As a company, Rega is a heavyweight in the turntable space. During the compilation of this Rega Planar 2 review, it came to our realization that Rega has an impressive reputation in the market. Apart from producing well-crafted and beautifully designed record players, they have been in the industry for more than four decades since the first released Rega Planar.
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The Rega Planar 2 is a sleek, high-performance turntable featuring the RB220 tonearm and a pre-in...
Rega Planar 2 Review 2025 | Background Information
You are probably reading this Rega Planar 2 review because you are looking for a turntable that is going to suit your needs. If that is the case, you are in the right place, and just like any clever audiophile, it is prudent to do due diligence before settling on any new turntable.
Whether you are new to the world of gramophones or you are a seasoned veteran, this Rega Planar 2 review is going to be of assistance to you.
There is no ideal customer for the Rega Planar 2 as everyone can opt to use it. Before settling on this machine, you might want to be familiar with its remarkable playback feature, one-piece tonearm, Optiwhite glass platter, and luster plinth to avoid buying a counterfeit.
Brand Reputation
In 1975, Roy Gandy, the founder and dedicated audiophile of Rega, released the first Rega Planar 2. He revolutionized the turntable business with this release, setting the bar high for what should follow.
During the compilation of our Rega Planar 2 review, it came to our attention that some record players that were made by Rega back in the 1970s and 1980s were still in use today. This is how sturdy and long-lasting Rega products are.
In this Rega Planar 2 review, we are going to take a close look at what this turntable is all about. We shall try to answer questions such as, is it a worthwhile upgrade of previous Rega record players, and is it a worthy competitor in the turntable market.
Rega Planar 2 Review 2025
The Good
Like the previous models of Rega Turntables, the Rega Planar 2 is a manual turntable that is propelled by a belt. Apart from being simple, the record player strives to do only one thing, produce quality sound that does not have any distortion.
Thanks to its belt-driven motor, cases of noise interference and distortion are kept at a minimum.
Incredible Sound
While prepping for this Rega Planar 2 review, we tested and noted that the vinyl player has excellent sounding capabilities that make the songs you play sound marvelous. It maintains the classic Rega character of diverting attention from itself to the music, allowing you to enjoy the ambiance and the message of the songs.
Although it falls a little bit short of the Planar 3 turntable, which has more satisfactory audio settings, it ensures every vinyl that spins on it is clear, drawing you quickly into the music.
During our Rega Planar 2 review, we sampled a few rock records, and we were captivated by the oodles of character we got from this machine.
We appreciated the kicks and snares of the instruments, which were in line with the vocals giving us a near studio experience.
It is easy to forget about your worries while using this record player due to its spot-on playback timing and tone balance.
Solid Tonearm
One outstanding attribute about Rega is that they are their own manufacturers of turntables and tonearms. While compiling our Rega Planar 2 review, it came to our attention that they are so trusted in this area that other turntable brands request them to manufacture their tonearms.
During our Rega Planar 2 review, we also noted this record player relies on the new 9-inch RB220 arm, which is said to be a direct descendant of one of the best tonearm, the 1983’s RB300.
Designed using rigid aluminum materials, the RB220 features a more robust bearing housing, an auto-bias adjustment, and an ultra-low friction bearing.
Similar to other tonearms from different brands, the housing has a sleek reliable armrest and lock.
As for the arm tube, it has a finger-lift and an irremovable headshell that makes it easy to operate.
Another thing that might be of significance for you to note is that the Rega Planar 2 comes pre-installed with a medium output cartridge. During our Rega Planar 2 review, we came to learn that you can choose to change the cartridge at any time by simply adjusting your counterweight.
Simple Design
It has become a tradition for Rega turntables to maintain their manual belt driven nature over the years. The Rega Planar 2 is no exception. While we were conducting our Rega Planar 2 review, we fell in love with its sleek and simple design, which is available in three colors, red, black, and white.
You will like the dust cover that comes with it, which enhances its classic and clean look.
However, its design is not unique from other best-performing turntables due to its simplistic nature.
During our Rega Planar 2 review, we resulted in believing the manufacturers avoided to put many buttons and features to avoid having many parts and mechanisms, which is a good thing.
The more gears, parts, and mechanics you have on your table, the more chances of you experiencing noise and drag due to the extra power required to power these parts.
Fine-Tuned Components – As a plug and play record player, the Rega Planar 2 comes as a fine-tuned machine from the manufacturer, allowing you to enjoy it immediately after purchase.
When you take it out of the package and check the geometry of the cartridge and the arm, you will notice it has a small deviation. This should not worry you as it gives you space to fine-tune it further.
As for the geometry of the platter and the arm, they are perfectly parallel, worth the admiration of every record player enthusiast. Weighing at around 2.5 grams, its VFT allows you to connect your machine to a Micro iPhone amplifier in about 15 minutes or less.
This is after you have set your gain to 35 decibels and your MM input to 95 picofarads.
During our Rega Planar 2 review, we sampled a few tracks, and we noted the foot on the drum for most songs produced compact blows and clarity, while the bass guitar prevailed in numbers. We particularly loved the acoustic circuitry of the base and the bass, as the former did not overplay the latter.
The designers at Rega did an excellent job of trying to ensure all aspects of this machine are fine-tuned.
Excellent Customer Service
As a company that was established in the mid-70s, Raga has grown over the years to become one of the legendary turntable manufacturers of the world today.
Apart from its unique set of powerful pieces of equipment, they offer world-class customer service to their customers, ensuring you do not suffer in silence.
Also, from our interaction with the company during our Rega Planar 2 Review, we noted they keep tabs of customer complaints and dissatisfaction and improve on them on their next release.
If your turntable happens to become faulty before the warranty period is over, you can rely on Raga to offer repair services to you.
The Bad
Like it is the case with most turntables, they have a good side and a bad side.
Subpar Cartridge
For those who are not well vast with turntables, a cartridge is a device that holds the stylus intact at the end of the record player’s arm. It generates electrical signals that allow the stylus to vibrate side to side and up and down when playing music.
During our Rega Planar 2 review, we noted the machine comes with a Regan Carbon cartridge, which is highly regarded as an entry-level cartridge in the market.
The reason why the Regan Carbon cartridge is considered an entry-level cartridge is that it was manufactured to cater to the needs of the 1980s Planar 2. With the change of technology and time, other cartridges have come up to offer better quality than the Regan Carbon.
If you intend to buy this record player, you might want to upgrade the Carbon cartridge to get better sound quality.
Flimsy Dust Cover
In this Rega Planar 2 review, we noted the record player also comes with an attractive dust cover that helps in keeping dust and little fingers at bay. Removable by nature, the dust cover is constructed with clear acrylic, which compliments the turntable’s unique shine.
Despite its classic appearance, we noted that the removable clear dust cover affected the quality of sound when it was on. Upon removal, the sound improved substantially. We could hear a humming sound coming from the player, and we suspect it is because of the cover’s warped shape.
Although DJs should not be concerned with this small hiccup, regular music players might find their listening experience greatly affected. Our advice to you is to play your records while your dust cover is off and to be using it once you are done with your listening sessions.
The Bottom Line
There is no doubt about Rega’s ability to create some of the best turntables the world has ever seen. Planar 2 is one of the company’s best products following its precise and tidy performance that is accompanied by natural balance and smoothness.
If you are looking for a piece of equipment that is going to serve you for more than 30 years, the Planar 2 might be what you need. For individuals who prefer upgrading their turntables from time to time, they might want to opt-out from this purchase, as the machine has a very long lifespan.
The Rega Planar 2 is a sleek, high-performance turntable featuring the RB220 tonearm and a pre-in...
Rega Planar 2 Review 2025 | Final Thoughts
We hope this Rega Planar 2 review was of great assistance to you, and you have learned a few things about the machine. We cherish your feedback, and we would like to hear from you. Feel free to check out our other reviews on our platform.
