Advanced design and precision engineering
Rega RB3000 is the Reference tonearm developed for Planar 10, with hand-polished aluminium arm tube, individually selected bearings and adhesive-free assembly.
RB3000 is designed to minimise the number of mechanical joints and use rigid materials in the most critical areas. Each unit is hand assembled and employs individually selected bearings to achieve an interference fit with the corresponding spindle. Manufacturing tolerances are so tight that Rega uses no adhesive during assembly, while the new low-mass vertical bearing assembly was developed around the construction philosophy of Planar 10.
Key features
- Hand assembly
- Individually selected bearings matched to the spindle
- Almost friction-free horizontal and vertical movement
- Hand-polished low-mass aluminium arm tube
- Structure with a minimum number of mechanical joints
- Designed for the Planar 10 turntable
Hand-selected bearings
The bearing assembly uses high-grade bearings individually selected to match the corresponding spindle with an interference fit. Rega matches inner and outer diameters to achieve almost friction-free movement with no perceptible play. This selection takes longer than standard assembly but keeps the pivot very stable and reduces mechanical losses that could subtract information from cartridge movement.
Low-mass arm tube
The aluminium arm tube is hand polished to keep mass to a minimum and uses redesigned geometry to redistribute material along the profile. The aim is to reduce stress and resonance without weakening the structure. Greater tube rigidity helps keep the relationship between cartridge and pivot stable, while low mass reduces dynamic load on the bearings and allows the system to react rapidly to stylus movement.
Adhesive-free construction
Machining precision allows RB3000 to be assembled without adhesive at the structural joints of the tonearm. This reduces the number of materials and interfaces between components and keeps the mechanical path as direct as possible. The vertical assembly is also designed for low mass and high rigidity, following Rega's principle of avoiding unnecessarily heavy structures when geometric precision can provide a more controlled result.
Geometry
Effective mass is 11 g, effective length is 236.5 mm and the mounting distance from platter centre to tonearm-hole centre is 222 mm. Overhang is 14.5 mm and offset angle 21.55°. These values define RB3000 installation geometry and are intended to maintain correct cartridge alignment on compatible turntables.
