“Immensely powerful and incredibly unsurprising” – this live streaming and vinyl hi-fi system is a premium package, but you’ll be richly rewarded
Six thousand pounds is a lot of money. Yes, of course. But put it down, and consider what you’re getting for your six and a quarter grand here, and things start to look a little less bad.
And by “what you get”, we don’t just mean five boxes (with two speakers) of hi-fi equipment. We mean many, many years of enjoyment that money will give you with those pieces of kit, working together to bring you the music you love with quality that can’t be beat for the money.
This is the level where performance jumps from good to really good, all while avoiding the extremes of exaggeration (we’ll do one of those programs, though).
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The program
Turntable: Rega Planar 6/Nd7
Rega’s Planar 6 turntable has been growing What is Hi-Fi? Awards since 2017 – and continues to provide excellent and exciting performance at this level.
We originally tested the Planar 6 with the Ania moving-coil cartridge, with the package costing £1400. That is still available, but Rega now offers the new Nd5 and Nd7 magnetic cartridges, as well as the Ania Pro (MC), as standard factory-installed options for this package.
The Nd7 uses the same ‘fine-line’ bare diamond profile as Rega’s leading coil designs, and this premium moving magnet (£450) seems to be the most popular option for pairing and upgrading the Planar 6.
What marks this Rega Planar 6 apart from its competitors (and as a step up from the Planar 3 models) is that it doesn’t go too fast to grab your attention.
As we say in our review, “Courage is not put forward – instead, its party piece is the fearless ability to combine balance, subtlety and timing in a very low-key way.
“It’s an incredibly refined and mature sound.”
Bass lines don’t have an iota of flab – they’re tight and perfectly timed, and have plenty of muscle tension to support the notes.
It’s not all about the bass by any means: “There’s a huge amount of space that goes into playing The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Dukas. You can measure exactly where all the parts of the orchestra are sitting on an accurate sound stage.
“Once again, the Rega shows its maturity in the opening: fast, high notes are well delivered and bright enough without sounding too sharp.
“The rhythm and rhythmic flow are effortlessly accurate – and when it’s quiet, it’s really quiet. The timing is instantly recognizable, and the clarity with which everything is presented is amazing to hear.
We like that the Rega Planar 6 doesn’t advertise what it does. It goes ahead and does it. “
Music player: Arcam ST25
Rather like a Rega turntable, the first thing we notice about the Arcam ST25 streamer, when we set it up to play a CD-quality stream of Madonna’s. The sky is equal to Heaven, its delivery is clear and clean. It sets a surprisingly quiet background for the music, allowing all the instruments to breathe.
“The song starts with fast pulsing synths, showing great textures and fine details.
There is a real sense of speed, immediacy and power in the bassline as it rolls, laying a solid foundation for all the electronica poured on top.
“The ST25 is really easy to listen to and doesn’t leave any unpleasant aftertaste.
“All the different elements come together like a well-crafted cocktail; the drum machine, vocals and synths all flow together, and the Arcam really captures the high-energy tempo of the song.”
The easiest thing to say about an Arcam streamer is that, whether it’s internet radio or hi-res audio streaming, the ST25 presents itself in a very entertaining and musical way.
Integrated amplifier: Arcam A15+
In particular, it is not very surprising, when it presents itself with its A15+ stereo amplifier. The original A15 was an excellent all-rounder, delivering a combination of detail, power and overall balance that we felt was best in class. This new version +, launched in 2025, keeps that character but takes small steps forward across the board.
The + version has more expressive dynamics and seems to go from low to high with greater smoothness. We don’t see a huge difference in scale or overall power, but we find that the new amplifier emphasizes the way it creates crescendos and shifts in musical intensity.
There are no noticeable changes in terms of tonility, which maintains a well-judged balance of balance and smoothness enough for the amplifier to remain enjoyable through rough or rough recordings.
The A15+ has the clarity to highlight flaws in a recorded or collaborative source, but it won’t go out of its way to emphasize those flaws. This is arguably the perfect balance for something at this level, we think.
Stereo speakers: Epos ES-7N
And we complete this quartet with two award-winning speakers. The Epos ES-7N are small standmounters that have a wonderful lift up sleeve for ease of use in terms of placement.
There is a toggle switch on the back panel of the ES-7N. Click it and the speakers are turned on to what the company calls an uncomfortable stand, with speakers at a height of 70cm, usually 30-50cm from the back wall.
Move the switch down and the output between the midrange and the moving frequencies is raised relative to the bass, providing an amazing sound even when the speakers are used up on a wall or (or even inside) a bookshelf.
These are small speakers, so they can’t compete with larger competitors when it comes to bass weight, full scale and dynamic reach. However, they are doing so well that we don’t mind losing. The ES-7N is a bold and confident player who resolves high levels of detail and arranges it in an integrated and musical manner.
It’s surprising how tight and full-bodied they sound at low frequencies. They may not dig as deep as some competitors, but they feel more manageable and powerful than most.
The Epos are offered in mirrored pairs and we’re testing the speakers and tweeters placed on the inner edge and then the outer. We choose them as the company recommends, with tweeters placed inside. This setting provides strong and focused results.
Our review verdict: “Overall, the Epos ES-7Ns are wizards. They’re small, highly capable and incredibly underutilized.”
Great and incredibly consistent talent sums up this great show; this is just over a sixth used very well.
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