REGAPlanar 2 Turntable with RB220 Tonearm Glass Platter and Carbon Cartridge (Gloss Red)

My initial review was 3 stars based upon setup. Since that time, I've listened to a few records, and they really sound great. Sounds way way better than my old Technics. So I changed my review from 3 to 5 stars.____________________________________________Initial Setup: (This review might change.)Four things struck me as really cheap after I first set up this turntable.First, the little mat that is put on the glass platter is not round. It is off by a bit, so when it spins, it looks off balance. You'd really expect that a $675 turntable would have a very round mat. Nothing says precision like an off balance spinning object.Second, the dust cover hinges are really flimsy. They are made of plastic. Imagine bending a piece of plastic back and forth a dozen times, and the hoping that that plastic stays strong. They look like they might last about a year at most. I do see that you can purchase hinge replacements, so I guess that hinge replacements are expected.Third, balancing the tone arm is a bit awkward. The anti skate/bias is set so high (and you can't adjust it) so that it's very difficult to follow the instructions that say to balance it over the platter. I had to go to Youtube and found some Danish or Norwegian clip that explained how to do it. It's a bit awkward, but I think I got it set up. Do I have it off by a half or quarter gram. Possibly. Probably. Who knows? Should I have to buy a scale of some type to find out? I guess so.Fourth, how do I know that it's really spinning at 33 rpm? I don't, and I just have to hope that it does. I'm a bit concerned because the little bitty rubber band that controls the speed (motor to platter drive well) is not any where near tight. That may be a good idea to prevent stretching, but if you're a true stereophile, don't you want to make sure that the record is really spinning at 33.33 rpm and not 31.45 rpm? (I'm not a true stereophile.)All in all, I'm quite underwhelmed by such a hyped-up turntable. I'm replacing an old Technics SL-1400, and with the Technics, the above 4 things were nailed down and solid. The Rega Planar 2 is just chintzy in comparison. Not sure if the tone arm is balanced, hope the bias is really correct, hope speed is correct and the dust cover hinges will probably fail. Yes, I'm sure I can buy some pretty fancy equipment that will diagnosis the balance, bias and speed, but should I have to do that?I'll listen to it shortly. Maybe I'll change my mind after that. Or maybe I'll just get the Technics fixed.

It’s pricey, but it’s class. It looks and sounds superb. I have very little complaints … I think the main thing is that I followed the balancing instructions to the letter, and when I got my scale out, I was at only 1.5g of down force, versus the recommended 2-3g. No matter for me as I had a scale, but I think that they need to dial that in, or just recommend folks to use a scale.There is a bit of motor noise (kind of subtle clicks) when it’s just running, but only a few dB above the noise floor of the motor itself which seems reasonably low.For the good, what can I say, it’s easy to set up, looks gorgeous, sounds incredible.

The build quality/feel is great, it looks "rich" and sounds very good with the stock cartridge, even better if you swap the cartridge. I ended up returning it because there was significant motor noise especially on startup. Maybe a fluke though I've read others with similar issues, some say it goes away after time but where it was brand new I expected it to be quiet.Update - ordered a 2nd one and same motor noise - it was enough that it was distracting and returned that one as well / too bad because it’s absolute eye candy and the build feel is excellent.

I'll admit I did get a used one for $550 through amazon that was essentially opened and repackaged. That price point is perfect for what this TT delivers. Easy setup, great out of the box sound, and sleek performance. I really like the minimalist look of the table too. Its simple yet elegant. The sound is great, but I'm sure some improvement will be had once I upgrade the cartridge down the line. On a side note, the whole "just get a RP3" is a really bad argument. Without a cartridge youre spending $1000 for a RP3. For a used RP2 at half the price you still get a great TT with a glass platter and a better tone arm and plinth than the RP1 that comes with a cartridge that is adequate. There is a justification for going up or down depending on your budget. Granted this is only my second TT, but I think it sounds fantastic! The RP2 is great!

Bought my wife a Rega Queen limited edition turntable. Then about 7 months ago my wife bought a Red Rega Planar 2.In essence, the Rega Queen is a P-1, so I can compare the P-1 and P-2 decks. For about $200 more than the P-1, you get the P-2 with a better tone are that's one piece, a much heavier glass platter, and better platter bearing. These 3 features add up to better audio than our P-1 is capable of. If you're an audiophile, the extra cost of the P-2 is worth it for sure. I did upgrade the supplied cartridge with a Hana Shibata SL MC cartridge, and the better Rega white drive belt. Clearly, this deck responds well to upgrades and now performs beyond my expectations. If you want your LP audio to sound better than "pedestrian" grade, go with the P-2 with a few modest upgrades. Skip the P-1 and get yourself the P-2 or better.

While the sound quality out of the box is decent, speed is not accurate. Sure buy upgrades, change the motor, change the subplatter. Now you’ve spent as much as the next model up. Buy the next model up and you’ll have another set of issues.Want electronic speed control? But a power supply that costs half the price of the turntable and a motor upgrade.Want to swap cartridges? Need to get spacer rings. Can’t swap head shells because - fixed on the time arm.In other words just buy a Technics. That’s what I will be doing next.