The Mk5 revision keeps the Fono MM at the top of our Awards list
Rega Fono MM Mk5 £220
Rega’s Fono MM has been our go-to recommendation for an affordable phono stage for more years than we care to remember. It is pretty minimalist, being a moving-magnet-only design with just the basic input and output connections.
Rega clearly doesn’t want to spoil a winning recipe, so the revisions for this new Mk5 are minimal. The internals have remained unchanged from the last generation, with the main changes being to the casework cosmetics – but since the Fono MM was already a clear class leader, maybe that is not such a bad thing.
Connectivity is as simple as before, and that works a treat with the likes of Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run, the Rega conveying the hard-charging energy of the music well. Things are rock solid rhythmically and there is enough in the way of low-end power to satisfy; those lows are taut without being overbearing.
Detail resolution is good too. This isn’t the most pristine of productions but the Fono MM can uncover a good amount of detail and organise it into a cohesive and musical whole. This little Rega makes a decent fist of conveying the scale and authority of Beethoven’s Fifth and is full of enthusiasm when it comes to thumping out the music’s dramatic dynamic shifts.
For a budget system, the presentation is decently balanced when it comes to tonality, and the soundstage, while not the most expansive or spacious, is perfectly acceptable. Rega may not have pushed the boat out with this latest upgrade, but it really didn’t need to. The secret to the Fono MM’s success really comes down to its performance. Judged by sound quality, the Rega Fono MM Mk5 phono stage remains the one to beat at this level.
Moon 110LP v2 £560
This classy-looking phono stage is switchable between moving coil and moving-magnet cartridges. Unlike most rivals, the Moon offers gain adjustment in four increments, from 40dB through to 66dB, enough to cope with every moving-magnet design and all but the lowest output moving-coil cartridges.