Rega Aria

[stevebrock]

Got one home for the weekend, I have demoed one before with the Elciit R, but now got one running with a High Output Micro Benz Ace through my valve amp.

The thing is a completely different beast this time round, vocals are really spacious, so much definition between the highs and lows. Bass is so taut, treble nicely rolled off Brothers in Arms sounds fantastic - really looking forwad to see how it performs with an MC cart, sadly it goes back on Monday.

I need to get my Phono & Cart upgrade right, I am in no rush as I do want to demo some valve phonos too.

Good weekend ahead - lots of vinyl to go through again!

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Have a fun weekend!

But I really don't think that for the price that you can find any better one, I think Rega have done a very speacial phono box!

They do get things right some times...*wink*

 

[mgkwackerd]

I had home demo of Aria, along with five others, I preferred the Croft Riaa R and LFD LE, bought the latter as it's just the nicest listen for all we hear, soundstage, highs, lows, great vocals and mid-range, and had the least surface noise, clicks crackles and pops, which on some stages are horrific, my thread "misadventure with vinyl upgrade" explains the latter.

The Aria to my mind was a little recessed, and not quite as open as the Croft and LFD. The latter was more neutral, croft being a little warmer, (valves) each to their own, we all hear differently.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I had home demo of Aria, along with five others, I preferred the Croft Riaa R and LFD LE, bought the latter as it's just the nicest listen for all we hear, soundstage, highs, lows, great vocals and mid-range, and had the least surface noise, clicks crackles and pops, which on some stages are horrific, my thread "misadventure with vinyl upgrade" explains the latter.

The Aria to my mind was a little recessed, and not quite as open as the Croft and LFD. The latter was more neutral, croft being a little warmer, (valves) each to their own, we all hear differently.

Just out of curiosity, are they all around the same price tag?

 

[mgkwackerd]

RRP's, the cheapest was the Rega, £795, Primare £800, all the rest £1k there or there abouts plus or minus £50

I only use MM, a 2M bronze at present, I like the attack and neutrality, yes MC are sweeter, but I mainly listen to rock so I prefer the MM, and with my powerful Class D amps, suits me fine (550w/c monoblocked into Kef R500's)

A stage may peform differently when loaded for MC, and as always, you have to home demo, to get what you want.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

(sorry Steve to deviate your thead)i've read your thread, and I think that the "biggest" responsible to reduce surface noise is the stylus and the stylus shape, yes phono stages have an important roll, but i've learn from personal experience as i've tried my Clearaudio with Goldring 1012gx and my actual Elite MC, the Elite goes deeper in the grove extracting more information, and leaving behind the surface noise... The TT was the same, the phono stage was the same, used the same records and had less noise with the Elite.

 

[stevebrock]

I know stylus profile is paramount, the deeper in the groove that tip gets, it bypasses all the noise on the sides of the groove - thats my thinking anyway.

Currently I am only using the MM circuit on the Aria (with my high output Benz Micro Ace MC) - the MC being a completely different circuit adjustable with Dip Switches. I really need to borrow an MC and see how I get on with it.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I know stylus profile is paramount, the deeper in the groove that tip gets, it bypasses all the noise on the sides of the groove - thats my thinking anyway.

Currently I am only using the MM circuit on the Aria (with my high output Benz Micro Ace MC) - the MC being a completely different circuit adjustable with Dip Switches. I really need to borrow an MC and see how I get on with it.

Now I'm confuse... The Benz is a MC cart and you're using the MM circuit on the Aria...!?

 

[stevebrock]

its a high output MC - outputs 2.5mv where as a MM is normally 4.0mv, obviusly I have to push the volume up on my amp a bit.

I suppose I could swap over to MC on the Aria but would need to mess about with the dip switches

 

[mgkwackerd]

Hi Hi-Fioutlaw, Yes,

That is one point made quite voraciously, by my dealer (who said the dino with + power supply could not be bettered unless spending more than £1k), so I went for the fine line nude 2M Bronze, a nicer more rounded cartridge than 2 M Blue, with excellent highs, detailed and strong midrange and good taught lows.

So now I have a great stylus/Cartridge combo, that gets deep into the groove. (only problem was I had to play about 40 lp's to break it in, before listening to all the new phono stages), it has now had about 70 hours and the stage about 40, very pleased with the LFD, just my cup of tea and the Bronze is much more refined than the Blue.

Happy vinyl days, didn't get a new 180g the weekend, was after the new Wishbone Ash double gatefold "Blue Horizon", but will order it M/O as I will now not duplicate CD/Vinyl any longer.

 

[Al ears]

its a high output MC - outputs 2.5mv where as a MM is normally 4.0mv, obviusly I have to push the volume up on my amp a bit.

I suppose I could swap over to MC on the Aria but would need to mess about with the dip switches

Excuse me if I am stating the obvious but that's exactly the reason the dip switches are there for.

Hi output MC or not this is the side of the Aria you should be using, however, having said that it does appear that the Aria does have only a limited range of adjustment on this front.

 

[stevebrock]

Thanks Al, I did have a little play through the MC circuit with my High Output Benz - got the gain about right - tbh couldnt really tell much difference between the MM & MC circuits.

Think I need to demo a 'proper' MC - need to borrow one which isnt as easy as it i sounds!

 

[Al ears]

Thanks Al, I did have a little play through the MC circuit with my High Output Benz - got the gain about right - tbh couldnt really tell much difference between the MM & MC circuits.

Think I need to demo a 'proper' MC - need to borrow one which isnt as easy as it i sounds!

I imagine not. Never once managed to borrow any cartridge I wanted to hear. Good though the Benz's are I could never get my head around a high output MC, you might just as well buy a very good moving magnet (it would probably be cheaper). Low output MCs just seem more 'fluid' to me.

Note on your Aria is that the highest setting it appears to have is 400 ohm (i.e. not very high) so when you look at future cartridges be careful as quite a few recommend a loading of >1000 ohms (your current cartridge included funilly enough).

 

[mgkwackerd]

Al, a very common problem, but it is so easy to damage a cantilver, and you can understand a dealers reluctance, although I did borrow an Ortofon Quintet Bronze, when I auditioned the Lehmann and Trichord stages, but it was too laid back for me and went for 2M Bronze as an upgrade to 2M blue, as I prefer the zing and attack. I tried a Denon DL110 High output MC. last year but didn't like its dull sound, so went for 2M blue to replace a Goldring 1042, too warm.

My record collection is about 85% rock, so MM suits my listening, I think MC is for more discerning listeners who might prefer classical and acoustic. It would have been nice to listen to the Quintet on the Croft & LFD stages, set for MC, just to see, but the Quintet had to go back with the stages I borrowed in the first place, and with regard to home demo of stages, no problem, mind I had to pay for 4, but have all been refunded now, 2 were purely leant to me.

I'm very impressed with the 2M Bronze and will let it run its expiry and then replace with a 2M Black stylus, even better so I've heard. It's all down to what you hear and how you like it. My Primare Class D amps, in my opinion, make my previous Cyrus monoblocks sound like toys in comparison, but my friend says they're too clean, I like their sound, a lot, and will stick with them.

Good luck in finding what you want, Steve, patience is the essence, I'm lucky, I'm retired and can spend countless hours playing and fiddling, but some of you have to work !!!! Best of luck.

 

[nima]

Steve, sorry to interupt, but I'm curious what's your system ATM and your recent experiments. I've been following the developments since the Elicit saga and was surprised when I saw on some other forum that you're using Elicit again and now on other forum still that you're selling 5 weeks old Elicit? Did you go on and off the Elicit road again? ATB

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Steve, sorry to interupt, but I'm curious what's your system ATM and your recent experiments. I've been following the developments since the Elicit saga and was surprised when I saw on some other forum that you're using Elicit again and now on other forum still that you're selling 5 weeks old Elicit? Did you go on and off the Elicit road again? ATB

Maybe you misunderstood him, i've got a Icon Audio 40 mkIII.

 

[stevebrock]

Nima - its ok fella - a friend of bought an Elicit R he isnt getting on with it - too forward for him - this was after he listened to my valve amp. You need 50 posts to post classifieds on PFM so Im doing it on his behalf.

 

[nima]

Good to hear you are still happy with your Icon.

I just acquired Naim NAC42.5/NAP110 and I'm over the moon. And best of it all, I don't see any need to fiddle with phono stages and similar in the future. With AT440MLa it is just fantastic. Unfortunately few days ago suspension on the cart gave up. It was always a low rider, I don't know if it's me being too hard handed or there was a real fault with the cart. Anyway, I ordered DV 10X5 and I hope I will be even more ethusiastic about it. If not, I will just go back to AT. End of story for me. I'm really really happy. (Not to mention that fully serviced amp costed me much less than the price of Aria alone.) ATB

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Hi Steve,

how is it going with the Aria home demo?

Yesterday i've demo the Chor Hugo DAC and I don't know if it was from the rest of the equipment but didn't quite got all the fuss that this DAC is receiving...

Yes it is better that the Rega DAC, more detail, more uper treble defenition and very clear and tight bass, but the Rega DAC has musicality and a anologue sense.

So i'm not going to spend a penny on a DAC before knowing what Rega has to replace the actual one!

So I went today to my Rega dealer and will have a home demo of a Rega Aria myself, he said that is a real step up from my Clearaudio Basic Plus that I love very much. But he said I'll love Rega more, i'm going to acept his chalange.

Maybe a upgrade in my vinyl front is the way to go!

 

[mgkwackerd]

Good luck with the Aria, it will be a nice step up, and I placed it 3rd, behind Croft and LFD, slightly nicer than the Primare, Ear and Rogue.

I think over your C/A, you'll hear a definite more open soundstage, with better detailing, deeper more controlled bass and more airiness around the instruments, I just found the croft and LFD even more open, and slightly less problematic with clicks & pops, but if it is the smooth mellow analogue sound you're after, the croft was the one, it has a valve output stage.

With my Class D amps, the LFD just seemed to suit me better, especially using the 2M Cart.

I'm sure when you hear it, you'll like it. Have fun.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

But I already have a hybrid on the rack, so I think i don't need to sugar the sound a bit more, the Pathos give a 3d sound stage and with the Dyns the imaging is very clear and defined, with some records I can almost fill texture in the sound stage.

 

[mgkwackerd]

That's why I thought the Croft, because of the Pathos, and maybe you're liking that type of sound.

I don't think you'll like the Aria if you want a more forward or attacking sound, Trichord or Ear would probably suit you better, but you have to let your own ears decide as the system set up, room and cables have such a big bearing on sound, and it is a very nice p/s, as you will no doubt find out, when you demo it.

My old Rega Fono, couldn't hold a candle to any that I demo'd, it was so poor in comparison. Mind it was £6-800 cheaper !!!

If you can hear texture out of the C/A you'll love a better p/s. upgrading, isn't it great ? !!!

 

[stevebrock]

The Aria has gone back now - yes definate improvement over the Fono MM but I never tried a low output MC with it. To be fair I need to try some valve phonos with a very low output MC to see what all the fuss is about. A lot of valve owners I have spoken to say a SS Phono Stage sucks the life out of the music.

Watch this space

PS more air and space around vocals & instruments

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

And some state that valve phono stages intruduce background noise into the soundstage... Everything is a endless debate...

In your case I think it will be to much valves in a system, it is alwais good to have a mix of both.

Like in a pre/power combo, many state that the optimum is to have a pre amp with valves and transistors power amps.

Well in my case I will not have the chance to demo another phono stage in this budget, so if i like the Aria it will have to do.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

If you can hear texture out of the C/A you'll love a better p/s. upgrading, isn't it great ? !!!

Yes I think it is!

I'm very happy with what i've achieved with my system to be honest, and not having spend the value of retail price, thats just the cherry ontop of the cake...*biggrin*