We first saw the Rega Aethos integrated amplifier at our Bristol Show in 2019. There had been a lot of talk for sometime, about a Rega amplifier that would be priced to sit between the existing Elicit and Osiris models. It was purely there as a visual exhibit and not for demonstration.

I was immediately impressed by both the styling and build quality. I can never resist seeing how heavy products are, as I (sometimes erroneously) equate weight with quality. This thing weighed a ton. I was then told that it had no transformer inside! How heavy must it be with one? The answer, is nearly eighteen kilos!

After a long wait (or heavy weight), the Aethos amplifier is now available and we have a demonstration unit in store for you to listen to.

So, what is it like?

This thing is a beast of an amplifier, far more powerful than the quoted 125 wpc would suggest. I doubt there are many loudspeakers out there that it cannot drive, easily. It is enormous fun to listen to: capable of tremendous bass and punch and yet agile and delicate when required. A truly enjoyable listen, that really grabs you on an emotional level.

If you are a headphone user, you are in for a treat! Rega have gone to town on this feature and it is better than many, not inexpensive headphone amplifiers that I have tried. Maybe it is so good so as to justify the omission of a phono pre amplifier? Rega’s logic is that; if you have an Aethos, you would probably partner it with a Rega Planar 6 (or above) turntable and that turntable would most likely be fitted with a moving coil cartridge. I suspect also, that it would also be quite difficult to implement a decent phono stage satisfactorily, inside the casework.

If you would like to hear this phenomenal Rega amplifier, please get in touch with at Audio T Oxford.

Rega Hi-Fi products are available from all branches of Audio T.