Rega Mira 3 worth upgrade?

[batonwielder]

I have an option to exchange my defective Rega Brio 3 for a new one or upgrade to the Mira 3 with a pretty decent discount.

Is it worth the difference? Will I be getting more of the same or a different character all together?

The Brio 3 really is an amazing value. 

 

[John Duncan]

And the Mira todally rocks. Listen and see, I'd say.

 

[Anonymous]

Great. I've been thinking of changing to something more rock orientated than my arcams. Might have to give it a try along with a Cyrus. How does the Mira sound with the Rega R3's?

 

[John Duncan]

Don't know, I only heard it with....B&Ws I think. Definitely more of a rock amp than Arcam. Bit coloured maybe, but great with more powerful stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

I've heard the Mira 3 with the Rega R5s and thought it sounded a little safe. I think it's more laid back than the Brio and gives a more hifi sound. You might be better off sticking to the Brio but def audition to see.

 

[John Duncan]

You think? Maybe I just had it turned up loud........

 

[batonwielder]

Hmmm...as good as the Brio is I thought it could be a little cleaner and more open. There's no limit to one's desires...(sigh)

 

[drummerman]

Mira ... better focus, more air, tighter bass, the usual stuff you'd expect when moving up a range. Igg is right though, its too safe, too hifi and compared to the brio, imo, uninspiring. Actually it sounds a bit like an arcam, sorry. Also you have to turn that volume knob forever to get any volume, the input stage seems to have very low gain though its no big deal if you use the remote.

 

[batonwielder]

Well, I'm a bit afraid that when my next upgrade happens, which will be the speakers, the Brio might be underpowered for the kind of speakers I'm looking at. Or maybe I should just put the money towards speakers now...ARGHHH!!!

 

[drummerman]

Batonwielder, what speakers are you buying? Is it the R3's you mentioned earlier?

 

[chebby]

The R3's will be an excellent match. High(ish) efficiency will make those 49 watts go a long way and I can assure you will sound excellent. I have heard the Mira and Brio and way prefer the Brio. The Mira is dry to the point of lifelessness. The Brio sings in an almost valve-like way. (Both have excellent MM phono stages.)

 

[batonwielder]

Well, I feel if I stick to the Brio then I confine my options to the Rega speakers. And if I did that, it would be hard for me to resist the temptation of owning an all-Rega system!

The Brio was supposed to hold me over until I buy a tube integrated, but I like the sound of it so much, I thought I could stop here if the Mira could give me more of what the Brio has to offer.

If the Mira is indeed more of the same (in a good way), then its additional power could allow me to match a more variety of speakers.

Yes, the R3 is number one on my list, but I also want to see how Rega amplification gets along with speakers such as Totem Arro or Spendor S5E.

HELLLPPPP!!!!ÿ

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you're going to have to book some audition time. I think the Rega Mira 3 with Spendor S5e might be a little tiny bit loose in the bass.

Try the Rega R5s, they're cracking if you're after a bit more bass than the R3.

 

[Anonymous]

Just demoed both R3 and R5 with my kit and was impressed by both. The R5 obviously offered a bigger sound with greater authority and more bass weight though the R3's seemed to offer more detail and sounded faster IMO. After extensive listening i ordered the R3's as I thought they would be better suited to my room (4.5x3.5m) and overall i preferred their sound. Roll on next Friday!!!

 

[batonwielder]

Gears of Law, we have identical room dimensions. Did you think the R5's might be too big? I want to avoid bass overload as much as possible.

I've just listened to Totem Arro's in a very good listening environment. Last time I had heard these it was in an unusually large room with heavy dampening. This time around, I must say it was rather impressive and is one of the top contenders. I would still prefer more openness, though. One thing for sure, slim towers are the way to go for my room. I might have to opt for the Mira to be safe...(sigh)

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, the R3's had nice, tight bass but they might struggle in a larger room or if you need a lot of bass. The R5's had more but i thought might be too much for my room. Thought the R3's would have enough and did prefer their sound slightly. You should definitely listen to both if you can though as you might not agree - it was a close call.

Having only listened to them in the shop (albeit with my own amp and source), i will post my opinions when i receive them and have tested them in my room.

 

[drummerman]

I think Rega's R3 are some of the best affordable speakers with life, vigour and they are very coherent but they are definitively not the most open sounding speakers. You have to judge that for yourself but if you want 'panorama sound' that projects well beyond, above and behind the speaker plane there are better choices. Still, I think its a small price to pay for what they do well.

 

[batonwielder]

I've auditioned both at the dealer's already. It's really hard to judge which might be more suitable for my room, but the dealer has agreed to lend me a pair of R3's next week.

In the meantime, I've decided to go ahead with the Mira 3 deal. I can bring it back if I don't like it, so it might be worth trying. It's really nice to have a good relationship with a dealer.

Drummerman, do you have any speaker recommendations that might be worth looking into around that point? I'm looking for openness and immediacy. I thought the R3's sounded quite open, but I would appreciate more suggestions as to what I should be looking into.ÿ

 

[DeimosNZ]

Anyone care to speculate on the Rega Mira 3 vs the Arcam A 65+? I have a Arcam P85 which I could add to either amp

 

[drummerman]

If you like them why looking elsewhere? For immediacy and clarity you wont find a better speaker. Usher's S520 sounds more open and has more 'perceived' bass (it has'nt got more extension) but lacks some drive and attack in comparison. B&W's 685 is balanced but imo the tweeter is the weak point, it lacks involvement and is not exactly pretty. MA's silver range has (imo) nothing to recommend and I'd rather buy one of their bronze speakers (though I would'nt either). I have a feeling Kef's new range (both iQ and entry level) may be worth trying out. I never got on with the old iQ's but since this mag praised them highly and disapproves of the new ones I think they may be quite good, no offense to anybody at WH

 

[batonwielder]

drummerman:If you like them why looking elsewhere? For immediacy and clarity you wont find a better speaker. Usher's S520 sounds more open and has more 'perceived' bass (it has'nt got more extension) but lacks some drive and attack in comparison. B&W's 685 is balanced but imo the tweeter is the weak point, it lacks involvement and is not exactly pretty. MA's silver range has (imo) nothing to recommend and I'd rather buy one of their bronze speakers (though I would'nt either). I have a feeling Kef's new range (both iQ and entry level) may be worth trying out. I never got on with the old iQ's but since this mag praised them highly and disapproves of the new ones I think they may be quite good, no offense to anybody at WH

ÿ

Thanks for the suggestions. I've auditioned the Usher and B&W, and preferred the Usher. Very balanced and clean sound.

I'm just trying to make sure that I'm making the best informed decision possible. I've been using the Acoustic Energy AE3's for the past couple of years, and I just can't stand it any longer. They are clearly meant to be the front of a HT setup in a large room.

Has anybody matched Rega amplification with Totem speakers?ÿ