The Rega Planar 3 turntable and Award-winning CD player are at the heart of this amazing hi-fi system.
We’re getting into serious hi-fi territory here. This setup, of four excellent products, proves that you don’t have to spend silly money to get amazing stereo capability.
For just over three grand (in the UK, that is; the US and Australia will pay less), you get here a system that will give you many years of service playing your vinyl and digital discs. And, of course, there is always scope for improvement, if you feel the need, add (say) a music player to the party.
That may not be necessary for a while, as the CD player here has the ability to handle hi-res files, so there is a lot of variety available here right out of the box.
The program
- Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3 – £840 / $1395 / AU$1799
- CD player: Arcam CD5 – £699 / $770 / AU$1495
- Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7 – £799 / $1095 / AU$1699
- Floor standing speakers: Fyne Audio F501E – £999 / $1299 / AU$1999
- Total system price: £3337 / $4559 / AU$6992
Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3
Rega’s Planar 3 record deck has been around for a long time What is Hi-Fi? – that is, it is now in its 50th year, having been launched back in 1976. During that time, of course, it has been modified, improved, improved, and many other words that generally mean it has been made better, many times.
Perhaps the biggest change came a decade or so ago in 2016, but it was hit again in 2024. The small but well-made Planar 3 is now available in four finish options: black, white or red, all glossy, and a light oak finish. The biggest change last year, however, was the cartridge change from the Elys2 to the new Nd3.
As we say in our recent review of the Planar 3: “The comparison between the Nd3 and the long-running Elys 2 does not take long to make. As we work our way through Michael Jackson’s. Bad set, Boatman’s Phone by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and by Beethoven 9th Symphonyit is clear that the new cartridge is better in almost every area.” And the Elys 2 package had won plenty of Awards itself, mind you.
“The Nd3 tells us a lot about recording, singing and the sound of instruments in a convincing way. It’s very powerful too.”
So what we have is an improved package on an already competitive cocoa, and not for more money either. No brainer then.
CD Player: Arcam CD5
The turntable is joined here by Arcam’s new(ish – out in 2023) CD5 CD player. It may be the new kid on the block, but the CD5 has quickly become a mid-price contender.
Connections have been kept frugal, with one pair of RCA line-level outputs and, on the digital side, one optical and one coaxial output each. Importantly, however, and as shown above, you can also play music files (in FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3 and AAC formats up to 24-bit/192kHz) if they are stored on a USB flash drive or hard disk, thanks to the USB-A input on the rear panel.
He is a very entertaining and talented actor with an engaging, punchy and muscular delivery. Great spread of sound that easily fills the room, but not overpowering, staying on the pleasant side of transparency and neutrality. The CD5 delivers an equally balanced performance across the board: the treble bites but never makes us wince, while the muscular low end has a satisfying solidity that keeps us hooked on every genre.
As we say in our review: “Seriously, it’s just a pleasure to listen to. The CD5’s rich and lovely presentation brings out the essence of the song in a very pleasing way, while making sure it hits all the right hi-fi notes along the way.”
Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7
The Rega Brio amplifier, like its stablemate turntable in this series, has been around for a long time – this time since 1991. Now in its Mk7 iteration, it (finally) recognizes the world we live in, and includes digital input for the first time (possible system upgrade notice).
With the development of this version of the Brio, however, came an increase in price – and we were somewhat concerned that it might not be able to compete effectively in this high price bracket. Obviously, we shouldn’t have worried.
Considering those price standards, it is a very successful player that puts a clear air between it and its predecessor. “As we compare the two, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the new amplifier’s great sensitivity, design and improved dynamic range.
“The Brio Mk7 has a bold presentation, full of confidence and joy…it’s hard not to be impressed by the Brio’s smooth, solid, low-end performance and its ability to deliver dynamic performances with conviction. It’s got the power to hold the beat too, giving the music a solid foundation and a great sense of momentum.”
Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E
We needed speakers for this program to use all the power of the music the sources and the amplifier brought to the party, of course.
And Fyne Audio has completely pulled it out of the bag with the What is Hi-Fi? low-end speaker winners Product of the Year, the F501E.
The big news for this impressive entry-level speaker is that Fyne’s trademark Isoflare driver, where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit, has been lowered to this level for the first time.
The general build quality is solid and neat as expected at this level. However, these speakers are only available in an ash-ash vinyl wrap. The low manufacturing cost of having just one end is part of the reason Fyne can achieve such a strong value for the F501E. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a compromise that we – after hearing these top players – are very willing to make.
One of the advantages of a coaxial configuration such as the Isoflare array is that it disperses sound further away from the axis. This feature pays dividends in the F501E’s focused and layered stereo image and the way its soundstage remains stable even from the (relatively wide) sweet spot.
“We like the concept of the scale and are impressed with the low power and punch they produce on demand,” we said in our review. “Bass is loud, punchy and defined by class standards. We push the volume levels north to see how the F501E copes – they tick that box with confidence at anything beyond normal listening levels.”
“These towers are an enjoyable listen and, like a trip down memory lane The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest proves. The F501E is fluid and expressive. They follow the rhythm with determination while communicating changes in the music in a natural and convincing way.”
We sum up our speaker review this way: “The F501E is a talented performer with a wealth of sonic capabilities that are hard to beat at this price.” And in fact, that sentence can represent every single product in this impressive system.
The fact that, moreover, they all come together remarkably well, means that this is a quartet you can’t beat at this price.
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