Rega Elex MkIV

Rega Elex MkIV integrated amplifier, great value for money with the calssic British-sound and power to spare.

The Mk II underwent a cosmetic redesign and some construction improvements. Turning point Elex Mk3, completely redesigned and equipped with a new four-part chassis with extruded front panel. It introduced an updated version of the A-AB power amp circuit (which we will describe in a moment), a new preamplifier, active volume control and two-stage phono, with 72-watt output power. This latest Mk4 that debuted in late 2022 retains the same chassis and analog circuitry as Mk3, but adds remote control, Saturn player-inspired digital section with digital inputs, andheadphone output.

Rega's A-AB circuit

The Elex Mk3 and Mk4 amplifiers, as well as IO, Brio-r, Elicit Mk4 and Mk5, use an innovative amplifier circuit designed by Terry Bateman in the late 2000s, first introduced in the 2010 Brio-r. The output stage consists of a single Class A stage, driving a pair of complementary Class AB Darlington transistors (the Sanken final transistors). This creates a cascaded emitter follower structure that provides the sonic performance of Class A, but with the thermal dissipation typical of Class AB.

Rega Elex Mk4: minimal elegance with an analog heart

The new Rega Elex Mk4 has an essential but distinctive design: the front panel is dominated by an acrylic plate that displays the selected input, the Rega logo (in red, rather than the classic corporate green), and an icon signaling mute mode. Volume adjustment is done in the traditional way via a mechanical knob coupled with a potentiometer, while input selection is by high-quality relays activated by a pushbutton or the accompanying remote control that governs all functions

Next to it are the headphone output with 6.3 mm jack and the mechanical on/off switch. Construction is solid: the chassis is made of thick panels-steel for the top and bottom, aluminum for the sides and front-to ensure rigidity and low resonance. It is capable of delivering 72 watts into 8 ohms and 90 watts into 6 ohms (Rega does not state the value into 4 ohms), and is designed to drive even demanding speakers and integrate easily into any audio system, thanks to a rich input pool: 4 analog inputs, optical and coaxial digital inputs, a high-quality MM phono stage, as well as pre-out and record out, and the now unfailing headphone output with 6.3mm jack. Attention to componentry is evident: discrete circuitry, selected relays, polypropylene capacitors, and Sanken output transistors are just some of the choices that guarantee high performance.

The internal DAC of the Rega Elex

The integrated digital-to-analog converter echoes the design of Rega’s standalone DAC-R, with two digital inputs (RCA and Toslink), but no USB port-signaling that the British company continues to frown on playback from files, which, however, leaves us rather perplexed given the times. The inputs are galvanically and optically isolated, and use Wolfson WM8742 chips for both S/PDIF signal reception and conversion, with a maximum conversion capacity of 192/24. The chipset is from 2016 and we take the presence of this DAC almost as a freebie, after all the list price of Elex Mk4 is extremely affordable, 1990€ even though the now established street is around 1500€, and would remain so even without the presence of the DAC. The layout is designed to minimize interference with the analog section.

Phono stage and headphone output

The MM phono stage is very good, divided into two sections for separate equalization of the high and low frequencies of the RIAA curve with polyester capacitors in the signal path, and polypropylene in the equalization circuits, guaranteeing tonal fidelity. The headphone output is taken from the final stages with a resistor divider and relays that bypass the speakers when the 6.3mm jack is inserted

A very entertaining listen

The sound of the Rega Elex Mk4 is somehow familiar, a kind of absolutely recognizable “sound signature.” This is on the one hand to be ascribed to the typical British sound that finds its highest expression in this Rega Elex, and on the other hand in its sense of rhythm, in the orderly and “fun” succession of any content, which allows it to flow naturally and engagingly and which is typical of Rega electronics. Everything appears balanced, preserving every aspect of the music that often gets lost in overly bright or aggressive reproductions. Sharp tones and at the same time full-bodied and concrete with an aligned, dense sound front with the right body and volume. All this with the line input and the Denafrips Pontus DAC, switching to the internal phono one appreciates an excellent performance with respect to the class of the device, the sonic character is the same, the same signature in short, without any doubt. Less convincing, however, is the internal DAC, which although capable of expressing the similar sonic characteristics, is less homogeneous and timbrally correct. The sound is lively, but some of the magic we had found so far is lost. In short, an extremely convincing integrated,

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