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What Hi-Fi?
Rega launches a trio of cartridge options for its five-star Planar turntables
By Kashfia Kabir,
11 days ago
Rega's current range of turntables has an enviable track record of five-star reviews from What Hi-Fi? , but there is a significant change coming soon that might shake things up. Rega has launched three new moving magnet cartridges in the past few weeks – the Nd3, Nd5 and Nd7 – that aim to deliver ‘next level’ performance for moving magnet designs.
We saw our first glimpse of the range-topping Nd7 back in February at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024 , but now that this trio of new models are officially available to buy, it also means they will replace older cartridge models and can be factory-fitted to Rega's current range of Planar turntables.
The new Nd cartridges are a result of 10 years of development, are hand-made by Rega's technicians and feature an all-new construction. All three cartridges use a powerful neodymium magnet (hence the Nd in the name), which is the most concentrated form of magnet commercially available and offers a high amount of magnetic power for a small volume compared with other magnet types.
The generator arrangement has been carefully designed with "perfect symmetry" in mind to achieve more accurate channel balance. The cartridges use coil wires of just 38 microns thin, with a relatively low number of turns (1275), which reduces impedance and increases high-frequency performance.
(Image credit: Rega)
While the basic design is the same across all three cartridges, it's the stylus tip that is the differentiator. The Nd3 uses a bonded manmade polycrystalline diamond, while the Nd5 uses a "perfect elliptical nude diamond" – which is a purer, higher quality of diamond and step up from the Nd3 in terms of tracking accuracy and detail retrieval.
At the top of the range is the Nd7, which uses a "Fine Line nude diamond" with the same stylus profile as Rega's high-end moving coil cartridges Apheta 3 and Aphelion 2. Also inspired by the MC range, the body is made out of a glass-filled plastic mould called PPS (polyphenylene sulphide) and you can also differentiate between the three models thanks to the different cover colours.
The prices for each cartridge when bought separately are:
But it isn't just the new cartridges that are of interest, it's also how they impact the current Planar 2 , Planar 3 and Planar 6 turntables' prices and performance. The new Nd cartridges are now available as factory-fitted options for these five-star turntables, and we are keen to hear just how much of a performance change these next-gen cartridges will have compared with previous cartridge combinations.
The Nd3 replaces the Elys2 cartridge and the Nd5 replaces the Exact cartridge. The Nd7 is a new tier of moving magnet cartridge for Rega and doesn't replace any model.
(Image credit: Rega)
The standard Nd cartridge price is discounted when you opt to have one factory-fitted to your Planar turntable. The UK pricing for the new cartridge and turntable combinations are as follows:
For those curious about the other Rega models: the entry-level Rega Planar 1 and Planar 1 Plus still come with the entry-level Carbon MM fitted as standard, while the brand's moving coil cartridges (Ania Pro, Apheta 3, Aphelion 2) for Planar 6 , Planar 8 , Planar 10 and Naia turntables remain unchanged.
Rega has also clarified that the Planar 2 comes with the Carbon MM as standard unless you specifically ask for the Nd3 (at an extra cost). The Ania MC – which was tested in our Planar 6 turntable review – is still available and sold separately, but is no longer offered as a fitted option.
We are currently reviewing the Rega Planar 3/Nd3 combination and will soon have the Planar 2/Nd3 turntable in our test rooms too, so stay tuned for the full reviews!
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