Rega will have its 50th anniversary on 13th June. Two fabulous British companies founded in the same year that are still growing strong.
Roy Gandy always shoots from the hip and his unique style of leadership is refreshing in today’s corporate world. As an Isis owner I feel I should mention Terry Bateman who is Rega’s electronics guru.
Gandy says that Rega is running out of chips and it cannot afford to manufacture transports so the Isis may have a limited lifespan. However, their principal business of record decks seems to be going from strength to strength.
11 Likes
Yes, the biggest audio firm not to get involved in streaming.
I don’t know enough about chips issue … but as a company they now make much cheaper integrated amps and have more expensive integrated amps than Naim
They also have cheaper turntables than Linn and more expensive turntables than Linn -the Rega Naiad -
All while keeping manufacturing in UK
4 Likes
Two Bristol shows in a row, and they’ve “only” had their technically worst system playing music. But what a system! I played dj for a short while in their dem room, swapping records and playing 1 track each, but it was thoroughly engaging and enjoyable…. and £999.
I have a rega arm rb808 and r3 speakers and tbh haven’t really listened enough to their higher offerings. Friend has a planar 10 plus aura and rates them very highly.
6 Likes
Another brilliant UK hifi company, with a great deal to celebrate, not least Roy still being very much at the heart of Rega’s business.
I’m sure for many here a Rega Planar turntable has featured in your audio history, or maybe even sits proudly atop your current system. It certainly has for me, with a number of Planar 3s and then more recently the RP10 having won itself a place by its sheer ability to totally immerse me in the music on my LPs and mesmerise me with its taut rhythmic prowess.
A very happy 50th, and congratulations to Roy, Phil, Terry, Paul, Simon, Colin and everybody at Rega past and present who have made themselves a part of its story*.
- If you’re interested in Rega’s story then I can highly recommend the Rega book, A Vibration Measuring Machine.
20 Likes
My first piece of ‘decent’ HiFi kit was a Rega Planar 2. When I got a Linn LP12, I had a Rega R200 arm on it. I still have a Rega Ear headphone amp.
Well done, all at Rega - past & present…!!!
2 Likes
So Roy is the co founder of the company and still the owner some 50 year later. That’s pretty cool 
3 Likes
Roy was also an engineer at Ford motor company’s research centre near Basildon, before i worked there……he certainly a worker.
6 Likes
My Rega ownership has mostly been their speakers and I think they are often seriously underrated by the press. They are one of the stalwarts of the UK hi-fi industry and another great example of finding out what works and doing more of it, if it doesn’t work change it to get it to work or stop doing it if that is not possible.
I wonder how many of us here have at one point or still do have a bit of Rega kit in a system that they listen to and enjoy their music with regularly? I have had some Rega kit for about 35 years or so I would guess and expect to always have some because like Naim kit is let me forget about my hi-fi and just enjoy my music of choice.
5 Likes
My old Planar 2 is still used every day after well over 30 years. It’s had a motor upgrade, a Linn k9 cart many years ago and several stylus replacements but that’s it.
I’ve never felt a strong urge to replace something that sounds good to me and just works.
9 Likes
I have owned a Rega P3-24 and a Rega DAC-R. I really enjoyed having them.
My brother owns the Rega Aethos integrated, which is fantastic (comparable to the SN3).
3 Likes
An excellent read throughly enjoyed it gives a real insight to how Roy Gandy started from humble beginnings having left the Ford plant to start Rega.
As with all great British hifi starting from humble beginnings usually on the kitchen table 
to the excellent manufacturers we still have today. So good to see Roy overseeing the company to date
1 Like
My suspicion is that those of us on this forum that haven’t owned Rega kit is a lower number than this that have .
A UK centric comment I hasten to add
2 Likes
With the amount of choice out there I doubt it. But possibly more people have owned something by Rega than something by any other particular brand. But all those others combined will add up.
I personally have never owned anything by Rega. The only thing I ever lusted after was the Rega Planet CD Player, but I couldn’t afford it at the time.
1 Like
The first system that I bought myself, and was not handed down to me, was a rega planar 3, creek cas4040 with a pair of royd coniston Rs.
5 Likes
I have a feeling that for many, many of us our first serious bit of kit was a Rega3
6 Likes
I only have one Rega product - Aura - but if it’s quality and performance is indicative of the rest of their portfolio then it could be going for another 50 years.
1 Like
I had an RP3 for a long long time and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ah, made me nostalgic now…
1 Like
Rega is a rare type of company these days. Locally manufacturing well made quality products at decent price points for average consumers… every piece of Rega kit I’ve ever had has been an excellent experience.
2 Likes
Rega is the only brand myself and young Sloop (well 26) share. Him a Rega P1 and me a Rega Planar 3.
What’s really great about Rega is they still do systems that the average person can afford.
.sjb
5 Likes
Despite never owning a Rega turntable I totally agree with the great affection of the posters here. I deeply admire their brilliant engineering, their no-nonsense designs and their no bull*hit pricing strategy. To me Roy Gandy is quite simply one of the world’s great turntable designers and it’s a delight to find him still heading up the company. Some 32 years ago I speculatively wrote to him requesting a job and but for the fact they had no suitable vacancy at the time, I might have spent my life working there.
An absolutely delightful company whose story as Richard said is beautifully told in Paul Messenger’s book “A vibration measuring machine”. I recently had the pleasure of reviewing their Planar 10 and it’s a magnificent way to spin vinyl.
Here’s to their next 50 years…
JonathanG
5 Likes