Rumours of an RP6 successor have been circulating for some time since the Planar 3 arrived over a year ago and anticipation was finally broken with the official announcement of the imminent release of the new Planar 6 in mid- July, much to the excitement of both dealers and Rega enthusiasts alike.The new turntable is still an unsuspended, belt-driven design that uses a single-piece plinth instead of the distinctive two-piece design of the continuing RP8 and RP10 flagship decks.This plinth is rather different from anything that Rega has produced before and is constructed from a polyurethane foam called Tan-Cast 8, which is an extremely lightweight and rigid material.The foam is then sandwiched between a High Pressure Laminate (HPL), which Rega says is exceptionally thin but increases the plinths stiffness and rigidity.
Its finished in matt grey with high-gloss polymer black-edge trim. It uses Regas existing double brace technology that anchors the main bearing and the arm mount together to further increase the overall rigidity and a patent pending brass hub into which an aluminium sub-platter is placed and fitted with a new drive belt that links to the drive motor. The platter is a two-piece design similar in construction to the outgoing RP6, but now with a distinctive smoked layer. Rega Rb330 Tonearm Generator Thats BuiltIt uses a DSP generator thats built around a high-stability crystal that generates an extremely accurate sinusoidal wave form to ensure exceptional pitch stability regardless of fluctuations in the mains supply. For optimal performance, each PSU is matched to the 24V motor when pairing with a particular Planar 6 to ensure the closest relationship between the two. ![]() As previously mentioned, the Planar 6 is available without a cartridge or as reviewed here fitted with Regas Ania moving-coil cartridge ( HFC 426) for a total package cost of 1,398. This gives a near 100 saving on the cost of an Ania and equips the Planar 6 with a cartridge that has clearly been designed with this deck in mind. Of course, the tonearm works with a wide selection of other cartridge designs too, and VTA can be altered via spacers available from Rega. One aspect I find genuinely impressive is that despite the relative lack of mass, it never feels lightweight or insubstantial in any way. All points of contact are finished to a remarkably high standard and it comes across as an extremely solid device, despite being made from lightweight materials. Like other members of the Planar family, it additionally comes with a Perspex dust cover as standard in this case in a smoked finish. The grey finish is a function of the HPL process and the black gloss edging is nicely done. While the attention to detail is undoubtedly high, in some regards the Planar 6 looks less special than its high-gloss siblings. It still has an effortless sense of proportion and an elegance borne of its simplicity that is very appealing, but its fair to say there are more visually arresting rivals at a similar price point (see How It Compares box). Rega Rb330 Tonearm Plus Our CurrentStandout tracks from our Music Reviews section, plus our current favourites to play in the HFC office.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |