RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
Are you looking for a moving-magnet phono stage? At £100, this is a strong deal: it sits well below the £116 25th-percentile figure from 81 comparable listings, versus a £142 median and £193 upper quartile. Assuming it’s the standard FONO MM rather than the MC version, the price is firmly bargain territory.
The FONO is well regarded for its clean, lively, rhythmically convincing presentation, with punchy bass and good dynamics; it is a meaningful step up from many built-in amplifier phono stages. It is deliberately simple, with straightforward RCA connections and accurate RIAA equalisation. The key check is cartridge compatibility: it is MM-only, not suitable for moving-coil cartridges. Also confirm the correct external power supply is included, but if it works properly, £100 is an easy recommendation.
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.
