Description
Every major manufacturer has its "unattainable ideal" - a model that demonstrates what the company is capable of without any compromise. At Rega, it is the Naiad, an artificial creation that costs as much as a good car. The Planar 8 is not a simplified copy of the Naiad, but a conscious attempt by Rega engineers to embody its essence in a format accessible to a much wider circle of music lovers. And, judging by the reaction of the audiophile press, the attempt was surprisingly successful.
Product information
The Planar 8’s heart is an ultra-lightweight skeleton plinth with a Tancast 8 polyurethane foam core, a material originally developed for the aerospace industry. The core is sandwiched between two layers of HPL laminate – an extremely thin but extremely rigid material. The result: a plinth that is 30% lighter than the previous RP8 model, yet stiffer. The design is further reinforced by a phenolic double-beam system, positioned precisely at critical points – between the tonearm mount and the main bearing, forming a structurally integral “stressed beam” unit that does not absorb energy or introduce parasitic resonances into the signal.
The Planar 8 platter is the result of a joint development between Rega and British glass engineering company: a three-layer laminated platform made from two different grades of Pilkington glass. The idea is simple but precise: mass is only needed on the outer rim of the platform for the flywheel effect and rotational stability, while the central part remains as light as possible, without creating unnecessary stress on the bearing.
The RB880 complete tonearm has been designed from the ground up specifically for the Planar 8. The motor is a new generation, 24-volt, synchronous, ultra-low vibration, bottom-mounted according to the same principle as in the flagship Naiad - a solution that completely removes mechanical stress from the motor housing. Paired with the company's EBLT belts, this gives an extremely clean, stable transmission of rotation without parasitic noise.
This version of the Planar 8 is equipped with the flagship Nd9 MM cartridge - the top model in the line of "neodymium" cartridges. It combines a proprietary neodymium magnet system with a rigid boron cantilever and the most advanced "fine line" stylus profile made of unpolished diamond - the minimum tip radius is a few microns. This solution is designed to instantly respond to the finest irregularities of the groove, extracting details hidden from cartridges of simpler design, while remaining in the category of much more affordable moving magnet, rather than moving coil, technology.
The kit includes a proprietary Neo MK2 power supply unit that uses a DSP-oscillator on a highly stable crystal - the same approach used in the flagship RP10. This provides electronic speed switching, precise rotation adjustment and impeccable stability regardless of voltage fluctuations in the mains.
Planar 8 Nd9 - for the music lover who wants to get the lion's share of the capabilities of the flagship Naiad, without spending the budget of the flagship Naiad on it. This is the choice of those who have outgrown the younger models of the Rega line and are looking for a true audiophile level of detail and rhythmic accuracy, while remaining in the MM cartridge category.
Media
