Pro-Ject Essential III vs Rega Planar 1

Rega Planar 1 vs Pro-Ject Essential III – Which Turntable Excels?

If you are in search of a high-end turntable, this pair of Rega Planar 1 vs Pro-Ject Essential III is worth consideration. Though both brands are globally recognized as leading manufacturers of audio equipment, the Rega model features a renovated design, while the Essential III boasts better connectivity options.

Features & performance

The specs are pretty similar. The turntables operate at the same speed and use a belt drive with a moving magnet. Both are able to playback records within the same frequency range and have the identical wow and flutter level. This is why you should expect high-quality and noise-free audio whatever model you go for. However, each product has an individual output level, so see to it that your gear can be connected to a turntable you are thinking of. When it comes to connection, the second model out of Rega Planar 1 vs Pro-Ject Essential III is seen more user-friendly thanks to Bluetooth support, whereas the Essential III is limited to RCA only.

Design & build quality

Both turntables go in several classic colors and are accompanied by a dust cover. The set-up is quick and simple, but the adjustment is strictly manual. The design is basically the same and consists of a low-vibration motor coupled with a brand new platter that ensures increased stability.

If you look for a compact option, I’d recommend picking up the Rega turntable between Pro-Ject Essential III vs Rega Planar 1 as it has smaller dimensions. However, the Essential III is still lighter in spite of its larger size.

If you are bothered about service life, here the Pro Ject product boasts higher durability owing to the aluminum die cast motor. The Essential motor, in turn, is made of plastic which is more prone to breakage in the event that you are used to carrying the turntable with you.

Pro-Ject Essential III pros & cons

Rega Planar 1 pros & cons