Rega Planar 6 Turntable [VIDEO]

Manufacturer & Model

Rega Planar 6

MSRP

$1875 ($2245 as reviewed)

Link

https://www.audioadvice.com/rega-planar-6-turntable+cartridgetype-Rega~Exact~2~MM?referral=avnirvana

Highlights

High-performance sound quality, sleek & elegant appearance, simple set-up, easy-to-use. High-end build materials. Comes packaged with the Neo PSU Mk2 power supply.

Summary

Fantastic-sounding turntable setup, even with the base-level Exact 2 MM cartridge, the Rega Planar 6 includes a Rega Neo PSU Mk2 power supply, which allows for easy selection of 33/45rpm without removing the platter. Very low noise floor and impressive bass extension. Rock-solid speed - near unmeasurable variance. The P6 is a perfect choice for those who want high-end sound quality with easy set-up and very little fuss.

I went down a rabbit hole with my previous turntable, and ended up not liking the results. What I ended up doing was making listening to vinyl an unsatisfying headache. So I ditched my turntable and decided to start over.

After testing and reviewing a couple turntables, I locked in on Rega, and spent a couple months trying to choose which model I wanted. I had to identify what features I wouldn't give up, and then I had to convince myself to spend the money - which is not as easy as it may sound.

The deciding factor in this decision ended up being the power supply, of all things. The Rega Neo PSU Mk2 power supply is a newly designed power supply that not only provides clean and consistent power to the turntable, enabling a consistent speed (which it does masterfully), but it gives you the ability to switch between 33 and 45 rpm with the press of a button. And yes, this became the deciding factor between the P3 and P6, because it came pre-packaged with the P6 and would've been an additional purchase with the P3. This brought the MSRPs much closer together and made the additional value of the P6 that much more attractive.

So how has it been working out?

Check out my video review of the Rega Planar 6 Turntable below!

iFi Aurora All-In-One Music System

• Tonearm: Hand-assembled precision RB330 tonearm
• Platter: Dual-layer smoked / clear glass platter
• Cartridge: Rega Exact 2 MM cartridge (as reviewed)
  • Also available without a cartridge, or fitted with:
    • Rega Ania MC
    • Rega Ania Pro
    • Soundsmith Carmen

 

[Todd Anderson]

Really enjoyed watching this, Travis.

I’m intrigued by the price point. You ask if I’d buy a product like this, sight unheard, and as someone that’s been out of the vinyl game for 30 years, the answer is no. BUT, I do know the impact of a great sounding turntable and appreciate that you’ve found one that hits its stride for your ears.

I gotta say: this definitely makes me interested in thinking about vinyl again. Though, the convenience of high quality streaming is tough to beat for my level of interest in music.

Thinking, tho…

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Really enjoyed watching this, Travis.

I’m intrigued by the price point. You ask if I’d buy a product like this, sight unheard, and as someone that’s been out of the vinyl game for 30 years, the answer is no. BUT, I do know the impact of a great sounding turntable and appreciate that you’ve found one that hits its stride for your ears.

I gotta say: this definitely makes me interested in thinking about vinyl again. Though, the convenience of high quality streaming is tough to beat for my level of interest in music.

Thinking, tho…

I look back on how much I've spent on different turntables, different upgrades, and then think about the overall cost of this turntable, and that puts it in perspective for me. Because every other table I've owned has been "that sounds pretty good for a $xxx turntable", but never "this sounds incredible."

This turntable sounds incredible, it looks great, and has all the features I wanted right out of the box. I'm going to do my best to not go down the rabbit hole anymore, and just enjoy this for what it is - a great turntable with no upgrades needed.

There are several albums - that white vinyl Pat McGee Band record shown in the video is a prime example - of albums I had been disappointed in the sound quality of the vinyl pressing. Revisiting those albums with the P6 have really changed my mind. They are capable of sounding great, but on my previous turntables, they just didn't. They sounded flat and two dimensional. This has really opened them up.

My Project was a perfect example. A $600 turntable where I immediately bought a $200 speed box, then spent another $150 on the acrylic platter for it. Then I decided a new cartridge would make it better, so $700 on an MC cart and another $300 on a new phono preamp that was compatible with MC cartridges. That's $1950 over time, plus tax, and I was never completely satisfied. For another $300 I have all those features and higher quality without the need to find ways to improve it.

I'm getting old enough that I'm more interested in end-game products to avoid continuing down the rabbit holes, which become much more expensive than simply buying the right product the first time. This is the right turntable for me.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Totally makes sense. I get it... and I also get the feeling of wanting to settle on a system, rather than chase (tho, the chase can be rather fun!).

What's telling is your realization that the Rega Planar 6 is hitting all the right notes. Vinyl is special in that way... the playback device really does matter. To use a car analogy, sure a Ford Escort and Range Rover can get you from point A to point B. But if you rode in both, there would be no mistaking the experience of the two would rides. And your experience of purchasing multiple improvements for your last turntable, trying to achieve that Range Rover ride, helped you to see the value in buying a product that gets it right.

Subwoofers aren't dissimilar in this category of prouducts that can be exposed or notably outmatched.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

It’s not unlike the effort I made to “fake” a home REW Kaleidescape with PLEX. Still a pretty cool setup and far less costly, but not without limits and extra work. Also, as a note, my first car was an Escort and my current ride is…a Range Rover.

 

[Todd Anderson]

It’s not unlike the effort I made to “fake” a home REW Kaleidescape with PLEX. Still a pretty cool setup and far less costly, but not without limits and extra work. Also, as a note, my first car was an Escort and my current ride is…a Range Rover.

Ha! No way. Just two wild guesses that happened to be right. ;-)

I guess it's not going out on a limb that you're liking the driving experience of the Range Rover a tad more than the Escort! My first ride was a Dodge Omni. I would pull into the my high school's parking lot, turn it off, pull the key, and it the engine would still be sputtering. Not exactly the vision of "cool" that I was looking for.

 

[austinblackboxspace]

Rega. Always a turntable staple. Outside my 30+-year-old LP12, it is the only other brand I would gravitate to.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Rega. Always a turntable staple. Outside my 30+-year-old LP12, it is the only other brand I would gravitate to.

I have a couple clips I’ll put on our Instagram Reels with a new LP12 Climax table playing through a pair of Wilson Audio cash machines. Check it out!

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

Ha! No way. Just two wild guesses that happened to be right. ;-)

I guess it's not going out on a limb that you're liking the driving experience of the Range Rover a tad more than the Escort! My first ride was a Dodge Omni. I would pull into the my high school's parking lot, turn it off, pull the key, and it the engine would still be sputtering. Not exactly the vision of "cool" that I was looking for.

Definitely a more refined experience for sure.

 

[austinblackboxspace]

I have a couple clips I’ll put on our Instagram Reels with a new LP12 Climax table playing through a pair of Wilson Audio cash machines. Check it out!

will do! my wife is slowly upgrading the old girl to a Climax (horrible name..) level. one item a year or so. our Wilson Audio dealer in Austin is a really lovely place. on another note, hoping the next vehicle postings you both have are your ICE vehicle dumping news and going full EV! after SXSW and all the Dolby House events, we are really excited about Dolby Atmos being available in many EVs in the very near future. fingers crossed for my cybertruck.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

will do! my wife is slowly upgrading the old girl to a Climax (horrible name..) level. one item a year or so. our Wilson Audio dealer in Austin is a really lovely place. on another note, hoping the next vehicle postings you both have are your ICE vehicle dumping news and going full EV! after SXSW and all the Dolby House events, we are really excited about Dolby Atmos being available in many EVs in the very near future. fingers crossed for my cybertruck.

My next vehicle will not require petrol. I’ve put 5000 miles on the Range Rover in the last year and a half. It’s paid for and runs great, but we’re planning to eventually dump both combustion engines for electric eventually. We both work from home and I take the train when I need to go into the office. Not many miles being driven.