I recently upgraded the cartridge on my Rega Planar 2. And just as I had expected, it transformed the turntable into a much better sounding one.
The Rega Planar 2 is a fantastic turntable in my opinion. But the standard fitted Rega Exact cartridge doesn’t extract its full sonic potential. It becomes an even more enjoyable turntable with a high-end cartridge.
When I started my research to find the best cartridge upgrade for the Rega Planar 2, I collected as much information I could about all the cartridges that are regarded the best and most popular upgrades for the Planar 2.
The result was a list of 9 cartridges that most frequently showed up as the vinyl community’s favorite cartridge upgrades for the Rega Planar 2.
1. Audio-Technica VM540ML (AT440MLa/b)
2. Denon DL-110
3. Grado Prestige Gold
3. Nagaoka MP-110
5. Ortofon 2M Blue
6. Ortofon 2M Bronze
7. Ortofon 2M Black
8. Rega Elys Mk2
9. Rega Exact Mk2
In this article, I will walk you through my process of narrowing down that list of 9 cartridges and pick the very best cartridge for the Rega Planar 2.
(Spoiler alert! If you don’t have time to read the whole article, you can click here to see which cartridge I picked on Amazon.)
Rega Planar 2 Turntable and Rega Carbon Cartridge
The current version of the Rega Planar 2 was launched in 2016 and sits between the affordable Rega Planar 1 and the audiophile approved Rega Planar 3.
The Rega Planar 2 can be categorized as Rega’s top ‘entry-level’ turntable. And it might very well be the pick in Rega’s turntable range that gives the most bang for the buck. Its reception among Hi-Fi journalists and critics has been exceptionally good. Just as for most Rega products.
I bought my Rega Planar 2 a while back when I realized that the Audio-Technica AT-LP120 I used for my vinyl spinning together with my Denon PMA-1600NE receiver and B&W 705 S2 speakers didn’t sound quite as good as I would like. When I got the Rega Planar 2, I quickly discovered that it was quite a step up from the AT-LP120.
And, as I later discovered, it is absolutely possible to take the Planar 2 to yet another level of sonic performance with a cartridge upgrade.
The Planar 2 comes standard with a Rega Carbon cartridge. And that cartridge might actually be the weakest part of the turntable. A Rega Carbon cartridge costs around $65 to buy separately at the time I write this article. Which is quite an inexpensive cartridge for a turntable that barely misses the mark to be ‘approved’ as an audiophile graded turntable.
In my ears, the Rega Carbon has an even level of sonic performance throughout the frequency range. It is hard to point at one specific frequency range that is its weakest point. What I felt lacking a bit with the Rega Carbon, in general, was dynamic and precision throughout the frequency range. It sounded a little lazy and lacked a bit of presence and engagement.
The cartridge is the “heart and soul” of any turntable. The unit that transforms the physical grooves in the record into an electrical music signal. And the quality of the cartridge has a significant impact on the sonic performance of a turntable. Even more so than the impact of the tonearm or of the motor/drive.
The Rega Planar 2 sells for around $700 as a write this article. Which is a bargain in my opinion. But the cartridge price ($65) is only about 1/10 of the price of the turntable.
As a comparison, the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon that currently sells for around $400 comes with a $100 Ortofon 2M Red. The cartridge price is 1/4 of the price of the turntable.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120 beginner turntable that currently sells for around $300 comes with a $50 AT95E cartridge. The cartridge price is 1/6 of the price of the turntable.
A price comparison like this one does not give us the complete picture. There is much more that goes into discussing the quality of a cartridge and turntable beyond looking at how much the cartridge cost is relative to the turntable cost. But a comparison like this might indicate that fitting the highest quality cartridge possible on the Rega Planar 2 has not been the Rega engineers’ top priority.
The Rega Planar 2 sounds great for its price with the standard Carbon cartridge. As all the positive reviews in Hi-Fi magazines confirm. It is likely one of the very best (if not the best) turntables you can buy in its price range.
But it is still reasonable to think that the Rega engineers must have left a lot of sonic performance potential on the table when they decided to put the relatively inexpensive Rega Carbon cartridge on a great turntable like the Planar 2.
They might know that the cartridge is the first upgrade that their customers consider anyway. Which is what this article is all about.
My Rega Planar 2 Cartridge Upgrade Selection Criteria
I decided on 5 selection criteria to pick the very best cartridge from my initial list of 9 cartridges.
Criterion 1: Price
Price does not say everything about the quality and performance of home stereo equipment. But I have learned that it is very a good indicator. Especially at the price point where the top level affordable products meet the lower-level audiophile rated products. It seems like vinyl and stereo enthusiasts that are shopping in that price category are very aware of the value (quality) they get in return for the money they spend.
The list of the 9 most popular cartridges for the Rega Planar 2 that I compiled includes cartridges from about $100 to about $800. More or less.
I decided to focus on the candidates in the middle of that $100 to $800 price spectrum. Cartridges that cost from about $250 to $600. And exclude the rest.
Why did I do this?
I wanted a solid pump in sonic performance. So I decided to look away from the most affordable candidates. The ones below about $250. I also decided not to spend more money on a cartridge than I did on the turntable itself. So I set the upper limit to $600. Which is a tiny bit under what I paid for the turntable.
Criterion 2: Good Enough for Rega Planar 3
As a Rega Planar 2 owner, there might come a day when I want to upgrade to a Rega Planar 3. I have currently no plans to do that, but you never know. This might be something to keep in mind for Planar 1 owners as well. A Rega Planar 3 might be the next step on your journey towards Stereophile insanity.
So I wanted the cartridge that I selected for my Planar 2 to also be the perfect choice if I later decide to upgrade to a planar 3. It needed to be a good match for the Planar 3 as well.
Criterion 3: Sound
Since it was not really feasible to buy nearly a dozen cartridges to test them all against each other on my Planar 2 and home stereo, I needed to rely heavily on first-hand experience from other vinyl enthusiasts to determine the sound characteristics and sound quality of the different cartridges.
I have probably read every online review, discussion and opinion on all the 9 cartridge candidates on my list. Picking a cartridge that receives a lot of love and praise from the vinyl community when it comes to sonic performance and sound quality was crucial to me.
My sound preference is warm sound with deep punchy bass. I like that drums, vocals and string instruments to sound present, engaging, authentic and real. But I don’t need an extreme level details in the sound of cymbals and cowbells. That is not too important to me.
A bright and analytical cartridge with a lot of details in the upper midrange and top end at the expense of warmth and engagement in the lower and midrange, is not a trade-off I am looking for.
Criterion 4: Easy to Install
Easy to install was also a selection criterion. It would be ideal if I could avoid adding shims/spacers to the tonearm to raise it and use the simple Rega 3 point fixing to mount the new cartridge.
I am not too experienced with ‘complex’ tonearm adjustments and alignments. So the easier to install the better. Also, tweaking VTA is not easy on Rega turntables as you will have to play around with different shims to get it right.
Criterion 5: Work Well with Rega Turntables and Preamps
As the Rega Planar 2 tonearm lacks height adjustment (VTA adjustment) and anti-skate adjustments, I learned that the selection of cartridges that work great on the Rega Planar 2 is slightly limited.
I found no crystal-clear guidelines for this, but the general advice seemed to be that selecting a cartridge that is substantially different from the original Rega Carbon when it comes to weight, height and size as well as recommended tracking force could potentially generate problems.
It seemed like a good idea to select a cartridge that is time tested and proven to not generate any unwanted problems when mounted on the Rega tonearm. Also, I wanted the cartridge to be a good match for my Rega FONO MINI A2D phono preamp.
Top 5 Cartridge Upgrades for Rega Planar 2
In my process of narrowing down the list of 9 cartridges to one final pick, I quickly eliminated the cartridges that didn’t fully meet my selection criteria.
First, I eliminated the cartridges that sit on the very low end of the price spectrum. As previously discussed, I believe that price is a quite solid indicator of performance for cartridges in this price range.
As a result of this, I eliminated the Denon DL-110 and the Nagaoka MP-110 from the list, even though these are super popular and very good cartridges for their price. These cartridges are likely awesome upgrades from the original Rega Carbon. But I wanted to be sure that I did not leave any sonic potential on the table that would bother me later. So the lowest priced ones had to go.
I also eliminated the Ortofon 2M Blue and the Ortofon 2M Black from the list. And kept only the Bronze from the Ortofon 2M range.
The 2M Black usually cost more than the Planar 2 turntable. And started to push the limits on the far end of my selected price range.
The Ortofon 2M Blue does not seem to receive quite as much love from the community as the Bronze. And the Bronze fits perfectly in the price range criterion I had selected. So, the Bronze felt like the right Ortofon cartridge to keep on the list.
My final list then ended up containing 5 cartridges.
1. Audio-Technica VM540ML
2. Grado Prestige Gold
3. Ortofon 2M Bronze
4. Rega Elys Mk2
5. Rega Exact Mk2
Let’s look at each of them in more detail.
Audio-Technica VM540ML (AT440MLa/b)
Dual magnet (MM) cartridge with MicroLine stylus.
The VM540ML replaces the discontinued and very popular AT440MLa/b.
Specifications
| Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Output Level | 4.0 mV |
| Channel Separation | 28 dB |
| Recommended Load Impedance | 47k ohms |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 2.0 grams |
| Stylus Shape | 2.2 x 0.12 mil MicroLine® |
| Mount | Standard / Half Inch |
| Price | $$ |
PROS
- Price is on the lower end of the spectrum
- The go-to higher-end MM cartridge for many vinyl enthusiasts
- Huge following in the vinyl community
- Good tracker
- No tonearm spacers needed on Rega tonearms
CONS
- Hard to find any major cons for its price
- Regarded by some as being a fraction on the bright/analytical side in some systems
Click here to check price on Amazon
Grado Prestige Gold
The Golds are hand selected from Silver production runs which meet higher test specifications. Approximately 5% of the run usually exhibits these specs and become a Gold.
Specifications
| Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Output Level | 5.0 mV |
| Channel Separation | 35 dB |
| Recommended Load Impedance | 47k ohms |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.5 grams |
| Stylus Shape | Elliptical diamond |
| Mount | Standard / Half Inch |
| Price | $$$ |
PROS
- Price is on the lower end of the spectrum
- Loved by many for its warm and pleasant sound character
- Deep bass
- Hand made in NYC (I think that is cool)
CONS
- Known to often produce significant hum on Rega tonearms (unfortunately!!!)
- Regarded by some as a bit boring as details might be sacrificed for warmth and smoothness throughout the frequency range. (Some enthusiasts do not agree with this at all!)
- Tonearm spacers needed (2mm) for correct VTA
Click here to check price on Amazon
Ortofon 2M Bronze
The 2M Bronze sits just below the top of the range 2M Black, and above the 2M Red and the 2M Blue. Its stylus is interchangeable with the 2M Black.
Specifications
| Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Output Level | 5.0 mV |
| Channel Separation | 26 dB |
| Recommended Load Impedance | 47k ohms |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.5 grams |
| Stylus Shape | Nude Fine Line |
| Mount | Standard / Half Inch |
| Price | $$$$ |
PROS
- While its smaller brothers, the Red and Blue, seem to have a little bit of a love or hate relationship with the vinyl community, the Bronze is widely accepted as a very good high-end MM cartridge
- Known for great dynamics and openness. Engaging.
- Possible to upgrade for a Black stylus for even better sound when it is due for replacement
CONS
- The second most expensive cartridge on the list.
- Tonearm spacers needed (around 4mm) for correct VTA
- Can be picky on VTA so spacer tweaking might be needed for optimal sound
Click here to check price on Amazon
Rega Elys Mk2
The Elys sits just below the top of the range Exact. A multi award-winning, hand-built moving magnet cartridge with a three-point mounting system.
Specifications
| Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Output Level | 7.0 mV |
| Channel Separation | – |
| Recommended Load Impedance | – |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.75 gram |
| Stylus Shape | Elliptical |
| Mount | Rega 3-point |
| Price | $$$ |
PROS
- Price is on the lower end of the spectrum
- Rega 3 point mount. Easy to mount on Rega tonearms. No alignment.
- The second-best cartridge in the Rega MM cartridge lineup
- High output level
CONS
- Basically, only one. And that is that it for some reason just does not receive a lot of love from the vinyl community. It doesn’t seem to be widely accepted as a good cartridge for its price. Even though many Hi-Fi journalists seem to love it.
Click here to check price on Amazon
Rega Exact Mk2
The Exact is the top of the range MM cartridge from Rega. Hand built moving magnet cartridge with three-point mounting system and Vital profile diamond stylus with zero tolerance channel balance.
Specifications
| Type | Moving Magnet (MM) |
| Output Level | 7.0 mV |
| Channel Separation | – |
| Recommended Load Impedance | – |
| Recommended Tracking Force | 1.75 gram |
| Stylus Shape | Vital |
| Mount | Rega 3-point |
| Price | $$$$$ |
PROS
- The MM cartridge in the Rega lineup that seems to get the absolute most respect, praise and love from the vinyl community and audiophiles. Also when taking price into consideration.
- Widely accepted as one of the best high-end MM cartridges on the market
- Neutral sound character. Not on the bright side.
- High output level
- Very straight forward to install on Rega turntables and tonearms
- Designed to match perfectly with Rega phono preamps (or vice versa)
- A very good cartridge also for the Rega Planar 3
CONS
- The most expensive cartridge on the list.
- Might not look quite as expensive as it is
Click here to check price on Amazon
The Best Cartridge Upgrade for Rega Planar 2 (My Pick)
The Grado Prestige Gold made my top 5 list because it is probably the cartridge that intrigues me the most. Its warm and pleasant tube-like sound is a big yes to me. But, it is unfortunately reported too many problems with mounting it to the Rega tonearms and turntables for me to take the chance on it. It has a reputation for producing significant hum on Rega tonearms, and that was a dealbreaker for me.
The Audio-Technica VM540ML (and its predecessors) is one of the cartridges I have studied that receives the most love from the vinyl community. I ended up selecting this for my AT-LP120 as you can read all about in this article where I find the best cartridge upgrade for the Audio-Technica AT-LP120. But I wanted something different for my Rega Planar 2.
The Rega Elys Mk2 seems to be receiving good reviews from HiFi publications, but not from the vinyl community. It is hard to find a lot of praise of this cartridge in the community. And there are quite a few audiophiles in those forums that really know what they are talking about. So I became hesitant on selecting the Rega Elys. If we look at where it sits in the Rega MM cartridge line-up and its price, it should be the perfect fit for the Rega Planar 2. But it is hard to find evidence that it is as good as it should be for its price. It is kind of left in the shadows by the vinyl community. That was at least the feeling I was left with after completing my research.
In the end, it was a choice between the Rega Exact and the Ortofon 2M Bronze. Under ideal working conditions, I think it is hard to put one significantly over the other. They are both absolute top-notch high-end MM cartridges. It is hard to find any negative criticism of these two at all. Both are reported to have great engaging sound and a close to neutral sound characteristics. Not too bright. Not too warm.
The Ortofon 2M Bronze has a price advantage. It is a bit cheaper than the Rega Exact. But it will need spacers to fit on the Rega Planar 2. And possibly quite a bit of spacer tweaking to fully open up its potential. And it will need to be “manually” aligned as it doesn’t have the Rega 3-point mount.
The Rega Exact will, on the other hand, be a lot easier to mount on the Rega Planar 2. No spacers or alignment will be needed. Making it much easier to install. And there will be no risk of being unable to maximize its sonic potential due to less than ideal alignment or VTA. The biggest downside for the Rega Exact is the price. It is a bit more expensive than the Ortofon 2M Bronze.
I decided on the Rega Exact.
The hassle-free, easy install was the key factor that led to that conclusion. Plug, play and enjoy. Other factors that contributed to my decision were that it would match perfectly with Rega preamps and be just as easy to install on a Rega Planar 3 if I chose to upgrade my turntable sometime in the future.
My Pick is the Rega Exact Mk2. Its great reputation and hassle free install on Rega tonearms make it the best choice in my opinion. It is a big investment, but it will make your turntable a lot more enjoyable for a long time.
My Runner-Up is the Ortofon 2M Bronze. I believe you will get the same performance as with the Rega Exact Mk2. At a lower cost. But you might need to put a bit more time and effort into installing and adjusting it to make it sound its best.
Review and Comparison
I have now upgraded the cartridge on both of my turntables. The AT-LP120 has gotten a VM540ML and the Rega Planar 2 has gotten a Rega Exact Mk2. And I am quite amazed at how much increase in sonic performance a cartridge upgrade on affordable turntables can give. Both the AT-LP120 and the Rega Planar 2 reach a completely different level of performance with a cartridge upgrade.
The music that I used for this review and comparison was Diana Krall – Turn Up the Quiet, Pink Floyd – The Wall and Tom Waits – Heartattack and Wine. I also spun a little AC/DC – Back in Black to check the rock and roll groove.
Rega Carbon vs Rega Exact
The Rega Exact costs about 10X as much as the Rega Carbon. So a big difference in sonic performance is to be expected. And the Rega Exact does not disappoint.
Where the Carbon sounds a bit lazy and not too engaging, the Exact sounds refined, present, dynamic and open. I also think it sounds slightly warm which is a pleasant surprise. Listening to the amazing vocals of Diana Krall in ‘Sway’ and the punchy bass lines of Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ is just another experience with the Rega Exact compared to the Carbon. The Exact has a totally different level of presence and engagement.
The installation of the Rega Exact was completely hassle-free. It is a bit fiddly to get the tiny wires connected, but besides that it was very straight-forward. I have had no issues with inner groove distortion, noise, sibilance, skipping or any of that stuff. I run the tracking force at 1.8 grams.
Another observation is the significant increase in volume. The Exact has a much higher output level than the Carbon. And that is very noticeable. The volume is much higher.
One last thing to mention is that the Exact needs quite a bit of break-in time. I have now used it for a few months and it just keeps sounding better and better.
I am really happy about my choice and the result. My Rega Planar 2 is a completely different turntable with the Rega Exact cartridge upgrade.
Conclusion
When I decided to upgrade the cartridge on my Rega Planar 2 I started with a list of 9 cartridge candidates and narrowed it down until there was only one left. I ended up selecting the Rega Exact. A decision that I will never regret.
You might conclude differently than I did when deciding on your cartridge upgrade for your Rega turntable. That is absolutely fine. I still hope that there is a lot of value in this article that will be useful to you in your decision process.
I am now totally happy with the sound of my turntable and stereo. My next project is to improve the acoustics in my living room. In a stylish “wife-friendly” way. And, I will probably put as much research effort into that project as I did when searching for the best Rega Planar 2 cartridge upgrade. So, stay tuned for updates on my acoustics improvement project.
Resources
Rega Research
Ortofon
Grado Labs
Audio-Technica
Needle Doctor
Steve Hoffman Music Forums
What Hi-Fi