Hi all
I've been running a pair of KEF LS50 speakers with a Rega Brio-R for a few years now (with a Rega RP6/Nagaoka MP300 turntable and a Rega Apollo-R CD player). I've generally been very happy with the combination but feel that my front ends and speakers "deserve" a better amp, good though the Brio-R is for the money. Given that I listen to a lot of vinyl, so a decent phono stage is a must, I'm considering upgrading the amp to a Rega Elex-R. My only concern is that the Elex-R has been described as being a tad "lean" and "bright" in a few reviews (including WHF's own), so I'm wondering if they're a good match for the LS50s, which, being small standmounters, are not the most bass-heavy speakers out there. Basically, what I'm after is an an amp that builds on the strengths of the Brio-R but adds a more detail and resolution without being bright and edgy. Has anybody experienced this particular pairing and/or can compare the sound of the Brio-R to the Elex-R? Is the Elex-R a good match for the LS50s? To add an additional bit of info, prior to the Nagaoka MP200 I ran an Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge, which was a touch lean, bright and analytical sounding. Swapping the Orotofon out for the Nagaoka was a big step in the right direction (more body, warmth and natural sounding - I love the Nagaoka sound!), but I don't want to undo those improvements by going for an amp that shares the Ortofon's traits.
Cheers
Paul (Bogester)
I've been running a pair of KEF LS50 speakers with a Rega Brio-R for a few years now (with a Rega RP6/Nagaoka MP300 turntable and a Rega Apollo-R CD player). I've generally been very happy with the combination but feel that my front ends and speakers "deserve" a better amp, good though the Brio-R is for the money. Given that I listen to a lot of vinyl, so a decent phono stage is a must, I'm considering upgrading the amp to a Rega Elex-R. My only concern is that the Elex-R has been described as being a tad "lean" and "bright" in a few reviews (including WHF's own), so I'm wondering if they're a good match for the LS50s, which, being small standmounters, are not the most bass-heavy speakers out there. Basically, what I'm after is an an amp that builds on the strengths of the Brio-R but adds a more detail and resolution without being bright and edgy. Has anybody experienced this particular pairing and/or can compare the sound of the Brio-R to the Elex-R? Is the Elex-R a good match for the LS50s? To add an additional bit of info, prior to the Nagaoka MP200 I ran an Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge, which was a touch lean, bright and analytical sounding. Swapping the Orotofon out for the Nagaoka was a big step in the right direction (more body, warmth and natural sounding - I love the Nagaoka sound!), but I don't want to undo those improvements by going for an amp that shares the Ortofon's traits.
Cheers
Paul (Bogester)