RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
Rega Planar 3 Turntable (Gloss White)
PREOWNED – FULLY TESTED – GLOSS WHITE –
INCLUDES ORIGINAL BOX/PACKING, MANUAL, POWER SUPPLY, DUST COVER, PLATTER, MAT
The iconic ‘Planar Three’ returns
Replacing the multi award winning and five times What Hi-Fi?
Product of the Year (RP3) was never going to be an easy task. It took our
team of designers headed up by Rega’s Roy Gandy, two years to
develop the all new ‘Planar 3’ following the biggest re-design of the
iconic ‘Three’ model ever seen.
Our team have worked tirelessly to improve every aspect
of this turntable offering improved ergonomics, usability and
first and foremost, sonic performance.The new ‘Planar 3’ is truly
a new turntable for 2016 carrying over just two components from the
previous model.
WHAT HI-FI? PRODUCT OF THE YEAR AWARD 2016
New features of the Planar Three
RB330 tonearm – Designed using the latest
3D CAD & CAM technology, the new RB330 is the culmination of more
than 35 years of tonearm design experience. Featuring
a brand new bearing housing, and our latest tonearm
tube designed using intelligent redistribution of mass ensure this
arm will exhibit fewer points of possible resonance. Extreme stability with
almost friction free movement from the new high precision bearing assemblies
guarantees to gather more information from your vinyl than ever before.
• Featuring
a new bias assembly, re-designed stiffer vertical bearing housing,
integrated
• arm
clip and an improved spring housing with easier to read numbers.
• Rega
made, new low capacitance phono cable
with Neutrik plugs,
• Improved
lower friction, precision horizontal and vertical bearings
• New
design 100g mild steel balance weight.
Plinth – High gloss acrylic, laminated plinth,
stiffer and vastly improved appearance, ergonomically positioned power
switch.Two plinth finishes at launch: gloss black & gloss white
Double braces – Improved thicker 3mm
phenolic bottom brace and new metalised skin phenolic top brace.
Bearing housing – Re-designed brass main hub
central bearing, improved fit and construction reducing stress on the bearing
itself.
Sub platter – Re-designed sub platter,
improved accuracy and improved stiffness.
Platter – New float glass ‘Optiwhite’ polished
rim 12mm – Improved accuracy in manufacture and stunning looks.
Re-designed foot – New improved foot to
increase stability and reduce vibration transfer.
24V motor – Improved new motor control PCB
with integration for the addition of TT-PSU for electronic speed change
and improved advanced anti-vibration circuit (sold separately).
Motor cover tray with integrated cooling.
DB Technology (Double Brace Technology)
“Mass absorbs energy – lost energy equals lost
music!”
Rega has pioneered the use of lightweight rigid plinths.
Clever use of lightweight particulate core with a highly rigid phenolic resin
skin became the foundations of the high level of performance achieved by the
now iconic original Planar range.
The new Planar 3 takes this design philosophy to the
next level. A lightweight acrylic laminated plinth strengthened using a
new improved double brace system mounted specifically where the
increased rigidity is required (between the tonearm mounting and the main hub
bearing) which forms a structurally sound “stressed beam” assembly.
This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonance,
which will add unnatural distortions to the music.
Equally, heavier mass can transfer more unwanted energy,
such as motor or bearing noise directly into the rotating record. The use of
braces instead of the complete skin allows double thickness phenolic resin in
these key areas while providing further weight reduction to the plinth which
directly addresses the issue of mass absorption and unwanted energy
transmission.
Hand assembled RB330 tonearm.
24v low noise motor / 12mm float glass platter.
Lightweight double braced plinth.
Precision main bearing.
• Dimensions (lid
closed) H 11.7 x W 44.7 x D 36 cm
Weight 6kg
The Rega Planar 3 in gloss white at USD800 strikes me as a solid fair deal on the used market. New ones without cartridge run around USD1,125, climbing to USD1,395 with the Elys 2 or USD1,595 for the Exact setup, so a clean used example here leaves room for any tweaks without feeling like a steal or overreach—especially if it's the post-RP3 model with the RB330 arm.
Before biting, verify the main bearing for smooth spin without play, as these can wear from dry running or dust buildup over years. Confirm it includes the proper 24V power supply, dust cover, and original sub-platter; missing bits often hide prior mods or abuse that could ding soundstaging.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Rega Research, founded in 1973 in Essex, England, by Roy Gandy and Tony Relph, emerged from Gandy's lifelong passion for vinyl playback. A Ford engineer and music enthusiast, Gandy built his first turntable, the Planet, in his spare time, blending the founders' surnames to create the Rega name. From humble beginnings in a derelict mill, the company quickly gained traction with early models like the Planar 2 and Planar 3, establishing its heritage as a British hi-fi pioneer dedicated to precision engineering and hand-assembly.
Rega specializes in turntables and tonearms, its cornerstone products, but has expanded into a full ecosystem including cartridges, integrated amplifiers like the Elicit and Brio, phono stages such as the Fono, and speakers like the Ela series. While early efforts included loudspeakers and electronics from the 1980s onward, the brand prioritizes vinyl-centric components over headphones, DACs, or cables, all designed in-house for musical fidelity using specialist materials and tight tolerances.
Rega holds a revered position in the high-end hi-fi market as a niche boutique icon, prized by audiophiles for affordable, lifetime-quality performance that emphasizes music over gimmicks. Globally exported to over 50 countries from its Essex facility employing more than 150, it remains a symbol of British ingenuity, with turntables like the Planar series securing enduring loyalty among vinyl revivalists.
See all Rega listings on RADAR.
