Rega Fono MM MK3 Phono Preamp Review

[Billy Budapest]

I guess I spoke too soon—$49 and made in USA:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/155434-REG/Rolls_VP29_VP29_Phono_Preamp.html?ap=y&smp=y

 

[Chrispy]

You gotta count the price of the enclosure, power supply, and distributor and dealer profit. Hence, $100. Maybe you can find something cheaper than $100 but that would be pushing it unless it’s made in China.

More like who cares If you aren't better prepared for a tt than buying some stand alone unit....meh. Let alone pursuing vinyl at all....

 

[Helicopter]

Art DJ pre has even better performance than Mani and is priced at $65, but not as nice a case and appears to be made in a low cost location.

Maybe Amir can test one of the sub $18 Pyles.

 

[Helicopter]

I guess I spoke too soon—$49 and made in USA:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/155434-REG/Rolls_VP29_VP29_Phono_Preamp.html?ap=y&smp=y

This was my first phono pre, but I have sold it. It seemed fine at the time.

 

[Angsty]

Not something all that worthy of expenditure IME It's a $400 device doing a $50 job.

A $50 job or $50 worth of the job? I do believe that there is room for greater expenditure to do a better job, but the Rega is simply not doing it.

 

[Billy Budapest]

More like who cares If you aren't better prepared for a tt than buying some stand alone unit....meh. Let alone pursuing vinyl at all....

I have a ton of vinyl I purchased in the 70’s, 80’s, and into the 90’s, so I’m not pursuing anything, just using my gear to play what I have! All around 20 years old: Sota Comet III, Rega RB300 tonearm, Shelter 501mk2 cartridge, Lehmann Audio Black Cube phono preamp.

 

[Blumlein 88]

I see two competitors that make this Rega a no deal.

The Emotiva which has better performance and costs half as much. Plus it does MC as well as MM, and has adjustments to cater to your cartridge's needs. An extra plus for some is the small size is amenable to hiding it out of site.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...measurements-of-emotiva-xps-1-phono-amp.7568/

The other is the Cambridge Duo which also does MC as well as MM and has even better performance. All for $100 cheaper.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nts-of-cambridge-audio-duo-phono-preamp.6901/

 

[617]

I see two competitors that make this Rega a no deal.

The Emotiva which has better performance and costs half as much. Plus it does MC as well as MM, and has adjustments to cater to your cartridge's needs. An extra plus for some is the small size is amenable to hiding it out of site.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...measurements-of-emotiva-xps-1-phono-amp.7568/

The other is the Cambridge Duo which also does MC as well as MM and has even better performance. All for $100 cheaper.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...nts-of-cambridge-audio-duo-phono-preamp.6901/

I really like the form factor of the emotiva. Nothing worse looking in hifi than a small box with big wires coming out.

 

[restorer-john]

The labelling on the plot says down 1.8dB at 20kHz. It's actually around +0.2dB at 20kHz and -1.8dB at 20Hz. Probably need to fix the plot text?

 

[amirm]

The labelling on the plot says down 1.8dB at 20kHz. It's actually around +0.2dB at 20kHz and -1.8dB at 20Hz. Probably need to fix the plot text?

Thanks. Fixed.

 

[Wombat]

I'd just like to point out for posterity that the case is actually made of aluminum, and the front looks foggy /cheap because the protective plastic covering is still on the polished and shiny nameplate.

From the product description:
"The aesthetic design of the Fono MM was as important as the quality of its electrical capabilities, so it benefits from the same aluminium case as the Rega TTPSU and Fono MC amplifier, giving it a design which offers a familiar feel and moreover brings it in line with its illustrious bigger brothers."

$99 - proprietary aluminium metal case included: https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...dac-by-alex-cavalli-review.17135/#post-554411

 

[audio_tony]

@amirm A couple of typos;
"Most important in a phono state is faithful RIAA equalization to give us a flat response: (stage?)
"I should not that just about all the measurements match Rega specifications. " (note?)

 

[audio_tony]

Nice to have a rumble filter but would have liked a more flat response above 20 Hz.

This will almost certainly be the IEC amendment to the RIAA curve - Self has written about this in his books, and expressed concern about early bass roll off which begins just above 40 Hz. I have mentioned this in previous phono amp reviews here but my comments appear to have been ignored....

I quote from his excellent book (Small Signal Audio Design):

"Figure 7.1(c) shows in dotted lines an extra response corner at 20.02 Hz, corresponding to
a time-constant of 7950 m s. This extra roll-off is called the ‘IEC Amendment’ and it was added
to what was then IEC 98 in 1976"
<snip>
"On the other hand, there were loud complaints that the extra unwanted
replay time-constant caused significant frequency response errors at the low end of the audio
band, namely -3.0 dB at 20 Hz and -1.0 dB at 40 Hz."

 

[SmoothR]

Hi to all. The comments to this product are not fair, in my opinion. You say, that the performance is as good as a 50$ phono preamp? Are you just looking for the SINAD? In my opinion, the preamp works fine with a good RIAA equalization , the RMS level is ok and the dynamic range also. Do you have checked the other pre amps Armir tested so far in ALL respects? If it's worth the price? Maybe not... But the links you attached for the other "as good as" pre amps are so damn ugly without a case with any aestethic touch... So, I think this is apples vs. oranges...

 

[Razorhelm]

It's only £200 in the UK. Seems its being treated as an exotic export elsewhere!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rega-MM-MK3-Phono-Stage-black/dp/B0756KBNS6/

 

[Blumlein 88]

Hi to all. The comments to this product are not fair, in my opinion. You say, that the performance is as good as a 50$ phono preamp? Are you just looking for the SINAD? In my opinion, the preamp works fine with a good RIAA equalization , the RMS level is ok and the dynamic range also. Do you have checked the other pre amps Armir tested so far in ALL respects? If it's worth the price? Maybe not... But the links you attached for the other "as good as" pre amps are so damn ugly without a case with any aestethic touch... So, I think this is apples vs. oranges...

You can't say that about the Cambridge audio Duo. It has a better case and looks plus superior performance, plus MC capability while costing less.

 

[SmoothR]

@Blumlein 88
You're absolutely correct. The Cambridge Duo is really a good phono preamp. I mean the other one tested so far. Cambridge Duo is reference, so far.
In Germany, the price for the REGA is 300 €, the Cambridge Duo is 290 €...

 

[twofires]

I see two competitors that make this Rega a no deal.

The Emotiva which has better performance and costs half as much. Plus it does MC as well as MM, and has adjustments to cater to your cartridge's needs. An extra plus for some is the small size is amenable to hiding it out of site.
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...measurements-of-emotiva-xps-1-phono-amp.7568/

As an XPS-1 owner I have to say I find the in-line cable scheme a pain in the butt. You either need a shelf deep enough to hide it behind your turntable, or you have this ugly cable sculpture to deal with. I/O at the back of a small box is infinitely preferable. I have the same complaint about the Chromecast Audio, tbh.

 

[SmoothR]

For me, this is not an option. The in-line scheme is really a "pain in the butt"

 

[ZolaIII]

Considering you can get a deacent power amp with rather good phono input for around 600$ like for instance Denon PMA-800NE this really isn't worth 400$.