REGA P3 - 50th Anniversary
2023 marks 50 years since legendary turntable company Rega was founded in England. From the beginning Rega has stood by a confident and unique design philosophy that has made them one of the most respected brands in the industry over the years. Since its introduction in 1976 the Planar 3 has been a flagship for the company as a product that uses clever design choices to provide high quality sound at an affordable price. Through decades of gradual improvements to the system Rega has made sure the P3 has kept up with the times, and the modern version still offers the same great value today as it did when it was first launched. To celebrate this product Rega has released a 50th anniversary model which brings even more extras and is the definitive edition of the P3 (so far, at least).
Rega products are designed to be greater than the sum of their parts, and the clearest example of this is in their tonearms which are created with a complete focus on strength and rigidity. While most tonearms are made of multiple components which can be adjusted by the user (such as azimuth or arm height), Rega takes a completely different approach. The P3’s RB330 tonearm, like all Rega tonearms, is a single pre-made unit, with their engineers confident that the structural stability given by removing adjustable components is so crucial that it outweighs the small improvements those pieces would bring. Not having those options may feel limiting at first, but with decades of experience Rega has fine-tuned their tonearms to a point where they really do not need any extra attention. Trust in the company and you’ll be rewarded with consistent, excellent playback - as well as time saved worrying about the tiny adjustments that are part of setting up record players from other brands. This also applies to the cartridge, as we’ve found Rega’s pre-installed $675 Exact to be a perfect match for this record player right out of the box, bringing impressive clarity to the treble and midrange compared to cheaper options.
All of this has made Rega’s modern P3 turntable one of our absolute favorite record players at the store over the past few years. The new edition builds on the excellent P3 base while adding a few new touches to celebrate the anniversary. The most obvious of these is the finish, as Rega’s usual black and white options are replaced by a real walnut plinth that has a nice contrast with the ‘float glass" platter. The 50th anniversary model also includes the Neo MK2 power supply unit which helps to keep the rotation speed locked in, as well as an upgraded pulley system and drive belt compared to the normal P3 model. All of these additions for only $100 more than the ordinary P3 with Exact make the anniversary edition a fantastic deal in comparison - and the original itself was already one of the best valued turntables in the business at $1595. All of this makes the P3 50th anniversary package an incredible system both for seasoned Rega fans as well as for those who might just be starting their journey in vinyl. With Rega only producing these through the rest of the year there’s not a ton of time left to take advantage of this opportunity, so come in and listen soon!
