Rega io Integrated Amplifier: The Audiophile System Builder

While I was doing the research a vintage audio feature on the Aragon 4004 MKII power amplifier, I came across an article from 1990 that changed my life when I read it on the newsstand during my college years inside the Beltway. 1990 was a big year for me; both in terms of moving from Canada to America but also the beginning of 31 years of audiophile hell. Products like the Rega io Integrated Amplifier are my way home.

I’m so impressed with the minimalist Rega amplifier that it earned a spot on our “Best Budget Integrated Amplifier” list during our recent podcast with “Tarun: A British Audiophile.”

The Rega io makes zero promises that it can’t keep.

We’re slightly discouraged that the price just jumped almost $75 in January to $725 USD due to supply chain issues and increased shipping costs but Rega finds itself in a tight spot right now like many other brands.

On the plus side, it borrows its amplifier and phono section from Rega’s excellent Brio amplifier which makes it quite appealing.

2 line level inputs and 1 phono input might not seem like a lot in 2022 but I’m going to suggest that it is the more than enough for a turntable, streamer, and CD player.

If you need additional inputs, the more expensive Brio will be your cup of tea. The Brio also just jumped $100 in price for similar reasons to $1,100 USD.

The front panel even includes a 3.5mm headphone jack which worked just fine with a pair of Meze Audio 99 Classics, and Audeze LCD-1 headphones. It’s not the most powerful headphone amplifier I’ve ever heard but I’ll take sonics with high sensitivity cans over its ability to drive large planar magnetic headphones.

The Rega io takes up very little space and weighs less than 7 pounds in your hand; the reality is that it’s built very well and will outlast any cheap receiver you’re likely to purchase online.

The class A/B circuit shares its DNA with the rest of Rega’s amplifiers, and as usual, great care has been taken in component selections Sanken output transistors and an Alps volume potentiometer and a linear power supply that enables an output of 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms.

30 watts.

I know that doesn’t sound like a lot of power but like all things Rega and Naim — the io can work surprisingly well with a lot of bookshelf speakers and I think most people will be so impressed with its smooth presentation and sense of drive — that they won’t care that it only delivers 30 watts/channel.

Violent Femmes

I grew up listening to the iconic indie band from Milwaukee in the 1980s before I ever opened that fateful copy of the New York Magazine and went down the path to the dark side forever. Not an audiophile recording to say the least but the energy drove me from my bed and I don’t think I ever enraged my parents with another album more.

Cranking my Yamaha/Celestion combination well past sane listening levels that had my younger siblings running for cover on the 2nd and 3rd floors of our home was a moment of great triumph.

The Rega io makes me want to do that with really efficient loudspeakers because it has so much drive and midrange punch, but that would put this system out reach for many.

To keep this system within reach, I would suggest the ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2, Wharfedale EVO 4.1, or Triangle Borea RB03 bookshelf loudspeakers.

Sources of Angst

I’m tempted to suggest the new ProJect Debut PRO turntable but that’s probably too expensive for most considering the Rega io; the more affordable Debut EVO fits the bill here nicely.

A Rega Planar 2 turntable would also work very well with its sibling and its Carbon MM cartridge matches up well with the internal phono section.

The brand new Bluesound NODE is on my desk right now and I’m very tempted to suggest it if you can swing the $549 asking price. It offers support for every major streaming service and offers support for hi-res audio and MQA.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, the Andover Songbird streamer is a good place to start but it does not support hi-res audio and is best used from its analog outputs.

The io of My Eye?

What I like the most about the Rega io is that it doesn’t try to be something that it isn’t. It doesn’t offer an internal DAC or network player and the 30 watt power rating doesn’t make it compatible with too many speakers over $1,000 from a practical perspective.

It is supremely confident in its ability to make music erupt from whichever speakers your pair with it and with a high level of sound quality at the same time. It doesn’t deliver detail as well as some other more expensive integrated amplifiers in the $1,000 – $1,500 category and it doesn’t deliver bass response with the kind of grip that you might expect from more expensive amplification — but it’s also never going to suck with any kind of music that you feed it.

I’m sure Rega will use that quote in its marketing.

It reminds me a lot of the excellent Cambridge Audio AXA35 but with more bounce in its step.

I recognize that $2,000 for a system based around the Rega io might seem like a lot of money, but I’d argue that making it the heart of a system right now gives you a fighting chance to avoid going down the path of no return. And you’ll thank me for it in the years to come.

Just think about all the money you will have left for music.