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This is a buyer’s market for this piece right now, and US$715 sits below the US$750 median and just under the US$700–US$806 recent comp band, so it reads as a fair-to-good buy rather than a steal. It is not a bargain in the strict sense, but it is priced reasonably enough that a clean unit should be worth a serious look.
The appeal is straightforward: the Aria is a respected phono stage with a strong reputation for musical, low-noise performance and enough quality to stay in a serious vinyl system for years. At this level, the upside is getting a well-regarded outboard phono stage without paying new-retail money; if it includes the power supply and the seller can confirm normal operation, that supports the value. Given the model’s age, I would mainly check for hum, crackle, and any sign of channel imbalance before buying.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
Rega Research, founded in 1973 in Essex, England, by Roy Gandy and Tony Relph, emerged from Gandy's lifelong passion for vinyl playback. A Ford engineer and music enthusiast, Gandy built his first turntable, the Planet, in his spare time, blending the founders' surnames to create the Rega name. From humble beginnings in a derelict mill, the company quickly gained traction with early models like the Planar 2 and Planar 3, establishing its heritage as a British hi-fi pioneer dedicated to precision engineering and hand-assembly.
Rega specializes in turntables and tonearms, its cornerstone products, but has expanded into a full ecosystem including cartridges, integrated amplifiers like the Elicit and Brio, phono stages such as the Fono, and speakers like the Ela series. While early efforts included loudspeakers and electronics from the 1980s onward, the brand prioritizes vinyl-centric components over headphones, DACs, or cables, all designed in-house for musical fidelity using specialist materials and tight tolerances.
Rega holds a revered position in the high-end hi-fi market as a niche boutique icon, prized by audiophiles for affordable, lifetime-quality performance that emphasizes music over gimmicks. Globally exported to over 50 countries from its Essex facility employing more than 150, it remains a symbol of British ingenuity, with turntables like the Planar series securing enduring loyalty among vinyl revivalists.
See all Rega listings on RADAR.
