Rega Elicit Break-In

Thanks for the information Ad03. So the Elicit needs an approximate 150 hours in sounding close to optimum. Looks like I may be up to a few surprises. Currently the unit has about 10 hours on it as the tonal character changes throughout this brief period. In the first 3 hours music sounded shut-in and congested with wooly bass. Within 3-6 hours the midrange opened up with better bass response but vocals sounded sharp and shrill. Approaching 10 hours I started to blast the music as everything opened up quite a bit although the bass still falls short of my expectations.

Yes, the Rega Elicit is an excellent amp. The weight of the unit when one picks it up tells us that it has been built quite substantially inside. I read Rega has paid more attention to the power supply(there are 9 individual power supplies beneath the hood) knowing it is the core to any good amplifier apart from using premium parts which include polypropylene capacitors in critical positions and high quality Sanken Darlington output transistors for enhanced thermal stability to name a few. The unit has good tonality and timbre which leans slightly on the warmish side and exhibits excellent PRAT, macrodynamics and detail. I find the Elicit to sound exceptionally close to the LFD Zero MkIII which is another excellent British integrated on its own albeit still lacks the visceral bass slam of the latter. In comparison the bass on the Elicit is more rounded and less taut. The reviews in 6moons and TonePublications have been spot-on and pretty much sum up the quality of the Elicit, although the folks at Whathifi don't quite favor the unit.

Another commendable observation is the Elicit does not show any signs of breakup at moderate to high volume levels. At its modest 82W/8 ohms rating with the ability to drive 4 ohms load, music still sounded pretty much in control with the volume knob close to 3 o'clock as it drives a pair of fairly efficient Harbeth SHL5's. In fact my right ear drum now has slight ringing after all the abuse and it's time I lower down the volume on the control knob and listen to music at safe levels without blowing anything up.

Overall I am happy with the amp. Highly recommended while I continue to wait for the unit to reach the 150 hours mark.

The Elicit currently has about 50-60 hours on it as it continues to amaze me with erratic sound changes for the past few days. I believe the unit is still in the break-in process judging from the manner the transformation in sound has taken place. The individual power supplies, transistors and capacitors under the hood must be burning-in nicely, and I hope I wouldn't have to wait too long to experience the REAL sound of the Elicit.

In the first 50 hours or so I was getting a nice warmish sound throughout the spectrum. Midrange and vocals have good tonality with a hint of warmth and highs were just about right albeit lacking in air and detail. Just yesterday there was a perceived change in sound, an abrupt one for that matter, and the effects were quite dramatic. As the midrange opened up there was a feeling of lightness as instruments sounded sharper with more attack and zing especially with drums. Layering of background instruments also improved(or changed) as the sound of some instruments went back a few rows instead of all being on the same row. Not only that, the tonality of certain instruments also sounded different. I could hear decay of drums in the background that previously wasn't there in the recording. Spooky in a nice way. High frequencies also improved as more distinct details could be heard.

Timbre and tonal quality of voices also transformed to more open, light and less shut-in. Overall it was a nice change due to the departure from an overly warm kind of sound. However, there was a slight hint of stridency especially with the increased energy and vitality. I would expect some changes here with more hours on the unit.

Music used was a particular track from Fourplay which I was very familiar with.

In summary the sound has changed from a lush, warmish, composed and slightly laid back character to a more airy, light and 3-dimensional sound borderline brightness. I am anxiously waiting for the unit to go beyond 100 hours to fully relish the true performance and sound of the Elicit. The revealing and transparent nature of the Harbeth do play an important role here as well as all changes during the break-in period are ruthlessly exposed. With this recent experience I am now fully convinced on the effects of break-in associated with amplifiers.