I plan on getting a Rega for SN3. I looking at the plr6 and 8 with the nd7. I don’t want to add to add a phono pre. The majority of my listening will be streaming. My question is the PLR8/ND7 overkill for the SN3 phono amp?
No, I do not think it is overkill at all. The phono stage inside the SN3 is very good and will sound great with either TT. Although I recommend you give the Planar 8 serious consideration, as I think it is the sweet spot for Rega TTs versus bang for the buck. Listen to both, the Planar 6 is a great TT too and may be better value to you if it won’t be your main source.
If you later want an upgrade, then you could, of course, improve upon the SN3 MM phono stage.
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Thanks for the reply. Although I have owned the SN3 for about 3 years, I have never heard the phono stage
If you’re happy “ like me “ now on MM the SN3 phono input is excellent.
And believe me I’ve had a very expensive Phonostage into it as well.
Albeit for MC but no regrets now. 
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Totally agree, and the phono of the SN3 will clearly let you hear the significant differences between the P6 and P8 with the ND7, and I would consider the P8 as the minimal level here.
I’m actually leaning in this direction as well. Baby vinyl steps.
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With the SN3 phono, if you want to step up to LOMC, a SUT – used with the SN3 phono input – can be a very cost effective solution.
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Note that the SN3 phono input has some rather old-fashioned specs (specifically a very high input capacitance). Check that your cartridge specs will match. If at all possible, listen to the cartridge/SN3 combo before pulling the trigger
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I’m using an ND7 on an old Rega P25 with my SN3 and it sounds great. My next move is to replace the P25 with the new Planar8 and put the ND7 on that.
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I have a P8 fitted with the Nd7 running thru the Supernait 3 built in phono. A match made in heaven. The Nd7 is fast. Rega highly recommended that you use a wall bracket for the P6 or P8. Note: Two different bracket models needed
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The SN3 (not just the phono but as a whole with its softer big sound amp signature) kind of mellows the Regas to sound a bit towards the LP12. In a good way.
You need I’d say a £1-1.5k external MM phono to improve it. Realistically, probably makes sense only if you go MC. I had mine with a P8 as well. Nowadays the P8 lives with the Nait 50.
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Based on specs alone, is the ND7 a good match?
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It’s fine. It is far better to listen to the result as you suggest than follow specs on paper. Often the affects of different resistance and capacitance is minimal.
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Handsome looking deck! Very happy to read from others who have this deck and a SN3/HiCapDr using the built-in phono stage.
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I wholeheartedly agree with the first statement. It’s just that generally it’s not easy to demo cartridges, and sometimes you want to save yourself the difficult journey of arriving at a good match, so I understand the asking for opinions and experiences here.
I’m afraid I have to disagree with your second statement, it’s not trivial. But I did the work as I was curious and yes, the new Rega MMs tend to work well with the ubiquous 470pF capacitance Naim MM phono stages (only the Nait 50 and NVC-TT have been modernised).
Some theory behind that as well: The Rega ND range works a bit differently than most MMs, using “ultra-high-powered Neodymium magnets, traditionally found in moving coil designs”.
Which makes sense as generally HOMCs do work fine, as do MIs (moving iron like Nagaoka, Ortofon, Grado). It’s just that various true MMs, that tend to want 100pF, require trial-and-error for a pairing that sounds good to you (we all have different hearing and preferences).
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That is rather the point I was making, it is about what sounds good to the listener it is not about matching specs.
Your experience of listening to the ND7 with Naim phono bears this out which was the cartridge in question.
That does not mean that all cartridges will work with all phono stages or to everyone’s ear.
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I appreciate all the responses but my plans have changed for. I have an older VPI classic one I am going to pull back out. It is really a good sounding tt. It has Lyra Delos on it which is very good cart. It is a pain to set up properly but will work that over next few days. In the long haul it will be cheaper to get a MC phono pre or a SUT. I got it out today, oiled it up and borrowed a Rega Aria. It sounds pretty good. There goes the simplicity of using the SN3 phono stage but I think this TT with the Lyra should be above a p6 but not guide up to an P8. Even buying a phone pre it should save me some money. I am thinking about an aria or Hegel V10. I would look at the NVC TT but I don’t think the SN3 will power it and I am not spending $7000. Any other suggestions $1500 or less? I really don’t know much about SUT willing listen if anyone has a suggestion.
Just curious…What do you find so painful about setting up a Delos? I have two Atlas and set them up myself. I also set one up this summer, for a local customer of Lyra who also bought a Atlas.
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Not the Delos, the JMW 10.5 uni pivot tone arm and all the VTA adjustments. It just not plug and play that a Rega is. It has been a couple of years since I set it up, it will come back to me
I see. I have Clearaudio [gimbal] tonearms (2 x 12” Universal and one 9” Tracer). VTA, VTF, azimuth and antiskate are all pretty straightforward to setup, and I have a nice set of tools for it. The customer I set up this summer has a Graham Phantom 2 unipivot tonearm. That was less straightforward, but mostly because I was unfamiliar with the arm. I spent about 2 1/2 hours to get everything setup, from removing the old cartridge to finishing with listening tests, but I was very thorough. He felt like he got his money’s worth.
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