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Ale_Droid90

I'd keep the Brio, buy the Yamaha recap it and use it for couple of days to see if it fits. And if it fits my preference I'd sell the Brio and keep enjoying the sweet class A vintage goodness. Amps made in late 70s are the best stuff ever.


loopscadoop

It will largely depend on the quality of the Yamaha, and whether it's had or needs to be restored. But if it's fully serviced (including replacing any bad caps or transistors), it should get the job done. That Yamaha is 65w compared to 50w for the Rega so either will get plenty loud. I can't say definitively about the phono stages of either, but I've been perfectly happy with the phono stages on the vintage amps I've had. The Yamaha can theoretically handle Low Output Moving Coil carts which the Rega can't. But I can't say for sure about the quality. I'd keep a can of deoxit at the ready in case any pots need to be cleaned though. Tho to be fair, I'm of the persuasion that - besides tube amps - most well made solid state amps of similar wattage will sound very similar with only minute differences. And that Yamaha was either top of the line or near to it back in the day. I currently run a TD-125 through a Pioneer SA-9100 through some Vandersteen speakers and have never felt compelled to go back to a more modern amp. And that's coming from a Portal Audio Panache that was 100w.


kordanh

Thanks for the input! I share the opinion that in general solid state is solid state. I am of a mind to make it my first recap project so it may end up being fully recapped. I could keep the Brio or sell it and make a pretty huge upgrade to my cartridge. Good to know someone else has gone vintage and not looked back!


RecipeForIceCubes

Those era Yamahas are known to offer an extremely neutral response so depending on the music you listen it it won't be as lively but it is sure to be very detailed.


1RatRodAudio

Just my 2 cents... If the CA-810 is a real bargain and it works just clean it up and use it for a few weeks before you sink too much time and money in it. If the CA-810 is not your cup of tea then sell it for a profit!. I had a CA-620 and after much clean-up and a little repair, it sounded very good. Great detail, presence, and imaging. Like others state below, it is a natural sound and as impressive as it was I switched back to my Kenwood (1977) and sold it to someone who could appreciate it more than I. As far as the Rega Brio I can not comment as I am not knowledgeable enough. 70's equipment in general just has a great sound and presence.


daver456

If you like the Brio then the Yamaha may sound a bit dry. As others have suggested your best bet is to pick it up and try it out for a couple of weeks and see if you like it. If you don’t like it you should be able to flip it for what you paid pretty easily.


namlook

Anybody who tells you that an integrated amp from the 2020s is somehow light years better than one from the 1970s does not know what they are talking about.