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As a audiophile, you will always weigh which sonic characters have most value to you.
And if you are in a camp of high dynamic sound and very detailed mids,
oh boy do I have a amp for you.
Intro
Brio is now considered one of those coinsure amps that is always recommended when you want to go from budget to serious audiophile gear.
And for a good reason.
Step-up from Budget Amps/Full Analog Amp
Brio is putting all the effort, into putting your every penny to get as much of sonic capability for the price you are paying. And it is an full on analog amp, that is not trying to be anything more than your stereo integrated amp. There is no Bluetooth here, no coaxial, no optical
just analog connection for connecting your source and speakers.
And what you get when engineers put all the effort into sonic quality of an amp?
A very great amp, but the one that I cannot recommend so easily.
Sound Quality
And I can definitely see why someone will when hearing this in showroom be blown away by mids and dynamics And how sound is being driven with a lot of energy. And it is a great amp, but not the one I would recommend right away.
That is beside having no digital connectivity, it can become quite tricky to pair this amp correctly. The sound can easily be blow away, and becoming too detailed or bright and can easily causse sound fatigue.
Best Speaker Characteristics for this Amp
Rega is always trying to make this amps as lively as possible, and that is a two way sword in HiFi world, as lively and musical can be a great thing, it can move you to the rhythm of sound. But can also tier person quickly as our ears and brain sometimes can be overwhelmed if the details in treble are spiked. As the treble lies in the spectrum of sound that can most easily be affected by your room and room treatments.
This also goes to what speakers do you pair this amp to, in my experience, speakers that are by nature a bit on the bright side like Bowers and Wilkins series 600, can overwhelm you really fast.
The one which I would recommend with this one are warmer speakers, or neutrally balanced ones. For examples Sonus Faber.
The Best Part of this Amp
But that being said, I honestly don’t believe there is an amp in this price range that delivers so much in upper mids, with dynamics, details and texture than this amp.
I loved the sound of drum on this amp.
So commendable, rhythmically concise. The strike of cymbal, snares, hi hates… they have authority, texture, space and weight. Listen to some funk, to some jazz, to rock.
Listen to Moby Dick from Led Zeppelin, or Caravan by Bobby Rich, or Kendrick Lamar I
and you will understand what I am saying. It will possess your body and you will tap with you hand on your leg in the rhythm of the song.
Soundstage
The soundstage is open enough that it does allow instruments to breathe and creating spatial effects for instruments to have place on this sonic stage. And it definitely does decently what as an amp at this level should, but there are a decent amount of amps in this level which are much better in this aspect.
If you enjoy opens and scale of sound, something like Audiolab 6000a, which is very airy and sprawling in its soundstage might be for you.
Fun Factor and Vocals
But you are not here for that you are here for musicality, fun and joy and you want your vocals to have the same energy to it as that. And it does.
Same like I explained for instruments this amp is build for a very specific audience in mind.
And while vocals don’t have fantastic central imaging, and it does not popout from the overall mix or has dynamic range to kill for.
But it does have, especially if you listen male vocals, a presence and weight. And it does compliment the overall sound. But unfortunately I prefer more expressive vocals, better imaging and scale in sonic spectrum.
What would I recommend instead of this, all depends on your sonic taste.
Audiolab 6000a
You have the cheaper Audiolab 6000a,
that it cannot compete with Rega when it comes to dynamics, texture, details and overall musicality.
But Audiolab is more neutral, almost to a fault,
and has this beautiful open sound and imaging that will leave you in awe.
Cambridge Audio CXA61
You have Similarly priced Cambridge audio CXA 61,
which also have a little bit spiked treble,
and have a sound similar to Rega.
But Cambridge is more of a jack of all trades,
and while again it does not compare to Regas dynamics,
it does all the other aspects better.
And has a higher range of connectivity that it makes it more versatile option.
Musical Fidelity M3si
But the one that I would recommend is Music fidelity M3i.
It is more expensive than Rega,
but it brings and ties all the sound elements better.
It same as Rega lacks a lot of digital connectivity,
but sonically it is a true audiophile gear that in a lot of elements outclass Riga.
Conclusion
In the end
this device while it outclasses and punches above its league in some elements,
in the end it is just not built for me.
But It might be just for you, it might even be your next favorite amp,
but it lacks some elements to satisfy my sonic plate.
If you love your amp to be punchy, dynamic and very detailed don’t hesitate to test this at your local showroom.
And if you are interested In similarly small factor cd player, that goes well with small factor of Rega, than check here,
or a Regas fantastic budget turntable, click here.
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