Rega Expands Nd Series with New Reference-Level Nd9 Cartridge

The launch follows strong global demand for the Nd range since its introduction in early 2024, with more than 35,000 units shipped worldwide. The Nd9 extends that family with a design that draws on Rega’s experience in high-end moving coil engineering while maintaining the practicality and accessibility of a moving magnet format.

At the centre of the Nd9 is a Boron rod cantilever fitted with a fine-line nude diamond stylus, a combination more commonly associated with premium moving-coil cartridges, such as Rega’s own Aphelion 2. The company states that the challenge was not the stylus profile itself, but rather the mechanical interface between the Boron cantilever and the Nd magnet assembly. To achieve this, Rega collaborated with a specialist watchmaker to create an ultra-fine connecting tube with stepped internal diameters, enabling the two components to be joined with microscopic precision.

The result is a cantilever and stylus system designed for extremely low mass, high rigidity and rapid responsiveness. Boron’s stiffness means the cantilever flexes less during playback, transmitting groove modulation more accurately and with notably reduced distortion. The fine line diamond profile, with a minor radius of 3 microns, is designed to capture small variations in the groove wall with greater precision, enhancing detail retrieval and extending high-frequency performance.

Rega notes that the Nd9 is built entirely by hand, including the micro-coil winding. The cartridge features a new generator design with enhanced pole-gap geometry, providing improved linearity and reduced crosstalk, which results in a wider and more stable soundstage. Its parallel-wound miniature coils are produced in-house using 38-micron wire and 1,275 turns per channel, yielding low inductance and low impedance, factors that contribute to improved high-frequency behaviour.

The Nd9 also continues Rega’s use of Neodymium N55 magnets, which the company describes as the most powerful commercially available grade. While neodymium is common in moving-coil designs, Rega’s Nd series is the first time it has been applied across a dedicated moving-magnet range, giving the generator more drive than traditional bar-magnet MM designs.

The cartridge’s body is formed from glass-filled polyphenylene sulphide, an extremely rigid yet lightweight material that is injection-moulded to tight tolerances. Rega says the low-mass housing reduces stress on tonearm bearings and contributes to accurate mechanical tracking, an approach inspired by its moving-coil models. As with all Rega cartridges, the pivot pad and stylus assembly have no mechanical joint between the main body and stylus housing, a choice the company claims improves stability and tracking accuracy.

In keeping with Rega’s sustainability goals, the Nd9 is supplied in fully recyclable packaging. It also participates in the Rega rebuild scheme, where worn or damaged cartridges can be returned and replaced at a reduced cost with a freshly rebuilt unit featuring a new stylus, cantilever, and pivot pad.

The Nd9 is available now and will be priced at £695, with prices for other regions to follow shortly. It will also be offered as a discounted factory-fitted option on the multi-award-winning Planar 8 turntable.

For more information visit Rega