I don't care that it won't be discounted – I'm desperate to get hold of this Award-winning Rega deck this Cyber Monday

With all of the madness of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it can be easy to forget that not every product, be it headphones, accessories or separates, will be discounted at all.

It's also easy to forget that, because of this perennial truth, you don't have to buy hi-fi on a discount. Sometimes, a product sells itself, and that's something which the stunning Rega Planar 3 RS Edition does in some style.

Not only is the Planar 3 RS Edition a What Hi-Fi? Awards winner for 2025, it's also our Product of the Year in our turntables category, essentially making it the best of the best of the best.

It's also the deck we use in our test rooms as our reference model, with keen rivals going up against the mighty Rega to see if they can surpass its sonic excellence. None have succeeded thus far.

Rega-nomics

In terms of pound-per-sound value, the RS Edition is still the best turntable you can get for £1000. That's without discounts or savings, and it's just as well, as Rega doesn't tend to offer big drops (or small drops for that matter) on its healthy stable of record players. The price you see is the one you get, take it or leave it.

It's just as well that the Planar 3 RS Edition sells itself on its sonic performance. At this level, nothing can touch its musicality and energy, and while the natural warmth of vinyl can make certain spinners sound overly soft or lacking in punch, the RS Edition provides real bite and muscle to almost any record you can think of playing.

To quote from our review: "There is a confidence and effortless quality to the way this turntable sounds...the RS Edition locks every detail, every instrument, every vocal into place in an assured way that is admirable and wholly enjoyable".

Compare it with a price-comparable rival, such as the very competent Clearaudio Compass, and you'll realise just how dynamically gifted the Rega is. It's a born entertainer, and it can make its competitors sound flat and hesitant by comparison.

That certain something

What the RS Edition also has is what we might term the 'I want one of those' factor. Rega decks are generally beautifully made, and this one is absolutely no exception.

Constructed with care and cratsmanship, the sleek spinner's plinth is still MDF like the standard model, but wrapped in the High Pressure Laminate usually reserved for more premium models. It's the sort of thing you'd rarely find in a sub-£1000 deck, and it gives the RS Edition a sharp, enticing and modern look.

In fact, logic tends to go somewhat out of the window when it comes to Rega's superb Award-winner. Once you've seen it, used it and heard it, it's hard not to imagine what it would look like in your own front room, flanked by some appropriately talented hi-fi.

The perfect time

The thing is, it's never been more tempting to get hold of a great turntable. The vinyl revival isn't going anywhere soon, with physical media sales continuing to rise as users discover the joy of engaging with their music in the tangible, three-dimensional world.

The Planar 3 RS Edition would make engaging with that revival such a pleasure. Dusting off your old LPs soon loses its shine when you're feeding them to a machine that can't do them justice, but with the Rega, you're in for a sonic treat each and every time.

This may have been the period of big deals and heavy discounts, but if you take your records seriously, you'll happily pay full price to get them sounding their best. I know I would.

MORE:

The best Black Friday 2025 UK deals still live: OLED TVs, Dolby Atmos soundbars, wireless headphones and more

The best Cyber Monday deals now landing: hi-fi, home cinema, speakers, headphones and more

I've rounded up the best budget stereo amplifier deals of Black Friday – all are under £1000