Rega Fono Mini A2D Mk2

Product Information

That isn’t to say the Zen Phono is overly clinical –it will embrace the warmth and character it is offered from your turntable –but it isn’t adding anything to the sound, merely polishing each note to the best of its ability.

Some tests show that a slight amount of harmonic distortion is unavoidable though hardly noticeable. This is because current manufacturers make devices with small distortion specifications. Frequency Response Audio editing software includes a level meter which indicates the output level achieved when playing a piece of vinyl. You should adjust the output as necessary via the ‘Level’ control located on the front panel. Always take special note of record levels to ensure optimum recording quality. The award-winning and highly appreciated Rega Fono Mini A2D MKII is a preamp that perfectly blends cost and performance. It doesn’t cost a fortune, but it sounds and performs like it does. Moving Magnet (MM) Firstly, it’s straightforward to set up and connect. Also, the unique Bluetooth connection is very convenient since you don’t need any long cable for connection. Better still, it’s easily recognizable by the system producing incredible sound.

How About Recording?

It sounds warm and engaging with lots of grunt. It is designed by some of the best engineers in the industry and won many awards. It feels very solid and well built. I could have selected another preamp for this spot to mix up this list, but I couldn’t do that with integrity. When I was searching for the very best phono preamp that wouldn’t break the bank for my turntables, I couldn’t find a better option than the Rega Fono Mini A2D. So I bought it. And I can’t find a better candidate for best overall phono preamp in this article either. It is a really great phono preamp. One that you can buy, hook up, enjoy and never have to think about upgrading. World famous Doug Brady Hi-Fi was born in Liverpool in the late 1950’s at the same time as turntables, vinyl and The Beatles. This cultural revolution with Liverpool at the centre, heralded the very first ‘Brady’ shop W.A.Brady & Son in the city's Smithdown Road.

The Rega Fono Mini A2D provides not only a decent quality MM phono stage, but with the addition of a USB port, it can now also be used as a method of digitizing your record collection for storing on your computer. You can’t just plug most turntables into the input on any old audio system. They produce a very different signal than, say, a CD player. It must be amplified a lot, and then treated to make it sound right. That’s what a phono preamplifier is for.Three of my favorite phono preamps. From left: Pyle PP444, Rega Fono Mini A2D and Pro-Ject Tube Box S2

There is a compromise here, though. With all this focus on clarity and detail, the iFi loses a little of the rhythmic and dynamic sense we’d expect from a five-star product. While the texture and timbre of an instrument is interesting in itself, it needs timing and expression to be music.

Conclusion

The audio signal output from a turntable is usually fragile, like 1000 times low, compared to a CD player. Therefore, there’s a need to boost the signal to reach the average line-level or AUX necessary for the modern amplifiers. The Rega Fono Mini A2D comes with an USB output that enables you to transfer your vinyl records into digital music on your PC. This is a cost effective version of the Fono MM and based on the phono amplifier as used in the Brio- Ramplifier. While its USB connection is a definite selling point, we think perhaps the highest praise we can give Rega here is that the Fono Mini A2D is a class-leading phono stage. You can consider its extra features as a very generous bonus. Just as the Rega Fono Mini A2D MKII that I selected as the best preamp overall above, the Schiit Mani can be that preamp you invest in once and never ever have to upgrade. It has the quality to be your trusted preamp for your whole vinyl spinning life.