McIntosh MT5 vs Rega 8 or 10

I suspect the best value would be the Planar 8, which many prefer to the Planar 10.

I have a strong disinclination to go near anything McIntosh, which may be entirely wrong-headed, but their idea of industrial design appears to be rooted in the days when American designs were struggling against better-performing and cheaper imports. Gothic text must sound better, right? Utterly silly and unjustified, I know, but we all have our prejudices.

Why do you say many prefer the Rega 8 over the 10? Everything I read claims the 10 is another step up in improvements. Are you meaning the 8 has a better value/price ratio?

That's what I've read in many threads. It seems some people don't like the platter of the 10. I don't have personal experience of them, though my first decent TT was a Planar 3, and I still have a couple of Rega tonearms as secondary arms on my SME tables.