As always from you a very consise review Always enjoy your choice records with regard the review 6 months an Aethos user here and its superb I think the blue alps pot tracks the signal so well Have Regas excellent Aria phonostage and Aethos driving Magneplaner 1.7i speakers....effortlessly Wishing you a Happy New Year
Very helpful and informative - thanks for posting great reviews. Personally I always like to hear (well recorded) in-room audio samples to supplement thorough and considered reviews like yours. Best regards, David
I’ve got KEF R3s. And I’ve compared them to rega’s Elex-r for about six months. They’re quite match. I love the sound they make so much. So I just purchased the Aethos on line 10minures ago. It’ll be shipped to me in three days . I can’t wait to hear it .
@@analogholic_reviews The Aethos has been received. I like it very much. I feel that the details of the music are better and the dynamics and scale are larger. Especially when listening to symphony and OST.
@@is3commander I don’t, I have Zu dwx supremes now. But I was using the Audiolab 8300a which was great with the xds, and if I was buying them again I’d go with an amplifier with more excitement for these. Exposure 2510 would be beautiful I think
I run this with B&W nautilus 805 and Buchardt S400 and it’s been the best I’ve heard both out of using quite a few amps. I originally heard the Aethos when auditioning Dynaudio Heritage Specials, that were setup with a much more expensive Accuphase. I did not care for the sound, so the salesman switched to the Aethos.. then everything just fell into place 🥳
Have the Elex R and adore it. It is such a great all rounder. Great detail, punch, dynamics and all with a three D holographic sound stage. System is Mk1 Saturn as a transport into the very first Rega DAC. Speakers are 24 year old Celestion A1 stand mounts. This amp produces great scale and just locks onto the music. Easy to listen for hours to without fatigue. Admit I am tempted to have a go at the Aethos. Curious as to what difference it would make when the system already sounds so good. I sometimes ask myself how could I possibly improve on what I am already hearing. Might try and get a demo model home to try.
Thanks for the review! On an earlier review I mentioned owning the Elex-R and enjoying it so much I thought I'd upgrade to the Elicit-R, but found the Elicit to have a different sound than the Rega. Your response to I DC below noted the Aethos possesses the soul of the ELex-R, but more refined, etc. Well, the Aethos is over my budget, so I'm hoping you get a chance to review the new Elicit Mk 5 and comment on whether they got back to the Rega sound.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪💪💪🥰Wow I can’t believe you got the big guy in the house I did not see the video but I know I will love it I’m making some popcorn sitting down to watch you are the best I really love your videos🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️
Thanks for the review. I'm using the ELEX-R for two years now, playing with JBL 4311B monitors and am quite happy with it. Considering an upgrade to the AETHOS. Does anyone have experience with this combination?
Welcome. And very cool setup. I’ve been thinking of dabbling with a vintage 4311b pair! How big a listening room do you have it in and how do you like the resolution ?
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks very much for your reaction. Listening room is too small for the JBLs, but even there they never disappoint me. I own them since 1980, using various amps. Quad 405 and other, home built tube amplifiers. Got my mind set to the REGA AETHOS now
I love the Aethos in my main rig, what would you recommend for a second system? Will be paired with Rel T/7i, Rega DAC and Buchardt S400 or B&W Nautilus 805, play a lot of tv and movie sound too, so needs to be a bit foregiving,. Mainly low level listening. Love the density and full bodied nature of the Aethos, but can’d spend that much 😊
I would pick the speaker first. If you go with the 805's, you'll need to do deal with the high frequencies. Unless things like vocal sibilance and aggressive highs doesn't bother you. Some people don't mind it.
I just remembered an amp that may work for you. Cambridge audio. I forget the model, but I think it's 100 (something), and goes for about $500. I saw a few reviews on it, and they all said that if you are looking for something "warm and forgiving", this would be a really good choice. Normally, I would never recommend something I haven't listened to myself, but it seemed like the reviews were very consistent.
@@AT-wl9yq Thanks for the input! The Nautilus 805 are interesting, feed them the wrong power and they can fall apart with poor driver integration and brash upper mids and highs(worst case). They worked well with the Exposure 2510 and really well with the Aethos! If matched correctly, I don't find the 805's bright and something from say KEF, PMC and Focal has sounded nitably brigher on audition. That said I have heard from several places that the older Nautilus speakers are tuned pretty differently from the newer generations (e.g. by Darren Meyers of PS Audio who worked at B&W and designed the updated crossover for the snail Nautilus). In any case I'm actually more sensitive to forward mids, unnaturally detailed presence area (looking at you KLH Model five) and lack of fullness in the lower mids/fundamentals! I don't know how consistent the Cambridge sound is, I only auditioned some of their amps years back. Those seemed to have that typical solid state reciever sound; lower treble has that slight tiz/hash/steely qualitly.
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks 👍 Really I would love to get the new Elecit MK5, but I’ll likely pick up a used Elex-R or Elecit-R. Should,be easy to resell if for whatever reason not a good match.
Thanks for your reply The Aethos is such a great amp.I know of cause there is much better amps out there But for a value for money point of view you get so much .Its a real sweet spot and with its power ...who needs pre @ power ? I find mine so transparent and it doesn't seem to have have a character...it just gets on with the music and you forget about it No better compliment. The case styling is superb Aethos and Maggies work a treat. Cheers Ian
Your review is an Audiophile's guilty dream. I appreciate your detailed and concise reviews. Would the amp suit many genres of music eg Classical, heavy rock, folk, country.? I was thinking of trying out this amp with entry level ATC speakers (power hungry) , would this be a realistic propsition...?
Yes, the Aethos is not genre specific. Power / current hungry speakers should not pose any problems. I have not heard the ATC entry levels. Are they SCM 7s?
With rated 87-ish Db efficiency and min impedance of 5ohms, I do believe the Aethos will be mlre than capable. But I have ask if you will be placing the Dyns in a very large room and at what listening levels do you normally enjoyoy music?
Hello, Seems to be great, I have short experienve with rega, I leked it a lot but returned it because I felt coloration in sound and did not want such amp as my first. Currently I am with naim xs2 but I remeber how I liked rega amo. I want to ask you if you have experience with naim and can tell me your opinion.
I owned the Naim XS2 as well. I prefer the Aethos and the Elicit mk5 over the XS2. Mind you, I have not tried theXS3 tho. I like the tonality and spacious ambience retrieval that the Regas offer vs the XS2.
@@analogholic_reviews I would like to ask you, did you notice with naim like slight unprecision in imaging (center)?. Since I bought ls50 metas I am facing it and do not know if it is coused by naim which I bought secondhand (he is nice but was driving dificult speakers during 7 years), or maybee my DAC. So I am considering rega elex mk4 as my second amp to have some reference point to compare.
Great review! I auditioned the Elex-R few years ago. Fantastic amp. I thought the midrange was rich and punchy. Do you think with the Aethos you lose mid-range richness in the spirit of transparency that I think most of Hi-Fi gear try to pursue at this price point? Thanks a lot.
Thank you 🙏! No, there is no loss in midrange body at all. More resolution, less blur and more transparency in the entire spectrum. I really enjoy this presentation. I wouldn’t call it lacking in richness. Just not that it doesn’t add richness like some tube amps do.
It's an extraordinary value in the uk. I might buy just because it's a Rega. However, it's Uber expensive in North America. Comparing to the SuperNait 3 would be appropriate. I wonder how it would hold up against 5 thousand dollar amps made in the US
I've had an Aethos good amp, but I changed it for a leema acoustics tucana ii anniversary edition amp, which I'm very happy with, I think it's better than the Aethos.
Thanks, Vinod! Yes, it is quite expensive. Relatively speaking tho, Rega offers good value when compared to similarly priced integrated amps or even when compared to uber expensive electronics. Just MHO
@@analogholic_reviews Thank you Rohit. Wanted to check with you when will you be releasing the review on Audiolab 6000A? I am planning to buy it in the near future. Hope the 6000A will pair well with my Tannoy Eclipses 3 and Fyne F-302.
I have been considering this or the hegel 190.I also have the Kef R3's The KEFs are in another level for this size and price point. I would recommend this to anyone They are awesome. But amp picky Hey me again I had to edit this. I know a lot of reviewers use audiophile music. I like some of it, but not trying to disrespectful but play something that is more understood. I understand the recording are very high quality. But get Sting Ten Summoner's Tales. Trust me the production is outstanding. Again nothing against any recording in anyone list. Just a though
Hi Jason. Thank you for the suggestion on play list. Im a music first, audiophile recording second kinda guy. These records tho happen to showcase certain strengths and that makes it easy for me to “illustrate” and explain. I will try and diversify in the next video.
I long term auditioned both the Hegel and the Aethos. To me the Aethos all day long, no competition. Be sure to audition both (or just go for the Rega 😂)
Rega is so good. It doesn’t get much recognition from the reviewers - I don’t think they’ve branched out much into online yet. I tried the Elex-R and have an Elicit-R leaving soon. Really need to hear the Aethos, although that Naim Nait XS3 really has me intrigued.
Agree. I head from several reviewers, that Rega declined their requests to review their products on RUclips. When they do, it’s often their most budget offerings and on the largest channel (mr, Gutenberg).
@@RigVader Rega has no real interest in Marketing their products. They do a very bare minimum advertising. They appear to be building their brand on the basis of sound quality over that of Marketing. I think with some clever marketing they could grow their brand based still on the quality of their equipment. Some Rega gear is fantastic value for money and if they would just develop their RX1 speaker range they could build on that.
As always from you a very consise review
Always enjoy your choice records with regard the review
6 months an Aethos user here and its superb
I think the blue alps pot tracks the signal so well
Have Regas excellent Aria phonostage and Aethos driving Magneplaner 1.7i speakers....effortlessly
Wishing you a Happy New Year
Thanks, Ian! Also, really nice to know you like how the Aethos powers the Maggie 1.7is.
Thoroughly enjoyed this review... you deserve way more SUBS !! Looks like a fantastic Amp ..
Thanks, Anand! I’ve only just begun… 😝
Very helpful and informative - thanks for posting great reviews. Personally I always like to hear (well recorded) in-room audio samples to supplement thorough and considered reviews like yours. Best regards, David
Bought one a few weeks ago. Absolutely brilliant.
The performance is really good… enjoy!
I’ve got KEF R3s. And I’ve compared them to rega’s Elex-r for about six months. They’re quite match. I love the sound they make so much. So I just purchased the Aethos on line 10minures ago. It’ll be shipped to me in three days . I can’t wait to hear it .
Congratulations! I thoroughly enjoyed the Aethos + Kef R3. I hope you will as well. Let me know how you like it if you can pull away from listening 😆
@@analogholic_reviews The Aethos has been received. I like it very much. I feel that the details of the music are better and the dynamics and scale are larger. Especially when listening to symphony and OST.
I’ve got Harbeth p3esr xd’s and this sounds like an end game amp for them, great review!
Do you still have the same setup? I’m looking for perfect amp for P3ESR XD
@@is3commander I don’t, I have Zu dwx supremes now. But I was using the Audiolab 8300a which was great with the xds, and if I was buying them again I’d go with an amplifier with more excitement for these. Exposure 2510 would be beautiful I think
Great review..as an owner of the aethos myself I can confirm it is exceptional
As I noted I am considering this one or the Hegel 190. Do you mind letting know which speakers you run?
@@jasonme3557 I use Dynaudio special 40s
@@brewt1mer I am sure they are great.
@@jasonme3557 they partner well with the aethos.
I run this with B&W nautilus 805 and Buchardt S400 and it’s been the best I’ve heard both out of using quite a few amps. I originally heard the Aethos when auditioning Dynaudio Heritage Specials, that were setup with a much more expensive Accuphase. I did not care for the sound, so the salesman switched to the Aethos.. then everything just fell into place 🥳
Have the Elex R and adore it. It is such a great all rounder. Great detail, punch, dynamics and all with a three D holographic sound stage. System is Mk1 Saturn as a transport into the very first Rega DAC. Speakers are 24 year old Celestion A1 stand mounts. This amp produces great scale and just locks onto the music.
Easy to listen for hours to without fatigue. Admit I am tempted to have a go at the Aethos. Curious as to what difference it would make when the system already sounds so good. I sometimes ask myself how could I possibly improve on what I am already hearing. Might try and get a demo model home to try.
Thanks for the review! On an earlier review I mentioned owning the Elex-R and enjoying it so much I thought I'd upgrade to the Elicit-R, but found the Elicit to have a different sound than the Rega. Your response to I DC below noted the Aethos possesses the soul of the ELex-R, but more refined, etc. Well, the Aethos is over my budget, so I'm hoping you get a chance to review the new Elicit Mk 5 and comment on whether they got back to the Rega sound.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💪💪💪🥰Wow I can’t believe you got the big guy in the house I did not see the video but I know I will love it I’m making some popcorn sitting down to watch you are the best I really love your videos🙏🏻🙏🏻❤️
Why thank you sir! I love it when I get my hands on some cool gear.
Great video. Would love to see you review Hegel H190 or H390.
Really good review. I liked your presentation.
Thank you 🙏
I’d also like to see you review the Aethos against the comparably priced Supernait 3.
Now, that would be readily fun comparison to work on. In fact, that wouldnt be work at all 😁.
Thanks for the review.
I'm using the ELEX-R for two years now, playing with JBL 4311B monitors and am quite happy with it.
Considering an upgrade to the AETHOS.
Does anyone have experience with this combination?
Welcome. And very cool setup. I’ve been thinking of dabbling with a vintage 4311b pair! How big a listening room do you have it in and how do you like the resolution ?
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks very much for your reaction.
Listening room is too small for the JBLs, but even there they never disappoint me. I own them since 1980, using various amps. Quad 405 and other, home built tube amplifiers.
Got my mind set to the REGA AETHOS now
Just bought one of these today used :) Now to choose a good dac.
I love the Aethos in my main rig, what would you recommend for a second system? Will be paired with Rel T/7i, Rega DAC and Buchardt S400 or B&W Nautilus 805, play a lot of tv and movie sound too, so needs to be a bit foregiving,. Mainly low level listening. Love the density and full bodied nature of the Aethos, but can’d spend that much 😊
Consider the Rega Elex or the Denon PMA 1600. Pls watch my videos on those amps.
I would pick the speaker first. If you go with the 805's, you'll need to do deal with the high frequencies. Unless things like vocal sibilance and aggressive highs doesn't bother you. Some people don't mind it.
I just remembered an amp that may work for you. Cambridge audio. I forget the model, but I think it's 100 (something), and goes for about $500. I saw a few reviews on it, and they all said that if you are looking for something "warm and forgiving", this would be a really good choice. Normally, I would never recommend something I haven't listened to myself, but it seemed like the reviews were very consistent.
@@AT-wl9yq Thanks for the input!
The Nautilus 805 are interesting, feed them the wrong power and they can fall apart with poor driver integration and brash upper mids and highs(worst case). They worked well with the Exposure 2510 and really well with the Aethos! If matched correctly, I don't find the 805's bright and something from say KEF, PMC and Focal has sounded nitably brigher on audition. That said I have heard from several places that the older Nautilus speakers are tuned pretty differently from the newer generations (e.g. by Darren Meyers of PS Audio who worked at B&W and designed the updated crossover for the snail Nautilus).
In any case I'm actually more sensitive to forward mids, unnaturally detailed presence area (looking at you KLH Model five) and lack of fullness in the lower mids/fundamentals!
I don't know how consistent the Cambridge sound is, I only auditioned some of their amps years back. Those seemed to have that typical solid state reciever sound; lower treble has that slight tiz/hash/steely qualitly.
@@analogholic_reviews Thanks 👍 Really I would love to get the new Elecit MK5, but I’ll likely pick up a used Elex-R or Elecit-R. Should,be easy to resell if for whatever reason not a good match.
Thanks for your reply
The Aethos is such a great amp.I know of cause there is much better amps out there
But for a value for money point of view you get so much .Its a real sweet spot and with its power ...who needs pre @ power ?
I find mine so transparent and it doesn't seem to have have a character...it just gets on with the music and you forget about it
No better compliment. The case styling is superb
Aethos and Maggies work a treat.
Cheers Ian
Enjoyed this review at 1.75 speed😊
Your review is an Audiophile's guilty dream. I appreciate your detailed and concise reviews. Would the amp suit many genres of music eg Classical, heavy rock, folk, country.? I was thinking of trying out this amp with entry level ATC speakers (power hungry) , would this be a realistic propsition...?
Yes, the Aethos is not genre specific. Power / current hungry speakers should not pose any problems. I have not heard the ATC entry levels. Are they SCM 7s?
@@analogholic_reviews Yes Atc SCM7,11,19 & 40 are all classified as entry level. I was thinking more ATC SCM11 or 19's
I hope you can review the new Elicit-R soon.
I think the Elicit is getting replaced with a newer unit with DAC included.
Is it possible if i couple aethos with dynaudio confidence 20 ? Is the power sufficient to drive ?
With rated 87-ish Db efficiency and min impedance of 5ohms, I do believe the Aethos will be mlre than capable. But I have ask if you will be placing the Dyns in a very large room and at what listening levels do you normally enjoyoy music?
@@analogholic_reviews my listening room will be 4m by 5m the height of 5m
My loudness will be moderate.. or should i go with osiris ?
I think the Aethos will be awesome in your setup.
I haven't heard the Osiris. But I think it will be amazing.
Hello, Seems to be great, I have short experienve with rega, I leked it a lot but returned it because I felt coloration in sound and did not want such amp as my first. Currently I am with naim xs2 but I remeber how I liked rega amo. I want to ask you if you have experience with naim and can tell me your opinion.
I owned the Naim XS2 as well. I prefer the Aethos and the Elicit mk5 over the XS2. Mind you, I have not tried theXS3 tho. I like the tonality and spacious ambience retrieval that the Regas offer vs the XS2.
@@analogholic_reviews perfect, thank you very much , very helpfull
@@analogholic_reviews I would like to ask you, did you notice with naim like slight unprecision in imaging (center)?. Since I bought ls50 metas I am facing it and do not know if it is coused by naim which I bought secondhand (he is nice but was driving dificult speakers during 7 years), or maybee my DAC. So I am considering rega elex mk4 as my second amp to have some reference point to compare.
Great review! I auditioned the Elex-R few years ago. Fantastic amp. I thought the midrange was rich and punchy. Do you think with the Aethos you lose mid-range richness in the spirit of transparency that I think most of Hi-Fi gear try to pursue at this price point? Thanks a lot.
Thank you 🙏! No, there is no loss in midrange body at all. More resolution, less blur and more transparency in the entire spectrum. I really enjoy this presentation. I wouldn’t call it lacking in richness. Just not that it doesn’t add richness like some tube amps do.
Id urge you to try a purifi based amp. Rega amps are extremely overpriced and are colored.
@@vigneshkarthikeyan8174But what color! After trying too many amps (all amps do have a sound in my book), this is the unicorn for me ❤️😎
It's an extraordinary value in the uk. I might buy just because it's a Rega. However, it's Uber expensive in North America. Comparing to the SuperNait 3 would be appropriate. I wonder how it would hold up against 5 thousand dollar amps made in the US
I've had an Aethos good amp, but I changed it for a leema acoustics tucana ii anniversary edition amp, which I'm very happy with, I think it's better than the Aethos.
Thanks for letting me know about the Tucana. It looks beautiful. A bit more tougher on the wallet than the Aethos.
@@r423fplip Tucana is a much better amp than the Aethos, it's worth the extra
No doubt!
Is aethos, class a amp or ab am ?
Preamp section is fully Class A. Power amp section could be high bias so first few watts will be class A.
Beautiful review. But very expensive gear.. beyond my reach.
Thanks, Vinod! Yes, it is quite expensive. Relatively speaking tho, Rega offers good value when compared to similarly priced integrated amps or even when compared to uber expensive electronics. Just MHO
@@analogholic_reviews Thank you Rohit. Wanted to check with you when will you be releasing the review on Audiolab 6000A? I am planning to buy it in the near future. Hope the 6000A will pair well with my Tannoy Eclipses 3 and Fyne F-302.
The audiolab video should be released in about 2 weeks. I am waiting on the Rega Brio so I can compare once again A to B vs the Audiolab.
I have been considering this or the hegel 190.I also have the Kef R3's
The KEFs are in another level for this size and price point. I would recommend this to anyone
They are awesome. But amp picky
Hey me again I had to edit this. I know a lot of reviewers use audiophile music. I like some of it, but not trying to disrespectful but play something
that is more understood. I understand the recording are very high quality. But get Sting Ten Summoner's Tales. Trust me the production is outstanding.
Again nothing against any recording in anyone list. Just a though
Hi Jason. Thank you for the suggestion on play list. Im a music first, audiophile recording second kinda guy. These records tho happen to showcase certain strengths and that makes it easy for me to “illustrate” and explain. I will try and diversify in the next video.
@@analogholic_reviews Nice.I look forward
I long term auditioned both the Hegel and the Aethos. To me the Aethos all day long, no competition. Be sure to audition both (or just go for the Rega 😂)
@@RigVader I will TY
Rega is so good. It doesn’t get much recognition from the reviewers - I don’t think they’ve branched out much into online yet.
I tried the Elex-R and have an Elicit-R leaving soon. Really need to hear the Aethos, although that Naim Nait XS3 really has me intrigued.
Agree. I head from several reviewers, that Rega declined their requests to review their products on RUclips. When they do, it’s often their most budget offerings and on the largest channel (mr, Gutenberg).
@@RigVader
Rega has no real interest in Marketing their products. They do a very bare minimum advertising.
They appear to be building their brand on the basis of sound quality over that of Marketing.
I think with some clever marketing they could grow their brand based still on the quality of their equipment.
Some Rega gear is fantastic value for money and if they would just develop their RX1 speaker range they could build on that.