olds1959special Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 Good match? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted March 25, 2023 Share Posted March 25, 2023 I would look for a Belles or McCormack, instead. Both are know to work very well with our speakers. Rega makes some good products, but I have no information as to whether or not they work well with Vandy's, so take my opinion with a grain of salt. Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 I like that integrated amp, but agree with bob 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 26, 2023 Author Share Posted March 26, 2023 (edited) The Rega Brio looks like a good product but I'm wondering if the 50 watts will be enough if I should have gotten the Elex or something else. I already ordered the Brio to test out. It's the latest 2017 model. My requirements are an integrated amp with remote control. I'm going to see how it goes with the Brio and go from there. Edited March 26, 2023 by olds1959special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratocaster Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 @olds1959special if you are based in SoCal, I can lend you a couple of Mccormack amps to try out. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted March 26, 2023 Share Posted March 26, 2023 I forgot to add that a Belles Aria integrated would also be high up on my list. As well as the Ayre AX-7e. You can find them used for under $1.5K. Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 27, 2023 Author Share Posted March 27, 2023 (edited) Thanks for the responses. Maybe I should have asked the question before buying the amp. I listen to lots of old music like jazz, blues, and classical. I really enjoy tube amps but if going with solid state I will use my tube DAC (MHDT Lab) and a clean sounding amp. I'm hoping the Rega works okay but have been thinking a lot about different possibilities if I have to go in a different direction. I just need good clean power basically, and have ruled out Class D amps because I have found them to sound thin. I previously used a Rotel RB-1070 with Schiit preamp which I foolishly sold. I think they were fine except for being ugly and taking up a lot of space. I'll report back when I test out the Rega Brio. Edited March 27, 2023 by olds1959special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holmz Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 (edited) 9 hours ago, olds1959special said: ... I think they were fine except for being ugly and taking up a lot of space.... Sound like the thing that my Mrs. says…😅 Edited March 27, 2023 by Holmz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ctsooner Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 The Belles is probably a true step up from all you have mentioned. I also like Belles better than the AX7e that I owned. It’s also close to the Ayre AX5 non 20 version I think. It should be on the short list. Also some Vandy dealers sell Sim Moon which is very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted March 27, 2023 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I hope I haven't sounded like a poopoo-er regarding the Rega. One of the things I have learned over the years is that there are some amps/pre's that work unbelievably well with our speakers, and that using that info results in the easiest, least money wasting way to upgrade. $0.02 Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) It arrived. Yay! It may be the 2016 version according to the box but there are no issues with it. Overall, the sound is warm. There is a thickness and weight to the sound, but the treble is good and details are good. I'd say this is a nice amp and a piece of gear I definitely could live with for a while. It has plenty of power, I am barely turning up the volume knob, and the bass is good. Although it sounds warm, it is lively and punchy. This could be the best amp I've tried with the 2ci's so far. I was also able to set the tweeter and woofer levels on the speakers to flat too, and the balance is good. Downsides? It doesn't quite have the air of a tube amp, and instead there's a warm character which could be felt as "congested." But overall I feel the presentation is not really congested just "thick" sounding and there's no treble deficiency, no need to boost treble with an EQ for music. I'd say this works perfectly fine for me right now, even if there are better amps out there. I got this unit used so paid around 60% the new cost, which is less than I got for selling my old gear. I do think this amp is a little better (more dimensional) than the Rotel RB-1070 too, and better suited power-wise. I am using the Luxman receiver for its tuner section via the pre-outs. When I get the antenna hooked up I'll see if I can get my partner's favorite talk radio station. Edited March 30, 2023 by olds1959special 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 30, 2023 Author Share Posted March 30, 2023 (edited) It really is a bit warm/congested. Ha ha. But I'm getting into my record collection to see if I can live with it. Edited March 30, 2023 by olds1959special 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 It hums in the left channel. I’m returning it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GdnrBob Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Are the interconnects seated completely? I had a hum that drove me to distraction. It ended up being an interconnect that was ever so slightly not completely inserted. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 (edited) 11 minutes ago, GdnrBob said: Are the interconnects seated completely? I had a hum that drove me to distraction. It ended up being an interconnect that was ever so slightly not completely inserted. B Yes, the interconnects are secure. It turns out this is a common problem with this amp due to the small case. It's noticeable on headphones, and on the left speaker with my ear an inch from the midrange driver, when no sound is playing. I decided to keep it and live with the issue for now! It really isn't a transparent sounding amp and feels a bit warm/congested so I may change amps at some point anyway. I was looking at Dynaco ST-70 mono blocks, but do enjoy the ease of operation and maintenance of a solid state amp. I'm probably going to stop the search unless I can't live with the Rega Brio. I'll see how it goes... Edited March 31, 2023 by olds1959special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olds1959special Posted April 2, 2023 Author Share Posted April 2, 2023 I traded it for a Linn Klout. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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