Rega AETHOS Integrated Amplifer

Four Output Transistors a Channel

The Rega Aethos uses four 160-watt, 16-amp output transistors per channel, and delivers 156 watts per channel into 6 ohms. Those are unusual numbers to lead with, and they are the reason the amplifier behaves the way it does when a speaker gets difficult.

It arrived in a custom-designed case built for it rather than borrowed from elsewhere in the range. Rega does not make many amplifiers at this level, and the Aethos is the one the company points at when asked what it can do.

Where It Sits

Above the Elicit and below the Osiris, the Aethos is the amplifier for someone who has decided the source and the speakers are settled and the middle of the chain is what is left to fix. That is usually the right order to do things in.

An Amplifier, Not a Hub

There is no converter and no streaming inside. Rega's argument is that an amplifier should amplify, and that the money is better spent on the power supply, the output stage and the casework than on digital circuitry that will be superseded.

What That Buys

It buys an amplifier that will still be current in ten years, because nothing in it goes out of date. Sources change every few years; a well-built amplifier does not, and that is the case Rega makes with this one.

The look is unmistakably Rega, which people either want or do not. If you do, there is nothing else quite like it at the price, and it is meant to be heard before it is judged.

Who Is This Integrated Amplifier Best For?

• Your speakers are hard to drive — four output transistors a channel and 156 watts into 6 ohms mean the amplifier stops being the limit on what they can do.
• You have settled your sources — the Aethos puts everything into amplification rather than into digital circuitry you may replace in a few years.
• You want it to last — nothing inside goes out of date, which is the strongest argument for spending at this level on an amplifier rather than a hub.
• You already own Rega — the case was designed for this model, and a system built from the range looks and behaves as one thing.
• The Aethos is purely analog — it has no converter and no streaming, so digital sources need one ahead of it. Add one from our DACs.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Line-level sources connect to the analog inputs, and speakers to the binding posts. A converter or a streamer feeds it like any other source, through a line input.

Because there is no digital circuitry to configure, setting it up is a matter of connecting sources and speakers. There is nothing to update and nothing to log into.

Pairs Well With

Building your system? Here are some great companions:

• Speakers: 156 watts a channel deserves a serious pair — see our Floorstanding Speakers.
• DAC: The digital front end this amplifier leaves to you — browse our DACs.
• Turntable: The obvious partner for a Rega system — see our Turntables.
• Cables: Good cable at this level — see our Speaker Cables.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much power does it deliver?

156 watts per channel into 6 ohms, from four 160-watt, 16-amp output transistors per channel.

Does it have a built-in converter?

It is purely analog. A converter or streamer connects to one of its line inputs.

Where does it sit in Rega's range?

Above the Elicit and below the Osiris, in a case designed specifically for this model.

Why no digital circuitry?

Rega's position is that sources are replaced every few years while a well-built amplifier is not, so the money goes into amplification.

Can I connect a turntable?

Through a phono stage into one of the line inputs, in the usual way for an amplifier at this level.

What is the case like?

Custom-designed for the Aethos rather than shared with other models in the range.

See It in Action

Analogholic reviews the Aethos in a full system:

And Hi-Fi Riff on why it stands out:

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