Engineering masterclass
Inspired by Rega’s ultimate turntable, the ‘Naiad’, the development of the Planar 8 marked a departure from merely evolving the previous RP8. The goal was to engineer and design the Planar 8 in a way that captures the essence of the ‘Naiad’ while making it accessible at a more affordable price. The objective was to achieve a level of performance that far exceeds previous standards for this price range.
Rega’s Planar 8 now comes standard with the new look NEO MK2 power supply.
Starting from April 2023, a new matt white finish of the Planar 8 will be available. This variant will be supplied with a clear dustcover and a clear triple-layer float glass platter.
- RB880 precision tonearm
- Ania, Ania Pro, Apheta 3 factory fitted (optional)
- Super flywheel effect triple layer glass platter
- Double brace technology
- Tancast 8 foam core plinth
- Custom matched Neo psu
- Reference EBLT drive belt fitted as standard
- Available in two matt finishes, Polaris grey and white (new for 2023)
- Lifetime warranty against manufacture defects
Rega has engineered every component of the Planar 8 with the primary goal of extracting maximum detail from the vinyl surface. Utilisng the most advanced materials and engineering solutions, the design centers around a supremely lightweight plinth to guarantee top-tier performance. The Planar 8 comes equipped with the new RB880 tonearm and the Neo PSU as standard features. These elements offer electronic speed change, advanced anti-vibration control, and user-adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment, providing total accuracy and control over the motor. In a move to reduce the turntable’s overall mass, the outer frame of the previous model has been removed, and a new, stylish, removable, single-piece dustcover has been introduced.
Ultra Lightweight Plinth
The Planar 8 is the second Rega turntable to be constructed using the latest ultra-lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core, a material initially developed for the aerospace industry. This innovative foam core is sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high-pressure laminate), known for its extreme thinness and rigidity. This construction method results in the new Planar 8 skeletal plinth being 30% lighter than the original RP8, while simultaneously providing increased rigidity compared to the previous model.
Double Brace Technology
The Planar 8’s plinth is exceptionally lightweight, combined with a phenolic resin double brace mounted specifically between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing, creating a structurally sound “stressed beam” assembly. This design enhances rigidity where it’s most crucial, effectively preventing energy absorption and unwanted resonances, which would otherwise introduce unnatural distortions to the music.
Furthermore, the Planar 8 addresses the issue of heavier mass, often found in other turntables, which can transfer more unwanted energy like motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record. By opting for braces instead of a complete skin, the Planar 8 utilizes double thickness phenolic resin in these key areas. This not only increases rigidity but also contributes to the reduction in the plinth’s weight, thereby tackling the problem of mass absorption and unwanted energy transmission more effectively.
RB880 Tonearm
For the RB880, a new and improved vertical bearing assembly has been introduced, constructed from a combination of aluminium and stainless steel. This low mass assembly significantly enhances stability and rigidity.
The RB880 tonearm features an advanced preloaded zero tolerance bearing assembly, meticulously adjusted to less than a thousandth of a millimeter. This precision ensures friction-free movement and eliminates any unwanted play. The new structure of this assembly is discreetly visible through small windows located at the rear of the new bias housing assembly.
Additionally, a thinner stainless steel balance weight is utilised in the RB880, providing increased adjustability and compatibility. Completing the design, the RB880 is equipped with a re-designed, low capacitance phono cable. This cable is terminated with high-quality, locking phono plugs, ensuring the best possible connection and high-end audio transmission quality.
EBLT Drive Belts
For the past three years, Rega has dedicated extensive research and development efforts, in collaboration with chemists, to create a bespoke new rubber compound specifically for drive belts. This effort involved using a specialised curing system that enhances the new drive belt with superior consistency of modulus. The modulus is a constant representing the degree to which a substance possesses a particular property, such as elasticity, which is crucial for the performance of drive belts in turntables.
The production of these belts is carried out on Rega-designed, state-of-the-art tools. These tools are calibrated for super-accuracy, which is crucial for producing belts that are ‘perfectly round’ and ‘dimensionally accurate’. Such precision is critical for maintaining perfect speed stability in their turntables, reflecting Rega’s focus on detail and quality in every component they develop.
Hub Bearing Assembly
The Planar 8 employs a new low mass central bearing assembly. In this design, a single piece of machined aluminium forms the sub-platter, and a hardened tool steel spindle operates inside a custom brass housing. This housing is intelligently mounted within the chassis of the Planar 8. The mounting design aims to eliminate the transfer or storage of unwanted potential energy in the plinth, ensuring a more stable and pure playback experience.
Super Flywheel Effect Triple Layer Glass Platter
Rega’s Planar 8 is equipped with a three-piece laminated glass platter, a result of their collaboration with a British glass engineering company. This new platter is crafted from two different types of high-quality Pilkington glasses.
In turntable design, typically the only part that benefits from additional mass is the platter, as seen in the Planar 8, to ensure a constant rotational speed. However, a heavier platter can lead to complications in the main bearing design. Therefore, finding a balance is key for optimal performance.
For the Planar 8, this balance is achieved by concentrating most of the mass towards the outer rim of the glass platter, enhancing the flywheel effect, while keeping the inner part of the platter as light as possible. This design approach maintains the necessary stiffness without adding unnecessary weight.
24 V Low Noise Motor Assembly
The Planar 8 incorporates Rega’s latest generation of 24 V, synchronous, low vibration motor technology. This motor is uniquely mounted to achieve the highest level of coupling while also providing greater vibration isolation than any of Rega’s previous models.
This innovative motor mounting technique, which involves mounting from the bottom, is a design feature taken directly from Rega’s ultimate turntable, the Naiad. Such a unique mounting method eliminates all stress on the motor body. The result of this reduced vibration and more rigid mounting is an enhanced drive from the new EBLT drive belts.
In line with Rega’s meticulous approach to quality and performance, each motor is hand-tuned to match its own custom Neo power supply before being fitted to the turntable. This careful tuning optimizes the anti-vibration circuit, further enhancing the overall performance and audio quality of the Planar 8.
Neo PSU
The Neo PSU, used in conjunction with the Planar 8, provides a smooth power supply, incorporating an advanced anti-vibration circuit and offering fine electronic speed adjustment. It employs the RP10 DSP (digital signal processing) generator, which is built upon a high stability crystal.
This DSP generator divides the precise signal from the crystal into the exact frequency necessary to rotate the platter at the chosen speed. Furthermore, it generates a near-perfect sinusoidal waveform to power the motor. Coupled with an efficient drive amplifier, the Neo PSU produces a 24 V, AC balanced signal with less than 0.15% distortion. This high-quality signal remains unaffected by any fluctuations in mains/line voltage and conditions. The resulting output drives the turntable’s anti-vibration circuit, which is strategically positioned beneath the turntable.
