"Recommended" Award – Five Stars – Hi-fi Choice
Best Buy Award – The Ear
"Something Rather Special at the Price Point"
Rega's all new io amplifier is designed with every music lover in mind. Simple to setup and operate, the io is designed to integrate seamlessly into any hi-fi system.
The compact size allows the io to be used in a variety of systems and delivers a performance well beyond its price point. As you would expect, there is a high quality built-in MM (moving magnet) phono stage, two line level inputs, a redesigned mini wireless remote control and high quality headphone output that is cleverly integrated to deliver optimum performance without compromising the audio circuit. All of these features combine to deliver a powerful, well balanced musical performance at an incredible price.
"From the first bars of music, it is clear that the io is something rather special at its price point. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the top end - the treble is absolutely delightful," reports Adam Smith in his June 2020 five-star review for Hi-fi Choice magazine, which honored the io with a "Recommended" award. "There is no shortage of detail at all and the unit has plenty of insight to offer, but the smoothness, clarity, and lack of sibilance, even in less worthy recordings, is the real prize here. At the low end, the io may only have 30W to play with, but it works wonders with it."
"The Rega Io is a great little amplifier, it packs a punch that you don’t get from the far more highly featured competition that exists on the market and delivers music that you just want to keep playing," notes Jason Kennedy, the-ear.net, June 17, 2020.
Power Amp and Phono Amp Stages Borrowed from the Brio
The io uses the same power amplifier and phono stage as its larger brother, the multi-award winning Brio. The IO aims to deliver exceptional sound quality in a smaller and more cost effective package. 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 selection. Onboard the io are Sanken output transistors, an Alps volume potentiometer, and a linear power supply that enables an output of 30 watts per channel into 8 ohms.
"Star of the Show" Built-in MM Phono Stage
Got a turntable or thinking of buying one? You won't need to invest in an outboard phono preamp with the io. The high-quality MM moving magnet phono stage is built in and it's designed to perfectly complement the rest of the io's circuitry. Just plug in your turntable to the phono input and get ready to find new reasons to enjoy your favorite vinyl.
If you're wondering just how good this phono stage might be, wonder no more. According to Adam Smith in Hi-fi Choice, "Rega is a vinyl specialist after all, and so the phono stage is as good as any standalone MM unit at the price… In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is the star of the show, revealing just how good vinyl can be at this relatively affordable level."
Two Line Level Inputs and a Headphone Stage
In addition to the MM phono stage input, the IO provides two line-level inputs for source components. There is a headphone output on the front of the unit for powering your headphones. The headphone output is driven from the power amplifier stage of the unit through relays to avoid signal degradation when headphones are inserted or when the product is muted, assuring you of the best possible sound quality at all times.
Rounding out this well designed product, a new wireless remote is included as well.
