REGA PLANAR 8
Assistenza italiana
Spedizione monitorata
Consulenza e preventivi
The Planar 8 is inspired by Rega's absolute reference turntable, the “Naiad”. We immediately decided that, instead of proceeding with an evolution of the previous RP8, the new Planar 8 would be developed to include the essence of the Naiad at an affordable price. Our goal was to offer much higher sound quality than we have achieved so far in that price range.
Every detail of the Planar 8 has been engineered to extract as much detail as possible from the vinyl surface. The most advanced materials and design solutions have been chosen, building everything around a very light base of the highest quality to ensure the highest level of performance. The Planar 8 is supplied with the new RB880 arm and with the Neo PSU power supply that offers electronic speed shifting, advanced anti-vibration control and fine speed adjustment to allow for total accuracy and complete engine control. The external base of the previous model has been removed and a new elegant removable cover has been designed to further reduce the mass of the turntable.
NB: the smaller base of the Planar 8 is not compatible with the current Rega wall shelves, a new lightweight wall shelf has been developed specifically for the Planar 8.
ULTRALIGHT BASE
The Planar 8 is Rega's second turntable built using the latest Tancast 8 ultralight polyurethane foam material (developed for the aerospace industry). This material is sandwiched between two layers of HPL (high pressure laminate), HPL is extraordinarily thin and extremely rigid. The new construction allows for a base that is 30% lighter than the original RP8, while offering greater rigidity.
DB TECHNOLOGY (DOUBLE PILLAR TECHNOLOGY) "THE MASS ABSORBES ENERGY - LOST ENERGY = LOST MUSIC"!
A lightweight base coupled with a phenolic resin double ferrule mounted specifically where greater rigidity is required (between the arm mounting point and the platter hub) forms a tension band sound structure. This design prevents the absorption of energy and unwanted resonances that would add unnatural distortion to the music. Likewise, a heavier mass can transfer more unwanted resonances such as motor or hub noise directly onto the rotating disc. The use of the ferrule instead of a compact surface allows the use of the double layer of phenolic resin in the critical areas, allowing at the same time a reduction in the weight of the base so as to directly solve the problems related to the absorption of the mass and the undesired energy transfer. .
ARM RB880
With the new RB880 Rega has introduced a new vertical bearing structure constructed using aluminum and stainless steel, with low mass and greatly improved stability and rigidity. This arm uses a very advanced preloaded bearing structure with zero tolerance with an adjustment of less than one thousandth of a millimeter, so as to have a movement without friction and no unwanted movement. This discreet but effective new structure is only visible through the small window on the back of the new bias setting. A thinner stainless steel counterweight is used, providing greater adjustability and compatibility. Finally, the RB880 is finished with a newly designed low capacity cable with high quality lockable RCA connectors to ensure the best possible connection.
HUB ASSEMBLY
The planar 8 uses a new low mass center hub assembly. An aluminum plate in a single turned piece and a hardened steel shaft for tools rotate within a bronze housing mounted inside the base. This new mount is designed to eradicate any potential energy transfer or storage in the base.
TRIPLE LAYER GLASS PLATE WITH SUPER FLYWHEEL EFFECT
The Planar 8 uses a plate with three glass plates which is the result of collaboration with a British company specializing in glass technology. This brand new plate consists of two different high quality Pilkington glasses. As a general rule, the only part of a turntable that requires a high mass is the platter in order to obtain a constant rotation speed. On the other hand, a heavy platter creates greater problems for the rotation hub, so, once again, an ideal compromise is the best solution. In practice this means that most of the mass is placed towards the outside of the glass plate so as to create a flywheel effect while keeping the inside of the plate as light as possible without sacrificing rigidity.
24 VOLT LOW NOISE MOTOR
The Planar 8 uses the latest generation of low noise 24 V synchronous motor technology. Assembled in a specific way using the highest level of coupling while maintaining, at the same time, the very high vibration isolation of the previous models. This new (bottom-up) mounting technology is borrowed directly from Rega's reference turntable, the Naiad. This single mounting method eliminates all stress on the engine body. Reduced vibrations and stiffer mounting allow for greater guidance thanks to the new EBLT belts. Each motor is individually calibrated by hand to mate with the new Neo power supply before being installed on the turntable to optimize the anti-vibration circuit.
EBLT BELTS
For three years, Rega has researched and developed with the collaboration of chemists the use of a new rubber compound tailored to its belts. Using a special hardening system, the new belt offers a better constancy of the modulus (constant which represents the degree of a specific property of a substance, specifically elasticity). These new belts are produced by a reference machine designed by Rega which allows the production of perfectly round belts with accurate dimensions, critical characteristics for a perfect stability of the speed.
NEO PSU
The Neo PSU allows a homogeneous power supply, an advanced anti-vibration circuit and a fine speed adjustment. It uses the RP10's DSP generator (digital signal processor) built on the basis of a high-stability crystal. The DSP generator divides the accurate crystal signal to extract the exact frequency to spin the platter at the selected speed. The DSP generator also produces a perfect sine wave to power the engine. This, together with an effective control amplifier, produces a balanced 24 V alternating current signal with less than 0.15% distortion that is completely insensitive to any variation in voltage and conditions of the electrical system. This powers the anti-vibration circuit located under the turntable base.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Dimensions: Turntable (complete with lid) Width 420 mm Depth 315 mm Height 125 mm
Weight 4.2 Kg
Dimensions: Neo PSU Width 180 mm Depth 155 mm Height 50 mm Weight 0,6 Kg