Listening to pop/rock
Contents
In the Mammal Hands track, the dry ticking and rustling of the cymbals dominate. The saxophone sounds bright and somewhat dark, with enough tone but lacks a bit of depth in the sound. The piano falls slightly into the background, which does not happen often with this track. You can hear seamlessly what the Rega is doing: emphasizing the highs, lots of speed and precision in the dynamics of keystrokes on the piano or a hand stroke on a tabla and lots of overtones in the instruments. The bass sounds are fast and very tight, but the overall reverb is limited, giving you the feeling of being close to the players. You hear the same thing in tracks by Rain Tree Crow and Steely Dan.
Foreigner is clear and balanced. Laura Marling sounds very factual and dry, some warmth is missed though.
Queen sounds more than bombastic, it is rather bloated and contrived, the song is blown full force into your ears. The Rega knows no mercy for what the mixing and mastering engineers have tinkered with in the studio, but strangely enough it is secretly entertaining. The same is true for “Jump” by Madonna. You are immersed in the broad soundstage. It is more of an immersive experience than a correct HiFi sound, but pleasurable it is. Underworld’s beats become too clinical to be immersive.
Led Zeppelin sounds clear and has a good drive in the music. The antics of the men on guitar, bass and drums and in Robert Plant’s vocals shine through loud and clear. Stevie Wonder’s “As” also sounds clear and rhythmic. Etta James shares her jealousy with you. These 1970s recordings gain a clarity in the mids and highs that is very agreeable to listen to.
Tangerine Dream’s “Rubycon” is a fascinating journey through a soundscape. It is undeniable that this was made in an analog era, the Elicit shows that very well. It has a rhythmic, clear and open sound, and all sorts of details emerge in the large stereo image without disturbing the whole. Spot-on playback.
On “A Caged Bird/Imitations of Life” by Cinematic Orchestra, the dual nature of the Elicit comes out clearly. The rhythmic drive is the first thing that stands out. The huge soundstage is a superlative of huge, but falls apart a bit here and there. The whole thing becomes somewhat analytical in nature and the chorus sounds a bit hollow. This is not a lousy mixed track, but it is done to emphasise the effects. The Elicit pulls it completely apart. The wolf sheds the sheep’s clothing.
