New Rega Elicit Integrated - Opinions

I use Supra Ply 3.4S which has been around for ages and is what I' consider to be a very capable and affordable wire, Rega also has their own called Quatro. The Rega speakers I use are RS3 and single terminal, so only one run of wire per speaker is needed, I use it bare wire. I got the Supra ply from madisound.com though it is not the most convenient cable to use, it is a little tedious to strip and prepare, and it is stiff (like naim NAC), I flexed it gently in sections for awhile to make it more agreeable before installation. The regualr Ply 3.4 without the shield is probably a little easier to work with. The wire takes quite awhile to run in. Btw Piano notes can cause cone breakup or ringing on speakers and clipping on amps, also the piano or recording itself can be the source. If you like solo piano I'd recommend Gyorgy Ligeti edition 3 cd on Sony , and on ECM label Mompou Musica Callada- among the best piano recordings I own.

Hi Fillmoor, may I ask if your Rega Elicit has the optional built-in MM or MC phonostage? If it has, I would appreciate if you can let me know whether you have tried any quality outboard phonostage with your analogue rig. I currently have my Rega P5 connected to the Elicit utilizing the built-in MC phonostage. I was curious if a better quality phonostage like the EAR 834 will bring substantial improvement to the sound. Your advice would be most appreciated.

One of the reasons I got my Elicit was ease of use- to have the onboard phono option. Mine is the Moving magnet- I use with a Rega Cartridge. I have not used the onboard MC option. Outboard phono stages can be a step up or down over an onboard one. Being outboard does not automatically make it superior. I'd say Regas own IOS phono preamp or The EAR unit might be worth your while if you play alot of records. Think about how much it will cost, how much use it will get, how and where you'll install it, needing the extra wires etc. I always heard good things about the EAR but never had a chance to sample one.

Thanks for your response. I recently just tried a Rotel RQ-970BX outboard phonostage and to my ears there isn't any significant audible difference between the two. In fact both sound so alike that I would probably have mixed up both in a double-blind test. This experience has proven that the built-in MC phonostage in the Elicit is of pretty high quality. I was informed that the Elicit's phonostage is almost similar to the Rega Fono except that the Fono is a more elaborate piece being an outboard unit. Most likely I will stick with the Elicit's phonostage until I figure out which better phonostage to get. I'd probably try a Dynavector P75MkII sometime down the road. The Rega IOS is too costly for what I am willing to fork out. Maybe I'll try a different cartridge instead. By the way, I only have less than 50 records in my collection.

Well Ryder your post reminded me of a comparison we did in the early 90's when my friend brought over a Creek OBH to compare against the stage already in my Adcom pre-amp. He thought it would be no contest. Suprisingly The onboard Adcom stage was smoother, quieter and more musical. I once tried a Lehman black cube external and did not like that one either (too "analytical"). The Elicit onboard MM stage is neither warm, nor too dry, and not optimally quiet but plenty good enough. For me it's easier to change cartridges if I want tonal warmth, or more detail or whatever. Btw there is a nice review of the Rega Elicit here http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/rega/elicit.html, this is the most informative I have read so far. It was largely in line with my perception. The bass reach is very good for a medium powered integrated, yet it is a very even response without over plumpness. Detail is good, not seperated into the spotlight. The temporal aspect of the music is coherent. The tonality is a touch warm, but I dont hear it as being euphonic warmth. There is not the seductive sweetness that tube amps give to certain instruments (saxophone, piano, female voice), up in the treble the Elicit is cleaner than most tube amps, the midrange is musical and well ordered, in the bass there is no contest- the Elicit will insult a good lot of tube amps.