Rega Elex MK4 Integrated Amplifier - Black

Rega Finally Put Digital Inputs on the Elex

The Elex MK4 follows the Elex-R, which spent a decade collecting awards. The headline change is digital. Rega built in a DAC with one optical and one coaxial input. A television or a CD transport now connects without a separate box. Earlier Elex models could not.

Power is 72 watts per channel into 8 ohms. Into 6 ohms it rises to 90 watts. Sanken transistors handle the output stage. The chassis is 432 by 82 by 340 millimeters and weighs 11 kilos. The case itself acts as the heat sink.

Four Line Inputs, and Somewhere to Go Next

Four line-level inputs is generous, and a moving magnet phono stage is built in alongside them. Both digital inputs accept 32kHz to 192kHz at 16 to 24 bits. A headphone output sits on the front panel.

Two outputs matter for later. A record output at 164 millivolts feeds a tape deck. A preamp output at 625 millivolts takes a power amplifier or a subwoofer. Rega covers the Elex MK4 for three years in the United States.

Keeping the Digital Side Out of the Analog Side

The DAC follows Rega's DAC-R circuit closely. A Wolfson S/PDIF receiver handles the incoming signal. A Wolfson DAC does the conversion. It feeds a Rega-designed discrete line-driver stage. Both digital inputs are galvanically and optically isolated from the rest of the amplifier.

That isolation was the hard part. Rega split the power supply too, so the digital and analog sections are galvanically separated. Both run from a quiet multi-stage linear supply. Adding digital inputs to an analog amplifier is where designs usually lose their composure.

The Phono Stage Gets the Same Care

Rega split the RIAA equalization into two stages to reduce interaction. Polyester capacitors sit in the signal path. Polypropylene capacitors handle the equalization itself. Component choice at this level is where a built-in phono stage earns its place, or does not.

Protection runs on three fronts. There is a thermal cut-out, DC protection that acts within milliseconds, and fold-back short circuit protection. None of it sits in the audio signal path. The power amplifier output is DC coupled to keep capacitors out of the way.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Jason Kennedy reviewed it for The Ear on 31 January 2023. He found it "delivering uncannily engaging results with all manner of material" and concluded, "The Rega Elex Mk4 is a hi-fi bargain, of that there can be no doubt."

Lim Juan reviewed it for audioFi.net on 20 September 2023. On sound he wrote: "Highly entertaining performance which encourages attentive listening". Rega had, he judged, "kept the value proposition strong with the Elex MK4's improved sound quality".

Both flagged real limits. Kennedy noted that "Speaker matching is important", and that in his system "72W is not quite sufficient in all circumstances". Lim Juan noted there is "no USB connection for the onboard DAC".

Who Is This Integrated Amplifier Best For?

• You have a lot of sources — four line inputs, a phono stage and two digital inputs, which is more connectivity than Rega used to offer at this level.
• You play records seriously — the moving magnet stage has split RIAA equalization and chosen capacitors, not a token circuit.
• You may add separates later — the preamp output takes a power amplifier or a subwoofer, and there is a record output as well.
• You are stepping up from a Brio — 72 watts instead of 50, an extra line input, and the outputs the Brio does not have.
• If your speakers are lean or hard to drive, think carefully — Kennedy found 72 watts short in some circumstances, and the Rega Elicit MK5 is the step up in power.

How Does It Connect to Your System?

A turntable goes to the phono input and up to four analog sources fill the line inputs. A television connects on optical, a CD transport on coaxial. Speakers go to the binding posts, headphones to the front panel, and a subwoofer or power amp to the preamp output.

One caveat worth planning around: there is no USB input, so a computer needs an interface ahead of it. Everything else plugs straight in.

Pairs Well With

Building a system around the Elex MK4? Start here:

• Speakers: Kennedy's warning applies, so avoid lean designs — see our Floorstanding Speakers.
• Turntable: The moving magnet phono stage is built in — browse Turntables.
• CD Transport: The coaxial input is there for exactly this — see our CD Players and Transports.
• Streamer: No USB or network input, so add one — the Cambridge Audio EXN100 feeds it on coaxial or optical.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which digital inputs does it have, and what do they support?

One optical and one coaxial, handling 32kHz to 192kHz at 16 to 24 bits.

Can I connect a turntable directly?

Yes, with a moving magnet cartridge. The built-in phono stage uses split RIAA equalization, so no outboard phono preamp is required.

Is there a subwoofer or pre-amp output?

Yes. Rega specifies a preamp output at 625 millivolts, which suits a subwoofer or a power amplifier, plus a record output at 164 millivolts.

How much power does it deliver?

72 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 90 watts into 6 ohms. Reviewers found that sufficient for most speakers but not every one, so match carefully.

How does it differ from the Brio MK7?

More power, 72 watts against 50. Four line inputs rather than three. And the Elex adds preamp and record outputs, which the Brio does not have.

What does the warranty cover?

In the United States, Rega warrants the Elex MK4 for three years from the date of purchase, or four years from shipment to the dealer, whichever comes first.

See It in Action

Analogholic reviews the Elex MK4 and compares it with its siblings:

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