Rega Planar 3 / Elys 2
£685
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whf.cm/Planar3
We can’t think of another product that has dominated its market sector with the authority of Rega’s Planar 3 turntables. The original was launched in the late-1970s, and since then subsequent iterations have invariably remained the obvious choice in the class.
The Rega RP3s haven’t changed much in appearance over the decades. Put the original next to this one and most people would be hard pushed to find any differences beyond the smarter plinth and the updated tonearm.
This turntable’s generational changes have mainly been about steady evolution, with the aim of improving performance. But, by the company’s usual standards, the shift made in 2016 – when the deck reclaimed its original Planar 3 name (from that of RP3) – was nothing less than seismic.