Rega Planar 3 RS review

The world of premium record players is a difficult one to parse at the best of times. So let’s make it easy for you — if you’ve got $1,799 or £999 in your budget and you want a turntable, buy the Rega Planar 3 RS. It’s wrapped in a “metal skin,” comes with a glass platter out of the box; oh, and it sounds really, really, really good.

There's a dedicated power supply with a speed controller housed in a separate enclosure to reduce electronic interference, a snazzy laminated plinth that stays rigid while reducing mass for fewer vibrations stolen from Rega’s more expensive models, and easily one of the best-looking designs to ever come out of a turntable factory.

There are so few cons (apart from, perhaps, the price) that I don’t think I can think of a bad word to say about the Planar 3 RS. It’s one of the best turntables you can buy. Let me tell you why.

Rega Planar 3 RS review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A sonic stunner that outperforms its price
• Who is it for? Audiophiles ready to take a more expensive plunge into the world of vinyl
• What does it cost? $1,799/£999
• What we like: Incredible build, excellent sound quality, electronic speed control, great looks
• What we don’t like: There’s a little startup noise

Rega Planar 3 RS review: Price and availability

You can’t call the Rega Planar 3 RS cheap. At all. No matter where you are in the world, it's a costly piece of equipment. In its home U.K., it costs £999, bringing it up against some excellent options from the likes of Pro-Ject, Dual, and other more premium options. In the US, its $1,799 price point makes it slightly more expensive than its traditional competitors by a small margin.

It’s well worth both prices, though. In the U.K., it’s almost a bargain, presenting excellent value thanks to its separate power supply and speed controller, glass platter, and glamorous style. In the U.S., it stands up with similarly priced decks with its head held high, more than matching them and even beating them in key areas.

It’s not cheap, but it’s well worth the price. You won’t have any problem getting hold of one either, although you’ll have to look beyond Amazon and into more dedicated audio outlets in order to pick one up.

Rega Planar 3 RS review: Design and build

• Looks epic
• Wonderful aluminum coating
• Glass platter

One look at the Rega Planar 3 RS tells you everything you need to know: From its metal skin to its glass platter and custom tone arm, the Planar 3 RS is a gorgeous piece of equipment that will take center stage in your home audio setup.

The little logo in the bottom right corner, the circles punched out of the strip that sits below the platter — it all serves a minimalist look that gives plenty of interest for the eye without being too busy. I think it looks stunning.

Unlike much of the competition, Rega moved the speed controller to the outside of the deck as opposed to housing it within the plinth or an extra plastic housing underneath. That means you can put the controller away from the deck, and avoid the potential for unwanted electronic interference when listening to records.

It also means it's easier to turn on than other turntables – just click the power button on the front, and press the other button to switch between 33 and 45. Neat.

There’s some really clever stuff going on in that lovely-looking chassis as well to make sure that it sounds as good as possible. That metal coating is actually what Rega calls a “HPL,” or High Pressure Laminate, adding extra rigidity to the deck. It’s wrapped around a plinth that’s not just particulate as you’ll find on other decks at this price — instead, Rega has used its special phenolic resin in parts of the deck that need even more rigidity, namely between the tonearm mount and the main hub bearing.

Phew! If that all sounds like a lot, it’s because it is. Despite looking super simple, the Rega Planar 3 RS is actually rather complicated — just know that it’s in pursuit of the best sounding turntable possible. Has it worked? Yes, it has, rather well in fact.

Rega Planar 3 RS review: Features

• Separate power supply
• No pre-amp
• Fairly bare-bones

If you’re looking for a turntable with loads of next-generation features like Bluetooth or even WiFi, you’re barking up the wrong musical tree. This turntable forgoes a lot in the pursuit of sounding epic, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The only way to connect the turntable to anything is with the RCA connectors that come pre-attached to the device — that’s it. There’s no built-in pre-amp and no wireless connection protocol, so you can use it with the best wireless headphones. It’s unapologetically an analog device.

There is one very cool feature that I really like, though — the separate power supply that I’ve alluded to up top. I’ll go into a bit more detail here now. Power supplies and other electronic devices have a nasty habit of introducing noise to analog signals. It’s why you see grounding wires.

Move those electronic components away from the deck and the electronic interference doesn’t get a chance to get to the deck anywhere near as easily. Hence, that's why there's a separate power supply and electronic speed control that you can put further away from the Planar 3 RS. Smart!

Rega Planar 3 RS review: Sound quality

• Muscular, full of body
• Excellent clarity
• Dynamic and energetic

If you spend $3,000, you’re obviously going to get something that sounds even better than the Planar 3 RS — but given how many of the differences are going to be small, I’d wager you don’t need to. The Planar 3 RS sounds sublime, with that same energetic, rock-solid sound profile I loved so much in the Planar 1 Plus, but boosted up a few notches.

The Planar 3 RS was played through the Tom’s Guide reference system — a pair of KEF LS50 Metas, the NAD C399 amplifier, and an iFi Zen phono 3. That latter component is more important than you might think — you’ll need a separate pre-amp (or one built into your amp or speakers) or the turntable isn't going to do much beyond spin and spin.

Starting the turntable revealed my only critique of the turntable — as the motor spins up to move the weighty glass platter, there's a little squeak of motor noise. This could be my review unit, but it's worth noting. It quickly evaporates however, and the motor is otherwise silent in operation.

One of the biggest things I loved about the Planar 1 Plus was the turntable's ability to make me forget that I was in my own home. I felt like I was in the crowd at a concert. The Planar 3 did something similar, although it took things one step further: It lost me in the music with an instantly enveloping sound, as if I were amongst the band members themselves.

In realistic terms beyond personal intangibles, the Rega Planar 3 RS excels in most key areas. The high end is clear and effervescent, while the mids are wide and immaculately formed. The low-end is strong and deep, and it all works together for some top-notch tonal balance.

Imaging and soundstage are a particular strength as well. Instruments are easy to pick out amongst the din, and if properly set up with the right speakers, the soundstage is more spacious than other options. It all coalesces in a big mixing bowl of sound for a wonderfully immersive experience — one that I can’t get enough of.

I started, as always, with Bloodbath's Survival of the Sickest, and found a blistering death metal tour-de-force. "Zombie Inferno" built up the distorted guitars edgy and provocative, threatening in its slow slide to cacophony. The kick drum hit like a freight train, accurate and quick.

Some turntables really struggle to let the instruments breathe, but the Planar 3 RS gives the bass ample room to distinguish itself from the guitar lines and drums. It’s a wonderful-sounding turntable.

Led Zeppelin was next on the testing block. Zep IV was my album of choice — I really wanted to see how it would handle the dynamism of "The Battle For Evermore" and its jangling opening guitar line. It did not disappoint. The space on offer in older recordings was impeccable, and the cartridge picked out every detail with accuracy.

Over the course of my three weeks of testing, I’ve had a stunning time testing the Planar 3 RS. Its effortless presentation of my favorite tracks cement its place in the Tom’s Guide reference system — and a place on our list of the best record players.

Rega Planar 1 Plus review: Verdict

The Planar 3 RS takes the design and perfomance that I loved so much when I tested the cheaper Rega Planar 1 Plus, and just makes them all… more. You’d hope so for something three times the price, of course, but still Rega has made an excellent turntable that outperforms options that cost even more.

It is expensive — if you’re looking to spend less, you should pick up the Rega Planar 1 Plus and its built-in Phono Pre-amp. That’s $1,100 less than the 3 RS, but still sounds excellent.

If you’ve got the money and want a new turntable though, this is your best bet.