We’re getting into serious hi-fi territory here. This set-up, of four superb products, proves you don’t have to spend really silly money on getting stunning stereo ability.
For just over three grand (in the UK, that is; those in US and Australia will be paying a bit more), you are getting here a system that will give you many years of service playing your vinyl and digital discs. And, of course, there is always the scope to upgrade, should you feel the need, adding (say) a music streamer to the party.
That might not be needed for a while though, as the CD player here has the ability to handle hi-res files as well, so there’s plenty of variety available here straight out of the box.
The system
- Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3 – £840 / $1395 / AU$1799
- CD player: Arcam CD5 – £699 / $770 / AU$1495
- Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7 – £799 / $1095 / AU$1699
- Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E – £999 / $1299 / AU$1999
- Total system price: £3337 / $4559 / AU$6992
Turntable: Rega Planar 3/Nd3
Rega’s Planar 3 record deck has been around for as long as What Hi-Fi? – that is to say, it is now in its 50th year, having been launched back in 1976. In that time, of course, it has been tweaked, upgraded, improved, and lots of other words implying generally made better, on numerous occasions.
Probably the biggest evolution came a decade or so ago in 2016, but it was buffed again in 2024. The minimal but well made Planar 3 is now available in four finish options: black, white or red, all in gloss, and a light-oak finish. The big change last year, though, was the switch of cartridge from the Elys2 to the newer Nd3.
As we say in our most recent Planar 3 review: “The comparisons between the Nd3 and long-running Elys 2 don’t take long to make. As we work our way through Michael Jackson’s Bad set, The Boatman’s Call by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, it becomes clear that the new cartridge is better in just about every area.” And the Elys 2 package had won plenty of Awards itself, remember.
“The Nd3 tells us more about the recording, rendering vocals and instrumental textures more convincingly. It has stronger dynamics too.”
So what we have is a package that improved on an already rival-beating forebear, and not for too much extra money either. No-brainer there, then.
CD player: Arcam CD5
The turntable is joined here by Arcam’s new(ish – it came out in 2023) CD5 CD player. New kid it may be, but the CD5 has fast become a mid-price contender.
Connections have been kept frugal, with a single pair of RCA line level outputs and, on the digital side, one optical and one coaxial output apiece. Importantly, though, and as referenced above, you can also play music files (in FLAC, WAV, WMA, MP3 and AAC formats up to 24-bit/192kHz) if they are stored on a USB flash drive or hard disk, thanks to the USB-A input on the back panel.
It is a tremendously entertaining and talented performer with an engaging, punchy and muscular delivery. It’s a great big spread of sound that fills up a room easily, but never overwhelms, staying on the pleasant side of transparent and neutral. The CD5 offers an evenly balanced performance throughout: the treble bites but never makes us wince, while the muscular low end has a satisfying solidity that keeps us connected to every genre of music.
As we say in our review: “Most of all, it’s just fun to listen to. The CD5’s rich and likeable presentation delivers the essence of a song in the most entertaining way, while also ensuring it hits all the right hi-fi notes along the way.”
Integrated amplifier: Rega Brio Mk7
The Rega Brio amplifier, like its stablemate turntable in this system, has been around for quite some time – in this case since 1991. Now in its Mk7 iteration, it (finally) acknowledges the world in which we’re living, and includes digital inputs for the first time (potential system-upgrade potential alert).
With the improvements to this version of the Brio, however, also came an increase in price – and we were somewhat concerned that it might not be able to compete as effectively in this higher price bracket. Clearly, we shouldn’t have worried.
Judged by those price standards, it is a hugely accomplished performer that puts clear air between itself and its predecessor. “As we compare the two, it doesn’t take long to appreciate the new amplifier’s greater insight, organisation and improved dynamic expression.
“The Brio Mk7 has a bold presentation, one that brims with confidence and substance… it is hard not to be impressed by the Brio’s taut, grounded, low-frequency performance and its ability to deliver dynamic contests with conviction. It has a firm grip of rhythms too, giving the music a solid foundation and a great sense of momentum.”
Floorstanding speakers: Fyne Audio F501E
We needed speakers in this system to take advantage of all the musical strengths the sources and amplifier bring to the party, of course.
And Fyne Audio have absolutely pulled it out of the bag with the What Hi-Fi? floorstanding speaker Product of the Year winners, the F501E.
The big news for this impressive entry level floorstander is that Fyne’s trademark Isoflare driver array, where the tweeter sits in the throat of the mid/bass unit, has trickled down to this range for the first time.
General build quality is as solid and neat as expected at this level. However, these speakers are available only in a black-ash vinyl wrap. The lower production cost of having just a single finish is a part of the reason Fyne can achieve such an aggressive price for the F501E. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a compromise that we – after hearing these superb floorstanders perform – are only too willing to make.
One of the advantages of a coaxial configuration such as the Isoflare array is that it disperses sound more consistently as we move off-axis. This trait pays dividends in the F501E’s focused and layered stereo imaging and the way its soundstage remains stable even when we move away from the (relatively wide) sweet spot.
“We like the sense of scale and are impressed with the low-end authority and punch they generate on demand,” we say in our review. “Bass is taut, tuneful and articulate by class standards. We push the volume levels northward to see how the F501E cope – they tick that box confidently at anything that passes for normal listening levels.
“These towers are a fun listen too, as a trip down memory lane with The Low End Theory from A Tribe Called Quest proves. The F501E are fluid and expressive. They track rhythms with determination while communicating changes in musical momentum in a natural and convincing manner.”
We sum up our review of the speakers thus: “The F501E is a talented all-rounder that has a range of sonic abilities that are hard to better at this price.” And really, that sentence could stand for each of the products in this impressive system.
The fact that, on top of that, they all gel together so remarkably well, means that this is a quartet that you just won’t be able to top at this price.
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The best floorstanding speakers we've tested and recommend
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