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ACCESSORIES
They rarely grab the limelight, but these background actors are crucial to your systems’s overall plot and often play a crucial supporting role – sometimes literally
■ Rega Fono MM Mk5 £220
Rega’s Fono MM has been our go-to recommendation for an affordable phono stage for so long now that we are beginning to wonder if rival manufacturers are ever going produce anything that will knock it off its perch. Quite simply, this minimalist, moving-magnet-only design remains better than any other budget option.
Not wanting to spoil a winning recipe, Rega ensured the revisions from the Mk4 to the Mk5 were minimal. The main changes were cosmetic – but since the Fono MM was already a clear class leader, that was clearly a wise decision.
Connectivity is simple, 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
Rega says “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” – a mantra that works a treat authority of Beethoven’s Fifth and is full of enthusiasm when it comes to thumping out the music’s dramatic dynamic shifts. The Fono’s presentation is decently balanced when it comes to tonality, and sound staging – while not the most spacious – is nevertheless perfectly acceptable. Rega may not have pushed the boat out with the Fono MM for a while, but it really hasn’t needed 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.