Rega Elicit mk5 4ohm: overheating is real 😟

[My2Cents]

Perhaps Rega built in a 'noise exposure protection' feature, which, like Boeing and their MCAS system, they declined to tell anybody about?
80 - 84dB is a 4 hour limit... > 84dB... a 2 hour limit!
Of course, you have the right to request hearing protection at 80dB and above.

 

[manicm]

Well I’ve landed on a short-term experiment.

A sideways swap with the amp feels like a waste of time. I don’t want to be rushed into upgrading as next step up will probably by my final one. It would be nice to shop around for that at leisure, when I have the money. Not a knee-jerk “gotta replace the amp” credit card purchase.

With that in mind, I went in search of a solution I could live with for a while & wouldn’t break the bank. I’ve spent a total of £360 (+ £70 for a transformer).

All will be revealed soon 😊

I still think the Rega is great.

 

[Revolutions]

The heat-sink design on the Rega amp is poor. With the amp being stuck underneath a cabinet there is no airflow around the unit which exacerbates the problem. Heat rising from the amp is getting trapped underneath the cabinet and stagnating around the amp.

The amp has tonnes of room down there. Granted the width of the cabinet will trap a tiny bit more heat, but I doubt your everyday hifi stand is going to make any difference.

I still think the Rega is great.

Me too. It sounds 👌🏼 I don’t think anyone is doubting this is an excellent amp.

Ok, yes I’m a little annoyed about Rega giving it a 4ohm rating & out of three dealers, all of them have said the amp should be fine with these speakers. One of them sells these speakers. It’s put me off Rega as a step up even though I love the sound & the styling.

 

[Al ears]

The amp has tonnes of room down there. Granted the width of the cabinet will trap a tiny bit more heat, but I doubt your everyday hifi stand is going to make any difference.

Me too. It sounds 👌🏼 I don’t think anyone is doubting this is an excellent amp.

Ok, yes I’m a little annoyed about Rega giving it a 4ohm rating & out of three dealers, all of them have said the amp should be fine with these speakers. One of them sells these speakers. It’s put me off Rega as a step up even though I love the sound & the styling.

Ever thought it could just be your particular unit that has issues?

 

[Revolutions]

Ever thought it could just be your particular unit that has issues?

Yeah, it’s getting dropped off next week for a check-up. Currently waiting on the shop I bought it from if the warranty still counts as it was ex-display.

 

[spl84]

Ever thought it could just be your particular unit that has issues?

Hopefully it is just his unit... otherwise that would be pretty sad for a model line that pricey to have such issues.

 

[gasolin]

I’ve spent a total of £360 (+ £70 for a transformer).

What exactly did you buy for that money ?

 

[gasolin]

The amp has tonnes of room down there. Granted the width of the cabinet will trap a tiny bit more heat, but I doubt your everyday hifi stand is going to make any difference.

Move it a better place and get higher feet to get more air circulation under the amp

 

[Revolutions]

Move it a better place and get higher feet to get more air circulation under the amp

I don’t have a better place. I still don’t understand what difference this location will make compared to a shelf on a hifi rack?

What exactly did you buy for that money ?

Will update when I’ve got everything & tested it

 

[gasolin]

A place with space, air in top, not under a furniture where hot air can't escape so easily and more space from the bottom of the amp to what the feet stands on = higher feet

Something like these

 

[davidf]

Move it a better place and get higher feet to get more air circulation under the amp

But should he have to do that? The amp should be designed to remain stable on a normal shelf, furniture or hi-fi stand. And on the floor will be the coolest part of the room - not like it's sitting on carpet.

 

[gasolin]

But should he have to do that? The amp should be designed to remain stable on a normal shelf, furniture or hi-fi stand. And on the floor will be the coolest part of the room - not like it's sitting on carpet.

If cables are long enough it won't cost anything but time to try, both air,space under and over the amp + right and left side

Then we can rule that out if it doesn't make a difference

He can try what ever he has that is 1-2 inches tall under each feet

I guess he won't use it with the cover off but that could also be someting to try

It's a high performing amp that shouldn't get to warm but considering the high price and the power it has 105 watt pr channel in 8 ohm,162 watt in 4 ohm, it has no holes in the top plate,cover of the amp, like most amps have and might need all the space it can get to dissipate the heat

The thermal cutout should only occur with continuous over-driving of a difficult load. If it occurs under normal conditions, there could be
a problem with insufficient airflow around the heat sinks or a fault with the loudspeakers

 

[DougK1]

I don’t have a better place. I still don’t understand what difference this location will make compared to a shelf on a hifi rack?



Will update when I’ve got everything & tested it

Blimey, all this criticism of where you've got your amp - in acres of space...best I don't post a picture of where mine is

 

[gasolin]

I still don’t understand what difference this location will make compared to a shelf on a hifi rack?

Not a matter of what difference it makes but if it makes a difference with a better placement of the amp

 

[davidf]

Plenty of space around the amp where it is.

 

[Jasonovich]

The amp has tonnes of room down there. Granted the width of the cabinet will trap a tiny bit more heat, but I doubt your everyday hifi stand is going to make any difference.

Me too. It sounds 👌🏼 I don’t think anyone is doubting this is an excellent amp.

Ok, yes I’m a little annoyed about Rega giving it a 4ohm rating & out of three dealers, all of them have said the amp should be fine with these speakers. One of them sells these speakers. It’s put me off Rega as a step up even though I love the sound & the styling.

Yeah it's a real shame they don't do silent water cooling for audio devices!

 

[Revolutions]

Experiment 1:​

Elicit mk5 vs a classic that can push 2Ω​

I didn’t have much of a plan beyond searching for a cheap integrated that was well-regarded & comfortable pushing hard to drive speakers. The main candidates were NAD 3020, Naim Nait 50, some Yamaha models, Cyrus & a few others. Then I stumbled across the Audiolab 8000 & it quickly stood out for me due to descriptions from people who loved it (& from those who hated it). I came close to picking up an early version until I saw some criticism of the preamp. I did some more reading about all the different versions, incl. the 8000s (with the F serial number). That finally led me to the 8000LX which apparently has all the good stuff of the A & S, with none of the bad stuff. Within a few days an LX appeared on eBay, so I jumped on it for £180.

Audiolab 8000 LX
1998
£700 (c. £1,540 adjusted for inflation)
60 W per channel into 8Ω

Rega Elicit mk5
2022
£2,000
105 W per channel into 8 Ω

Did a quick a/b with a few modern folk & country songs. Mostly for quality production with layered mixes featuring prominent, quick-moving basslines & lots of acoustic drums, guitars, banjos, pianos etc…

(I should interject here & highlight that the only thing really being tested is how unreliable I am as a judge.)

Things get off to a great start with the Rega. Then I hit the first, and quite fundamental challenge to even remotely compare these two fairly: the Audiolab doesn’t have banana jacks 😱 after a few a few minutes wrangling with the speaker inputs, I managed to get things playing. Instantly my first thought was that the Rega was leagues better. Then I remembered it was louder with the other amp, so I turned it up. It sounded much better. By this point, though, I’d forgotten what the rega sounded like.

Cut back to me getting the volumes near level & testing again. The time it takes to switch the amps really kills any ability to get a feel for a direct comparison. The strangest thing was happening every time I plugged in the Rega: it seemed like no contest. But then after swapping over to the Audiolab I couldn’t hear anything missing or less clear in the mix.

The winner: Rega (only just)
All I can say is the highs sounded slightly more crisp on the elicit, and the 8000 was a bit bass heavy & slightly boomy in comparison. Apart from that I would go as far as saying I think they sound pretty damn similar. Both are excellent with lovely 3D sound in the mix, loads of clarity & separation. I think the word for the Rega would be ‘refined’, yet the difference would probably be imperceptible with day-to-day listening.

Colour me surprised. And also unsure of myself. I was expecting to instantly box up the 8000 & start looking for a different cheap amp that might be able to compete. Lots of good amps from this decade go for way more money on eBay, really wasn’t expecting for this first test to be so close.

Setting us up for a thrilling next stage of the experiment. To be continued…

In the meantime, I’ll be doing lots of listening to try and get used to the Audiolab, then switch after a couple of days & see how that test goes.

 

[DougK1]

Excellent review and I applaud you Rev Flippin' difficult comparing as human auditory memory is almost RAM-like especially when you have a level imbalance to contend with too. Guess you really need some kind of variable input switch-box to truly compare them A/B style.

Big question is can the Audiolab handle your speakers for 8 hours?

 

[Revolutions]

Excellent review and I applaud you Rev Flippin' difficult comparing as human auditory memory is almost RAM-like especially when you have a level imbalance to contend with too. Guess you really need some kind of variable input switch-box to truly compare them A/B style.

Big question is can the Audiolab handle your speakers for 8 hours?

It did cross my mind that I’d enjoy a little rca & speaker switcher to do better testing. I do not need an excuse for more boxes. I already ordered a Douk passive XLR switcher this morning 😂

Audiolab is about 4 hours in & barely warm.

I’m liking it a lot. It’s minimal & understated, almost Braun-esque. It also weighs about half what the Rega does.

 

[davidf]

It did cross my mind that I’d enjoy a little rca & speaker switcher to do better testing. I do not need an excuse for more boxes. I already ordered a Douk passive XLR switcher this morning 😂

Audiolab is about 4 hours in & barely warm.

I’m liking it a lot. It’s minimal & understated, almost Braun-esque. It also weighs about half what the Rega does.

The Rega has more casework - it has to as there is zero ventilation, so the casework acts as a heat sink. This seems to be one of the downfalls of the design when used with more demanding speakers, but I guess Rega intend it to be used with their own, which are a fairly easy load.

So the lower powered Audiolab doesn't get as warm? I guess the Audiolab is benefitting from the work Tag McLaren did - the following amps that Audiolab released under IAG were basically the same, just not as expensively made and sold for a lot less.

 

[Jasonovich]

Experiment 1:​

Elicit mk5 vs a classic that can push 2Ω​

I didn’t have much of a plan beyond searching for a cheap integrated that was well-regarded & comfortable pushing hard to drive speakers. The main candidates were NAD 3020, Naim Nait 50, some Yamaha models, Cyrus & a few others. Then I stumbled across the Audiolab 8000 & it quickly stood out for me due to descriptions from people who loved it (& from those who hated it). I came close to picking up an early version until I saw some criticism of the preamp. I did some more reading about all the different versions, incl. the 8000s (with the F serial number). That finally led me to the 8000LX which apparently has all the good stuff of the A & S, with none of the bad stuff. Within a few days an LX appeared on eBay, so I jumped on it for £180.

Audiolab 8000 LX
1998
£700 (c. £1,540 adjusted for inflation)
60 W per channel into 8Ω

Rega Elicit mk5
2022
£2,000
105 W per channel into 8 Ω

Did a quick a/b with a few modern folk & country songs. Mostly for quality production with layered mixes featuring prominent, quick-moving basslines & lots of acoustic drums, guitars, banjos, pianos etc…

(I should interject here & highlight that the only thing really being tested is how unreliable I am as a judge.)

Things get off to a great start with the Rega. Then I hit the first, and quite fundamental challenge to even remotely compare these two fairly: the Audiolab doesn’t have banana jacks 😱 after a few a few minutes wrangling with the speaker inputs, I managed to get things playing. Instantly my first thought was that the Rega was leagues better. Then I remembered it was louder with the other amp, so I turned it up. It sounded much better. By this point, though, I’d forgotten what the rega sounded like.

Cut back to me getting the volumes near level & testing again. The time it takes to switch the amps really kills any ability to get a feel for a direct comparison. The strangest thing was happening every time I plugged in the Rega: it seemed like no contest. But then after swapping over to the Audiolab I couldn’t hear anything missing or less clear in the mix.

The winner: Rega (only just)
All I can say is the highs sounded slightly more crisp on the elicit, and the 8000 was a bit bass heavy & slightly boomy in comparison. Apart from that I would go as far as saying I think they sound pretty damn similar. Both are excellent with lovely 3D sound in the mix, loads of clarity & separation. I think the word for the Rega would be ‘refined’, yet the difference would probably be imperceptible with day-to-day listening.

Colour me surprised. And also unsure of myself. I was expecting to instantly box up the 8000 & start looking for a different cheap amp that might be able to compete. Lots of good amps from this decade go for way more money on eBay, really wasn’t expecting for this first test to be so close.

Setting us up for a thrilling next stage of the experiment. To be continued…

In the meantime, I’ll be doing lots of listening to try and get used to the Audiolab, then switch after a couple of days & see how that test goes.

Well constructed Rev, love the review. One thing we can extract from it, vintage British amps are a class act. I can almost imagine myself being there, dunking my digestive into my cuppa. Very nice.....

 

[Stuart83]

The

It did cross my mind that I’d enjoy a little rca & speaker switcher to do better testing. I do not need an excuse for more boxes. I already ordered a Douk passive XLR switcher this morning 😂

Audiolab is about 4 hours in & barely warm.

I’m liking it a lot. It’s minimal & understated, almost Braun-esque. It also weighs about half what the Rega does.

The "douk" is a good audio switcher.
I'm assuming it's the VU3 with the nice dancing VU meters.

I used one for switching between a Yamaha RS202D (until me and it clipped my speakers) for it's built in Bluetooth and a pioneer A-400.
The ability to switch almost instantly made the night and day difference instantly noticeable between a 30 plus yr old amp to a new budget equivalent.
I've since gotten myself another ifizen for my rare Bluetooth use with the pioneer and made the Yamaha redundant until I decide what to do with it.

Obvious to most of those who have heard the pioneer will presume it is instantly noticeable as the exponentially better amp and would be correct especially as it warms up a little.
Sorry I shouldn't mention heat and amps in view of your problem.

If you look online as I have in the past you might find "a graphed performance of the Audiolab etc usually over 4-6-8 ohm loads"

I pulled such a performance graph up for a chap asking about naim recently having more time to look.
I found that a lot of amps are tested this way awhile ago including their frequency response and posted online.

Although I'd imagine after your experience testing it for yourself will be the only acceptable way of gaining the confidence you need.

I must admit I'm the same.

 

[Revolutions]

The "douk" is a good audio switcher.
I'm assuming it's the VU3 with the nice dancing VU meters.

The douk switch I bought yesterday was for my music recording stuff.

I did look for an rca & speaker switch online yesterday & quickly gave up as it seeemed I’d need 2 units and the speaker switchers weren’t plug friendly. Didn’t realise the VU3 was a thing & now I want one 🤣🤣🤣

Although I'd imagine after your experience testing it for yourself will be the only acceptable way of gaining the confidence you need.

I must admit I'm the same.

I’ll take a look for the performance graphs of both - thanks. But yes, now I’m all about testing stuff at home, in my system, to see if it works.

Well constructed Rev, love the review. One thing we can extract from it, vintage British amps are a class act. I can almost imagine myself being there, dunking my digestive into my cuppa. Very nice.....

you’re welcome any time. And I enjoyed it so much, I can see a future with me buying up all the vintage gear & doing shootouts with modern equivalents. Great way for me to get off the upgrade train - buying loads of cheap, older units 😂

 

[Din5]

The douk switch I bought yesterday was for my music recording stuff.

I did look for an rca & speaker switch online yesterday & quickly gave up as it seeemed I’d need 2 units and the speaker switchers weren’t plug friendly. Didn’t realise the VU3 was a thing & now I want one 🤣🤣🤣


I’ll take a look for the performance graphs of both - thanks. But yes, now I’m all about testing stuff at home, in my system, to see if it works.



you’re welcome any time. And I enjoyed it so much, I can see a future with me buying up all the vintage gear & doing shootouts with modern equivalents. Great way for me to get off the upgrade train - buying loads of cheap, older units 😂

I use one of these to switch between 2 pairs of speakers for instant comparison. I attachedd a choc-block terminal connector which i insert my speaker plugs into, the other side is connected to my amp speaker output terminals via banana plugs. Cheap as chips and does the job well. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12645954...1bz78K6buXhsXPtnb8R367LYwOFh|tkp:BFBMnJrauo5k

 

[Al ears]

Yeah, it’s getting dropped off next week for a check-up. Currently waiting on the shop I bought it from if the warranty still counts as it was ex-display.

Ex display should in no way affect warranty.......hopefully!
Having said that a lot of Rega products have their own little idiosyncrasies, if you can't live with them don't buy them. Plenty of other great products out there.
If the shop you bought it from told you it would work with your speakers demand a refund.