in this video we're going to compare the first three amps in the rega lineup if you want to
take a deeper dive into the features of these amps and why you might want one over the other
check out our full comparison in the link below now let's get started
rega produces a complete line of integrated stereo amplifiers that cover a very wide range of prices
these amps are a lot like their turntables with their simple no-frills design that focuses on
great sound over gimmickry with the recent introduction of their io model rega hit a
price level way under a thousand dollars bringing that classic rega sound to a much larger group of
music lovers we thought it would be fun to take a look at the new io and offer up some comparisons
between the io the brio and the elex-r for those of you new to great home audio we want to give
you a quick lesson on just what an integrated amplifier is and clear up a little terminology
confusion you may encounter if you start shopping around an integrated amplifier is actually two
components rolled into one a preamp and a power amp a preamp is the control section that switches
your sources might include a dac or a phono preamp and then sends a signal to a power amp
through a volume control that lets you adjust the audio level a power amp as the name implies simply
provides power to your speakers power amps do not have switching but just get a single connection
from a preamp if you combine a power amp and a preamp into one box you get an integrated
amp that would seem simple enough but in many european countries and especially in the uk
the integrated amp evolved to just being called an amplifier in the us we would think of that name as
meaning to be a power amp so just keep that in mind when you're looking around at components
with these three rega integrated amps being all about great audio they do share some common
characteristics all three is a toroidal power transformer these are quieter than standard power
transformers and offer better performance although they do cost more than a cheap basic transformer
next none of them have anything digital they are pure analog
they also each have a good moving magnet phono preamp all of the integrated amps have very solid
binding posts for speaker connections for one pair of speakers if you want to upgrade
the ac power cable this is possible on every model as they all have a detachable power cord
we sometimes forget about this when discussing rega products and it is a pretty amazing fact
in this day and age of globalization but all rega products are made in their uk factory
finally each model comes with a small remote control for the basic functions of the unit
now let's take a look at each one to help you understand which model might be the best
pick for your system the rega io integrated is just a great example of trickle down technology
when rega redid the brio integrated amp in 2017 they learned a lot about circuit isolation chassis
design and how to make a good headphone amp even better the brio has won a whole host of awards
for its great sound for the money you can really view the rega io as simply a lower powered brio
rega wanted to take all the great things about the new brio and make a unit that sounded very similar
with less power for customers who might not need the extra power in the brio the io is rated at a
very conservative 30 watts per channel and has the exact same type of amplifier circuit the brio does
rega paid very careful attention to the part selection for the io to get the very
best bang for the buck the io has two line level inputs and a moving magnet phono input
the custom design phono preamp is the exact same circuitry found in the brio which is
pretty darn impressive for the headphone amp rega uses relays to switch over to the internal
power amplifier which means it can drive any headphone with ease and sounds super effortless
when you plug in the headphones the speakers are muted automatically when rega redesigned
the case for the new brio they came up with a design using an aluminum shell with a heavier
steel base to help improve the ability of the heat sinks to shut off heat the case for the
io is very similar in design and in our opinion actually looks even better than the new brio with
the only real difference between the brio and the io being power and the number of inputs the io
is actually a great fit for a lot of people the io uses just two output transistors per channel
there have been a few other classic amps over the last several decades with this type of layout
something about that type of circuit just sounds really good on the right speakers to our ears on
speakers that are not very demanding the io actually sounds a little sweeter than the brio
although the brio certainly wins out on dynamics and separation of instruments but at 400 less than
the brio the io will let you take that money and put it towards purchasing a great set of speakers
rega products are known for being true to the rhythm and pacing of the music totally fun to
listen to and having the ability to portray dynamic contrast really well the io captures
all of these characteristics at a price point we have not seen before from rega if you pair up the
io with a small pair of b&w paradigm klipsch or the new rega kite speakers you'll have a system
that can rival ones costing far more especially if you're listening in a small to modest sized room
if you're thinking about the brio over the io you basically get an amp with a lot more horsepower
in addition to the extra power the brio gives you two more analog audio inputs and a tape
output for those of you getting back into the retro world of cassette or reel to reel
the phono preamp sections are identical so the big difference to us is in the power supply and
power amplifier section the brio has a much more massive power supply what this bigger amp power
supply translates into from a listing perspective are much better dynamics and control bass impact
especially on larger speakers is far better the larger power supply in the amp stage also enabled
the brio to separate out individual instruments better in space we didn't hear any real difference
on headphones between the two units as the amp and the io is plenty for any pair of headphones
so which is the better choice the io the brio if you plan to stick with an easy to drive small
pair of speakers and a modestly sized space the io is a great deal however the brio can drive
far more demanding speakers with ease for those of you who love listening to music and improving
your system it will take much longer to outgrow the brio if ever like the io the brio gives you
that great live feeling to music that we just love about rega products you'll be able to mate it up
with a variety of speakers including most floor standing models and its sound will make you smile
the elex-r is the next step up in rega's line of integrated amps and the top model
in this comparison feature-wise the elex-r is similar to the brio with a built-in moving
magnet phono pre-amp four other analog inputs a record out and it adds a preamp
output the preamp out will come in very handy for mating up a subwoofer to your system a feature
lacking on the brio and io we guess you can say the elex-r is really made for analog music lovers
at the elex-r price point a lot of its competition will offer digital inputs and bluetooth but it is
the great sound of the elex-r that makes people love it it is no wonder the elex-r is one of if not
the most awarded amplifier in its price range the elex-r takes the beefy power the brio can produce
and takes it to a whole other level you'll find an even more massive power supply inside the elex-r
which makes it weigh in at more than double the weight of the brio at 24 pounds
the elex-r comes in a full-size chassis which also allows for increased heat dissipation this guy
will make your speaker stand up and pay attention with control over the dynamics and bass that is
super impressive for its price you'll be able to drive just about any pair of speakers we know of
under around 3,000 a pair easily with the elex-r the elex-r is rated at 72.5 watts per channel but
it sounds far more powerful than its rating with that non-standard number of 72.5 watts per channel
you can tell rega told the design team to make the best sounding amp they knew how to for its price
point then whatever the power rating came out to is what it was that's pretty cool vinyl lovers
will be happy to know the phono preamp in the elex r is a huge jump up from the brio as is the same
one used in the much more expensive elicit-r it is also super quiet with a total lack of any noise
it will easily support a p6 table with the top-of-the-line moving magnet exact cartridge
the only thing lacking compared to the brio is a headphone jack rega elected to put the cost of
this into the sound quality giving you a better phono preamp and amp section the good news is
with the preamp outs on the rear you can easily add a separate headphone amp with no issues
the elex-r takes all of the aspects we love about the brio and just simply gives you more of them
rhythm and pacing are even better dynamics and bass control take another step up and
the separation of individual instruments with each one revealing subtle micro level volume changes is
easier to hear getting the best sound for your money comes down to remembering your system is
only as good as its weakest link when deciding on the best integrated amp you have to think about
the other parts of your musical chain like your speakers and the source components and
along with that process consider where you want to be in 10 years time with your system if you have
speakers and a front end that you love get the best integrated amp that you can afford however
if you have a fixed budget and are just starting out the io is just so amazing for its price point
you'll probably love it for years to come if you have any questions on these amps or like help
in designing the best system for your room and budget please feel free to reach out to us via
email phone chat or if you're in the raleigh or charlotte area drop by one of our stores
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