Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Launched in 1977 – three years after the iconic Rega Planet – the first glass-plattered Planar 2 came with an Acos-derived S-shaped tonearm and a wood surround to its satin-black painted MDF plinth. In 1984 that all changed, and the wood was discarded to give a similar look to its Planar 3 bigger brother. The arm was replaced by the RB250, a trickle-down version of the radical RB300 with its one-piece alloy tube. This sold strongly right up to the turn of the century, when the P2 2000 took over – this revised Planar 2 featured an HDF (high density fibreboard) platter instead of glass. The intervening years saw subtle modifications, including fitment of the RB251 tonearm (essentially an RB250 with improved three-point mounting) – but this latest version marks one of its most major upgrades, along with the return of the iconic Planar name. The new arm, platter, motor, bearing and plinth all, naturally, lay claim to improvements. The result is that today's Planar 2 sounds better than an old Planar 3 of two decades or so ago, especially when fitted with the optional Performance Pack. Any new Planar 1 or 2 owner can purchase a thick wool platter mat, upgraded belt and Rega Bias cartridge from Rega for the princely sum of £95.