This is our review of the Rega Planar 2 Turntable
Playing records is something that I have been doing for over a decade, from starting out in my bedroom, to playing out in clubs. I’m fortunate enough to have worked in a multitude of aspects of the music industry in this time too – and as such, I have spent a fair amount of time researching different turntables for different needs.
My friends and family often ask me about what is the right turntable for them. There are a number of factors that I look at when researching turntables, which can help you determine what is the right choice for you.
Overall we think this product combines a sleek aesthetic design with great sound and a simple setup.
Over this review, we will go through some of the key parts around the design of the Rega Planar 2, from the design, cartridge, tonearm to the pre-amp and overall sound from the turntable.
Check out what we have to say!
Table of Contents
Product Overview
The Rega Planar 2 is a British made turntable from Rega Research Ltd; it’s a revamp on the Planar 1, and sports a beautiful minimal design. Similar to the Planar 1, it’s a belt driven turntable, with no built in pre-amp – so you will need to hook it up. Aside from this, and the manual speed change, the turntable is designed for minimal set-up effort.
Rega is based in the South East of England, founded in 1973, ands they’re obsessed with the accuracy required to deliver high quality products.
Specifications
| Weight | 12 lb / 5.5kg |
| Dimensions | 447 x 117 x 360 mm |
| Motor | 24 V low noise motor |
| Tonearm | RB220 tonearm |
| Cartridge | Factory fitted Carbon moving magnet cartridge |
The turntable delivers good sound quality, and its simple design and unique functionalities make it a turntable that many audiophiles will love.
Turntable Analysis
Design & Build
People often overlook the aesthetic of a turntable; but to me, it’s still a hugely important factor – an ugly turntable can make you want to hide it rather than become a centrepiece in the room. For those who are fans of a minimal design, including myself, the Rega Planar 2 will not disappoint.
The Rega Planar 2 sports a high gloss acrylic laminated plinth, with newly redesigned feet to improve isolations and increase stability.
The Rega Planar 2 is a belt driven turntable, meaning that the motor is not directly placed under the platter.There is a lot of debate around whether belt drive or direct drive is the better system for turntables. With belt driven, there is more isolation from the motor’s vibrations; and for me, direct drive turntables are most useful for DJing and mixing records – so for audiophiles looking to listen to their favourite albums, a belt drive turntable fits the bill perfectly.
Features
The Rega 2 comes with a number of new features, including a new low-noise rega motor, to help optimise the listening experience. It also has a new central bearing and the platter has been upgraded to a new floating glass “Optiwhite” design.
On top of this, the new RB220 tonearm is a great new asset on the turntable; it has new ultra-low friction ball bearings, automatic bias setting, and a stiffer bearing house that make the turntable virtually ready to go.
Sound
And finally we get to the most important part of the review, how does it sound? From our research we can deduce that it sounds great! It relays the sound perfectly at the correct speeds, and we have seen it be used to listen to wonderfully layered soundscapes to allow the listener to hear every chord – simply speaking, the sound quality is top notch.
Alternatives
Of course, if the U-Turn Orbit Plus isn’t for you, there are several other alternatives that you can consider.
A more traditional design of turntable with the ability to change pitch; it also boasts a usb output that enables you to record straight to your harddrive. Maybe one to look at if you are more of a DJ….
A turntable that boasts a similar minimalist design. The Sony PS-LX310BT is a cheaper option than the Orbit Plus which boats bluetooth connectivity too. It is reviewed to output a lower quality of sound when compared to the U-Turn Orbit Plus.
An American made turntable with a personal touch (and pre-amp options!). This turntable has a great sound and aesthetic similar to the Rega.
Our Verdict
We’d recommend the Rega Planar 2 for those who want to balance high quality sound with a sleek aesthetic design.
This review shows that Rega really take pride in their products, and the attention to detail around every aspect of the design of the turntable add that extra bit of value – a great choice for any audiophile.
Check out where you can purchase the Orbit Plus below
