New Rega Aethos amplifier

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by chromewaves, Feb 22, 2019.

  1. IRG

    IRG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ithaca, NY
    What did you have before?
     
  2. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Enlighten me...
     
  3. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Cursa3 and Exon3
     
  4. mibrighton

    mibrighton Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lincolnshire , UK.
    Snap , I also went from Cursa3 / Exon3 to Osiris. Honestly the Osiris is in a different level.
     
  5. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I enjoyed the Cursa/Exon, but don’t miss them at all. I don’t love the aesthetics of the Osiris, but I got over that. I have it set up with Isis, P10 w/Aphelion2, Aura and Rx5’s
     
  6. IRG

    IRG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ithaca, NY
    I doubt I could. But for $10k, I’d be looking at something like the AVA mono blocks for $2500 each DVA SET 600 Mono Block Solid State Amplifier

    And maybe their preamp: Fet Valve CFR Preamplifier

    At $2k.

    Wait, I still have $3k left to spend. Maybe on music or something. $10k can go a long way is all I’m saying. I like Rega a lot, just don’t hear much about their upper end amps here. I’d like the Elicit amp, but at $3k it has some competition. At $10k, quite stiff competition.
     
  7. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Got it...
     
  8. PhotoMax

    PhotoMax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orcas Island
    I am a Rega fan. Owned the Elex for years. Know the sound of the Brio and Elicit. I auditioned the Osiris with three different high end speakers. Fabulous sound. As mentioned it sounded really good at low volumes which is an important factor many shoppers pay little attention to.

    That being said (as others have pointed out) at around $10K there is very stiff competition with both separates and integrateds.

    Rega is known to be one of those brands that follows the “plays well with other Reg kit” arena. There is not much other Rega kit at this price point. Is the Osiris targeted at owners of an established Rega system? Or buyers with a larger wallet who have a mixed system? Be interesting to see how many Rega Osiris units will sell...
     
    IRG likes this.
  9. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Look at what I have it paired with
     
  10. PhotoMax

    PhotoMax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orcas Island
    @ rpd,

    With your Isis, P10 w/Aphelion2, Aura and Rx5’s you are very much at the high end of the Rega market. You have a very upmarket turntable station. The Osiris will serve you well here, no doubt.

    For owners of a different table and speakers of similar value I am not sure the Osiris will be a popular consideration? Maybe it should be though?
     
  11. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I had a flirtation with grabbing a McIntosh integrated, but many people who’s opinion I value, say that they’d really be surprised that I’d like the Macs as much....
     
  12. IRG

    IRG Forum Resident

    Location:
    Ithaca, NY
    Totally agree with this. There aren’t many $10k integrated amps period I would buy, not just Rega. It’s just a lot of $ to me. I understand it slightly more for separates. But you’re right, think outside of the Rega system, and maybe it’s just great amp. One day perhaps...
     
  13. PhotoMax

    PhotoMax Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orcas Island
    I think you had solid advice here. I have not listened to the Rx5 speakers but I enjoyed owning RS7s for years which are very similar. I would not have paired these with a McIntosh...
     
  14. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    I think I would buy an RX-10 if there was such a thing... I wonder why they did not produce one...
     
  15. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA
    The RS10?
     
  16. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    The rx5 was the largest of the Rx line that they produced. I’m not sure why that is...
     
  17. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA
    Nice speakers though, lived with a pair of RX3s for 31/2 years and enjoyed them quite a bit. Liked their bass alignment scheme, made it really easy to fit them into a room and have good bass.
     
  18. mibrighton

    mibrighton Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lincolnshire , UK.
    The Osiris , especially when mated with the Isis , makes a great system with the RS10.

    I used that system for a year or so. But as good as the RS10 are , and they are very good , the Isis / Osiris do not show their full capabilities with the RS10.

    They really show what they are capable of with much better speakers. I only discovered this when I demd the PMC MB2se. Interestingly the PMC has a very similar sound signature to the RS10 , both being a transmission line design.
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.
  19. Jazzabana

    Jazzabana Qobuz all the way

    Location:
    Istanbul
    I had the chance to try a Hegel H360 and loved it with my Dali Rubicon 2s.
    I didn't have the money back then.
    I was after Hegel H390 for a while now but it is not available in my country anymore.
    Would you recommend Aethos instead?

    Reading about your experience I think I am after the same.
    I got the P6 as well but with exact.
    I bet Buchardt s400s are sounding like a bigger brother to my Rubicons. :)

    Peace!
     
  20. jonwoody

    jonwoody Tragically Unhip

    Location:
    Washington DC
    A very positive review dropped on the Aethos in Hifi-Choice:

    Rega Aethos
     
    Newscot and Echoes Myron like this.
  21. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Nice
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.
  22. shug4476

    shug4476 Nullius In Verba

    Location:
    London
    I had a listen to one last year. I've owned the Brio-R, Elex-R, and the Elicit-R.

    Most manufacturers design their top end kit, then figure out (as an engineering challenge) how to trickle it down to lower price points without too many compromises.

    Weirdly, Rega have gone the other way around. The building block of the higher end kit is the Brio, which has been buttressed with better components and PSU.

    My own view, having owned all three, is that the Brio was the most fun I've had with an amp. I really enjoyed the other two as well, but what you are buying as you go up the ladder is more choice in speaker matching than significantly better sound.

    The only weak point with the Brio was a slightly monotone bass, which I put down to lack of power.

    The Aethos is a fantastic bit of kit, but unless you need the power, you must hear the Brio first!
     
    Ivand, jonwoody and Echoes Myron like this.
  23. Ivand

    Ivand Forum Resident

    Location:
    Houston, TX
    In your view, out of the 4 Rega amps referenced above, which one has the most muscular and rich presentation? Let’s assume using speakers that do not demand much power.

    Thanks for your help.
     
  24. shug4476

    shug4476 Nullius In Verba

    Location:
    London
    The Elex-R is the sweet spot, balanced between sound, power, features and speaker tolerance.

    In the UK it tends to sell for twice the price of the Brio-R. It certainly is not twice the amp!
     
    Echoes Myron and Ivand like this.
  25. Pmds55889397

    Pmds55889397 Forum Resident

    Transmissionlines are very expensive in manufacture, hence no RX7 etc..

    Bet RS10 didn't sell in high numbers so Rega decided to stick with speakers providing a profit.
    The RX range is much more expensive than previous RS.

    Now they seem to have found a way making cheap Kytes, will we see new Ela ?
    Hope so.
     
    Echoes Myron likes this.

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