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Brio-R vs. Nait5i vs. Sonneteer Campion/Alabaster

G

greg788

pfm Member
I own a Brio-R and, while its surprisingly good, I'm looking to upgrade.

I'm mainly considering the Nait5i and Sonneteer Campion and Alabaster.

For those who've compared any of these, what are your conclusions?

My speakers are Spendor S3/5R.

I don't have any local dealers whatsoever and forum searches didn't turn up much information.

I'm open to suggestions, including valves and maybe the Exposure 2010S ...
 
You might want to up your budget. Getting a big jump in amplifiers generally costs quite a bit. Maybe a source upgrade would be money better spent?

red
 
redeye said:
You might want to up your budget. Getting a big jump in amplifiers generally costs quite a bit. Maybe a source upgrade would be money better spent?

red
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Having been on a fairly major amplifier odyssey in the last 5 years or so (I'm almost scared to admit the number of amps which have come and gone chez Gromit) I'd certainly agree with the above.

Within a budget of, let's say £500-1500 the differences aren't huge and bigger improvements/changes can be experienced experimenting with source equipment, especially if it's analogue.
 
Hi Greg,

I'm not familiar with the Rega Brio R. I now have the Nait 5i-2 and had the Sonneteer Campion and Alabaster in the past. (all with the same Diapason Micra 3 speakers, but with different sources)

I think it also depends on personal taste and speaker matching.
Both Sonneteer amps are great, classic amps that already exist in the Sonneteer range for about >16 years. (which is quite an achievement and says a lot imho!)

To me the Naim amp sounds more direct, a little more clear and forward. The soundstage is less deep/spacious.
The Sonneteer amps both offer a bit more 3D soundstage, with an overal warmer, more refined sound. (although still clear and very detailed)

The Campion sounds very similar to its big brother the Alabaster. The latter being slightly more refined.

When I sold my Alabaster, the selling brought along his own DIY (small) floorstanders, with a small woofer and ribbon tweeter.
On his speakers we both prefered the Alabaster, while on my own speakers I definitely prefered the Nait 5i-2.

regards,
Alco
 
Alco said:
Hi Greg,

I'm not familiar with the Rega Brio R. I now have the Nait 5i-2 and had the Sonneteer Campion and Alabaster in the past. (all with the same Diapason Micra 3 speakers, but with different sources)

I think it also depends on personal taste and speaker matching.
Both Sonneteer amps are great, classic amps that already exist in the Sonneteer range for about >16 years. (which is quite an achievement and says a lot imho!)

To me the Naim amp sounds more direct, a little more clear and forward. The soundstage is less deep/spacious.
The Sonneteer amps both offer a bit more 3D soundstage, with an overal warmer, more refined sound. (although still clear and very detailed)

The Campion sounds very similar to its big brother the Alabaster. The latter being slightly more refined.

When I sold my Alabaster, the selling brought along his own DIY (small) floorstanders, with a small woofer and ribbon tweeter.
On his speakers we both prefered the Alabaster, while on my own speakers I definitely prefered the Nait 5i-2.

regards,
Alco
Click to expand...


Alco, what speakers do you own?
 
greg788 said:
I own a Brio-R and, while its surprisingly good, I'm looking to upgrade.
...
Click to expand...

Tread with caution. If you're happy with the sound from your system, I'd suggest sticking with the Brio-R. The new amp, even a costlier one may not necessarily be an upgrade. If you want to pursue a new amp, I'd suggest keeping the Brio-R for comparison purposes.

Good luck.
 
I heard the Brio-R recently and I was very impressed. I would have classed it up there with the Nait XS at a fraction of the cost. I thought it did all the hifi things right (imaging, soundstage, clarity) and had a lot of grunt and musicality. Then again, I heard it power a very £££ pair of Shahinian speakers, so maybe a speaker upgrade might be something to consider?
 
Much as I like BrioR - Your Spendors are quite polite so I'd take Naim or Sonneteer provided your source is on level, otherwise not
 
Alco, what speakers do you own?
Click to expand...
The Diapason Micra mkIII.
Diapason_micra_front.JPG
 
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