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Editor's Choice Award – Hi-Fi Choice Magazine
"One of the Finest Phono Stages I’ve Ever Heard"
Rega's Aura Reference MC phono stage is the culmination of decades of electronic design development. Rega has created an ultimate, fully adjustable, three stage, all symmetrical balanced phono preamplifier designed purely to extract the very best performance from your moving coil cartridge and vinyl playback system.
Built into a completely redesigned custom casework, the Aura Reference MC is dedicated to coaxing uncompromising performance from moving coil cartridges. Rega avoided including any superfluous functions as they obstruct the signal path and degrade the sound quality. The Aura incorporates remarkable and innovative design ideas. If you are a vinyl connoisseur, then this component is an absolute must for demonstration.
"Peerless Accuracy and Realism"
"The Aura combines superlative engineering and build to create an unashamedly high-end phono stage that performs remarkably well," notes Ed Selley in his February 2019 review for England's Hi-Fi Choice magazine, which awarded the Aura Reference an Editor's Choice Award. "What sets it apart from many other very capable rivals is that the Aura balances peerless accuracy and realism with the ability to deliver unbridled musical joy. I cannot recall reviewing a product quite as covetable as this in a very long time, and as such, it’s one of the finest phono stages I’ve ever heard."
"The Rega Aura is clearly a top notch phono preamplifier, its build quality, range of features and sheer transparency put it in the premier league, notes Jason Kennedy, Editor of TheEar.Net, in a March 2019 review.
A Three-Stage All-Symmetrical Preamplifier
The Rega Aura is a three-stage, all-symmetrical balanced design preamplifier. The first stage is a symmetrical, complementary class A amplifier, using parallel connected Linear Systems ultra-low noise FET (Field Effect Transistor) transistors configured as a symmetrical compound pair input stage. The use of FET transistors ensures there is no bias current flowing in the cartridge coil so as not to upset the delicate magnetic geometry of the cartridge.
The input circuit configuration also alleviates the use of any coupling components between the cartridge output and the input stage FET transistors, which would degrade the sound. The complementary ultra-low noise FET transistors are carefully graded and matched for optimum performance. This stage drives the passive high frequency part of the RIAA equalization stage.
The second stage is a symmetrical, class A, differential amplifier with a common base driver stage; this is also used as the active amplifier in the low frequency part of the RIAA equalization stage.
The third stage inverts the signal to provide the balanced output along with the output of the second stage; the third stage uses the same circuit topology as used in the second stage.
Symmetrical, Discrete Tracking Power Supply
The power supply of the Aura Reference MC is a symmetrical, discrete tracking power supply using fast diodes and a low noise voltage reference. Each stage has its own localized power supply and LED referenced current generators. To maximize headroom, the Aura has a power supply voltage, which is 60% higher than normally found in such a preamplifier.
Highest Quality Components
Very high quality, polypropylene capacitors have been used in the signal path. 1% tolerance polypropylene capacitors are used in the RIAA EQ stages and audio grade capacitors are used in the rest of the circuit. Gain, Mute and Mono switching is implemented using high quality relays.
Gain Setting Switch
The Aura Reference MC is highly configurable to allow a perfect match with moving coil phono cartridges, offering a range of settings for gain, capacitance, and load. Follow the recommendations from the manufacturer of your cartridge, but by all means experiments with setting to determine which adjustments sound the best to your ear.
The gain setting switch selects the voltage gain of the phono amplifier. Gain I selects 69.5 dB (switch out) and Gain II selects 63.5 dB (switch in). This will provide an input sensitivity of 67 μV and 131 μV respectively for an output level of 200 mV unbalanced and 400 mV balanced. The balanced output is effectively 6 dB higher than the unbalanced output. It is advisable to start with the lower gain setting II and if necessary, increase the gain level to I if more level is required for lower output cartridges. Because the balanced output is effectively 6 dB higher, it could be advisable to select gain II setting when using the balanced output. This will also depend greatly on the sensitivity of the connected amplifier.
Please mute or turn the volume control to minimum when changing the gain setting.
Five Capacitance Settings
There are five different input capacitance settings of 1000 pF, 2000 pF, 3200 pF, 4300 pF, and 5700 pF. Select the required capacitance to match to that specified by the manufacturer in the cartridge specifications. It is permissible to try different loading conditions as sometimes changing the capacitance gives a different sonic performance more suited to your personal taste. This also applies if there is no loading capacitance specified by the manufacturer. To match some ‘legacy’ preamplifiers, select 5700 pF. The 1000 pF setting is optimized for the Rega range of MC cartridges.
Five Load Settings
There are five different input load settings of 50 Ω, 100 Ω, 150 Ω, 300 Ω, and 400 Ω. Select the required load to match to that specified by the manufacturer in the cartridge specifications. It is permissible to try different loading conditions as sometimes changing the load gives a different sonic performance more suited to your personal taste. To match some ‘legacy’ pre-amplifiers, select 400 Ω. The 100 Ω setting is optimized for the Rega range of MC cartridges.
Mute and Mono
Mute allows you to mute the signal when changing the gain setting, in-between tracks or when changing records. The Mono function allows you to play mono recordings via a stereo cartridge.
