Rega Planar 1
£27 5
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I n an era of change, not even Rega’s best-selling turntable has been immune to the desire for a fresh approach. Yet, despite a considerable list of tweaks to the original Planar 1a few years ago, the British company’s signature sound remains.
Those changes were unquestionably for the best; they brought in the RB110 tonearm, with precision bearings and automatic bias adjustment, and combined it with a tracking weight whose ideal position is already marked for you. It means you can set up faster than a speed-metal anthem.
In fact, pretty much everything you see underwent some form of modification in 2018, including the Thermoset, gloss-laminated plinth, with its on/off switch hiding beneath the front-left corner.
Our test model is a sleek white, but the black finish is equally tidy; devotees of sharp lines and ergonomic design are likely to be impressed.