![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fb/Planar3_from_above.jpg/640px-Planar3_from_above.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Rega Planar 3
Audiophile turntable by Rega Research / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rega Planar 3, together with its successors, the P3 and RP3, is a well-known budget audiophile turntable by British hi-fi manufacturer, Rega Research available since 1977. It was a belt-drive deck that broke from convention, by employing a solid plinth in lieu of the compliantly suspended chassis or sub-chassis used in many quality turntables since the early 1960s.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fb/Planar3_from_above.jpg/640px-Planar3_from_above.jpg)
The RB300 arm fitted has a non-standard counterweight
The product has lived through several guises and name changes, any of which are often referred to simply as "Rega 3". It is highly influential,[1] and has made its small British manufacturer's name synonymous with hi-fi turntables, and gave the company the widest brand recognition in this product sector in the US.[2] Its relative simplicity and affordability made the Rega 3 a "bedrock of analog playback for well over 30 years".[3]
In 2016, Rega released its 5th generation of Rega 3 turntables, and returned to its original name, Planar 3. A significant redesign, the 2016 Planar 3 features almost all new parts but still shares its basic engineering with its older siblings.