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Rega Brio-R in the satin finish (a soft silver-gray), sounds superb, looks excellent. This compact amp easily drove my inefficient monitor speakers (both Harbeth P3esr and Spendor S3/5). You’ll be surprised when you pick it up – it’s solid and hefty, with a big power transformer. The sound is warm and organic, with a midrange that makes vocals seem palpably present. The remote control is a very nice feature.
I’m the original owner, purchased from an authorized dealer, used rarely in a third system that gets little playing time.
The amp has a built-in phono stage, praised by reviewers, but I haven’t tried it as I don’t own a turntable.
From online reviews:
* Tone Audio: “The Rega Brio-R sets the benchmark for a $1000 integrated amplifier and then some. Music lovers on a budget no longer have to sacrifice quality. This one could make a crazed audiophile out of you where you least expect it.”
* What Hi-Fi: “The Brio-R is an immensely musical amplifier. It sounds agile and detailed, and sniffs out a rhythm track brilliantly. Start listening, and it’s the music itself that always grabs your attention, rather than any particular hi-fi virtue. And that, of course, is exactly the way it should be. The phono stage delivers a great performance too. This Rega is a clear level better than the best of the budget amplifiers, and good enough to worry the likes of Naim’s Nait 5i in some respects. That makes it a terrific buy.”
