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Are you buying a known Rega FONO variant, and does it include the correct power supply? At £205, this is above the comparable-listing median of £147 and just beyond the 75th percentile of £198, so it looks ambitious rather than compelling—especially with condition unspecified. A cleaner example with accessories would need to justify the premium.
That said, the FONO is a worthwhile dedicated moving-magnet stage: typically quiet, dynamic and punchy, with a strong sense of timing and an easy upgrade over many built-in phono inputs. Its fixed 47 kΩ loading keeps setup simple, but it is not intended for conventional low-output moving-coil cartridges or adjustable-cartridge matching. At this price, confirm the exact generation, test for hum and channel balance, and make sure the power supply is included; otherwise, negotiation toward £147–£175 would make more sense.
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.
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