Rega mm mk3 phono stage.

I have an RP6 with an Exact along with an Elex R. I assumed or heard that the Elex R had a good built in phono stage and an external one such as the Fono MM wasn't needed. What's the story here?

 

I think it wise to avoid temptation every time someone comes up with a tweak for a system similar to yours. If you like the way your system sounds that's all that matters.

Its nice to know that potential improvements are available but the way my system sounds right now I just can't justify the expense and anyway at some point I just have to be satisfied.

 

I think that is good advice. I spent a fair amount upgrading to a whole new system and I'm pretty happy with what I have.

 

Based on this you will like the Aria if you should decide to upgrade, ive had both the Fono MK2 and currently the Aria and i feel the Aria extended the highs without grain and in fact smoothed the Mk2 highs a bit too without any loss of excitement or bounce not to mention the more articulate mid range which is maybe slightly hot and additional bass slam and definition.

 

Just supporting "plimpinton2's" stance....my Graham Slee Gramamp2SE does not have an "on/off" switch...just plug it in and forget about it

 

I just ordered one. =)

 

I just had another listen and it has really opened up now! Bass is thick and organic. **** Button's "Sentients" sounds great! The Rega really does something for electronic music. The beat is thick and very organic. Seperation and sounstage are both much improved compared to the in-build Riaa om my Amp. I can also hear details that I have never heard before. I am happy with my purchase.

 

Sorry to threadjack, but on the subject of Graham Slee stuff, i might try and sell by Gold Era V but can't post to the market place. New to the forum, anyone know how to get access to post a classified?

 

Post useful information. You have to earn street cred here. Just dressing the part won't cut it.
-Bill

 

It says right above the classified section if you click the Forums link, but ...

Classified Ads
Items available for sale or trade, or "wanting to buy" listings, are found here. Members must be registered for 30 days and have made 50 posts to participate in Classifieds. If you have postings elsewhere (eBay, Amazon, Audiogon, Craigslist, etc.) please post links to those sales in our Third Party area.

 

Thanks for the pretentious note. I don't live on the internet and don't have time to make shallow relationships with strangers for the privilege to sell my stuff.

 

I don't use the classified here so I neither care nor mind, but isn't that precisely what eBay is for ?
You could also look at Gearogs as an alternative.

 

Give it a chance. I’m a relatively new member and have bought many cds on the classifieds at very fair prices once I hit the message threshold. I’ve also met many very generous members (with time and information) on lots of different threads. Bill was just joking, he is actually very helpful with gear information esp Rega TTs. The shallow relationships I’ve developed with strangers on here are some of my best ones!

 

I have the Rega MM mk3 for my Technics SL1710 (mk1) and I have to say that it is wonderful, although for the first few days with it I thought I had made a mistake. It needs time to open up but I have been staggered by the details I have noticed that I have never heard before, for example I have the queen greatest hits half speed abbey road remaster from 2016 and have heard all sorts of chimes and triangle noises in bohemian rhapsody that I have never heard before. I grew up with CDs (over 500 and I stopped buying by the time I was 25 - 40 now). I moved over to vinyl very recently, mainly because I had the opportunity to recommission my dad’s TT (also 40 years old) for my birthday.

I never expected to be impressed by the sound after being conditioned by digital quality and an old Arcam 7 CD player, but was looking more for nostalgia and a bit of fun, but I have to say the depth, quality and richness of sound has left me gob smacked. I doubt it’s the TT, which is still using the original cartridge, nor the amp, which is a pretty pedestrian Marantz NR1601 AV amp, nor my SVS bookshelf speakers. I am pretty certain that the detail, richness and presentation is down to the remarkable little Rega, with maybe some adult handholding going on from the excellent Atacama evoque eco SE stand that I got to stand it all on
Dropbox - File 12-01-2018, 00 24 41.jpeg

 

Probably the best $400 I have ever invested with regard to bang for the buck. Having made a recent return to vinyl, I initially invested in a very basic but musically satisfying U-Turn Orbit Plus, with an Ortofon 5e and the built-in Pluto preamp. I soon remembered, that even with a starter setup, how much more I enjoy the music on vinyl. I now have designs on eventually getting a Rega RP3 but I knew the first places to start were the cartridge and the phono stage. With the RP3, these would have to be upgraded anyway so this allows me to milk the most out of this little U-Turn which is surprisingly satisfying. So, with an Ortofon 2M Bronze and the Rega Fono MM, this little table is stunningly good. The cartridge upgrade was noticeably better after breaking it in, but when I added in the Fono I was knocked back with how good everything sounds. The Fono really allows that 2M Bronze to shine.
The rest of my system is old but good: Bryston 4B NRB, Audio Research preamp, Aerial Pro 5's with a Vandersteen powered sub and Transparent Audio cables and interconnects.

 

I too had a 2M Bronze with the Rega Fono (II), and it was very nice indeed!

 

I have the Rega too and was totally delighted with it, it actually out-performed the MM input on my Luxman 590ax! Yup, it was circa £200 at the time, a total bargain.
However ‘upgradeitis’ struck and I ordered the highly rated Dynavector P75 mk3. It was more than twice the price, yet half the performer.
The kindly dealer refunded my £500 and I’m still in MM heaven with the Rega.

 

P6 is da bomb!

 

Just an update - I'm the guy that went from the Rega Fono Mk2 to the MK3, and then back to he Mk2. Well now I have the Parks Budgie, and while it was very nice with the stock tubes, I have now switched to the Gold Lions, and it sounds fantastic. And I am definitely done messing with my phono amp for quite some time, as I'm really pleased with the sound. Luckily I didn't lose any money with all that switching around, and I ended up with a very nice sounding rig. Mainly mentioning because it is in the same price range as the Rega, and depending on the rest of your gear, you might like it even more.

 

Quick plug here for the Arcam rPhono (now £329 in the UK). I have the Rega Fono 2 which I like and am keeping for a second system, but the Arcam is considerably better and has MC, so now using in main system.

 

it must be excellent, that Dynavector is a superb piece of kit

 

....my finding Linto but I could have a faulty Dynavector. Lol

 

I have not posted to this site in quite awhile but I have followed this discussion about the Rega Fono Mk.3 with both excitement and some trepidation. You see, I have recently ordered a Rega Fono Mk. 3 to use with my Rega RP-6 and Exact cartridge. I have a Rogue RP-5 preamp that has a built in phonostage but as excellent as the RP-5 is, and it truly is an excellent preamp, I felt the onboard phonostage was lacking a little life compared to what the rest of the preamp delivers. There are so many phonostages and so many opinions, and the opportunity to find any brick and mortar shops in my city that carries even one phonostage is often a joke. So, like many people as of late, I am forced to use the internet and hope I find a phonostage to purchase that will be pleasing to my ears. I wish to thank the people who have posted their findings on their experiences with the Fono Mk.3. Frankly, I like to see the positive ones but the not so positive scare me, like the man who had the Mk.2 then went to the 3 and then back to the 2. As he appears quite familiar with the 2 and was not pleased with the 3, that is a little disconcerting. I am hoping mine breaks in better than his did, and perhaps I will have a more synergistic match with cables, power conditioners, amps, preamp and the like. Considering I live in the USA, it is surprising how much of my system is from the U.K; Raymond Lumley Signature Megavox monoblock amps (try finding those anymore), a Rega RP-6, Tannoy speakers, and soon the Rega Fono. If people are interested, I will post my results with the Rega Fono after it has time to settle in.
Many thanks for your time and attention.

 

I expect you'll enjoy your new fono - historically Rega engineer good phono stages, with commendable overload margin, RIAA accuracy etc. I expect the new fono to perform similarly and likely better. In fact, if you look at John Atkinson's appraisal of the phono stage of the latest Brio-r, you'll see he praised its performance. Furthermore, you'll see it measurably outperforms the phono stages of many more expensive integrated amplifiers. IIRC - perhaps I read on pinkfish media - the fono mk3 is even measurably better than the brio-r phono stage. Hopefully you enjoy.

 

Regas Paul Darwin posted on pink fish saying fono mk2 outstripped the built in stages and that the built on stages on all current rega integrateds are fundamentally the same.