The Rega Planar 2 is a modestly priced turntable and has won multiple awards over the years, all thanks to its high sound quality and exceptional sonic performance for the money. Making it worth every single cent invested into this remarkable turntable. The Planar 2 turntables do lack a few features which some of their competitors in the same price range have and the most notable one will be a missing phono preamp.
Fortunately, in this day and age, they are plenty of amplifiers with a built-in MM phono stage where some of which can be comparable to dedicated phono stages in terms of quality and performance. To get the right amp for the job, we need to find an amplifier that is both compatible and matching to the Rega Planar 2. This is to ensure the partnership will yield complementary effects thus providing its users with a memorable music listening experience.
Rega Planar 2 has a knack for delivering an engaging music delivery with its alacrity and rhythmic sonic performance. The music delivery is filled with emotional energy which the Planar 2 expertly digs out from the music but can be a bit too much for listeners who just want a relaxing listening session. For listeners who want a fun and entertaining music night, the Rega Planar 2 is the turntable for you. The performance is expressive and energetic without compromising the overall accuracy. There are insights as well and the overall bass performance is tightly reproduced with plenty of punch to boot. The Rega Planar 2 has a neutral sonic characteristic and can deliver a very detailed music presentation without sounding clinical or overly bright. You can take this opportunity to find an amplifier that can complement or fine-tune the overall sound quality of the Planar 2 turntable.
More Details at Amazon – Rega Planar 2 Turntable with RB220 Tonearm (Gloss Black)
Other than finding an amplifier with specific sonic characteristics to match your Rega Planar 2, you might want to look at other requirements as well. An amplifier will affect other audio components in your setup and it will be wise to think it through before deciding on an amp. We will be showing you some of the usual amplifier requirements which you might want to consider. Once you are done with your amplifier requirements, you can check out the list of the best amps to go with the Rega Planar 2 turntable and this will be shared with you later on.
Table of Contents
Main Amplifier Requirements
We would suggest working on your budget and coming up with an amount that you are comfortable with so as to use it to invest in an amplifier. The higher your budget, the more amplifier choices you can go for but we will suggest not going for high-end amps unless your overall sound system requires it. If you have a high budget, you can also think of choosing the HiFi separates route as this allows you to fine-tune the sound quality using different dedicated audio components each with its own unique sonic characteristics. A dedicated HiFi component focusing on doing a single job usually performs better than a component that has multiple job scopes.
For listeners who have limited space and budget, choosing an integrated amp will be an ideal choice since it can perform multiple functions at once like acting as a phono preamp for your Rega Planar 2 turntable while driving your loudspeakers thus saving you space as well as money due to its cost efficiency over HiFi separates. You should also list out what other features you may need from an integrated amplifier instead of just a built-in phono stage such as a digital-to-analog converter, subwoofer outputs, bass management, HT bypass, Balanced inputs/outputs, and more. For listeners who already have power amps or powered speakers, you probably would just need to get a phono preamp.
If you are using passive speakers, you will need to ensure the amp has enough power to drive them efficiently. You can use an active subwoofer to improve the overall low-end performance if you find your small bookshelf speakers are lacking in the bass department but the amp you are getting must have an output to connect to the sub. Tube amplifiers can be a good choice especially if you like warm and smooth music presentations. Some tube amps also allow you to do tube rolling where you can change the sonic characteristics of the amplifier. These are just some of the main amp requirements you should consider and feel free to add in more of your own. When you are firm with what you want from an amplifier, you can start checking out the list of the best amps which you can go for and pair with your Rega Planar 2 turntable.
Best Amps to pair with Rega Planar 2
The Yamaha A-S701 is one of the best amps to pair with the Rega Planar 2. At this price point, it is considered quite a powerful integrated amp with a plethora of features including a moving magnet phono input. The high level of clarity of the Yamaha A-S701 not only produces a clear sound quality but also revealed more music details, giving us a richer music presentation. The accuracy level of the A-S701 integrated amp is equally impressive and the Rega Planar 2 enthusiasm makes the music delivery sound more engaging. You might want to hear them out first to see if they are not too bright sounding for you.
More Info at Amazon – Yamaha A-S701BL Integrated Stereo Amplifier (Black)
The Marantz PM6007 is an excellent amp choice especially for listeners who want a bit of the Marantz house sound. This is an award-winning entry-level integrated amp that comes from the very successful 6000 series, making the PM6007 a worthy match for your Rega Planar 2 turntable. Being the latest iteration, the Marantz PM6007 has an upgraded phono stage which is great for turntables like the Planar 2. The music delivery of this Marantz amp is smooth and fluid with a touch of warmth, the full-bodied overall sound reproduction has a rhythmic precision as well, making the PM6007 a suitable match for your Rega Planar 2.
More Info at Amazon – Marantz PM6007 Integrated Amplifier – Black
The Rega Brio is another amazing award-winning integrated amp that gives its users an entertaining music listening experience. This is a rhythmic driven and agile amp with an ability to dig out musical details and present them to the listeners in an organized but enthusiastic fashion. The Brio amp has a built-in phono stage and will be an exemplary choice for the Rega Planar 2, not to mention, they are both from the same company and would share similar sound signatures. If fun and energetic music performances are what you seek then the Rega Brio is an absolute go-to amp for your Rega Planar 2 turntable.
More Details at Amazon – Rega – Brio – Black
Are you looking for an integrated amplifier packed with loads of features? If yes, then the PS Audio Sprout100 will be an ideal amp to pair with your Rega Planar 2 turntable. The Sprout100 has features such as a high-quality RIAA phono stage, a DAC that supports up to 24-bit/384kHz resolution, and many more. It is compact in size and powerful enough to drive most bookshelf speakers. It is able to deliver a high-resolution music presentation without sounding hard. The PS Audio Sprout100 has a pleasing sound quality and is easy on the ears, it would not go overly bright on us no matter how we push the integrated amp.
More Info at Amazon – PS Audio Sprout100 Complete HiFi DAC Amplifier (Real Walnut)
The Audiolab 6000A will be one of the best amps to pair up with the Rega Planar 2 turntable. It comes with multiple features including a pair of MM phono inputs. The integrated amplifier has quite a few similar sonic characteristics to the Rega Planar 2. It is musically refined but is articulate enough to provide an engaging music performance. The tight bass performance is agile and rich too. The Audiolab 6000A is capable of projecting an open and spacious soundstage where it is filled with musical details. The clarity level of the 6000A is impressive, providing us with a clean and clear sound reproduction.
More Details at Amazon – Audiolab 6000A Integrated Amplifier – Black
This is another magnificent integrated amp made by the coveted Rega and will match really well with the Rega Planar 2 turntable. The Rega Elex R has impeccable music timing and pacing, giving us an alacrity performance with snappy attacks. Like the Rega Planar 2, this integrated amplifier is here to entertain by providing us with a rich engaging music presentation and tight powerful bass delivery. The Rega Elex R is agile enough to not lose its footing and composed enough to expertly handle any music without sounding disorganized. This amp and turntable combination is certainly worth the time to hear them out.
More Info at Amazon – Rega Elex-R Amplifier
To Sum It Up
An integrated amp is one of the most important audio components of your sound system, it will be wise to take your time to procure it. The amps listed here are no doubt one of the very best amplifiers in their price range and will be worthy of your time to take a look at them. If you see any amps that fit your requirements, it is highly recommended to arrange an audition with the chosen ones. It is also suggested to hold the amp auditions in your own home for a more accurate result and if you like what you hear, then most likely that will be the amp for you and an excellent partner for your Rega Planar 2 turntable.
