Rega Brio Mk7

The most capable Rega Brio yet?

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Rega's Brio has been one of our go-to affordable stereo amplifier recommendations for longer than we care to remember. The original was launched in 1991, and every generation since has been a frill-free analogue design, with priority given to good sound and a feature set that covered the basics.

The new Rega Brio Mk7 version doesn't deviate much from this well-established path, but acknowledges the changing times by adding digital inputs. Less welcome is a price increase that pushes this amplifier into the next class up from its traditional, more affordable home - and puts it against some tough competition.

With the Brio Mk7, Rega has persisted with the convenient half-width casing of the previous generation, but changed the front and rear panel designs to match the styling of its current product range. The result is neat enough, but when we place the amp next to its predecessor, we find ourselves preferring the metal controls of the last-gen model over the Brio Mk7's plasticky alternatives. We're not big fans of the new Brio's cheap-feeling plastic rear panel either, especially given the amplifier's increased price.

Elsewhere, there is no issue with the swap from a front panel-mounted 6.3mm headphone output to a 3.5mm; most price-appropriate headphones come with this as standard, anyway. The new system remote control is fine too, being well designed and simple to use, if not particularly stylish.

Much the same description applies to the amplifier as a whole. Generally, it feels like a functional tool designed to do a job rather than something to savour. Until you listen to it, that is.