A recording and reproducing apparatus includes: a recording section for recording an information signal in a magnetic recording medium including a magnetic layer including hexagonal ferrite; a reproducing section for reproducing the information signal recorded in the magnetic recording medium, the reproducing section including: a reproducing head for reading the information signal from the magnetic recording medium; an equalizer for equalizing the information signal read from the magnetic recording medium, wherein a partial response of the information signal after equalization by the equalizer satisfies a condition that 0.4.ltoreq.a<3.0, -0.6.ltoreq.b<2.0, -2.0