REGA 10

Signature Rega sound in a highly accessible package

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To pack such performance into this price point, Rega has, as with most of its amplifiers, stuck with analogue-only connections with the io. Analogue-only is common at this end of the market, and so the io sports two line-level inputs – two fewer than its step-up sibling the Brio – and a moving-magnet phono input, so you can hook up a turntable as well as a couple of other components such as a CD player and streamer.

A 3.5mm headphone jack completes the io’s fairly modest connectivity list. It sits on the front panel alongside a volume dial and a small plastic button that cycles through the inputs. The amp’s plastic front panel gives it a pretty unremarkable aesthetic. In this respect, Rega certainly isn’t trying to hide the fact that most of its efforts have gone into the performance.

The compact, half-width aluminium chassis feels well built – the same goes for the satisfyingly simple remote control – and its low-key design should suit some hi-fi traditionalists.

Punchy dynamics

The discrepancies between Rega’s two half-width boxes in terms of physical size and decorative refinement is more or less mirrored in their sonic differences.