Hello everyone! Welcome to the May blog from Audio T Brighton.

This month, I’ve been auditioning the latest phono stage from Rega, the moving coil preamp, called the Rega AOS. An exciting proposition, especially given its price point! To be fair, we always loved the previous phono stage, the Rega Aria, especially here in the shop, as it offered MM/MC inputs, very useful for demonstrations. Rega has needed to fill that void for a while, so it’s exciting to present it to you now. Let’s get into it!

The new Rega AOS . . . .

The new Rega AOS is a “trickle-down” product developed by Rega. Renowned for their turntables, it has to be said that their built-in amplifier phono stages are superior to most integrated amplifier solutions. The Rega AOS is an external phono stage, known to have superior technical and audio properties over most built-in stages because of the topology in the design and the inherently lower noise floor associated with larger, separate power supplies and more room to position them away from noisy interference.

The Rega AOS is a Rega AURA-Lite! This is literally the case, because the AURA is a beast of a thing, weighing over 20kg, housed in a massive, noise-suppressing housing! The AOS, on the other hand, is housed in the same casing used in the entry level Rega IO, reducing weight and size considerably, as well as the associated cost by roughly two-thirds. Circuit topology is very similar, or so I was told at the Bristol Hifi Show, but with surface mount technology to lower manufacturing and component costs. One thing is for certain - it isn’t a two-man lift like the AURA.

The prowess of the AOS . . . .

So what does it sound like, and how does it compare to its bigger sibling?

In isolation, it is a nice step forward from the MC phono stage in the former Rega ARIA, albeit without the former model’s flexibility of cartridge input types.

The AOS offers a sophisticated and smooth sound, with loads of detail and refinement. When auditioned with a Rega Planar 8/Ania Pro, the Rega AOS allowed the benefits of moving coil to shine through, clearly out performing the moving magnet competition from the same brand. Stepping up to a Rega NAIA/Aphelion 2 cartridge is a transformational change, but the AOS allows the better turntable to show off in all its glory!

So is it a giant-killer when compared to the Rega Aura? I’m pleased to say that the simple answer is no - somewhat of a relief given the difference in price!

Unsurprisingly, the Rega AURA justifies its considerably larger price tag. The massive sense of scale, detail and dynamics are there for all to hear and sounds much more substantial than it’s younger sibling, not dissimilar to what you may expect when looking at pictures of them side-by-side!

AOS summary . . . .

The Rega AOS is a welcome addition to the Rega phono stage line-up. The Rega Aria was sorely missed when it was discontinued, so we are pleased to see the void filled with an upgrade for the Rega Fono MC. It is a fine sounding piece of kit, allowing Rega customers a worthwhile upgrade, whether or not they are using one of Rega’s MC cartridges: the Rega Ania Pro, Rega Apheta 3 or Rega Aphelion 2.

Of course, this is our opinion, and it is essential for you to form your own opinion by giving us a call and booking a demonstration to hear for yourself.

Thanks for reading.

Adey, Jake, Kevin and Paul - Audio T Brighton

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