Rega Planar 3: Is the Exact a significant upgrade from the Elys 2?

Thanks for the post and comments here.  I just took delivery of a second Rega TT the P3 fitted with the Elys 2 today!  I have a P8 with the Apheta 2 on my main system downstairs but enough chipping away at my wife's will and I can now spin vinyl up in the main living area.  Burned a lot of brain cells flip flopping b/t the P3 and P6.  Ultimately, I chose the "buy more records" approach and settled in on the P3 with a Vincent PHO-701 phono stage and a set of AQ Golden Gates to connect it to the main house system.  Unlike Pip, I wasn't looking for a critical listening TT but more for convenience of not having to blast the downstairs system or having to run down to flip the record.  I can grab a half dozen records at a time and enjoy the whole house.  Plus, personally, I just think Rega TTs are a work of art.  Classic, contemporary, well built ... IMHO, a good bang for the buck.  The set up will sit quietly alone on a tabletop with no other components anywhere near it.  But it will be connected to a 9 zone HTD controlled system so it's vibes will carry throughout the entire house, deck and back yard.  Pip, it's been about 18 months ... have you done any upgrades?  Or maybe just stockpiled a bunch of great vinyl!  Cheers and happy holidays to all!

As you can see-yes, no, maybe.

Asking about Rega and certain other popular brands that have stood the test of time always gets the same results.

Buy it-if your budget permits. I'd go new w/Exact. That's just me.

The differences in subjective opinion on what's 'better" can leave you MORE confused in these audio forums. Hopefully, you have found a dealer that's trustworthy and knowledgeabe.

I have had the P3 with the Elys 2 for a while now and I had a few upgrade ideas but not the cartridge. It’s definitely better than the Ortofon Blue I had with my previous TT

Hi Grislybutter,

What kind of tt did you have before?
I think  about purchase a P2 with the Elys 2…

I lived with the P3 w/ Elys 2 for 5 years and thought vinyl was a cool hobby. It wasn’t until I upgraded to the Exact that I understood why analog playback is so beloved. It’s significantly better, I wish I would have purchased it originally.