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Authorized dealers for Rega Aphelion 2

  • Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
  • In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
  • Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
  • The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
  • 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
  • A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
  • Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
  • Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
  • Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
  • Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)

and 342 more verified dealers

Potato score: 94.3

94%

Rega Aphelion 2 #1
Rega Aphelion 2 variant 1
Rega Aphelion 2 variant 2
Rega Aphelion 2 variant 3
Rega Aphelion 2 variant 4
Rega Aphelion 2 variant 5

Rega Aphelion 2

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Aphelion 2 is the 4th generation of our unique handmade moving coil cartridges. Taking the technology developed from the original Aphelion and the latest Apheta 3 to the next level, our engineers have now fine-tuned every aspect of the original designs.


The Ultimate in Micro Engineering and Design

The Aphelion 2 is the ultimate in micro engineering and design. Our unique hand-wound micro cross and coil assembly is built directly onto a Boron rod cantilever. The advanced ‘fine line’ profile nude diamond is then mounted through 90 degrees which offers extreme levels of stiffness and control over the stylus. This design requires a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to engineering to achieve the highest level of performance from a Rega cartridge to date. Designed to complement the reference range of Rega turntables including the Naiad.


Key Features

  • Graded zero tolerance black anodised aluminium body
  • Boron rod cantilever
  • ‘Fine line’ profile, nude diamond stylus
  • Iron micro cross and coil assembly making one of the worlds smallest MC generators
  • Worlds most powerful minaturised neodymium magnet
  • High specification fine wire 0.018 mm
  • Lifetime warranty against manufacture defects

Rega’s Moving Coil cartridge design is unique in its approach to achieving an ultra-low mass generator which is undamped (no tie wire) using a unique rhomboid pivot for the cantilever powered by a purpose designed, exclusive to Rega, Neodymium magnet system. This type of design requires a zero-tolerance engineered cartridge body which is Rega’s area of expertise and with the Aphelion 2 these bodies are machined from one piece of the highest quality aluminium. This is a difficult and expensive process requiring all of Rega’s years of experience to achieve. In particular, the “zero” tolerancing of the body is required in the alignment and dimension of the pivot pad mounting hole and the magnet mechanism mounting hole relationship.


Conventional MC cartridges utilize a steel suspension system (tie wire) which creates a high amplitude H.F. resonance (normally around 8-12 kHz). Such resonance is unacceptable and is usually damped by a rudimentary piece of foam rubber. However, the foam rubber deteriorates with age and cannot prevent the complete structure from vibrating and “ringing”. The specifics and adjustment of the tie wire and damping determine whether the cartridge is under damped (bright) or over damped (warm and bass heavy). A happy medium is rarely achieved. This encouraged Rega to pursue a new direction inspired by modern materials and the basic laws of magnetism. The Aphelion 2 contains neither a tie wire nor a foam damper. Moving coil aficionados will all recognise the long search for super clear, high frequency combined with firm, tight bass, characteristics all Rega moving coils exhibit.


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Professional Reviews 94/100

Rating for Aphelion 2

Deliciously Crispy

Sound Quality

95/100

Build Quality

93/100

Features Usability

88/100

Value for Money

96/100

Rega’s Aphelion 2 brings pure musical transparency to premium vinyl replay, combining ultra-fine retrieval with a neutral, refined balance that lets recordings dictate the drama. The Ear found its focused imaging, lifelike timbre and lightning-fast dynamics uncover fresh substance in familiar LPs, while its boron-cantilever construction promises serious engineering behind the effortless sound.

What Reviewers Are Saying

"The Aphelion one of those very rare cartridges that is so well thought out that you get detail down to the quietest sounds as well as musicality that cannot be beaten."

— The Ear — The Ear Editor

Pros

Exceptionally transparent, neutral presentation reveals low-level musical and recording detail without added coloration.

Precisely focused stereo imaging places instruments in distinct acoustic spaces with strong definition.

Refined yet lightning-fast dynamics convey lifelike timbre and excitement when the recording demands it.

Boron cantilever, machined aluminium body and protective clear cover support a robust, low-mass design.

&

Cons

Needs more run-in than usual before reaching its full performance potential.

Its subtle resolution requires a transparent, low-noise, high-speed system to be fully appreciated.

SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 95/100

The Aphelion 2 is described as exceptionally transparent, refined and free of added emphasis, while still conveying speed, tonal colour and dynamic excitement when the recording calls for it. Review listening also points to unusually complete low-level retrieval and stable, precisely defined stereo presentation.

Overall Sound

96/100

The Ear calls the sound “refined, smooth, calm and revealing,” praising its effortless ability to let the recording rather than the cartridge set the character. It found no detectable coloration or emphasis, yet reports vivid instrumental timbre, palpable presence and thrilling dynamic expression on strong recordings.

Tracking Retrieval

95/100

The review reports lightning-fast performance after a longer-than-usual run-in, with extremely fine detail extending to foot taps, recording noise floor and nuances on well-worn records. No stylus profile is supplied in the available specifications or review material, but the reported retrieval and speed are outstanding in listening; careful setup and run-in appear important.

Soundstage Imaging

95/100

Instruments and voices are said to occupy distinct acoustic spaces with abundant character and definition. The reviewer specifically praises the solidity of the stereo image and the way ensembles are resolved within the room.

FEATURES USABILITY PERFORMANCE 88/100

Tonearm compatibility / system fit.

Tonearm Compatibility

88/100

This low-output moving-coil design requires suitable gain, loading and careful system matching, with the supplied recommendation specifying a 100-ohm input load. Although it is naturally partnered with Rega arms, the reviewer also used it successfully on an SME Series V and found it was not restricted to Rega turntables; it may nonetheless sound best in its intended Rega context.

Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.

Build Quality

93/100

The cartridge uses a boron cantilever and a black-anodised, single-piece machined aluminium body. Its clear rigid cover protects the exposed coils and magnet from handling and debris while retaining the low-mass benefits of an open-body design.

Value for Money

96/100

At roughly $3,640-$5,545, the Aphelion 2 is firmly a premium purchase, but The Ear considers it a world-beater whose asking price is not extreme beside competing cartridges. The reviewer says it combines exceptional low-level detail with musicality that “cannot be beaten,” and notes that no previous reviewed cartridge had achieved quite the same result.

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Authorized dealers for Rega Aphelion 2

  • Absoulute Audio plus Video — in-store — Aiken, South Carolina, United States (website)
  • In Living Stereo — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
  • Resolution A/V — in-store — New York City, New York, United States (website)
  • The Music Room — online and in-store — Erie, Colorado, United States (website)
  • 3mA Audio — online and in-store — Houston, Texas, United States (website)
  • A Tube High Fidelity — online and in-store — Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands (website)
  • Accent On Music — in-store — Mount Kisco, New York, United States (website)
  • Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
  • Acoustic Streams — in-store — Lower Drift, England, United Kingdom (website)
  • Acoustica — online and in-store — Chester, England, United Kingdom (website)

and 342 more verified dealers