Description

Planar 8 Turntable with Neo PSU Factory Fitted with Nd7 MM Cartridge

The Planar 8 was inspired by the ultimate Rega turntable, the ‘Naiad’.  We decided early on that instead of an evolution of the previous RP8, the new Planar 8 was to be developed and engineered to encapsulate the essence of ‘Naiad’ at an affordable price. Our aim was to deliver a level of performance far beyond what has been achieved at this price point before.

Every aspect of the Planar 8 is engineered to extract as much detail from the vinyl surface as possible. We have used the most advanced materials and engineering solutions built around a supremely lightweight plinth to ensure the greatest level of performance.The Planar 8 is supplied with the new RB880 tonearm and Neo PSU as standard which offers electronic speed change, advanced anti-vibration control and user adjustable electronic fine speed adjustment to ensure total accuracy and control over the motor. The outer frame of the previous model has now been removed and a new stylish, removable, single piece dustcover has been introduced further reducing the overall mass of the turntable.

“If you are looking for maximum musical intensity for your pound, dollar or euro you will be very hard pressed to find a better turntable at anywhere near this price. I am a Rega RP10 user myself but I’ve been hearing new things on this newcomer at nearly half the price, it truly is a triumph of analogue audio engineering” Jason Kennedy – editor of the ear.net October 2018.

Please Note: The new smaller footprint of the Planar 8 will not fit on the current Rega turntable wall bracket. We have developed a new lightweight custom Planar 8 wall bracket for this model.

Ultra lightweight plinth
The Planar 8 is the second Rega turntable constructed using our latest ultra lightweight Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core (a material developed for the aerospace industry). This material is sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high pressure laminate). HPL is exceptionally thin and extremely rigid. This new construction makes the new Planar 8 skeletal plinth 30% lighter than the original RP8 while offering increased rigidity over the previous model.

DB Technology (Double Brace Technology) “Mass absorbs energy – lost energy equals lost music”!

A super lightweight plinth combined with a phenolic resin double brace mounted specifically where the increased rigidity is required (between the tonearm mounting and the main hub bearing) forms a structurally sound “stressed beam” assembly. This rigid plinth design prevents energy absorption and unwanted resonances 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.

RB880 tonearm
For the new RB880 we have introduced an improved vertical bearing assembly constructed using an aluminium and stainless-steel, low mass assembly with vastly improved stability and rigidity. This tonearm is using our advanced preloaded zero tolerance bearing assembly adjusted to less than 1000th of a mm, this gives friction free movement and zero levels of unwanted play. This subtle but effective new structure is only visible via small windows at the rear of the new bias housing assembly (see image below). A thinner stainless steel balance weight is used, allowing greater adjustability and compatibility. Finally, the RB880 is terminated with a re-designed, low capacitance phono cable terminated with high quality, locking phono plugs to ensure the best possible connection.

Hub bearing assembly
The Planar 8 uses a new low mass central bearing assembly. A single piece machined aluminum sub-platter and hardened tool steel spindle run inside a custom brass housing which is cleverly mounted within the chassis. This new mounting is designed to eradicate unwanted potential energy being transferred or stored in the plinth.

Super flywheel effect triple layer glass platter
The Planar 8 uses a three piece laminated glass platter which is the result of collaboration with a British glass engineering company. This brand new platter is constructed from two different high quality Pilkington glasses. As a general rule the only part of a turntable that requires extra mass is the turntable platter in order to achieve constant rotational speed. However, a heavier platter creates more problems for the main bearing design so again an ideal compromise creates the best solution. Practically this means keeping as much of the mass to the outside rim of the glass platter to create more flywheel effect but keeping the inside of the platter as light as possible without sacrificing stiffness.

24v Low noise motor assembly
The Planar 8 uses Rega’s latest generation, 24v, synchronous, low vibration motor technology. Uniquely mounted using the highest level of coupling while retaining higher vibration isolation than any previous model. this new motor mounting technique (mounted from the bottom) has been taken directly from the ultimate Rega turntable, the Naiad. This unique mounting method removes all stress on the motor body. The reduced vibration and more rigid mounting delivers superior drive from the new EBLT drive belts. Each motor is hand tuned to match its own custom Neo power supply before fitting to the turntable to optomise the anti-vibration circuit.

EBLT Drive Belts
For three years Rega has been researching and developing with chemists the use of a bespoke new rubber compound for drive belts. Using a specialised curing system, the new drive belt offers superior consistency of modulus (a constant representing the degree to which a substance has a particular property, especially elasticity).These new belts are manufactured on Rega designed, state of the art, super-accurate tools which produce ‘perfectly round’ and ‘dimensionally accurate’ belts, critical for perfect speed stability.

Neo PSU
The Neo PSU offers a smooth power supply, an advanced anti-vibration circuit and fine electronic speed adjustment. It uses the RP10 DSP (digital signal processing) generator built upon a high stability crystal. The DSP generator will divide the accurate signal from the crystal to the exact frequency required to turn the platter at the selected speed. The DSP generator will also produce a near perfect sinusoidal waveform to drive the motor. This, along with an efficient drive amplifier, generates a 24V, AC balanced signal of less than 0.15% distortion, which is completely unaffected by any changes in the mains/line voltage and conditions. This then drives the turntable’s anti-vibration circuit, which is situated beneath the turntable.

SPECIFICATIONS:

About Nd7 Moving Magnet Cartridge

The Nd7 Moving Magnet Cartridge was developed over 10 years and promises to deliver ‘next level’ performance from moving magnet technology. The Nd range (patent pending) is a world first to use an ultra-high powered Neodymium magnet which allowed Rega to create this totally unique design.

Each Nd7 is meticulously hand-made by Rega’s highly skilled technicians. The Nd7 uses their most advanced “fine line” nude diamond profile for the ultimate in detail retrieval. (The same profile is used on Rega’s high end MC models the Apheta 3 and Aphelion 2). This profile has an exceptionally small radii Monocrystalline manmade diamond with the minor radius being just 3µm (microns) as viewed from the top and 30µm in the vertical when viewed from the front. This profile allows immediate adjustment to very small changes in the vinyl due to the small contact area of the diamond which results in exceptional levels of detail being retrieved. The design uses brand new generator geometry with perfect symmetry to achieve highly accurate channel balance. The Nd7 also has an optimised pole gap for superior linearity and cross talk characteristics, this provides a far wider soundstage than the previous models. This new cartridge is created with miniaturised parallel coils which are wound in house utilising 38-micron wire with just 1275 turns. This produces a low inductance, low impedance generator giving vastly improved high frequency response. In keeping with Rega’s commitment to sustainability, the Nd range is supplied in 100% recyclable packaging.

Features:

• High Performance, High Output Moving Magnet Design
• Fine Line Nude Diamond Stylus, Powerful Neodymium Magnet, Aluminium Cantilever
• Highly Rigid Lightweight PPS Body, Rega 3 Point Mounting System
• Handmade In England, 100% Recyclable Packaging

Nd Magnet Technology: Often used in Moving Coil designs (including Rega’s own) Rega believe the Nd7 is the first moving magnet to utilise a Neodymium (Nd) N55 magnet. This is the world’s most powerful commercially available magnet and is a crucial component that makes this unique design possible by delivering extra power than standard bar magnet designs.

Glass Filled PPS Body: The complete assembly is housed in Rega’s zero tolerance injection moulded glass filled polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) body which is a lightweight and highly rigid material. A low mass body reduces stress on the tonearm bearings and aids free movement which is critical in accurate vinyl replay. This new body design was inspired by Rega’s hugely successful MC range.

Cantilever & Stylus Profile: The Nd7 aluminium cantilever is fitted with a precision perfect fine line nude diamond stylus. This profile provides exceptional tracking accuracy and extracts greater levels of detail from the vinyl surface.

Factory Fitted Options: The Nd7 cartridge will be offered as a factory fitted option on the multi award winning Planar 6 and Planar 8 turntable models. Designed specifically with these turntables in mind, the Nd7 promises to extract the very best from your vinyl collection. The factory fitted packages are offered at a discounted rate compared to when purchased separately, ask your Rega dealer for details.

Specifications:

• Design: Handmade Stereo Moving Magnet Cartridge
• Fine Line Nude Diamond Profile Stylus
• Aluminium Cantilever
• Neodymium Magnet
• Unique Generator
• Rega 3 Point Mounting System
• Highly Rigid Lightweight PPS Body
• 100% Recyclable Packaging
• Tracking Pressure: 1.75g
• Nominal Output Voltage: 5-6mV
• Stylus: Fine Line Nude Diamond
• Fixing: 3 Point Fixing
• Coils: Miniaturised Parallel Coils
• Window Colour: Yellow