The Rega Brio has won multiple awards over the years and is still highly praised by audiophiles, not to mention, it is also one of the top entry-level integrated amplifiers to go for at this price range. This integrated amp has a small footprint which makes it suitable to be part of a desktop sound system. Its compact size allows you to find a spot for Brio even when you have limited space on your desk. The rated power output of the Rega Brio is high enough to drive most bookshelf speakers.
For turntable users, you will be delighted to know there is a high-quality moving magnet phono stage built into the Rega Brio but it lacks digital inputs. To resolve this, we will need to get an external DAC which can be a good thing as usually, a dedicated HiFi component will perform better than an audio component that needs to do multiple jobs at once. With a D/A converter, you can connect your PC, laptops, mobile devices, etc., to the Rega Brio amp to start playing high-res audio files and other compatible music files.
There are many DACs to choose from and to find the right one for the job, you will need to learn more about the Rega Brio sonic characteristics. Being the latest iteration of this successful Rega series, it will certainly inherit some of the traits from its previous predecessors. The Rega Brio is an alacrity performer with amazing agility, enabling it to confidently pace through the music and provide an exciting presentation to its listeners without losing its footing. The overall sound reproduction is fuller sounding than the previous versions and has more clarity as well. Allowing us to hear more details from our favorite tunes.
It is easy to enjoy listening to the Rega Brio, it is very fun and quite forgiving with a solid overall bass performance that packs a satisfying punch. The articulate and enthusiastic music performance makes it easy to fall in love with the Brio amplifier, more importantly, giving us memorable music listening experiences. For analytical audio enthusiasts, this may not be the amp for you. It is really impressive for an integrated amplifier to provide us with so much musical enjoyment at such a modest price. If we were to nitpick then it will be the soundstage as it is not as open and spacious as we are expecting.
More Details at Amazon – Rega Brio Integrated Amplifier
Your main requirements will be important as well, these will influence the type of D/A converters you will need and so we need to work this out. We are preparing a list of the best DACs which you can go for and match them with your Rega Brio integrated amplifier. This D/A converter list will be shared with you later on. Without further ado, let us start with your DAC main requirements.
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DAC Main Requirements
You can start with working on your budget, allocate a comfortable amount that you are willing to use, and invest in a DAC. The higher the budget, the better the quality and a longer list of DAC choices which you can aim for. Will you be moving the Rega Brio around much? If yes, you probably need a portable DAC as it is lighter and very compact. For listeners facing space constraints, using a portable and compact D/A converter will be ideal as once you are finished with it, you can easily move and keep it inside a drawer. The type of music file formats you are listening to will be a factor. You might want to go with a DAC that can play all the high-res audio files you have on your PC or devices.
You can connect a headphone to the Rega Brio and it should be efficiently driven but if you want a more powerful headphone amp, you can use this opportunity to get a DAC that has all the features you need and is capable of driving your headphone with ease. Listeners who like to fine-tune the sound quality can opt for tube DAC where it allows you to do tube rolling. You can change the stock tubes and switch them to the ones you prefer. The type of connections you will need from a digital-to-analog converter will be critical too, we will recommend taking the time to finalize this requirement as you wouldn’t know you might need the DAC for some other devices.
If you are sharing the usage of the Rega Brio with your loved ones, you should discuss it with them and find out what are their opinions on acquiring a DAC. These are some of the usual requirements which you might want to consider and please feel free to add more requirements to the list. Once you are confident on the digital-to-analog converter which you want to get then please check out the list of the best DACs that you can choose to pair with your Rega Brio integrated amplifier. The DACs chosen will be quite closely matched in terms of price.
Best DACs to match with Rega Brio
The Rega DAC-R is one of the best DACs to pair with your Rega Brio integrated amplifier. Since they are made by the same company, we can certainly expect seamless and cohesive sound reproduction from them. The Rega DAC-R has similar sonic characteristics and is equally capable of delivering an exciting music presentation. It is also an insightful D/A converter and can deliver impactful crescendos. The expressive and rhythmic DAC-R will be a great match with the Rega Brio, where both of them can bring you countless hours of exciting music listening experience with punchy sonic performances.
More Details at Amazon – Rega DAC-R Digital to Analogue Converter
The Audioengine D1 is one of the best entry-level DACs to match with the Rega Brio, this is an ideal choice for listeners who do not want to invest much in a D/A converter. It is modestly priced and highly rated, furthermore, it is very compact in size and saves you plenty of space for audio components such as your speakers. The D1 uses AKM4396 DAC and supports up to 24-bit/192kHz resolution. It even comes with a headphone amplifier, providing even more value to its users. The overall sound reproduction is refined and balanced, it can dish out loads of music details with clarity.
More Details at Amazon – Audioengine D1 24-Bit DAC
If portability is of absolute importance to you and without compromising the sound quality, then the AudioQuest DragonFly Cobalt is an excellent DAC to go with your Rega Brio. This is an ultra-compact D/A converter where you can just put it inside your pocket. The award-winning DragonFly Cobalt has impeccable music timing and expressive dynamics that will complement the Brio amplifier really well. The portable DAC is capable of projecting a wide soundstage and the Rega Brio can deliver an energetic performance on the stage. This is an exciting combination but the limited connection will be as expected for such a compact DAC.
More Information at Amazon – AudioQuest Dragonfly Cobalt
The Audiolab M-DAC+ will be one of the best D/A converters to partner up with the Rega Brio integrated amplifier. The DAC’s exceptional sonic performance has helped it to earn quite a number of accolades. Audiolab M-DAC+ is capable of producing an immense amount of music details and has a wide dynamic range, providing us with a rich and impactful music presentation. The Rega Brio music timing and pace will work very well with the Audiolab M-DAC+. There are also plenty of connections to choose from including balanced XLR outputs. We will highly suggest auditioning them first before making a decision.
More Details at Amazon – Audiolab M-DAC+ High-Performance DAC
For listeners who play a lot of high-res audio files, the FiiO K5 Pro will be an ideal choice for you and your Rega Brio amplifier. The FiiO K5 Pro has a modest price tag and supports up to 32-bit/768kHz resolution. Furthermore, it has native DSD 512 decoding and the small footprint will allow the DAC to fit in nicely on most desktops. It comes very highly rated and well-regarded by many of its satisfied owners. The overall sound reproduction is neutral and clean with a polished background. FiiO K5 Pro’s sonic characteristics will suit well with the Rega Brio integrated amplifier and is a brilliant all-rounder as well.
More Info at Amazon – FiiO K5 Pro 768K/32Bit and Native DSD 512 decoding DAC
The Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital is another exemplary DAC choice for your Rega Brio integrated amplifier. The Pre Box S2 Digital uses premium quality ESS Sabre ESS9038 dual DAC and supports up to 32-bit/768kHz resolution as well as DSD512. It also supports hardware MQA unfolding and this alone already provides listeners with exceptional value for the price. The sonic characteristics of the Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital are quite similar to the Rega Brio where it is agile and fast. The Brio amplifier does add a bit more energy into the overall sonic performance and gives us an engaging music presentation.
More Details at Amazon – Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital
To Sum It Up
These are some of the best D/A converters to match with the Rega Brio integrated amplifier and will be worth your time to have an audition with them. Have a listen and see if you like what you are hearing. You should also do a side-by-side comparison which makes it easier to tell the difference in sound quality. Feel free to use this DAC list as a reference to look for other models or brands which are not shown here. You might want to audition 1 or 2 DACs first though before using them as references.
