Rega - Planar 3 RS Edition Turntable

RS for Rega Special: the stiffest plinth Rega has built at Planar 3 level, with the Neo MK2 PSU hand-tuned to this turntable’s own motor.

Announced in November 2024, the Planar 3 RS Edition is Rega’s fully-loaded reading of its most successful deck. RS stands for Rega Special — that is Rega’s own wording, not an inference. Four things change, and none of them are cosmetic.

The plinth is new: an aluminium metal skin high pressure laminate that Rega calls the stiffest plinth it has ever produced at Planar 3 level, finished in dark brushed metallic with high gloss black edging. The Neo MK2 PSU, an optional extra on the standard deck, is included here and custom-matched, with its motor vibration circuits individually hand-tuned to this specific turntable. So the RS gets push-button electronic speed change and 0.01 RPM fine adjustment out of the box, rather than a platter lift and a belt move.

The drive belt is uprated from Advanced EBLT to Reference EBLT, and the Nd5 moving magnet cartridge is fitted as standard rather than being an option. The 12mm Optiwhite glass platter, patented brass main hub bearing and RB330 tonearm carry over from the standard Planar 3, along with double brace technology.

One clarification, because several outlets have got it wrong: Rega does not describe this as a limited edition and publishes no production quantity. Where you see it called limited, that is not a Rega claim.

Features

• Aluminium metal skin HPL plinth — the stiffest Rega has built at Planar 3 level
• Neo MK2 PSU included and custom-matched, with hand-tuned motor vibration circuits
• Electronic push-button speed change with 0.01 RPM fine adjustment
• Reference EBLT drive belt, uprated from the standard Advanced EBLT
• Rega Nd5 moving magnet cartridge fitted as standard
• 12mm polished-edge Optiwhite glass platter and patented brass main hub bearing
• RB330 tonearm with double brace technology
• CNC-machined aluminium pulley; smoked dustcover supplied

Specifications

• Type: Belt-drive turntable with tonearm, cartridge and matched power supply
• RS: Rega Special, per Rega’s own product page and news item
• Plinth: Aluminium metal skin high pressure laminate, dark brushed metallic with high gloss black edging, with double brace technology. Rega calls it the stiffest plinth it has produced at Planar 3 level
• Platter: 12mm polished-edge Optiwhite float glass
• Bearing: Rega-designed patented brass main hub central bearing
• Motor: 24V low-noise, low-vibration with CNC-machined aluminium pulley, hand-tuned to its matched Neo MK2 PSU
• Speed Change: Electronic, via the included Neo MK2 PSU
• Power Supply: Neo MK2 included and custom-matched, with individually hand-tuned motor vibration circuits. 24V, 7.2W consumption, 0.01 RPM speed adjustment step
• Tonearm: Hand-assembled RB330
• Tonearm Geometry: Effective mass 11g; effective length 236.5mm; mounting distance 222mm from platter centre to arm hole centre; offset angle 21.55°; overhang 14.5mm. These figures are shared across the RB220, RB330, RB880 and RB3000
• Arm Height / VTA: Not adjustable. This is deliberate on Rega’s part rather than an omission, and the company states its reasoning plainly: it believes the integrity of the arm fixing to the arm board matters more than the questionable facility of arm height adjustment. Rega’s guidance is that the arm should sit reasonably parallel to the record surface or slightly lower at the mounting, and that its optional 2mm spacers are only needed if the rear of a cartridge fouls the record while playing
• Cartridge: Rega Nd5 moving magnet fitted as standard — nude elliptical diamond stylus, 1275-turn coils, 38-micron wire
• Drive Belt: Reference EBLT
• Dimensions: 447 x 117 x 360 mm (W x H x D), lid closed
• Weight: 6.0kg, turntable only
• Finish: Brushed metallic aluminium, single finish, with smoked dustcover
• Announced: 14 November 2024
• Edition: Rega does not describe this as a limited edition and publishes no production quantity. Several third-party outlets have called it limited — that is not a Rega claim
• Origin: Rega Research Ltd, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. Rega’s own wording is that every product is designed and assembled in the UK — assembled rather than wholly manufactured, which is the phrasing we use rather than claiming complete UK component sourcing
• Warranty: Lifetime Limited Warranty against confirmed manufacturing defects. It does not cover wear and tear or parts considered consumable, and unauthorised modification may invalidate it. Rega states cover is contingent on parts remaining available, is not transferable, and is valid only in the country of purchase
• Not Published: Wow and flutter; rumble; speed accuracy; combined weight including the PSU
• Note: Rega publishes no wow and flutter, rumble or speed accuracy figure for any turntable in the Planar range. We checked every product page and five downloadable Rega manuals — Rega’s manuals are setup guides rather than datasheets, and contain no measurement section at all. Any such number you see quoted against a Rega deck comes from a third-party magazine test, not from Rega