Rega Aethos

This integrated amp sounds exceptional for the price

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It's fair to say that we are big fans of Rega's integrated amplifiers. Between the io, Brio, Elex-R and Elicit-R, the company has picked up more five-star verdicts and What Hi-Fi? Awards from us than we care to remember. But Rega's products are rarely revolutionary; so it comes as no surprise to find that the Aethos leans heavily on the electronic principles already established in the existing lineup.

The engineers haven't just posted-in the design with the Aethos, though. There's a lot of fresh work under that brooding exterior. The power amplifier section uses two complementary pairs of Sanken Darlington output transistors, giving a solid power output of 125W per channel into 8 ohms. The power amp's circuit is designed to offer the benefits of Class A operation without the usual drawbacks in terms of heat and power consumption.

The preamp section prioritises signal integrity and consistent channel balance and features higher-grade parts than used in the company's other (cheaper) products.