Like its sister model Planar 8, the design of the Planar 10 is inspired by Rega's top model Naia. Rega decided early on to venture a completely new design, instead of further developing the original RP10, which incorporates essential features of the Naia at a more affordable price. With the use of exotic materials that allow for even less mass with improved strength, the Planar 10 comes very close to this top model. New solutions for the platter bearing, sub-platter, motor, and drive lead to even more consistent speed and refined sound characteristics. The Planar 10 is equipped with the new RB3000 tonearm, which has an improved bearing housing with low mass. In addition, Rega has given it a novel, very lightweight bearing with increased strength. For the first time, a ceramic upper counter-bearing is used here, combining enormous rigidity and precision with ideal coupling between arm and bearing.
Last but not least, this completely newly developed turntable is powered by Rega's best electronic power supply, which is housed in a newly designed metal casing to match other Rega devices.
- Turntable incl. new RB 3000 tonearm with improved bearing housing
- Skeletal high-tech chassis with PU foam core
- New, elaborate ceramic platter with improved coupling to the sub-platter
- Highly selected 24-volt motor, double belt drive
- External P10 PSU power supply, matched to the motor
- Speed for 33 and 45 rpm adjustable
- Incl. dust cover
- Available color variant: black
- Available with new Apheta 3 or without cartridge
Ultra-light chassis:
The Planar 10 is already the third Rega turntable manufactured with the new ultra-light "Tancast 8" PU foam core. This material, developed for the aerospace industry, is embedded on both sides in an HPL (high-pressure laminated) rigid fabric. This thin yet extremely stiff coating makes the Planar 10 chassis about 30% lighter than its predecessor RP10, with increased strength.
"Double Brace" technology:
Mass absorbs energy - withdrawn energy means a loss of musical information. The extremely light chassis combined with a ceramic upper and a phenolic resin lower brace between the arm and platter bearing form a rigid pre-stressed system precisely where maximum rigidity is desired. This construction prevents energy absorption, suppresses unwanted resonances, and thus avoids unnatural distortions. Similarly, higher mass can promote the transmission of unwanted vibrations such as motor or bearing noise to the platter. The chosen bracing increases the rigidity of the structure where it is needed, and the reduced overall weight of the chassis directly addresses the problem of energy absorption and unwanted energy transmission. The tonearm and cartridge are thus enabled to precisely pick up the information from the record groove.
Tonearm RB3000:
The structure of this arm is designed for a minimum of mechanical transitions, using the stiffest possible materials at critical points. The manufacturing tolerances are so small that no adhesive is required anywhere. The latest precision vertical bearing is designed to match the qualities of the Planar 10. Its pre-stressed, tolerance-free housing is manufactured to an accuracy of less than one thousandth of a millimeter - the result is frictionless movement of the arm without any bearing play. Frictionless and play-free bearings allow for clean tracking of minimal groove deflections in the order of less than a micrometer. The RB3000 also features the award-winning and carefully hand-polished aluminum tonearm tube of minimal mass. Such a tonearm tube promotes the rigidity of the overall construction and relieves unnecessary stress from the tonearm bearing.
Platter bearing:
The Planar 10 has a new low-mass main bearing. The single-piece machined aluminum sub-platter with a hardened steel axle runs in a special brass bush with improved mechanical integrity, cleverly embedded in the chassis. This mounting method is designed to prevent unwanted energy transfer from the platter to the chassis.
Ceramic platter:
The Planar 10 has a ceramic platter with a flywheel effect. It is made from ceramic oxide powder, which is fired and diamond ground after being pressed into shape to achieve the highest possible precision and surface quality. The latest edition of these platters features a modification with improved coupling to the sub-platter.
Smooth-running motor:
The Planar 10 is driven by a new generation low-vibration 24-volt synchronous motor. Its special mounting method, with ideal coupling and higher isolation from vibrations compared to all previous models, comes directly from the top model Naia. This keeps any mechanical load away from the motor housing, ensuring a smooth run of the drive wheel. Together with the new EBLT drive belt, this achieves a more stable and highly consistent speed. Each motor is individually matched at the factory with its P10 power supply unit to achieve the greatest possible smoothness.
EBLT Drive Belt:
Three years of research and development on a new rubber compound for drive belts and a specially tuned vulcanization process have gone into these new belts, which exhibit superior elasticity characteristics. In the interest of ideal synchronization, they are processed on Rega's in-house precision special machines, which produce perfectly round and dimensionally accurate belts.
P10 Power Supply:
With this power supply unit, Rega offers highly advanced electronics with electronic speed switching, anti-vibration control, and fine speed adjustment. This power supply unit is housed in a newly developed metal casing and drives the 24V synchronous motor as smoothly and precisely as possible. The P10's built-in digital signal processor generates a perfectly sinusoidal control signal, precisely matching the selected speed, from a high-precision quartz oscillator. The anti-vibration device and fine speed adjustment are optimally set at the factory to match the motor used.
Dust Cover:
The outer frame of the predecessor model has been replaced on the Planar 10 by an elegant one-piece detachable cover, reducing overall weight.
Technical data
| Model: | Rega Planar 10 |
| TURNTABLE | |
| Dimensions in mm: (with dustcover fitted) |
Width 420mm Depth 315mm Height 125mm |
| Weight: | 4.7 kg |
| PSU P10 | |
| Dimensions in mm: | Width 218mm Depth 320mm Height 80mm |
| Weight: | 3 kg |
