A new look coupled with the same class-leading performance
Phono stage | £220 | whf.cm/FonoMM5
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 about as minimalist as such things get at this level, being a moving-magnet-only design with just the basic input and output connections.
The company clearly doesn’t want to spoil a winning recipe, so the revisions for this new Mk5 version amount to a change of casework to match some of the brand’s newer products and… well that’s it. The internals have remained unchanged from the last generation, but given that it was a clear class leader maybe that is not such a bad thing.
Respectable levels
A gain of just over 41dB is more than enough for any price-compatible moving-magnet cartridge. And provided the Fono is placed with a bit of care, hum and other noise levels are respectably low.
This Rega is a small box, about the size of a paperback, so it is easy to tuck away out of sight. The new design is as understated as we have come to expect from the British brand and the quality of build and finish is perfectly fine for the money. Connectivity is as simple as they come with stereo RCAs as the input and output. Just connect the wall wart power supply and off you go.
We try Rega’s Planar 3/Elys record player with the Fono MM Mk5, as well as our reference Technics SL-1000R/ Vertere Sabre combination to gauge how well the phono stage does. The short answer is very well.
Once it has had a few hours to settle, this little phono stage turns in a strong performance. It has a fast, punchy sound that works a treat with the likes of Bruce Springsteen’s Born To Run set. There is plenty of drive to the title track, 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.
Fine details
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. Springsteen’s distinctive, textured vocals come through with all the powe
