Rega Apheta 3 Moving Coil Cartridge

The Rega Apheta 3 is the result of more than 15 years of development within Rega's moving coil cartridge programme.

It combines a fine-line nude diamond stylus with an aluminium cantilever, hand-wound iron micro cross generator and a powerful custom neodymium magnet system.

The complete assembly is housed within a CNC-machined single-piece aluminium body, providing the dimensional accuracy and rigidity required by Rega's low-mass, undamped generator design.

Fine-Line Nude Diamond Stylus

The Apheta 3 uses a fine-line profile nude diamond stylus mounted at 90 degrees to the cantilever.

A nude stylus is formed entirely from diamond and fitted directly to the cantilever, rather than being bonded to a separate metal shank. This helps reduce mass at the stylus tip and allows the assembly to respond more quickly to small changes within the record groove.

The narrow fine-line contact profile is designed to follow intricate groove modulations accurately, helping the cartridge retrieve fine detail, ambience and texture while maintaining control during dense or demanding recordings.

Aluminium Cantilever

The diamond stylus is mounted to a lightweight aluminium cantilever.

Its low mass allows movement from the stylus to be transmitted rapidly to the generator, while its rigidity helps preserve the accuracy of the signal produced by the cartridge.

The Aphelion 2 above it in the range uses a boron rod cantilever, but the Apheta 3 retains the same broad fine-line stylus approach within a more accessible design.

Hand-Wound Micro Coil Generator

At the heart of the Apheta 3 is a miniature iron micro cross and coil assembly wound by hand using high-specification fine wire.

The iron cross is 50% smaller than the assembly used in the original Apheta. This reduction in mass allows the stylus and cantilever to react more freely to the information stored within the record groove.

A powerful custom neodymium magnet provides the magnetic field required by the moving coil generator.

The cartridge produces a nominal output of 350 µV, so considerably more gain is required than with a conventional moving magnet cartridge.

Undamped Rhomboid Pivot System

The Apheta 3 uses Rega's distinctive undamped generator design, without a conventional steel tie wire or foam damper.

Instead, the cantilever operates around a unique rhomboid pivot. Rega developed this arrangement to avoid some of the resonances and variations associated with conventional moving coil suspension systems.

The design places particularly high demands on the accuracy of the cartridge body because the pivot, micro coil and magnet system must remain precisely aligned.

Single-Piece Aluminium Body

The Apheta 3 body is CNC machined from a single piece of high-quality aluminium before being anodised.

This rigid, joint-free construction holds the generator, pivot and magnet mechanism in the correct relationship with one another while providing a secure connection to the tonearm headshell.

A smoked CAD-designed rigid cover protects the fine internal wiring and generator during normal handling and installation.

Rega Three-Point Mounting

The cartridge uses Rega's three-point mounting system.

When all three fixings are used with a compatible Rega tonearm, the cartridge is positioned at the correct overhang automatically. The additional mounting point also creates a firm and evenly distributed connection between the cartridge and headshell.

The Apheta 3 can be installed on other compatible tonearms using conventional two-point mounting, but it must then be aligned using the appropriate cartridge alignment method.

Designed for the Planar 8 and Planar 10

The Apheta 3 may also be fitted to other suitably capable turntables and tonearms, provided their cartridge mounting, geometry, balance-weight range and moving coil phono-stage requirements are compatible.

Moving Coil Phono Stage Requirements

The Apheta 3 is a low-output moving coil cartridge and cannot be connected directly to an AUX, CD or standard line-level input.

It also requires substantially more gain than a normal moving magnet Phono input can provide.

Rega recommends an input impedance of 100 O, capacitance of 1000 pF and the high gain setting on compatible adjustable Rega moving coil phono stages.

The Apheta 3 can also be used with suitable moving coil phono stages from other manufacturers. The stage should provide sufficient low-noise gain and support loading close to the recommended 100 O setting.

Choosing Between Rega Moving Coil Cartridges

Cartridge Care

The fine-line stylus is not user-replaceable. If the stylus becomes worn or the cantilever is damaged, the complete cartridge should be inspected by an authorised Rega retailer.

Avoid touching the stylus or cantilever and never attempt to straighten or adjust the cantilever.

Always switch off the amplifier before connecting or disconnecting the cartridge. Keep records clean and use the tonearm cueing mechanism when lowering the stylus.

Carefully refit the stylus guard when the turntable is being transported or when work is being carried out close to the cartridge.

Key Features

• High-performance low-output moving coil cartridge
• Designed and assembled in England
• Fine-line profile nude diamond stylus
• Diamond mounted at 90 degrees
• Lightweight aluminium cantilever
• Hand-wound iron micro cross and coil assembly
• Generator assembly 50% smaller than the original Apheta design
• Powerful custom neodymium magnet system
• Ultra-low-mass undamped generator
• Unique rhomboid cantilever pivot
• No conventional tie wire or foam damper
• CNC-machined single-piece aluminium body
• Smoked protective generator cover
• Rega three-point mounting system
• Automatic overhang when fitted to a compatible Rega tonearm
• Factory-fitted option for the Rega Planar 8 and Planar 10

Technical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

Rega's lifetime limited warranty covers confirmed manufacturing defects. Normal stylus wear, accidental cantilever damage and other consumable wear are not covered.