing themselves a sale, and saving me a lot of money. (Who else would do that)?!!! So happy with my Rega turntable purchase, and Rogue Sphinx amp. I'll be back for the speakers they recommended, and let me hear through my amp ASAP. It's a 3 hr round trip for me to get there, and worth every minute, and drop of gas! Thanks you guys, you're the best!

[@davidjohns.3065]

I still have my original rega 3, great deck and superb build.

[@jammanist]

Great info !! Love my Rega 3 and all the upgrades I ve been making to it the last couple of years. Sounds fantastic !!

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Thank you for viewing, don't forget to subscribe 😀

[@ericdimson1]

Thank you for your reply and the info.

[@lauriebloggs8391]

Thank you, very helpful in looking for my Pro-Ject Xpression 2 replacement........

[@tomhound273]

having had a P1 for a few weeks and then it was recommended to go up to the P3 instead of upgrading. Very satisfied with the P3. Great review of both tables. In short - you get what you pay for.

[@enriccoll8505]

Lots of Thanks Mike.... i have the decissión clear; The fabolous rega LP3.... this is the option for me...Thanks

[@naimusic362]

Greetings from Liverpool, England. I’ve just upgraded my newish P3/Elys2 with a Neo6 PSU and it’s well worth it. The sound quality is more smooth and dynamic. Excellent review Sir 😎

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Thank you for watching and commenting 😀🍻

[@bobdinwiddy]

in thirty years using an RP3 almost daily, did replace the barrel & spindle (aiming the glass platter after a speed change it tricky) as the ball bearing made too much contact for comfort... a new elastic band every decade ;)

[@brabuspower100]

Very pro video. Well done.

[@amarcy5369]

I have the rega p3 and did subsequently acquire the rega power supply and the rega phono stage. Yes I suppose I have spent the equivalent of a p6 but money saved for Christmas and birthdays was my limiting factor. But in the great scheme of things I still think I made a right decision. The p3 is so upgradable over time , as finances allow . The deck came with the Elys2 cartridge fitted and so far have felt no need to change it , but when the time comes there’s the opportunity to try something different . But it is worth noting the p3 arm has no hight adjustment . Hope this is of some use to any future buyer . But trust me the p3 is an absolute gem . Best wishes to all

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Thank you for the comment and I agree P3 for someone on a budget is the way to go to deck it out over time. Btw VTA is adjustable somewhat by adding the 2mm spacers under the tonearm.

[@amarcy5369]

@@HudsonValleyHiFI yes sir point taken , the hight is adjustable with this method . Thank you for taking the time to respond to my comment . May I take this opportunity to thank you for all you do to inform and explain the products you have available . I am a resident of the U.K. so have limited access to such attentive retailers as your good selfs . Kind regards and much respect for me . Keep up the good work , yours truly . M R C

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Thank you for the kind words and for watching.

[@peace-yv4qd]

Thanks for the video. I ordered a Planar 3 last night when I discovered the dealer was including the table with the Exact cartridge for the same price as the Elys cartridge.

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

We have been getting those as well. The Elys2 is backordered so that is a killer deal

[@run4b33r]

@@HudsonValleyHiFI Is this still available? (P3 + Exact)

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

@@run4b33r yes it is, give us a call 845-219-1730

[@kfl611]

They both share good looks.

[@honkhogan21M]

Thank you! I’m going with the P6!

[@evowhite777]

I've had all three in my house or listen to extensively,the P2 is a cracking starter "audiophile" turntable. The P6 is made & aimed at those who DON'T want to add upgrades,& should be used with any Rega cartridge from Ania Pro(lomc) upwards (IMO). Now "my turntable" the 2016 P3(as shown here!)as the Full Bollocks once you've upgraded all except the plinth(even though many have & will). The two biggest upgrades are;a machined metal sub platter & the Rega Neo PSU,these two alone will give you 90-97% of a P6(as long as your turntable is on a level non vibrating surface). Yes you will probably reach the price of a P6 but at least this way you can have a really good turntable to start with, then upgrade when you have the funds.l at your own will....if need be of course!

[@honkhogan21M]

@@evowhite777 got the Pro-Ject Evo lol

[@evowhite777]

Well done, what model did you go with?

[@ericdimson1]

This is an excellent presentation of the differences between the Planar 2 and Planar 3. Did you need to add a spacer to accommodate the Ortofon 2m Blue on the Planar 3?

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Thank you for watching Eric. I prefer the setup without the spacer. The arm still sits very level on a 180g album. I have found that the cueing lever may need to be raised a bit in the up position to not contact the album.

[@alm5693]

Thanks for this video. I was going to buy a P2, but I went kind of crazy and instead picked up a red P3, the TT PSU power supply, the belt upgrade, and an Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge. How close do I come to a P6? I bought the P3 in 2017 and I wasn't aware of the P6 at the time. I think my combo was still about $400 less than the P6. I love the turntable and the cartridge. I did need to adjust the cuing height on my P3 because it wouldn't raise high enough to clear 180g (or slightly warped) records. Are the Ortofons a bit taller than the Rega cartridge? Edit: I read the other comments and noticed you'd already mentioned raising the cuing height. Thanks for that comment response.

[@joeyg7458]

way better than the project entry level

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

I couldn't agree more in all factors but price which goes back to the you pay for what you get theory. There are plenty of happy ProJect owners as well but the ones that have had issues the lack of support after warranty is a joke. There's going to be minor problems with any turntable being that they are actually quite complex despite appearance, it's how the company backs them that matters most. With a now lifetime warranty against defects I feel Rega is leading in that respect.

[@HollywoodNobody]

Bought the p2 initially. Wonderful table. Traded it after six months and bought a P3 with Exact cartridge. Running it with a Creek 4140 (new in box when I bought it a year ago) and a set of Warfdale Diamonds. For me, the difference between the P2 and P3 was significant. Going to purchase the power supply next month, which I understand makes a significant difference in the soundstage and detail. Great product.

[@graemecharlton4450]

Hi Brian, I too have the P3 with the exact cartridge, just want to say you won't regret getting the speed changing box, what a difference it makes.

[@michaeltache3681]

@@graemecharlton4450 Thanks! I can't wait to make this upgrade, and I have the same setup as you for $1400 out the door, with the Exact 2 cartridge. If you can get the P3 with the currently free Exact 2 cart, it is a no brainer over the P6 in my opinion....

[@HollywoodNobody]

I purchased the Neo MK2 power supply. It arrived today. It’s like a totally different system now. I’m hearing stuff on the vinyl that simply wasn’t there before. More details, wider soundstage. It’s astonishing. Worth every single penny of the $445.00.

[@graemecharlton4450]

@@HollywoodNobody Good to hear Brian, yeah it makes a huge difference.

[@HollywoodNobody]

@@graemecharlton4450 oh man, it’s night and day!

[@davecosins345]

I've got a Planar3 with nagaoka MP-200. Great table, but. How arm is playing more near center, hum is more audible. Does it normal?

[@lonelycake4114]

Isnt the dust cover supposed to be firmly in place?

[@danelectr]

My planar 2 has the bias adjustment the same as the p3 on this video

[@MikeAguiar]

I'm going from a music hall MMF 2.2 to a Rega planner 2. REGA in the mail now. What are your thoughts?

[@christiansonner5749]

Hi Mike! I have Rega P2. Now Im going to change cartright. I live in a town with No really HiFi shop. What would You chosefri? Ortofon mr2 BLUE/Bronze ( or black , expensive) or a GoldRing 1042? Speakers are BEOlab 18 (WISA). I have plenty -60-70 EMI records and some new. I like jazz, Bowie, Eros Ramazzotti and some classic. Witch cartridge would You chose? BR Christian

[@jameschant2740]

What settings for capacitance, impedance and gain on a configurable phono-stage would you recommend for the P1?

[@jimdandy2024]

Those setting are generally for moving coil cartridges. The P1 has a moving magnet cartridge. Your phono amp probably has a switch to change from MC to MM. Just switch it to the MM setting and you should be good to go. I believe the MM setting bypasses most of the configurations.

[@edwardpurkis6432]

Just a thought, wouldn’t the brace between spindle and tone arm on the p3 tend to transmit any motor noise more than the plain MDF of the P2? I have a NAD 533 which was made by Rega, and based upon the then current P2 - in fact it arrived in a Rega box. I really like this turntable. It sounds much better than the Dual deck which I also have. I upgraded the platter on my 533 to acrylic. Thanks for this excellent comparison.

[@cricketingdave]

Could you do a review comparing the P3 with the Technics SL1500C. Very different animals yes, but how do they compare?

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

I do not carry Technics and after mounting a cart on one for a customer glad we do not. The Regas are much quieter with far better arm. The new Technics are not the same as the old mixer case kick around 1200s from the 80s and 90s.

[@AntoniaKMoore]

I’m a beginner turntable buyer and the Rega P3 has piqued my interest. Only issue is I can’t seem to find anywhere that shows from start to finish everything you need to set up, such as what speakers, preamps and how much it would cost for a full kit. My other idea is to get a Pro-Ject in a box, speakers and all but I’m not so sure. I definitely don’t want to spend crazy money but I’d invest about €1k if I could get a good Rega P3 setup. Any advice welcome 🙂

[@abdaljabbarhusayn610]

Are you in the UK

[@AntoniaKMoore]

@@abdaljabbarhusayn610 Hi, no I am in Ireland :)

[@seanoreilly8603]

@@AntoniaKMoore try hifihut in Dublin. Very nice guys and have a lot of budget gear. Not just high end. Ask for Stevie.

[@martena.2207]

Thanks for the Video. I have a Rega P2 and want to upgrade it with a Ortofon 2M Blue. If I understood you right, there are no issues with just put it on? I don't have to care about anti skating? Sorry but english isn't my motherlanguage. Thank you

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

None at all, excellent combination!

[@leemcmanus247]

@@HudsonValleyHiFI Hi, I tried to setup a 2m Blue on my P2 with the fixed bias. I couldn’t get it to track at all? Eventually I bought an Elys 2 but would really love to setup the 2M Blue. Is there a special knack to doing it? Tracking weight was set as stated by ortofon. Hoping you can help.

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

We have set many P2 w/ fixed bias to an Ortofon 2m Blue. VTF set to 1.85g and it is perfectly fine. Is the turntable level and tracking force set correctly?

[@davidboyle5763]

What powered speakers would you recommend for the rega planar range?

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

I tend to not recommend powered speakers unless you are putting together a very budget system although there are some fairly good ones today. We mate up the Triangle Borea BA3 active, AIO Twin, or the Totem Kin Play series with some Rega Planar 1 or 2

[@bleb207]

Changed my Carbon to AT 95E on my P1 and the cartridge was skipping like a cricket 🦗 😅

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

VM95E is a good cart for the Rega, something was not done right. Did you set your VTF to 2.0g?

[@jankogl1251]

Can anybody help me please? I just bought a Rega Planar 2 and connected it to a Profitec TC-400 preamp, to which I hooked up a Bluetooth Transmitter so I can listen to records on either my headphones or over a soundbar. My question is, am I likely to hear a world of difference too with this particular setup if I upgrade the carbon cartridge that came with the player to, say, a Rega Exact? Or would I need a proper amplifier first? I know, the wireless bit also always comes with a loss in sound… Anyway, just wondering aloud and hope someone can supply me with their experience. Thx. 🙂

[@funcionyforma]

Hi, do you solve this finaly?

[@ladiesman9327]

Looking to upgrade my player, since I have upgraded cd player and amp. When playing records now, I have to switch off my sub, cause it's overwhelming... just a loud, deep burr... it's also playing very low. I gotta crank volume up to 70%, to give me same volume as a cd gives at 25% I'm guessing it's cause it's old (and cheap) any ideas if this is it? Not gonna upgrade if I keep having the same problem...

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Give us a call 845-219-1730

[@johnsweda2999]

Couple things going on here! the rumble is down to poor isolation with the turntable and your room does your amplifier have a rumble filter? put it on, isolate the table better not with spikes but with 3"-5" ideally of cellulose foam or an old mattress foam under the table, put a concrete slab on your rack at the bottom shelf four or five pieces of Blu-Tack so it doesn't scratch 2 inches by 14 inches Square, on the bottom shelf or inside a cabinet. Low output ?? sounds a bit strange have you got a moving magnet or moving coil cartridge ? what is your phono stage are you using? What turntable are you using

[@ladiesman9327]

@@johnsweda2999 I talked to a guy where I live, he said it's a compatability issue, and vibration. He connected something between my player and amplifier, and it was like night and day. But thanks for your tip

[@lyndonlim9286]

Hi, anyone tried swapping the P3 cartridge to the goldring E4 cartridge yet. I tried and it seems to ride too low. Any advice? Lifting the tone arm? 😢

[@jimdandy2024]

I lifted mine by using machined washers and drilling the plinth through the 3 tonearm fixing screws, then bolting the tonearm down with nuts and washers under the plinth. Much better than the original configuration of the tonearm being screwed to the plinth. There are also now available 3rd party shims which you can use to raise the tonearm. Word of caution though, I lifted my tonearm so much that the dust cover would no longer close as it came in to contact with the counter weight, so I had to get a new counter weight that was oval shaped and had most of the mass at the bottom. The result looks magnificent as well as being functional.

[@rustypfa]

Sorry if I missed this but do either of these have built in pre-amps?

[@woodstock480]

No, neither does.

[@uselessoldman7964]

The beauty of vinyl is its rawness unlike digital that is clean exact and faultless. With all the upgrades people do are they trying to get their records to sound like a CD rather than accepting and enjoying analogue vinyl and its imperfections !! But then since most newbies are buying new digitally remastered vinyl's the question remains, why not just buy the CD and play it on their CD player? People buy a P3 at £660 and then spend a fortune on upgrades? Should have bought the P1 and done the same upgrades and saved themselves a fortune. I do seriously question whether 2mm on the platter makes any significant audible difference? Makes no sense to make 2 versions and not just one the difference in the cost of manufacture would be NOTHING just a marketing gimmick

[@gordyomolaiye7785]

Thank you! This speaks what has always been on my mind exactly

[@HiEndApp]

Oh how I agree with you.

[@Andersljungberg]

Isn't it for the Rega 3 that you can buy a controller so you can change the speed with it without changing the belt

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Yes, NEO PSU.

[@ElectoneGuy]

Carbon cartridge from Rega = Audio Technica AT3600L. $11.00 from China.

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Actually $25 and an amazing value considering how great it sounds for the cost. If you have a system that resolved better upgrade to a VM series AT or 2m series Ortofon

[@ElectoneGuy]

@@HudsonValleyHiFI I stocked up when they were $11. Came in a beautiful little plastic box with hardware too. This cartridge body has been around for decades and can be upgraded with various aftermarket stylii.

[@sk8isgr8]

"This was developed with new updated adjustable bias (as of Autumn 2020) allowing greater flexibility and compatibility with a wide range of cartridges." Planar 2 has adjustable bias, its funny this video is from December.

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

Adjustable how? Every Planar 2 we have received from the US distributor some in December have had the regular RB220 arm. If this has changed, wonderful, we stand corrected and happy to hear 😀, another plus for Rega. Not sure why the need for the gotcha.

[@sk8isgr8]

@@HudsonValleyHiFI www.rega.co.uk/products/planar-2 yes it is on official website, maybe new stock will be updated :)

[@user-fz4fu8cr7t]

I bought Rega planar 2 last week and mine does not have adjustable bias. I guess the updated version is not distributed yet due to COVID?

[@HudsonValleyHiFI]

@@user-fz4fu8cr7t depends who you bought it from. We received our first batch with the adjustable bias at the end of the summer 2020. You may have bought older stock from them.

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

My 1995 Planar 2 has the glass platter, RB250 arm. It’s still better built than the new P2 and I don’t like the gloss finish on any of them as it reflects everything.

[@rickseneris]

Those braces are just sale gimmicks. I don't see how they will reduce vibrations emanating from the platter and motor, in fact they may even telescope the vibrations to the arm base.

[@eziocucit6276]

I fully agree with your statement that the aluminium brace is purely a sales gimmick as i cannot see what extra stiffness it will add to the MDF turntable base , as the minute vibrations of the stylus when music is played cannot have any effect on the standard base - my logic thinking for what its worth. I have made my own mod to my Planer 2 and that is i have replaced the original sub-platter with my one made of solid brass , and the glass platter sits on an o-ring which is half embedded in the brass surface , and it has a hardened center shaft - this adds a fair amount of extra torque to the revolving platter and although my ears cannot hear any real difference in the sound , i feel its an improvement in case there is current supply variation and so platter will keep constant speed if there is any. I am more than happy with my Rega Planer 2 especially after fitting a Ortofon Blue cartridge.