Rega Brio R vs. Naim 5i integrateds...

The Nait is an excellent integrated. Easily worth the price IMO. Not sure the Brio R has reached the US yet. According to a few people at Pink Fish Media, it's a big improvement over the Brio 3. It's a good bit more expensive, so hopefully it is a big improvement.

I was ready to buy a Nait 5i a few years back until I came across a second hand Bryston B60 for the right price. I've heard them side by side since I bought the B60 and have no regrets what so ever. The B60 has the PRaT and musicality, and adds more 3D imaging, bigger and deeper soundstaging, and sweeter highs to my ears. At a little less than 3x the price brand new, it should do these things and more. My B60 was 8 years old at the time (still had 12 years of Bryston's impeccable warranty) and cost about $500 less than a new Nait 5i. It was a no brainer to me.

Not trying to make you change what you're considering, just giving my experience. The Nait 5i and B60 are a lot closer to each other sonically than most realize IMO.

One is $895 the other is $1650. Almost twice the price.
They are different enough to warrent hearing both.
I sell both models and both are superb amps.
Prat is not the thing I think of most when listening to either and it's a bit of a shame actually that folks still use that description for these two companies because they are wayyyy beyond that simple one word phrase in their current guise. These companies have both turned into world class, sophisticated makers of high fidelity music gear.

Excellent points Realhifi.

Realhifi,
Since you sell both the Rega Brio R and the Naim Nait 5i-2 could you please tell us all your impressions.
I am sure they are both great amps but I would really like to know your thoughts of how the sound compares and contrasts to each other.
Thank you in advance!

Mezzanine,

Not a simple comparison. One that I can't do justice to in the constraints of a blog. Know that with either amplifier you will be getting one of the very top sounding amplifiers in their respective price catagories and they both can be a the centerpiece of a modest and superb modern hifi system.
Feed them well and they will reward you.

Both companies and both amps are at the top of the game today.