Rega’s Nd3 Might Be the New Moving Magnet Cartridge to Consider for Under $200

Rega High End Munich 2024 must have been pretty successful, because we understand that the folks at Ortofon, Sumiko, Grado Labs and Audio-Technica were slightly surprised by this announcement from the high-end British manufacturer of turntables, amplifiers, CD players , speakers. , phono preamplifiers and phono cartridges. The entry-level phono cartridge market is certainly competitive, but there is no doubt that the market needed something new to shake it up. Enter the Rega Nd3. For just £175 from UK SSP.

Ortofon, Audio-Technica, Grado Labs, Nagaoka, Goldring and Sumiko have owned this space for over a decade, but has there really been that much innovation? The Golding E3 and E4 consistently make our “Editor’s Choice” list, and who doesn’t love the Ortofon 2M Blue, Grado Prestige Series Blue3, or Sumiko Rainier?

But they all started to feel somewhat dated.

Planar 2 and Planar 3 owners now have a new option and this will become the standard cartridge shipped with both decks.

Réga Nd3

According to Rega, the Nd3 will offer between 5 and 6 mV of output (which seems somewhat ambiguous) and will require 1.75 grams of tracking pressure. The headshell uses 3 mounting points, making it ideal for Rega tonearms.

Each Cd3 is handcrafted by Rega’s skilled technicians in the UK factory. The design uses an all-new generator geometry with perfect symmetry to achieve highly precise channel balance. THE Cd3 also features optimized pole spacing for superior linearity and crosstalk characteristics.

This new cartridge is created with miniaturized parallel coils that are wound internally using 38 micron wire with only 1,275 turns.

This produces a low inductance, low impedance generator providing significantly improved high frequency response.

sd Magnetic technology

Often used in voice coil designs (including their own), Rega believes that the Cd3 is the first moving magnet to use N55 neodymium (Nd) magnet. It is the most powerful commercially available magnet in the world and is a crucial component that makes this unique design possible by providing additional power over standard bar magnet designs.

Glass-filled PPS body

The entire assembly is housed in a polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) body filled with injection-molded, zero-tolerance glass, which is a lightweight and very rigid material. A low mass body reduces stress on the tonearm bearings and facilitates freedom of movement, which is essential for accurate vinyl playback. This new body design was inspired by Rega’s existing range of MC cartridges.

Cantilever profile and stylus

The Nd3 aluminum cantilever is equipped with a precision elliptical stylus. This profile provides exceptional tracking accuracy and extracts great levels of detail from the vinyl surface.

Pricing and availability

The Rega Nd3 will be available for £175 or factory fitted to the Planar 2 (£599) and Planar 3 (£799) turntables.

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