The Rega Aphelion 2 is intended to set a new standard of precision, according to the promise of the English hi-fi manufacturer Rega Research Limited. This MC pickup system represents the fourth generation of the reference class and represents the ultimate in precision engineering.
Since its foundation, the English hi-fi manufacturer Rega Research Limited has followed the motto that precision is the basis for optimum music reproduction from vinyl records. The company’s founder Roy Gandy, for example, classifies a record player as nothing more than a measuring instrument whose sole function is to reproduce every nuance, every piece of information on the recording medium exactly. A very important part of this is, of course, the pickup, so the English have always paid the greatest attention to this subject and have devoted themselves with great commitment to the development and manufacture of this component.
Over the decades, the company has been able to build up unique expertise and an immense wealth of experience in the field of cartridge development and production, and all this is now concentrated in the latest MC cartridge system Rega Aphelion 2, which represents the fourth generation in the reference class. The Rega Aphelion 2 represents the ultimate in precision mechanics and accuracy, the result of outstanding precision and craftsmanship, and thus the basis for first-class reproduction at the very highest level.
The new Rega Aphelion 2 is based on the technology already used in the Rega Aphelion, but also on that used in the development of the Rega Apheta 3, which has been taken to a new level, according to the English hi-fi manufacturer. The engineers at Rega Research Limited have, it is reported, refined every detail of the design and applied the latest technologies.
The new Rega Aphelion 2 MC cartridge features a boron needle carrier and a Fine Line Type Nude Diamond Profile, the most sophisticated design to date. The drive relies on extremely powerful neodymium magnets and a coil wound by hand on a micro-cross made of iron. Only proven experts are at work here, with a skill that has been perfected over tens of years at Rega Research Limited.
The entire construction is designed in such a way that only a minimum of weight is used to ensure the greatest possible freedom of movement. In addition, minimal tolerances – the manufacturer even speaks of zero tolerance – are intended to guarantee absolute precision,
The case of the new Rega Aphelion 2 MC cartridge is made of aluminium, in a single piece that is anodised in black. A transparent, rigid cover protects the filigree structure with the finest wires, so that handling the cartridge system during assembly and adjustment on the tonearm is easy and risk-free.
The new Rega Aphelion 2 MC Cartridge weighs just 6 g and features a three-point suspension system, which makes it particularly easy to install on appropriately equipped tonearms from Rega Research Limited.
The new Rega Aphelion 2 MC Cartridge is designed to provide an output voltage of 350μV at an output impedance of 10 ohms, with the recommended impedance for the phono preamplifier being specified as 100 ohms. The manufacturer recommends a contact force of 1.9 g for the Rega Aphelion 2 MC cartridge, and this too is listed here for the sake of completeness.
Rega Research Limited naturally recommends the new Rega Aphelion 2 MC Cartridge first and foremost for use with its own reference models, such as the Rega Planar 10 turntable, which can be fitted with this cartridge system ex works if desired. However, the reference turntable from Rega Research Limited, the Rega Naid, can now also be ordered fitted with the Rega Aphelion 2.
According to the information available, the recommended retail price for the Rega Aphelion 2 is likely to be based on that of its direct predecessor, so that one should expect to pay around € 4,200.
Getting to the point
The new Rega Aphelion 2 is based on the technology already used in the Rega Aphelion, but also on the technology used in the development of the Rega Apheta 3, all of which has been raised to a new level, according to the English hi-fi manufacturer. The engineers at Rega Research Limited have, it is reported, refined every detail of the design and applied the latest technologies.
Manufacturer: | Rega Research Limited |
Distribution: | Audiovertrieb by HZ Electronics |
Price: | € 4.200,- |