That's the Rega Replay, and yes, it's real.
What Rega Actually Built
That's not corner-cutting — it's the same engineering logic Rega apply to their most expensive decks.
The RB110 tonearm uses an aluminium beam and Rega's proprietary bearings. Bias is factory-set for the Carbon moving magnet cartridge, which arrives already fitted. Set-up amounts to removing the card shim from under the subplatter, dropping the platter on, sliding the counterweight to its stop, and lifting the stylus guard. Drive comes from a 24V synchronous AC motor — the same basic type used across the entire Rega range — via a round belt to the subplatter, the same approach used on the LP12 and Rega's own higher-end models.
The dust cover is a removable cap rather than a hinged lid.
What It Sounds Like
Kennedy compared the Replay directly against a Planar 1 — and found a real difference: "In the context of a full Rega system the Replay delivers a better result than the P1." He noted that the longer he listened, the more the Replay opened up.
His conclusion was direct: "The real story with the Replay is not that it's the least expensive turntable made in Europe — it's that it emulates the most ambitious record player that a company which leads the way in turntable design has ever made."
What You'll Need Alongside It
The Rega Replay Turntable outputs a phono-level signal, so you'll need either an amplifier with a built-in phono stage or a separate one.
At £259 for a complete, UK-made, ready-to-play turntable, the Replay is the kind of thing we're genuinely glad to be able to stock. If you'd like to hear it — or talk through what it would take to build a first system around it — Dave and Chris are here to help.
Get in touch at info@martinshifi.co.uk, call 01603 627010, or WhatsApp on 07554 687137. We're at 85–91 Ber Street, Norwich, NR1 3EY.
