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New, the Rega EAR was around GBP £198, with previously owned examples recently offered at about GBP £99, so GBP £89 is a strong deal. It sits well below the supplied market 25th percentile of GBP £159, and comfortably under the GBP £307 median for 466 comparable listings.
This is a compact, well-regarded amplifier with a slightly warm, generous presentation, low output impedance, and enough power for a broad range of headphones. Its RCA link output is useful in a conventional hi-fi setup, while the external supply helps keep noise down. At GBP £89, the main checks are simply that the power supply is included, both channels work cleanly, and the volume control is quiet; if so, this looks like an easy recommendation rather than merely a fair buy.
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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