Rega Fono MM Mk3
£199
Rega decided to release a third generation of its Award-winning amp for moving-magnet cartridges, and has managed to wring out another few drops of performance from an already superlative product.
The main motivation appears to have been aesthetic, to bring the Fono MM’S design into line with its moving-coil stablemate. Inside, though, modifications are minimal, Rega wisely taking an “If it ain’t broke…” approach, and making only
minor tweaks to the board in order to reduce noise levels.
The MK3 is certainly noticeably sleeker than its nearest ancestor, but the genius in its simplicity remains. There is just one button, for power, and to its rear one set of phono inputs with earthing peg and the AC socket.
A resounding success
Placing the Fono MM MK3 between a Clearaudio Concept deck and our reference amplifier, we play Frightened Rabbit’s Painting Of A Panic Attack, and our testing could have been over before the closing bars of the opening track.
Rega has once again succeeded in all it set out to do. That Award-winning sound of the MK2 oozes through our speakers, yet with the lowered noise floor offering more clarity and expanding the horizons of its dynamic range.
A wide-open soundstage has been another of the company’s trademarks, and again you might need binoculars to search for its boundaries. Texturally sparse arrangements such as The Wreck benefit immensely from the space offered to each line, allowing a sea of reverb to lap against the shore, while a taut but generous serving of bottom end offers solidity to Scott Hutchison’s vocal.
Meanwhile more energetic offerings are dealt that similarly trademark Rega punch and enthusiasm, showing off a fine sense of rhythm and a confidence to be precise but non-regimental, letting dynamics drive the percussion as much as having a firm grip on timing.
Difficult as it was to see just how Rega could eke out more from the Fono MM, it has succeeded. It’s just like the MK2, only with less noise to disturb its class-leading performance.