The system you see before you is remarkable - our 'Beautiful Systems' reviews are usually dedicated to the rare delights of the high end. What it costs is remarkable. Its sonic abilities are wonderfully, completely and utterly remarkable.
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This disarmingly unshowy combo from Rega had everyone asking: how come a system that costs just $4298 (or rather less than a meter run of interconnect cable connecting some of the more ambitious CD spinners and amps) can sound so thrillingly natural and musical? How indeed... that's why it's here.
The Simple Solution
First, the one word answer: Rega. Founded in 1973 by Roy Gandy, this small specialist British hi-fi manufacturer has become nothing less than a synonym for affordable gear that sounds expensive. The company's philosophy is as simple and straightforward as its kit: "to make high quality products at sensible prices, as a means of reproducing music as faithfully as possible."
And it all stems from one man's mission. Back when he was a boy, Gandy's mum asked him if he would prefer a television or a record player in the house. The story goes that Roy the boy begged for a record player, so she bought a telly. Mrs Gandy undoubtedly did the world a favour. Stung by this early setback, young Roy drove headlong into the world of hi-fi and flung away the rear view mirror. At 18, he built his first pair of loudspeakers.