Rega Planar 2 vs Thorens TD 102 A

Side-by-side specifications and a plain-English account of the recorded differences. Full profiles: Rega Planar 2 · Thorens TD 102 A.

Practical differences

Highlighted cells show a lower reference price, support for more listed speeds, or the presence of a convenience feature. They are not an overall score.

The Rega Planar 2 undercuts the Thorens TD 102 A by $4 — $895 against $899.

Both are belt-drive, so that part of the experience should feel similar on either deck: a motor that's mechanically isolated from the platter by an elastic belt, which is the usual route to a quieter noise floor — the default choice across most of hi-fi.

The Thorens TD 102 A has a built-in phono stage. Skip the phono stage and you'll need one built into your amp, or a separate box, to play through normal speakers.

The Thorens TD 102 A is fully automatic — press start and the arm cues itself and lifts at the end of the side — where the Rega Planar 2 needs you to cue the arm by hand.

Bottom line: the Rega Planar 2 has the lower reference price; the table shows which documented features change with the $4 gap.

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