Rega IO, Brio, & Elex-R Review and Comparison

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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 $1000, 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.

The Rega IO integrated is 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 parts 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 designed phono preamp is the exact same circuitry found in the Brio, which is pretty darn impressive!

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 contrasts really well. The IO captures all of these characteristics at a price point we have not seen before from Rega.

If you are 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 much bigger amp and power supply translates into from a listening perspective are much better dynamics and control. If you plan to stick with an easy to drive, small pair of speakers in 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 a much longer time to outgrow the Brio, if ever.

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 preamp, 4 other analog inputs, a record out, and it adds a preamp out. The preamp out would come in very handy for mating up a subwoofer to the system, a feature lacking on the Brio and IO. 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 is rated at 72.5 watts per channel, but it sounds far more powerful than this rating. With the nonstandard 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 make for the price point, then whatever the power rating came out to is what it is. That is pretty cool!

Getting the best sound for your money comes down to remembering your system is only as good as your 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 source components. And, along with that process, consider where you want to be in ten 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.