Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition Turntable - Walnut

Rega Planar 3 Turntable 50th Anniversary Edition Overview

Rega is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a special edition of the legendary Rega Planar 3 turntable.

Based on the Rega Planar 3, which is our best-selling turntable here at Audio Advice, this special edition truly outdoes itself. First, it just sounds fantastic for what it costs. Secondly, it is a beautiful and timeless design that looks great in any vinyl-based system. Lastly, it is built so durably that it will last for many decades. To be honest, we still see 40+ year-old Rega turntables come through our shop that just need a minor tuneup to keep them running for many more decades.

One reason Rega turntables last so long is the brand’s obsession with perfection. They care more about special materials, accuracy, and tolerances, than just about any manufacturer we know.

Since 1973, they have built everything in their Southend-on-Sea facility with a team that started with one man and is now well over 100 people. Sticking to their roots, Rega sources 85% of their raw materials from suppliers in the United Kingdom.

For their 50th anniversary, Rega wanted to take their legendary Planar 3 turntable and do everything they could to improve the performance. Usually, special edition models like this from other HiFi companies command a pretty big premium price for the enhanced performance and limited aspect.

However, Rega has taken a different approach and priced the Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition at almost the same price as a standard Planar 3. To us, this makes it a no-brainer for anyone considering a Planar 3 and probably the best value turntable on the market right now.

But, don’t wait. These will only be available through the end of 2023.

What Do You Get in the Rega 50th Anniversary Planar 3 Turntable?

The Planar 3 50th anniversary turntable comes with Rega’s RB330 tonearm. The RB330 has some of the best bearings and tightest tolerances you will see for its price range and is made to perfectly match any of the Rega phono cartridges. Rega's best-moving magnet phono cartridge is called the Exact and is also included with the Planar 3 50th anniversary turntable.

Exact cartridges are handmade using a vital nude diamond stylus type which allows them to track extremely well and extract all of the subtle details in your vinyl. Each one is hand-tuned to get a perfect channel balance to a tolerance of ±0.1 mV.

One thing we love about all of the better Rega cartridges is their three-point mounting system. Most phono cartridges just have two points and you always wonder if you mounted the cartridge perfectly square even when using a gauge. Rega’s three-point system takes the guesswork out as it will be perfect every time.

If you have ever seen a Rega turntable, you probably know they are famous for their float glass platters. The first Rega turntables used these and they have been perfecting them for the past 50 years. The Planar 3 uses a 12 mm float glass opti-white polished platter. This has great rotational stability ensuring you get that wonderful Rega soundstage of great rhythm and pacing that has made them so popular.

Rega also developed what they call double brace technology for their higher-end turntables years ago. This system couples the motor bearing and tonearm mount with an aluminum brace. It is now in the standard Planar 3 model and is included with the Planar 3 50th anniversary turntable as well.

You’ll get the same features on both the traditional Planar 3 and its 50th anniversary counterpart turntable. While the Planar 3 with the Exact phono cartridge sells for $1595, the 50th anniversary edition turntable is only $100 more at $1695.

Rega Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition Extras

Tuned Neo PSU MKII

Rega makes an external speed control module called the Neo. This was introduced with the Planar 6 and has since been improved to the Neo MKII. It comes in a beautiful case that matches other Rega electronics and provides you with the ease of switching from 33 to 45 with just a button push. The Neo uses technology as it powers the Rega motor to reduce vibrations and supplies a very consistent power to the motor to ensure you get great speed accuracy.

Most people hear a dramatic difference when they add a Neo to a Planar 3 or any of the other models compatible with it because it takes the sound people love about Regas and gives you more immediacy inside the music. The Neo MKII currently sells for $445 and it is included with the Planar 3 50th anniversary edition turntable.

CNC Machined Drive Pulley

turntable. This is the same pulley on the much more expensive Planar 6. While you cannot buy it separately, we guess this is about a $100 value. This gives the Planar 3 50th anniversary edition turntable even more speed accuracy for that Rega sound.

Reference EBLT Drive Belt

A few years ago, Rega set out to design a new type of turntable belt. Working with a team of chemists, Rega developed a new blend for the belt material that would offer far better performance. They had to design a very accurate custom cutting tool to produce these belts.

After they are cut out, each belt is cryogenically frozen and barrelled to remove any excess flash. They are aiming for as round a surface as possible, which can really improve speed accuracy, and stability. A great perk is this new material will last about 50% longer than their previous ones.

There are two versions, a Reference and Advanced model. The difference between the two is the Reference model has a unique curing process that makes it even more perfect than the Advanced model.

As you might guess, the standard Planar 3 includes the Advanced model, while the Planar 3 50th Anniversary model comes with the better Reference belt. If you had a Planar 3 and wanted to upgrade to a Reference belt, it would cost $75.

New Walnut Effect Finish

Finally, the Planar 3 comes fitted with their new walnut effect finish and a very cool 50th anniversary badge. We should point out the plinth of the Planar 3 50th is still made from Rega’s special sandwich technology using layers of MDF that are laminated with acrylic. The walnut look is simply a picture printed on the acrylic but it sure looks real. You’ll also get a smokey glass dust cover with the Planar 3 50th anniversary turntable that compliments the look of the walnut.

If you’ve been following along with your calculator you have probably figured out the Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition has a little over $600 in upgrades, yet only costs $100 more than the standard Planar 3. That is pretty amazing.

How Does the Planar 3 50th Anniversary Turntable Sound?

We were fortunate to receive one of the very first Planar 3 50th Anniversary Editions in the United States and set it up for a listening session. Our first impression is that it is pretty close to the more expensive Planar 6 and an upgrade from the standard Planar 3. Everything felt more relaxed with an even better sense of timing to the music, making it sound more like we had a live band in the room.

If you think about it, all of these upgrades are designed to allow the platter to spin at an even truer speed, which always translates into that live music sound we know and love about Rega turntables.

Overall Recommendation

We hope you’ll want to snag this turntable that is destined to become a classic. We really have to hand it to Rega for deciding to make the 50th anniversary celebration a way for music lovers to get even better sound for almost the same price, rather than making the 50th Anniversary model above $2000. This is one heck of a great turntable and, if you decide to become a Rega owner with the Planar 3 50th Anniversary Edition, it will give you decades of musical enjoyment.

Also, please keep in mind Audio Advice has helped thousands of music lovers get the best performance from their Rega turntables. When you purchase from Audio Advice, you get all of our experience behind you to help with any questions you may have.