Rega Planar 8

Rega Planar 8 NEO – A demostration in turntable development

With the new Planar 8, Rega has taken the 300,000 Naiad turntable that most people can’t afford and made it much more accessible by choosing more economical materials. This means you get many of the design solutions Rega developed with the exclusive Naiad, but at a price where you no longer have to dream about it. In that sense, Planar 8 is a “mini Naiad”, and that means you get a turntable that really pulls all the information out of vinyl at a more than reasonable price.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Rega’s friction- and blur-free RB-880 tonearm
• Ultra lightweight plinth for the best performance
• New center bearing with saucer
• Platter in triple glass layer with super flywheel effect
• EBLT precision drive belt for precise speed stability
• Double Brace Technology prevents sound coloration
• New Tancast 8 lightweight pin
• 24V low vibration motor with technology from Naiad
• Neo PSU with digital motor control

Get the most sound for your money

Every element of the Planar 8 is designed to reproduce as much detail from the vinyl groove as possible, which is why Rega has developed the all-new RB-880 tonearm. It features an advanced zero-voltage coil construction, which provides frictionless movement with absolutely no blur, and its improved bearing assembly of lightweight aluminium and stainless steel, gives the tonearm better rigidity and stability. This makes the tonearm the ideal partner for even the very best pickups.

Planar 8 also comes with an all-new lightweight centre bearing assembly, designed to eliminate the unwanted energy that is normally transferred or accumulated in the plinth. The saucer is precision milled in aluminium and has a tool steel centre spindle which, together with a brass bearing well, forms the centre bearing.

The platter is made of a triple layer of glass, with most of the mass placed on its outside to create a great flywheel effect, while its inside is made as rigid and light as possible. The solution creates the perfect compromise, because the turntable needs extra mass to maintain a constant rotation speed, but the extra weight can quickly cause problems for the centre bearing.