[Listening test] Rega Elex mk4 - solid state stereo integrated amplifier

Product: Rega Elex mk4 - integrated amplifier
Manufacturer: Rega - UK
Test sample supplied by: Green Sounds - Italy
Approx. price (March 2025): 1650€
Reviewer: Lucio Cadeddu - TNT-Audio Italy
Reviewed: March, 2025

Introduction

Rega loves to make HiFi components that will last and retain their name for decades. So this Elex mk4 is just the fourth incarnation of the first Elex integrated amplifier, which appeared way back in March 1991, exactly 34 years ago. From one version to the next there have been changes and improvements, without ever straying too far from the initial design. Today the Elex occupies the third place in the Rega amplifier range, above the Brio, the little Io that we reviewed two years ago, and below the Elicit. For the Rega customer, therefore, the upgrade steps are quite logical and sequential.

A closer look

Compared to the Elex mk3, the most obvious new feature is the presence of a digital section, with coaxial and optical inputs. Still, there's no USB or Bluetooth connection. The digital section closely follows that of the Saturn-R player, based on the Cirrus Logic WN8742 chipset, a D/A converter that handles PCM up to 32bit/192 kHz and also DSD. It is not a very recent chip, so much so that it also equipped the old Rega DAC-R and the Apollo-R player. There is also a headphone output, absent in the previous version. The power output for the headphones (in the S-Balanced version) disconnects the output stage and connects it directly to them, a solution similar to that used on the small Io. The MM phono input is a must, as per Rega tradition, based on a dual JRC 4580 opamp.

The heart of the Elex has remained substantially unchanged, as has the power: 72 watts per channel on 8Ω and 90 on 6Ω, while the output power on 4Ω is not declared. However, the amplifier can handle even very low impedances without problems. For this new mk4, Rega declares a careful selection of components, the use of polypropylene and polyester capacitors and Sanken transistors for the usual Class AB amplifier section. The power supply section uses two Rega-branded 10,000uF/50V capacitors, coloured in the usual Rega green, and a large toroidal. The motorized volume potentiometer is an RK168-100KBX4 from ALPS.

The entire cabinet, including the thick and heavy top cover, acts as a heat sink. On the back, the usual set of RCA connectors (one phono, the other four are line level), a PRE-OUT and a REC-OUT output, the digital inputs and an IEC power socket without an earth connection (yes, the third pin is missing). Therefore the device is of the double-insulated type. The multi-standard appropriately spaced speaker binding posts complete the rear panel.

When switched on, the striking Rega logo on the front lights up in a beautiful bright red. A complete remote control that can also operate other Rega equipment allows control of all the functions. The Elex mk4 is a large and heavy unit, but not to show off any useless solidity, but rather because the interior is actually full and the cabinet is made of thick metal to act as a dissipater for the heat generated by the power stages. In this regard, the following warning is reported in the manual: “Continued high level use into loads of 6Ω or less may cause the case to exceed 40°C above ambient temperature and activate the thermal shut down”.

The new Elex's chief designer is Terry Bateman, who has a penchant for writing (signing them with his initials TB) bizarre sentences on the printed circuit boards of the devices he designs. This time, on the Elex mk4, he wrote: “EL84, do we really need 17 watts?” He is referring to the EL84 valves, of which he seems to be a great fan, especially when used in the Leak Stereo 20 and TL12+s amplifiers from many decades ago. The strange thing is that he designs solid-state amplifiers with much higher power, like this Elex. Does he really think that 17 watts are excessive, given that they are exactly what a pair of EL84s produces in push-pull mode (which in single-ended mode drop to 5.7 watts)?

Claimed tech specs

A competent and elegant performer

After having positively reviewed the little one from Rega, the Io, I was curious to try the new incarnation of the Elex, its big brother. The Elex project continues on the path traced by the previous versions and by Rega amplifications in general, therefore it is not a surprise that we find, to a large extent, the characteristics that I had described in the review of the Io model. This is already a good sign: those who buy Rega know what to expect, there is an unmistakable family sound in their products. Here, moreover, you can feel more the hand of a valve enthusiast like Bateman, because the Elex sounds gentler and less aggressive than the Io and the Brio, while maintaining the typical Rega ability to follow the music and the rhythm with extreme ease.

It's a more elegant, mature, smoother sound, with a focus on the midrange, which is reproduced with precision and detail, but without any annoying emphasis. Voices, string instruments, keyboards and brass instruments populate the sound-stage with a decisive grace, never swashbuckling. The thing that is most perceived is a sort of uniformity in all portions of the midrange, a sign of a truly well-aligned tonal balance.

Going up the sound takes on a more amber connotation: detail, transparency and precision are not lacking, but we are far from certain sounds of modern hyper-defined high-end components. Who knows, maybe even in this portion of the audio spectrum Bateman wanted to find that typical timbre of certain valves, such as his beloved EL84. The harmonic content is excellent, and each instrument expresses itself without any sort of protagonism. You won't jump out of your seat and say: "Wow! Listen to this barely perceptible detail!" because this doesn't seem to be the purpose of this amplifier (and, I would say, of its other team-mates). What really matters is the overall vision, coherent and realistic.

In the bass and mid-bass range you can feel a little more muscle than the Io, and so articulation and power acquire weight and relevance. Even in the presence of great energy demands the Elex doesn't lose its composure and continues straight on its way. Just the first octave (from 20 to 40Hz, nothing you can hear with, let's say, normal speakers) seems to have less energy. The feeling is that there is a slight roll-off, combined with a perceptible lack of control.

Excellent is the performance from a dynamic and rhythmic point of view, the real strong points of Rega and of this Elex in particular: the scanning of musical tempos, even in the presence of complex textures, is metronomic, precise and without any kind of smudges. This, as is obvious, contributes greatly to the involvement during listening, because music is, first of all, rhythm. Try asking a conductor what one of his greatest fears is: he will tell you that it is that one section of his orchestra plays slower than another. It is no coincidence that one of his tasks is precisely that of scanning the tempos correctly. There are HiFi components, speakers but also amplifiers, which reproduce certain portions of the audio spectrum (usually the bass) always a little late compared to the rest. And it is annoying, of course, but for me it is literally unbearable. This risk was already remote with the little Io, with the Elex there is no fear of this happening.

Not only are the musical tempos precisely marked, but also the dynamic leaps are remarkable, faced with confidence but always without ever bordering on excessive spectacularization. Perhaps the Io and the Brio are a little more aggressive from this point of view, having to satisfy a probably younger and less experienced audience. The sound of the Elex, however, is globally bigger than its smaller brothers and even if it lacks the breath of a high-end amplifier (and how could it be) the recreated 3D image is very stable, wide, extended even in depth. Compared to the Io that tended to bring everything to the foreground, here there are different stratified sound-stage levels.

This Elex mk4 is, in other words, a safe upgrade compared to the little ones in the Rega line, even if you shouldn't expect miracles, given the price difference and the fact that the Elex also contains a DAC. However, while the Io and the Brio are more at ease with modern genres, pop and rock in particular, the Elex also performs nicely with classical and jazz.

About the internal DAC: its sound is fundamentally correct, but it limits the performance in the bass range of the Elex a little and also its overall breath on the rest of the audio spectrum. Just try comparing the on-board digital section and a good quality external DAC. The signal, even if passing - in the latter case - through the line inputs and therefore undergoing an extra passage, is bigger, fuller, with a richer and deeper bass range. In other words: the DAC section inside the Elex is good but not at the level of the rest of the amplifier.

The phono stage honours the Rega tradition in analogue. The performance is good (only MM, though) but certainly an external phono preamp is a must if you have a high-end turntable.

Complaints

Manufacturing and finish. Solid and well made, this Elex makes its presence felt in the system, due to its size and weight. In addition, it heats up a bit, but nothing intolerable. I have never managed to trigger the thermal protection, even using speakers with a load lower than the 6Ω indicated by the manufacturer. User interface, including the remote control, is easy and intuitive. The aesthetics are what they are, either you love them or you hate them. Domestic integration into certain types of furniture is not obvious. There is no USB input and Bluetooth, but this last lack can be remedied by adding a BT dongle to one of the various line inputs.

Sound. It is the Rega sound, sic et simpliciter: dynamic, rhythmic, engaging, coherent and very musical. The amp knows how to step aside, leaving room for the music without too many characterizations or protagonisms. If you're looking for modern hyper-definition, look elsewhere. If you need spectacular sound, other devices might be right for you. Personally, being a lover of deep bass, I would have preferred a little more energy in the first octave combined with a little more brilliance in the very high range.

Conclusions

Do you have a Rega Io and want to make a big leap in quality? The Elex is for you. Do you have the Brio and want to add inputs, outputs and the integrated DAC? The Elex is for you. The price difference between the two is 750€ at the current list price (2025), largely justified by the greater power (20 watts more that won't change your life, however), the flexibility of use and the presence of the DAC. Are you looking for a good mid-range integrated, that doesn't cost a fortune, with good driving capabilities and that can be the heart of a modern system with many inputs, including digital ones? Give it a thought. The Elex mk4 is a correct, engaging and respectful performer that will step aside to leave room for lots of beautiful music.

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