For serious vinyl enthusiasts, few things are more exciting than unlocking hidden detail and musicality in familiar records. The new Rega Planar 3 RS turntable – already a Stereophile “Recommended Component” becomes a game-changing system when paired with Rega’s Nd5 moving-magnet cartridge and Neo PSU power supply.
These components extract maximum clarity, focus, and dynamics from your LPs. The Nd5 cartridge delivers vastly improved tracking accuracy, tonal balance and fine detail. At the same time, the Neo PSU provides rock-solid speed control and ultra-quiet motor drive. In short, this upgrade package is a worthwhile investment for anyone who wants to hear vinyl at its fullest potential.
Nd5 Cartridge: Precision Tracking & Rich Detail
The Rega Nd5 is a high-performance moving-magnet cartridge designed to surpass its predecessors. It uses a perfect elliptical nude diamond stylus – an accurate elliptical profile ground from polycrystalline diamond – on an aluminium cantilever. This ultra-precise stylus shape means exceptional tracking accuracy even in complex passages. Rega engineers report that the Nd5’s new geometry and “perfect symmetry” in its coils achieve highly accurate channel balance, yielding a far wider soundstage than previous models. This means vocals, instruments and stereo imaging become remarkably focused and spacious.Elliptical Nude-Diamond Stylus
The Nd5’s diamond tip is hand-ground to a perfect elliptical shape. This yields “exceptional tracking accuracy” and lets the cartridge hug the groove precisely, extracting “greater levels of detail from the vinyl surface”. You’ll hear tiny nuances – the texture of acoustic strings, subtle ambience cues – that lesser cartridges miss.
Neodymium Magnet & Miniaturised Coils
Unusually for a moving-magnet design, the Rega Nd5 Cartridge uses a strong Neodymium N55 magnet (the world’s most powerful available). With micro-wound parallel coils, this generates higher output and very low impedance. The result is extended bandwidth – sparkling highs and articulate bass – with minimal distortion.Lightweight Rigid Body
The cartridge body is moulded from glass-filled PPS (polyphenylene sulphide), a lightweight yet extremely stiff material. rega.co.uk. This low-mass construction minimises stress on the tonearm bearings and improves movement, which translates to tighter bass and transparent sound. A rigid body also suppresses unwanted resonances, so the Nd5 reproduces notes cleanly rather than masking them in colourations.High-Quality Build
Every Nd5 is hand-assembled with a three-point mounting plate and has a lifetime warranty against defects. Rega offers a rebuild service (new stylus, cantilever and pivot pad) to keep the cartridge performing like new for years. In listening tests, the Rega Nd5 Cartridge makes a dramatic difference. Tracks that once sounded “warm and pleasant” become pin-sharp in detail. Reviewers report the Nd5 delivers a “widespan, deeply informative soundstage” with “fine detail [and] natural textures” that make it feel like “sitting in the middle of a live quintet ”Instrument separation and imaging dramatically improve – one reviewer noted that even a darker-toned jazz recording suddenly revealed “each instrument [with] greater definition, weight, and textural presence ”In other words, the Nd5 pulls the music into focus without ever sounding thin or brittle. Tonal balance remains natural (not overly bright or coloured), but the added clarity and resolution make your records more lively and engaging. Overall, the Nd5 is not just a minor tweak – it’s a significant upgrade. Analogue Planet’s Ken Micallef concluded that the Nd5 represents “a significant advancement in the field” of moving-magnet cartridges. For its price class, it delivers “great value-for-dollar sound” by unlocking new levels of micro-detail and dynamic punch in any LP played through it.Neo PSU: Rock-Solid Speed and Clean Power
Equally crucial to great sound is how precisely the turntable is driven. The optional Rega Neo PSU (MK2) is an advanced external power supply that dramatically improves the Planar 3’s motor drive. It uses a high-stability crystal oscillator and digital signal processing (DSP) – the same technology found in Rega’s flagship Planar 10 – to generate an ultra-steady drive signal. The electronics divide the crystal’s frequency to the exact platter rotation needed, producing a near-perfect sinusoidal waveform for the 24V motor. The result is sublime speed stability: the platter spins at 33⅓ or 45 rpm rock-steady with negligible wow and flutter, even under varying loads.
User-Adjustable Precision
The Neo MK2 has finely tuned turntable controls. Using the custom rear-panel tool, you can trim the speed in 0.01 RPM steps. This means you can dial in the exact pitch, which is helpful for audiophiles who like to align speed with strobe discs or demand absolute pitch accuracy. Changing between 33⅓ and 45 rpm is done electronically with the push of a button, so there’s no need to move the drive belt. It’s a convenient way to ensure the correct speed and to “lock in” the precise rpm once you’ve set it.Anti-Vibration and Low Noise
Rega specifically designed the Neo’s circuitry to “reduce motor noise” and vibration. In practice, the background rumble that can sneak in through the motor is significantly attenuated. On records with deep bass or quiet intros, the Neo PSU helps maintain a darker, quieter background, letting subtle details emerge. Audiophile tests confirm a noticeably lower noise floor when the Neo supply is used – one user even reported that the motor hum drops out and the music gains a new sense of clarity and space.Enhanced Musical Dynamics
Because the Neo PSU delivers cleaner, more stable power, the Planar 3 responds with tighter rhythm and greater musical coherence. The timing of transients (drum hits, string plucks, etc.) becomes crisper, so grooves feel punchier. Rega’s marketing highlights that increased speed stability leads to “enhanced focus, dynamics, pacing, and imaging” in your playback. In short, the Neo makes the music feel more alive. Instruments emerge with sharper edges, and the music flow is more engaging. In listening tests, users routinely describe the Neo PSU as one of the most impactful upgrades for a Rega turntable. Even without changing cartridges, switching from the stock PSU to the Neo can yield a more musical presentation: deeper bass authority, tighter midrange, and smoother high end, simply because the motor is running “on rails.” One reviewer put it this way: the Neo makes you feel like you’re hearing all the information in the grooves, with the added benefit that the motor is introducing nothing extraneous. For vinyl collectors, that translates to hearing more of the performance and less of the equipment.Exceptional Build Quality and Craftsmanship
The components in this package are not just about electronics – they showcase Rega’s attention to design and build quality. The Rega Planar 3 RS plinth, tonearm and bearing have all been meticulously engineered. For example, the new Planar 3 RS features a multi-layer double-brace plinth – an acrylic laminated core stiffened by bracing near the tonearm and bearing. This “stressed-beam” construction drastically cuts down on resonances and prevents motor energy or room vibrations from colouring the sound. Rega’s RB330 tonearm, which comes on the Planar 3, is also very low-friction by design. One reviewer noted that the RB330’s bearings have “remarkably low amounts of friction,” contributing to the table’s musical ease. In short, the chassis of the Planar 3 RS is designed to be as inert and quiet as possible so that the Nd5 cartridge can do its job without interference.
Rega Planar 3 RS Turntable, with ND5 cartridge & Neo PSU Mk.2 (Click & Collect only)
Equally, the Nd5 cartridge itself is built to premium standards. It is handmade by skilled technicians and built around a rigid PPS body that won’t flex. Every detail – from the cantilever to the coils – is chosen for accuracy. Rega even offers a cartridge rebuild service so the Nd5 can enjoy a long lifespan (you can trade in your worn stylus for a refreshed cart at modest cost). The Neo PSU is well-crafted, with precision internal circuitry and a robust metal case. In combination, this system exhibits a solidity you can feel: the components click together with tight tolerances and operate with a reassuring stability.
One Response
It’s brilliant. I was looking to get a TT and TBF it was always going to be a Rega. I listened to 2,3 and 6 and the improvement as you go up the range is clearly audible. The P2 with ND3 is great and best at the price point ( or was. More to say at end) P3 is a significant upgrade as it should be for the price. P6 is better in every way than the P3. Again it should be. Truth be told P6 was out of my price range so when Rega launched the P3rs I was delighted. It’s still not a P6 but it’s the best P3 ever ( and that’s praise indeed) So back to the P2. It’s £525 with the Carbon fitted. Rega have Green Grade P3 with the aluminium HPL skin on sale for £499 without cartridge. I think that’s a steal. The HPL aluminium skin is a significant step up from standard P3 plinth. Has the double brace and the RB330 arm. Stick a Goldring E3 on it and you have a great record player.