Rega - Planar 10 Turntable

The Planar 10 was inspired by the ultimate Rega turntable, the Naiad — built around an ultra-light skeletal plinth of Tancast 8 core and high-pressure laminate (HPL) skin, it is the first production turntable to use ceramic bracing, providing the ultimate rigid surface for mounting the precision reference RB3000 tonearm and custom central bearing assembly.

Please note: Special order item — expected availability 2-4 weeks.

The Planar 10 is fitted with a bespoke ceramic oxide platter which is diamond cut during manufacture for ultimate accuracy and speed stability. The Rega 24 V synchronous motor is controlled by Rega's most advanced outboard power supply, the P10-PSU, delivering the ultimate in motor vibration reduction, electronic fine speed adjustment and the convenience of electronic speed change. The Planar 10 is designed to deliver the ultimate in Rega performance by extracting more information from the vinyl groove than ever before.

Key Features

• RB3000 tonearm
• Apheta 3 or Aphelion 2 factory fitted (optional)
• Ceramic oxide diamond cut platter
• DB technology with ceramic top brace
• Tancast 8 foam core plinth
• P10 custom matched PSU
• Reference EBLT drive belt fitted as standard
• Available in two matt finishes, Polaris grey and white
• Lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects

Ultra-Lightweight Plinth

The Planar 10 is the third Rega turntable constructed using the ultra-lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core (a material developed for the aerospace industry), sandwiched between two layers of exceptionally thin, extremely rigid HPL (high pressure laminate). This construction makes the Planar 10 skeletal plinth 30% lighter than the original RP10 while offering increased rigidity over the previous model.

DB Technology (Double Brace Technology)

"Mass absorbs energy — lost energy equals lost music!" The super lightweight plinth combined with a ceramic top brace and phenolic resin bottom brace — mounted specifically where increased rigidity is required, between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing — forms a structurally sound "stressed beam" assembly. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances which would add unnatural distortions to the music, while heavier mass can transfer unwanted energy such as motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record. Using braces instead of a complete skin allows increased thickness in these key areas while further reducing plinth weight.

RB3000 Tonearm

Rega is renowned for the quality of its tonearm bearing assemblies, in particular the accurate manufacture of bearing housings and spindles where characteristics such as roundness and parallelity are critical. A new manufacturing process improves on all these characteristics, resulting in a micron-perfect bearing fit — the RB3000 is the first Rega arm to benefit. The entire tonearm structure is designed with the minimum of mechanical joints, using the stiffest materials in all critical areas; tolerances are so tight that no adhesive is used anywhere in the construction. The advanced, preloaded zero tolerance bearing assembly is adjusted to less than a 1000th of a millimetre, giving friction-free movement and zero unwanted play — enabling ridges in the record groove of less than a micron to be read. The RB3000 also uses Rega's award-winning aluminium arm tube, each meticulously hand polished, redesigned to redistribute mass and further reduce stresses and resonances.

Ceramic Platter and Hub Bearing

The Planar 10 uses a custom ceramic, flywheel effect platter produced from ceramic oxide powder which is compressed, fired and diamond cut to ensure perfect accuracy and flatness across the surface, with a modified construction for improved coupling to the sub-platter. The low mass central bearing assembly — a single piece machined aluminium sub-platter and hardened tool steel spindle running inside a custom brass housing with improved mechanical integrity — is cleverly mounted within the chassis to eradicate unwanted potential energy being transferred or stored in the plinth.

24 V Low Noise Motor and EBLT Drive Belt

The Planar 10 uses Rega's latest generation 24 V synchronous, low vibration motor, uniquely mounted from the bottom — a technique taken directly from the Naiad — removing all stress from the motor body while holding the drive pulley perfectly still for better speed stability and accuracy. Each motor is hand-tuned to its own custom matched PL10 PSU before fitting to optimise the anti-vibration circuit. The Reference EBLT drive belt is the result of three years of development with chemists: a bespoke rubber compound with superior consistency of modulus, manufactured on Rega-designed, super-accurate tools (inspired by working with a manufacturer of high-tech Formula 1 engine parts) producing perfectly round, dimensionally accurate belts critical for perfect speed stability.

PL10 PSU

The PL10 PSU offers the ultimate in motor control stability, convenient electronic speed change, advanced anti-vibration control and user adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment. Housed in Rega's latest custom designed case, it is dedicated to running the 24 V low noise motor as quietly and accurately as possible, using a DSP (Digital Signal Processing) generator built upon a high stability crystal that divides the crystal's accurate square wave to the exact frequency required and generates a near-perfect sinusoidal waveform to power the motor. Factory-set vibration removal and fine speed adjustments tune each motor for optimal performance.

Dust Cover

The outer frame of the previous model has been removed and a stylish, removable, single piece dustcover has been introduced, further reducing the overall mass of the turntable.

Technical Specifications

• Turntable dimensions (with dust cover fitted, W x H x D): 420 x 115 x 350 mm
• P10 PSU dimensions (W x H x D): 218 x 80 x 320 mm
• Turntable weight: 4.7 kg
• P10 PSU weight: 3 kg