Rega Brio or...?

Just a word of caution - take a look at the Amazon reviews of the Rega Brio.  There are several comments about hum/buzz issues.  There's also a recent post here about the same thing.  The previous version, the Brio-R, also seemed to have some noise issues.  It may or may not be a problem in your setup, but it's something to keep in mind.  

There are only 6 reviews, but four have significant complaints. Three complain of hum issues and one had a noisy volume control.  I'd make sure that you buy it from a place that has a liberal return policy just to be safe.  No one complains about the sound quality, though. It's certainly getting great reviews on that basis.

By the way, I have heard the Arcam A19 and thought it was a very refined sound for its price.  You might also look at Marantz and Yamaha in the $1000 and under range for integrated amps with a phono stage.  I know they're not British, but they have their adherents.  

Keep us posted.  Would love to hear your impressions of the Brio if you decide to go with it.

So, curiosity got the best of me, and I ordered a Brio.  I have had it for a couple of days, and I have to say I'm very impressed.  It's got an engaging sound that really doesn't do anything wrong.  Perhaps the best thing that I can say about it is that I started pulling out records and CDs that I hadn't listened to in a long time because I was enjoying the music so much.  

I have it paired with some speakers that are also breaking in, so there will probably be some subtle changes, but definitely a thumbs up from me at this point!
 

@reubent - Thanks.  I've wondered how the Elicit-R and Elex-R sound.  A couple of reviews called them 'bright' and suggested pairing them carefully with speakers.  However, another review suggested the Elicit-R was warm.  My guess is they are transparent and the reviewers are hearing the rest of their system.

I'm actually auditioning the Brio along with two different sets of speakers - the Wharfedale Reva 2 and the B&W CM5 (used), so there are a lot of moving parts in the evaluation process.  However, it's pretty clear that the Brio sounds great and drives either pair of speakers well.  As you said - it's just enjoyable to listen to music through the Rega.  

Will post my thoughts in a couple of weeks.  Best, Scott  

It's still sounding great - will give a more thorough review in a week or two.  Just a couple of operational/functional notes that prospective buyers may want to be aware of:

1.  The speaker terminals on the back of the amp are very difficult to get to, as they are close together and somewhat recessed.  I don't think that spades would work.  Bananas or bare wire are your best bet.  

2.  The ground lug for the turntable is on the underside of the unit, and it's a fair distance from the RCA jack for the phono input.  If you have a phono cable with an captive ground wire, you may end up with a fair amount of tension on the phono cable/ground wire.

3.  The power cord jack is right next to the speaker binding posts.  My power cable (an Anti-Cable level 3) sits snugly against the binding posts.  If my power cable's connector were any larger, I wouldn't be able to use it.

I guess these are the compromises that have to made to provide a small footprint amp like the Brio.  Will follow up with listening impressions later.

Just thought I'd update you all on my experience with the Rega Brio.  I'm running it with Wharfedale Reva 2 speakers, a VPI Traveler turntable and a Marantz SA 8004 SACD player.  

The Brio has been very impressive - it just pulls you in to the music.  After a few days powered up it smoothed out quite a bit, and I have absolutely no complaints.  The highs are very natural and non-fatiguing, which is something that is difficult to find at this price level.  Midrange has nice weight to instruments.  As my speakers are stand mounts, I can't say how it does really deep bass.  However, the bass that I get from my speakers is very full without being boomy.  The overall sound is very cohesive.

The phono stage is much like the amp itself - relaxed, musical, engaging.  One thing I wasn't expecting was the quality of the headphone amp.  I don't listen to headphones too much, but I might start.  It's very dynamic and clear with my Sennheiser 600s.  

For $1000 I can't think of anything that compares.  You could have an awfully engaging all-Rega system with a RP3, Brio, and RX1 speakers for about 3k.  

Anyway, I was reluctant to try it because of the complaints of hum issues, but mine is silent and makes great music.

Best, Scott