Rega Brio
This sixth-generation Rega Brio (the original launched in 1991) replaced one of our favourite budget amps, the Award-winning Brio-r. The Brio remains an analogue-only amp, but this version also has a headphone socket. Crucially, it sounds terrific – and every bit as exciting as its predecessor.
Everything we loved about the Brio-r is here: its sense of rhythm, the punchy dynamics; the agility, detail and fun. The Brio takes all of those qualities and hones them even more finely. As a result the sound it produces is clearer, more detailed and more muscular.
One issue with the Brio-r was that its lean character meant it had an excitable treble that needed careful matching with the rest of your kit. That leanness has been filled out, making the Brio more forgiving than its predecessor when it comes to pairing. It has a fuller, richer sound that has a gorgeous solidity running through every note.
Ample power
The same 50W per channel (into 8 ohms) runs through the amplifier’s veins and, while that may not sound much, you have only to crank up A Perfect Circle’s Pet to feel the sheer force of wailing guitars and thunderous drums.
But the Rega hasn’t transformed into some muscle-bound heavyweight.
Despite its satisfying oomph, this amp’s nimble footing and rhythmic prowess is the highlight. It ducks and weaves its way around tricky compositions, tying all musical strands together in a way that’s authoritative and skilful without ever losing its sense of fun.
High definition
The sustained build up of tension in Arvo Pärt’s Fratres is a real test of the Rega’s talents: the strings are light but urgent, and you can hear the screechy texture of the bow scraping across them. The piano notes are pleasingly solid, and the sudden drop into silence after it ratchets up the tension is handled masterfully. The leading edges of notes are stunningly precise, and there’s a depth to the quieter moments that’s as impressive as the crescendo is controlled.
You can lose yourself in the way the Rega handles whatever song you throw at it, regardless of the source.
It’s not so analytical that it comes over like a lecture in how music should sound, but it is revealing enough to expose the differences in recordings and the atmospheres of songs.
The dreamy, melodic tones of alt-j’s Breezeblocks comes across all fluid and delicate through our streamer, while Alice in Chains’ Unplugged album on vinyl conveys the live audience, the bigger scale and the deliberate roughness of the production. Listen to these songs through the Brio’s headphone socket and you’ll find the same presentation: it’s a terrifically musical amp.
Thanks to its sonic weight, the Brio is evenly balanced across the frequencies. The top end sparkles and yet there’s a sweetness to it, while basslines enjoy depth and rumbling textures.
The Brio can’t quite match its bigger Rega Elex-r sibling (see p37) in terms of scale, subtlety and dynamism, but it does have the crisp top end. The sonic character remains the same, which is impressive for Rega’s step-up amp.
Compared with the last generation, this Brio has been revamped throughout, from an updated circuit-board layout to the swooped front-panel design. Every tweak to the circuits and power supply has been made to help isolation and keep the main signal path as clear as possible, leading to better overall sound quality.
The half-width design looks smart and is ideal for those with limited space. The chassis is made of a two-part aluminium case that helps heat-sinking and reliability. It is reassuringly robust.
The curved front and rearranged display are minimalist and elegant. Only the volume dial, a couple of buttons and red LEDS adorn the front panel. The power button and input selector click satisfyingly, and the numbered input icons light up accordingly when chosen.
That volume dial is a hollowed-out metal ring that changes the level responsively. Selecting inputs is intuitive too, whether you use the front-panel button or the supplied remote control.
Analogue-only approach
Rega continues to keep things simple and analogue-only with the Brio, including a moving-magnet phono stage that’s designed to work with the company’s own Planar turntables.
Around the back are four line-level inputs, the phono-stage inputs and a pair of outputs for recording. A single pair of speaker terminals is also here – and that’s it. The headphone output is the Brio’s one addition: the 6.3mm connection has been integrated to make sure it doesn’t interfere with the main speaker signal.
The Rega Brio more than justifies its £599 price. It makes us want to play our entire music collection through again and again, as all good hi-fi is meant to.