Rega Elex-R, anyone?

So this set up has no speakers, just for headphones?

 

Please click on Second System for an all Rega system. Details are in my profile.

 

Yes, its the same system but its bypassing the Brio R and RS3. Just re routing a couple of interconnects.

 

Keep moving, nothing to see here...

 

I'm new to all this the the concept of just a headphone system with no speakers never occurred to me. You use a phono preamp and a source such as CD player or turntable I guess.

 

Dedicated headphone systems are quite common around SHMF. Often the first choice for apartment dwellers and those with very less than optimum listening environments.

 

I can certainly see the appeal. No need for expensive and often space stealing speakers.

 

I'd love an Elex to replace my Mira 3. But I can't afford it..! - The Mira 3 is a great integrated though. Except mine is silver which I'm not too fond of...

I'm also using RS3 speakers (gloss piano black). These work really well in my small room.

 

That's the same colour RS3 I'm looking at and all that is available. Not sure how I feel about that colour, but it should blend in if nothing else. I got a decent deal on the Elex R and decided to go for it so I wouldn't be thinking about an upgrade down the road.

 

The Mira 3 is a great integrated which made it very hard to decide to trade it in. It seemed to have held its value though since I was credited half of what I paid for it 6 1/2 years ago.

 

As promised here are some photos and comments on my new amp and speakers that I picked up yesterday. Didn't get much time to listen but what I heard left me wanting more. Today I'll have a marathon session starting around 10:00am. Yesterday, I started out with side 1 of Herbie Hancock's Head Hunters and then side 2 of his maiden voyage. I was floored, this was a far cry different than what I was used to with the Mira 3 and the MA RX6s. In comparison the old equipment was vailed, congested and slow. The bass now has a more solid foundation, the midrange has new openness and expression and there are no more spray can highs. I need more time with it to get a clearer view of what I'm hearing (can't wait till later) and get back to you with some more impressions.

 

Looks great so far. I like that cabinet finish too. Not sure I can afford the new RX3s however.

 

Any more feedback on the new system?

 

I'm enjoying it so much! Things needed a few days to run in, the amp and speakers sounding a little rough around the edges and I also swapped out the old exact for the new one which only took about 4 albums to break in. This amp has a lot of class. Everything it reproduces has texture and color that bestows life into what ever I'm playing. Vocals are especially nice. I had gotten away from concentrating on records with lots of vocals because there was a low level hash on the old system, very faint but noticeable on vowels that drove me absolutely crazy! I'm very aware of what it was now that I don't hear it any more.

I was listening to some Nat King Cole this afternoon and was enthralled with his phrasing and inflection and I've been taken with other vocals on records like Joe Jackson's Night and Day and Diana Krall on From This Moment On. But its not just vocals, cymbals, bass, guitars and just about anything else is enticingly musical sounding and intensely impactful.

The speakers really pull it all together. Despite there compactness and smallish drivers they really sing. They deliver an impressive amount of bass and go surprisingly low. Its subtle but they don't falsely emphasize bass so that when they hit a really low note its startling because you can hear it in such relief just as the other notes are further up the scale. And treble, I also listened to Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers Indestructible! and on the final cut on the album, Mr. Jin, Art Blakey does some rather nice cymbal work that comes across crisp and metallic without any brightness or harshness just totally natural and with impact.

As you can probably tell I'm hooked. I think I may have found the holy grail as far as stereos go and I anxiously anticipate every listening session. I'm really happy!

You know SteveCam I bet the RX1s deliver 90% of the magic with a little less emphasis on the lowest octaves and they should convey all the goodness of your Elex-r.

Budget for a good source though. I already had the RP3 with the TTPSU and exact that made the old amp and speakers sound as good as they did. The new equipment especially shows off how good the RP3 is. Your source components are probably the most important part of your system.

 

Thanks for the reply. I'm glad you are happy with your purchase. I hoping to make a move soon on the rest of the upgrade but when you get down to it there is a lot of various source components to consider. At least I have the Elex R in my possession. I'm thinking the RS3 over the extra for the RX3 as the RS3 get good reviews and I can have the cables and headphone amp paid for with some extra for maybe a power conditioner leftover for the price difference between the two speakers. I will then consider the new Planar 3 or go up to RPM6 in 2018. Thanks for the help!

 

I got two words for you all -- 'system synergy'. That's what you get going all-Rega, or at least amp>speakers. Magic stuff!

 

I'm sure you'll love the RS3s!

 

That's what I'm hearing. At this point I'm pretty much it will be a Rega speaker, proably the RS3. The RS3/RX3 speakers have to be among the smallest floor standers out there, which is a huge consideration for my room.

 

I think so too. From what I've read they are very nice speakers. The RX3 look even better and I can choose my finish, but I can do a lot with the extra $1000 plus tax, which is $1150 up here.

 

Looks like you probably have some great synergy going on with your Naim components.

 

I'm pretty happy, yeah. Or at least, audiophilia nervosa is in remission!

But Naim gear is getting to be pretty expensive, now; plus they no longer make speakers. Rega's "entry" offerings occupy a price niche that permits those of us on a stricter budget to enjoy a similar sort of magic. If my Naim kit disappeared I could happily carry on with an Apollo/Brio, or maybe Saturn/Elex. I'm pretty enchanted by the BBC school of speakers at the moment, but I could even go RS1 again. Maximum fun!

 

I'm also interested in this amp based on the great reviews and the fact that I'm having some noise issues with my Rogue Sphynx.

 

Could your issue be a wonky tube? I was rather impressed with how quiet the Sphinx was when I auditioned it ...

 

What kind of noise issues are you having? And is it a V1 or VII Sphinx?

 

It's a V1. I know the V2 version is supposed to have a reduced noise floor but I don't know how much. The V1 is still a really nice amp and for the price I paid I'm happy with it, but there is noticeable "hiss" and a slight buzz. The hiss is constant (doesn't get louder with volume) so most of the time you can't hear it, but on quiet passages it is definitely audible from my listening position. A tube change did not change this at all. The buzz is present from within the chassis and also from the left channel when volume is at zero and moves from the left to the right as volume increases. Again, it's not loud but it's there. I've seen only stellar reviews of the Elex-R but I've not heard the amp. What I'd like to gain is the quietest noise floor possible, ink black as they say. What I don't want to lose is listening volume. The Rouge putting out 100 WPC versus the Elex-R at 72 I believe. I'm sure the Rega is a gutsy amp, but that's still a significant reduction in terms of numbers. The Rogue can drive my speakers (Salk Sound Towers) to a level I'm satisfied with and I can't say I'm looking for any sort of sound improvement as the combo sounds great.

I'm sure someone here (Bill) has heard both amps side by side, and I'd be interested in anyone's opinion. I was hoping to assemble an all American made system, Salks, Rogue and changing out my Rega P25 for a VPI eventually (but I'm keeping my Canadian tuner!). But that noise floor just bugs me. Maybe I just need to save up for a few years to get the Elicit!