Replacing the multi-award winning and five times "What Hi-Fi?" Product of the Year, the Rega Planar 3 was quite a task for the team at Rega. It took them two years to develop the all new Planar 3. Their team improved every aspect of this turntable; offering first and foremost, incredible sonic performance, and improved ergonomics and usability. With just a few simple steps, you will be able to hear your vinyl like never before on the new Planar 3.

Part 1: Preparing Where You Will Place Your Turntable

1. Place your turntable on a stable, level surface. It is important for the platform to be level so the turntable will properly track your records. Try to avoid placing the turntable in front of your speakers or on the same surface your speakers are sitting on if they have the ability to reproduce deep bass tones.

Part 2: Initial Setup

1. Lift off the platter and remove the cardboard underneath the inner platter.

2. Remove the yellow sticker on the arm and the red tape on the tonearm. The yellow sticker details when the turntable was inspected.

3. Place the included belt with your Rega Planar 3 turntable on the top pulley. Spin the inner platter to center the belt. The top pulley is 33. The bottom pulley is 45, To switch from 33 to 45, simply lift off the belt and move the platter.

4. Place the platter back on the spindle. Put the felt mat on top of the platter.

Part 3: Setting Your Tracking Force

1. Make sure the tonearm is in the locked position and push the included counterweight onto the back of the tonearm. The numbers on the dial should be facing the front of the tonearm. Turn the whole weight until it's towards the middle of the rod.

2. Take a careful look at the tracking force dial on the side of the turntable and make sure it is set to where “0” (zero) is at the small indicator line. Also, make sure the anti-skating slider is set to zero.

4. Carefully remove the stylus guard from your cartridge. It just pulls straight down. It’s a good idea to keep the guard in case you ever need to move your turntable.

4. We are now going to try and achieve zero gravity. Lower the cueing lever. Carefully move the tonearm over the platter with one hand while holding it up above the mat. With the other hand, start turning the rear counterweight until you feel the arm start to float. If you feel the arm moving down in your hand, you have too much weight forward, so slowly move the weight backward by turning it. If it is moving up, you need more weight, which you accomplish by moving the weight towards you. The idea is to get the tonearm to “float” above the mat. Once you have the tonearm floating, move it back into the tonearm rest.

5. Now turn the tracking force dial to the correct tracking force. If your Planar 3 came with the Elys cartridge, you should set the dial to 1.75. This point is half way between the scale for 1.5 and 2 on the dial. If you upgraded to a better cartridge, use the tracking force on the card we included with your cartridge.

6. Set the anti skating. On the base of the tonearm, you will see a small slot with a rod sticking up through the slot. Slide the rod until it lines up with the number closest to the recommended tracking force. If you are shooting for 1.75 set it just slightly under the number 2. When you are done your tonearm should look like the picture below.

Part 4: Audio Connections and Dust Cover for Rega Planar 3

1. The power supply simply plugs into the small hole you will find recessed on the back side of the turntable. The other connection spot you will see is for the optional TT PSU power supply.

2. The red and black audio cables will connect to your phono preamp or the phono stage of your receiver or amplifier. You will need a phono stage to play your turntable. The red cable goes into the right channel input, and the black goes into the left channel input.

3. Attach the dust cover by inserting the attached hinges into the back of the turntable. They will fit into the back slots. The dust cover can be removed by lifting the hinges out.

Part 5: Playing Your Vinyl

1. The power switch is located on the front corner left on the underside of the turntable base. Switch it on to power the table.

2. Move the tonearm over so it is over the outer record groove.

3. To play your vinyl, lower the cueing lever so the tonearm lands in the lead in the groove.

4. When the record ends, you will need to lift up the cueing lever, return the arm to its rest, and switch off the motor. Or better yet, play another record!

Should you ever need to transport your turntable more than across the room, it's a good idea to remove the platter and lock the tonearm down with a twisty tie. You might also consider placing the stylus guard back on.

We hope you enjoy your new turntable for many years to come. If you haven't bought one yet, we'd really appreciate your business!

If you have any other questions, please send us a message or chat with us.

PLANAR 3 UPGRADES: