Rega Elicit Mk5

Rega's premium integrated amplifier is more versatile and even better sounding than ever

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Rega products tend to be pretty purist affairs that prioritise performance and solid engineering above all else. They rarely excel on the features front, but that seems to have changed with the Elicit MK5, since it now includes digital inputs alongside the usual analogue connections.

The digital circuit is compatible with signals of up to 24-bit/192kHz PCM, but no DSD, though perhaps more limiting is that the inputs are restricted to just a coaxial and optical. USB and Bluetooth connectivity would have put this amplifier up there with the better-equipped rivals at the price.

The Elicit MK5 has five line-level inputs, an MM phono stage, a headphone output and a range of signal outputs for external power amps and recorders. That should be more than enough to cope with the kind of systems this amplifier is likely to end up in. There's also the less common option that allows users to connect a standalone preamp to the Elicit’s power amp section.