Rega Planar 2
What do What Hi-fi?, Reese Witherspoon, The Eagles’ Hotel California album and Rega’s Planar 2 have in common? It’s not your average pub quiz question, so we’ll spare you the head-scratching; they’re all the same age – 44.
Since 1976, the Planar 2 has been on quite a journey – so much so that the only things existing from the original are the drive belt and the plastic mouldings for the dust-cover-lid hinges.
It’s a smartly understated design, and solid build quality signals Rega’s longestablished success at this price bracket.
The last significant changes to this deck came in 2016 and included a new 24v low-noise motor, a newly designed central bearing and an upgraded platter with a new floating-glass ‘Optiwhite’ design. Oh, and new feet to make the deck more stable.
Most importantly, the Planer 2 is fitted with Rega’s RB220 tonearm, which features ultra-low-friction ball bearings and an automatic bias setting, making it virtually plug ’n’ play. That should please newcomers who want to enjoy vinyl with minimal fuss, but do be aware that the Planar 2 doesn’t have a built-in phono stage, so it needs to hook up to a stereo amplifier that has one. Or you can always buy a separate one. The Rego IO at £379, or a dedicated phono stage, such as the Rega Fono Mini A2D (£85) would be a good match.
Simple set-up
The no-nonsense set-up requires minimal effort, save for ensuring the speed is set correctly (speed change is manual) and fixing the weight to balance the tonearm.
Once the tonearm is in a floating position, setting the Carbon MM cartridge’s tracking force to the recommended 2g simply entails turning the weight a whole circle (half a turn per gram).
While we’d prefer numbers on the dial for guidance, we do find it reasonably accurate. Needless to say, buying a stylus gauge to double-check the measurement would be money well spent. It’s important that the Rega sits dead flat on a table top or wall bracket, too.
Familiar characteristics
We spin SBTRKT’S Wonder Where We Land album and the Planar 2 finds its groove straight away. Anyone well versed in Rega decks will no doubt recognise its sonic stamp: balanced and effortlessly authoritative with impressive scale and natural musicality.
It gets us toe-tapping to New Dorp, New York the moment the first beat thumps into being. The Rega delivers the bassline with punch, its low-end earning its wings for handling the depth and texture of the guttural bass guitar in Gon Stay. And it has the agility and momentum to bounce along to Ezra Koenig’s perky vocal accompaniment.
There’s insight into his playful quips, and a fitting solidity to the more thickset monologue that reveals the Rega’s midrange versatility.
Any hi-fi kit that’s going to get the best of SBTRKT has to be fairly methodical in its handling of flittering, tinny beats, slicing percussions and frenetic rhythms, and while the Rega has the necessary precision and rhythmic know-how to coordinate them accurately in the soundstage, its delivery isn’t without enthusiasm either.
Fulsome delivery
The Rega is big-sounding enough for the lush electronic soundscapes laced with synth chords to sound bold and atmospheric too. It gets into a Saturdaynight feeling with the album’s pop melodies, and uptempo drums are energetic and punctual in the mix.
It’s equally at home with the intricate, nuanced arrangements of Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue too, possessing the dynamic subtlety and timing to grasp the music’s subtly shifting manner, and packing a single wistful trumpet note with texture and information.
All tied together
The ability to tie all the musical strands together and paint them on a precise and spacious canvas seems to come easily to the Rega, and in that aspect its delivery simply works.
This deck represents a proper step up in performance from the RP1. The Planar 2 is a high-performing deck at a competitive price. And it can celebrate its 44th birthday with another five-star review from us.
“It gets us toe-tapping to New Dorp, New York the moment the first beat thumps in”