Rega Brio is NOT a typical amp 

I've just learned from a comment that I've mispronounced REGA my whole life. It's actually REEGA. It's a funny thing to think about, reading What Hi-Fi my whole life but never listening to a Rega review before. Fun fact - in Serbian language we always read words as they're written (phonetically), hence the tendency to make these kinds of assumptions.

This is bar-none one of the very best reviews on YT. This guy is phenomenal in his examples. Wow!

Great review! Love the attention to detail in your comparisons!

Hey Soul , what a fantastic review Rega is well known British brand for Turn table and Amp and well known for their tonality there are few other amp in the similar price like Audiolab and ms2i but those are bit thin sounding and the phono stage on Rega is top notch. Your exceptional review style will help a lot to your subscribers.. keep up good work I m sure by end of 2023 you will cross 50k milestone

i was wondering about this for a while. thanks for taking the time to do this.

Excellent review. I work with Rega equipment all day, everyday, and I fully agree with you. Loving your work, keep it up 👌

Thank you for the video review! Very helpful 👍

Always dig your vids.

Great review. Your descriptions also aligned with the Brio-R I have. It paired well with Magnepan MMG.

I purchased one of these around two years ago from AudioT in Swindon and when they got it home it only played our through one speaker. They did replace the unit with a perfect one and apologised for the inconvenience BUT they also told me the problem was unheard of, which makes me laugh watching your review now and hearing there are common problems.

Excellent review, top notch advice. I've had the pleasure of retailing Rega for many years now...they just don't put out anything less than a first class product.

Very useful, detailed review. Many thanks.

I fully agree with you. I have listened to it and it sounds really nice and warm especially with triangle borea speakers

I exchanged my Audio Note Class A tube amp with a friend's Brio. I think you review is SPOT ON. The presence with the Brio is Phenomenal! Exactly what I was looking for. The Mid-range is perfect, exactly like corner placement of the speakers but with non of the Bass bloat. And the forward sound staging is awesome too. I am keeping this one. One thing you should add, Brio needs a couple of hours of use to sound its best, becomes way more confident and detailed after heat up.

your way to speak, slowly and with some gestures, and in detail, is very pleasant, for a non motherlanguage. You have successful and prefectly describes how this amp sounds. Of course one will need to try it in person but I feel that this one can pair well with my old (but still in perfect shape) Ditton3 Celestion, still driven by an even older Mission Cyrus two, curiosily same power and factory form of the Brio. Thank you so much! :)

Nice review. Thank you ! I dont have the Brio. I bought an IO instead (same sound) and now have it connected to the high efficiency Martin Logans 20i. The sound is pleasing indeed but not superb. I have not yet heard many amps to test with the 20s, but the sound that came out from those speakers with the Exposure 2510 amp, it was a wow indeed ! It also need a good DAC to match Brio by the way

great review!

나이쓰 ^^ 항상 감사합니다!! 앞으로도 장비 소개 많이 해주세요 ^^

Excellent review

Very good review!

Pairs well with KEF LS50s ( Yes LS50s do ALWAYS need a sub-woofer . I actually think they should state that on the box ). There are 2 Rega Brios , The older model no headphone jack , and this model with a headphone jack. The MM phono stage is actually very good also, it plays my Hana SH cart wonderfully.

Somehow this excellent review flew under my radar. Anyhow...you described the Brio exactly as I would have. With the right speakers this is a great little amp. I heard it struggling to drive low sensitivity Proac Tabs, after a few seconds sales guy looked at me shook his head and said ''this isn't working as expected'' and quickly replaced it with a Nait XS2. Bass tightened up considerably. On paper the Brio's bigger brother, the Elex R MK4, should offer be able to offer a happy compromise of both with a price somewhere in between.

Nice review 👏 How would it pair with kef ls50s? You should review the bigger brother, elex-r, too.

great review

Good to have an A/B amp reviewed - Thanks

Sounds like the amp I’ve been looking for. Did you get to test the headphone amp? Great video very informative thank you 🙏

Nice job thanks for the video, Bro 3s are a little antlitikle pairs amazingly with Iota sa3

In my opinion, the Brio does not need more wattage, it should have at least double the power supply capacitance in reserve for those dynamic peaks in the music. That would solve the woofer control issues at higher volumes. It would make this little amp much more effortless sounding. Thanks for the video.

WOW! Hanne Boel recording is well-recorded! My system delivered it so well! 😊

Great review. I'm thinking of pairing with some KLH Model 5s. My feeling is the Brio will help warm and round the lower base and tame the the tinny tweeter a bit. Basically, arrange the tones in a rounded, warmer manner. (If that makes sense?) Anyway, thanks for this great video!

I'm glad you pointed out the differences between SMSL amps and what Rega brings to the table. It's like 2 different worlds. While SMSL products sound lean and laid back with no texture at all Rega is on a total opposite of the spectrum meaning there's a lot of texture in every sound aspect starting with a solid and meaty but not overwhelming bas up to beautiful and not edgy sweet highs. Just purchased Rega Elix-R which feels like a jackpot in a world of digital and edgy yet non substantial sound. Mind you, Elix-R is much more powerful than Brio so it brings more goodies that Brio is famous for with ease. Highly recommended!

I am a midrange guy, so I really like what I am hearing. Thanks for post

Hi. I am one of your subscribers and always watch your reviews, as I find them very insightful, without the marketing hypes. I have a Rega Brio 2 and I agree with your observations on this capable amplifier. I’ve watched also your KefLS 50 review so I decided to hit the trigger and recently purchased a dealer demo unit KEF LS 50. I wanted to up the capabilities of LS 50. Do you think a preamp would do and if so what brand do you recommend on say $300-400 budget?

Thanks for the review - I am curious as to which DAC in your review process sounded best with the Rega Brio? Looking for a amp and dac to match with KLH Model 5 speakers. They have a great mid-range presentation and I want something that will bring the mid-range to life. Would love your recommendations.

I use Neat Motive SX3s with my Brio. It's a great combination although the Neats have recently had a massive price increase to about £1600

I have had two Rega amps in my system. First was the Elex-r. It was too thin with my Monitor Audio BX5'S. Preferred the Naim 5si with the MA'S. Recently moved to the Aethos. Yes, it is a bit more laidback than the Naim, but way more detail, and soundstage and imaging is much better on the Rega. It doesn't have a slightly warmish mid range, but found the bass to be tighter, cleaner and more defined than the Naim. Aethos is an amazing amp. Highly resolving.

I have this Rega hooked up to Dali Oberon mini towers and my source are streaming units Sonos Port and Bluesound Vault. Really nice pairing and super happy with the sound. The Rega Brio is a very fun amp, great PRaT and overall sound. I also hook them up to a pair of B&W Matrix 805 bookshelves and even with 87 sensitivity it rocks hard.

I think this amp will be a great match with Klipsch RP bookshelves series.

Nice review and mirrors what I heard with the Brio, its smaller Io brother and various Chinese chip based Class D amps. While probably not a priority to most of your viewers, if vinyl LPs are part of their sources, the fine phono stage in the Brio really ups the value proposition.

i have this. i thought it was Class A when i first heard it. extremely musical. i use the Rega RS1 speakers and a Denafrips DAC.

Hi, thanks for your detailed review. I have bought the Rega Brio. I am looking for a matching bookshelf speaker for small room, what do you think would match better, the Q3020i or wharfedale 4.1? Also, to add a network streamer, which one will you recommend? The Matrix Mini i4 or Eversolo dmp A6 ? Thanks for your advice!

Hello, excellent channel, have you auditioned this rega brio with Oberon Dali 5 speakers?

What do you think of the association of this rega with the ls 50 ? Does it match ? Merci pour tes tests (from France) 👍

What I would love to know is - have you reviewed an amp which is affordable yet powerful and importantly great sounding for driving difficult loads like current hungry Magnepans (example Magnepan LRS or Magnepan 1.7i)?

Had one and nothing touches it including Audiolab. Perfect for vinyl lovers who aren’t interested in digital inputs as it has an amazing internal phono stage.

This is spot on!! I have never owned the Brio, but heard it in multiple dealer demos. Based on this I purchased the Rega Aethos, which to me adds tons of resolution and refinement, but without loosing the lovely fullness of the lower mids. The Rega DAC also has the same quality, which is possibly why it's been hard to replace (e.g. the Denafrips Ares II sounded too lean to me). I spent the first half of my life as a live/studio musician and I strongly believe that the lower mid fatigued, upper mid forward sound signature is a hifi construct, that you don't really find in the wild, where music is actually performed/created 🙂 Also the Rega amps are really good at low volumes, something that most amps don't manage (not fixable with tone controls).

Nice review. Wanted a quick suggestion. I'm getting rega io system one for $1750 and rega brio with Planar 1 for $1250. Which one should I go for. ? And if For the second option then what set of bookshelf speakers would serve better ?

Reminds me a bit of the Mission Cyrus one. I wonder how it compares to the Ayima D03 (should only be used with digital sources because it does a poor ADC on the analogue input) or the Fosi audio TB10D (improved version) the @cheapaudioman raved about. (He likes them better than the SMSL's you discussed because they sound creamy and caramelly whatever that means).

One way to get thst warm sounding fullness with lean and bright amps is to match it with a warm, mid centric and foreward sounding speakers like the wharfedale 80th anniv speakers or the linton or the early elac models b6 or the reference series

the phono stage is superb!!!

Nice review Srbo, as always! Very interesting to hear about Rega (Reega?) Brio and it's sound signature. Would certainly like to be able to hear it in my space, as it obviously is different from my Atoll IN100 Sig :) Also, I wish I could hook it up to my BRO3s, so I could hear if their treble could be tamed a bit...

Hi, this is a remarkable review, good job thank you! May I ask you which amp you would choose (under €1000,00) to pair with a pair of Wharfedale Linton ? I listen mainly rock and jazz music and don't prefer dry or too bright amps. Thanks in advance.

Right now I'm listening to Wharfedale Lintons and a Denon PMA-2000ivr. And trust me, it doesn't sound thin!

What a coincidence. I had the Brio 2017 for a few years paired with Dali Menuet SE. Nice lush and warm sound, pretty powerful. Also listened to the Atoll In100 Sig but went the safe route and upgraded to Elex R instead. I didn't think the Atoll was forward or bright, quite the opposite I thought, though it could've been the speakers pairing. Anyway thanks for the review and comparison. Which DAC would you pair the Brio with by the way? That would've been helpful given your extensive DAC experience.

could you reach out to project to review the project box 5 s2. i heard it matches ls50 and distorts even less at high volumes

Are there any comparably warmer amplifiers around the $1000 price point?

Anyone know if this amp can drive Neat Motive SX2 speakers. 86 sensitivity and 8 ohm. Thanks.

Nice review:) Where are you from?

The previous Brio definitely felt like a higher quality build, but was a bit shrill sounding so much prefer the new model. This amp sounds great with the BRO3's but when I paired it with my Revel M16's it was really dull. So maybe bright speakers is the way to go.

Would be nice if you could test an Advance Paris integrated amp/preamp/poweramp

They are a good old school type amp' best suited to speakers above 88db sensitive, but no remote is why I didn't go for this one years ago 👍👍✌✌

If your looking for cheaper option with lush warm sound grab an Onkyo A-9010 second-hand, amazing value for money.

Thank you for your informative videos I have a pair of bro 3 Do you think rega brio and denyfrips ares 2 would work togethe

Vista Audio Spark is made and designed in Serbia. Also vintage sounding but with less bass and power but cheaper.

How does it stand next to a comparable Naim amp?

How does the Rega Brio compare with Yamaha WXA-50 in terms of sound quality that you reviewed a year ago?

I used to have a Rega Brio-R and your description fit that well too. This was a really good review and sound description from you, as well as a comparison with other amplifiers. I now own a Rega Elex-R amplifier, which has more authority. An amplifier with the same style of full warm tone is also the Onkyo A-9150. It has a deeper and more controlled bass and a full midrange. Its treble is not as crisp as the Brio-R has. I don't think you can find this model for sale new, but you can find used ones. I also have an Onkyo A-9010 which is a bit brighter and lighter sounding. I have mainly switched to class D amplifiers, such as Aiyima A07, SMSL AO-200 and XTZ A2-300. They just have such deep, tight and controlled bass, detailed midrange, extended treble and a black background. Sometimes I would like a little more authority, a fuller midrange and more dynamics from them. To get all those from a class AB amp, I'd have to pay many times the price of those class D amps.

I have owned Brio R and NAD D3020 V2 and totally agree with your assessments…I had to sell my Brio R due to its high noise floor causing tweeter hiss on my desktop setup….apparently the small chassis has issues in that it can’t effectively isolate noise or prevent crosstalk.

The only thing keeping me off Rega (Rega IO in my case because my room is small and speakers have to sit real close to the wall - I'm afraid, as you pointed out, the Brio bass might be overkill) is the problems with QC, noise/hum, etc. Otherwise it's exactly the kind of sonic character I'm looking for.

I pair my Brio with Axiom M5HPs… sounds wonderful.

I have some Triangle Titus EZ speakers that I'm trying to find a perfect amp pairing for it (with maybe some extra headroom on top). They're known to stage and layer extremely well. I feel like the Rega Brio would pair well with it. However I'm wanting something to stage better than the Rega Brio. While still layering as well as the Brio. I was considering Atoll AM100 Signature (power amp). I haven't been able to find much for reviews on their power amps. I have a Gustard R26, so I'm not in need with anything integrated. Would prefer Class AB.

Imam Regu Brio sa Focal Chora 826 , odlična kombinacija i muzikalno fantastično zvuči! Pozdrav

Will you be able to review the Audiolab 6000A integrated amplifier and compare with Rega Brio ?

Rega amps sound warm and really good.

I own this amp for more than a year and I really enjoy it. It's paired with a Rega Planar 3 TT with a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp and a pair of DALI OBERON 3.

For pairing with Q3030i , this one or Audiolab 6000a ?

Would you review new ifi neo stream?thank you 😉

I have said this before. Rega for amps are not as well received as there turntables. But these amps are in there own class. I have the Aethos and two things about the Aethos, One the sound is awe-inspiring wide open stage lush, warm. Just good. Second, if you have less then good speakers, its going to show you. This is the best amp I have. So nice

I have paired with q acoustics 3050i. What's your opinion on it?

Hey that's my amp!

I certainly don't think you are wrong about using spades on that amp. When you mentioned that it was supposed to accept spade ends, I could see that there was no room from pretty much all directions and the power cord wasn't even in the way yet. Maybe they expected people to bend their spades at 90 degrees.

Great review. Love my really old original Rega Brio, 30 watts per channel. Used with totem mites and a rel t5i:) Update: bought the 2017 model. Wow. Amp’s really matter. How did they work with your ls50s?

Does the Rega Brio running hot? Since there are no vents on the case.

I would like Rega to update the Brio with thoughtful improvements. As seen in the video above. I have the "io" and it sounds good on my desktop. My space is limited.

I am shocked that no-one talks about the humming sound on one of the stereo channels if the volume is low or no signal active on the selected input. I had this on 2 Rega Brios and was not really convinced...bad luck? Maybe? Curious to hear others...of course once you turn the volume up the input signal overlays the humming - but still - not what i would expect? Maybe the voltage transformer is a bit to close to one of the signal path at the end of the day within that shoebox design?

I owned a Rega brio for a couple of years and wasn't totally happy with it. I feel it was lacking power. I traded it for a MacIntosh ma252 which is a much better amplifier. Now I am totally happy with the amplification especially with the Gustard R26 . I still think my turntable setup sounds better which consists of a Rega P6/ Nagaoka MP 500 and a trigon vanguard III phono preamp.i

IF you *bend* the spades to about 90 degrees, you may be able to use spades?

Please make a video on 7hz 71 dongle dac

So how would you say it compares to the topping pa5?

Audiophile activity for 2023..plug shaving 😂

I have the same electronic issues of drop out.

This is an excellent amplifier and is far superior to the Audiolab 6000a I also own. It has a warm sound and very easy to listen too. It also has record - out phono outputs which are important for recording and something which the audiolab does not have.

Get up and go and jumpy and jolly, sounds like you ate describing "PRAT" pace rhythm and timing. It really is a thing and often missing from class D designs

I own a Rega Brio and currently use it with the SVS Ultra. Honestly I don't think it's a particularly good pairing. Anyone got an idea on a better pairing that's also suited to a smaller room? My Ultra's are definitely too close to wall. But I'm too space limited to move them away.

🤗👍 HERE TO SUPPORT , SRBOLJUB 😊 HAVE A GREAT DAY 💚💚💚

90 degree spades might work

Maybe the Ace of spades can fit them 😁

I owned the original Rega Brio-R about 10-12 years ago. Its a crazy good amp for the money.

A lot of amp brands concentrate too much on detail and resolution to the detriment of the midrange and bass frequencies. Ditto with most digital sources like dac and streaming devices. I have been to a hifi show and noticed most digital sources to play music, there are still that digital artifacts that is bright and grating to the ears! You pair these kind of bright sounding sources with lean and bright sounding amps and youll experience an uncomfortable experience. Sure youll get clarity and clean presentation, but in the long run youll get tired listening to it

Im gonna take the plunge and get it. Probably no better time than now since Rega has discontinued it and there's remaining stock for sale for well under $800. Im thinking the Brio will wake up my Elac UB5's and reveal what they're capable of. I remember buying my Marantz PM6005 and the Brio at the same time. I took the Brio out of its box and thinking, ya gotta be kidding me! I didnt even hook it up and I sent it back. The Marantz has been ok but that's what Im tired of, it being just ok. Then Ive been reading comments of these two amps compared and 9 out of ten times, the Brio wins hands down. Gonna see what my Elac's can really do for maybe 6 months but then Im leaning to getting a pair of Monitor Audio Silver 50 7G to pair with the Brio. Has anyone here had the MA's driven by the Brio?