REGA AYA LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW

Oscar Stewart takes a listen to Rega Aya Loudspeakers, a compact floor-standing loudspeaker costing £1500.

Rega may be best known for their turntables, however, they have always had a few speakers in their product lineup and they sometimes like to do things a little differently. The Aya are a perfect example of this, with cabinets made from concrete and having been a decade in development, this affordable pair of floor-standing speakers looks to be quite the catch.

BUILD QUALITY AND FEATURES OF THE REGA AYA

When the Aya’s arrived, the boxes were both smaller and lighter than I expected, however, don’t let this initial impression fool you. One, it makes them a lot easier to carry to your house and setup and two, the build quality is excellent once you open the boxes.

The glass-reinforced concrete cabinets feel solid yet as the speakers only stand 87.1cm tall they are relatively easy to move about (they only weigh 14.1kg per speaker). The concrete is certainly something different and not a material you will see many manufacturers using and the glass fibres help keep the weight down, whilst adding rigidity…and the overall cost is kept down compared to conventional MDF cabinets. It also allows more flexibility when it comes to the acoustic design, allowing Rega to make a cabinet to the exact shape and specification they need, and it incorporates a bandpass filter design.

The front panel is made of MDF with a vinyl-wrap that is made to look like brushed aluminium and the black front plate is plastic, the feet come attached to the cabinet and are metal – these can mark wood flooring so you may want to put something underneath them depending on where you are placing them. Driver-wise Rega has gone for a 2.5-way system with a new crossover and uses their self-designed ZRR tweeter, 5” handmade mid-bass and 7” handmade bass driver. There is a single pair of binding posts on the back of the cabinet (no bi-wiring needed here) and the bass-port is on the front. 

These are by all accounts still a “traditional” 2.5-way floor standing speaker and being front ported does allow for a little more flexibility in terms of placement. Having a sensitivity of 89.5dB and a nominal impedance of 6 ohms does make these a fairly easy load to drive, which ties in with the price point these sit at.

Coming in at £1500 these are not hugely expensive, and the price makes them quite an attractive proposition for those looking to upgrade from a more budget stand mount setup without having to change their whole system. I found that these sounded their best with only a little toe-in, and I used them with a Rotel RB-1050 which puts out 70wpc @8Ohms.

SOUND QUALITY

First off the Aya’s have a big sound for their relatively compact size. It’s bold and energetic and wants to grab your attention, but without becoming too forward and in-your-face.

Monuments, normally a metal band, have an acoustic version of their song False Providence and through the Aya this song captivates you. These have a punchy yet naturally voiced sound and Andy Cizek’s vocals cut through and make you listen to what he’s singing whilst the acoustic guitar fills the space around them. The Aya have a way of projecting the sound in a deep and wide manner and there is real depth to the sound, however, they do occasionally push the vocals back a little, though they never seem to lose focus.

The 7″ bass driver produces some lovely punch and depth in the bass region! With heavier metal you can feel the kick drums hit whilst they’re also happy to articulate more intricate bass lines in jazz. There’s a great sense of control to the drivers, whilst the sound is well rounded and has good body to it. Articulation is effortless and they handle dynamic songs with ease. I’m not the biggest fan of choral or classical music but the songs I did hear with these that had elements of those genres didn’t present any issues.

Eels – It’s a Motherf*cker is a short and sweet song, and the Aya articulate the piano with delicacy whilst Mark Oliver Everett’s gravelly vocals have just the right presence. Once again, the layering of the instruments is excellent yet these still demand you to listen to the music playing. They might not suit everyone’s taste, but they are an engaging listen, that’s for sure. 

Now for an upbeat mainstream song that’s just a lot of fun – Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl. The Ayas take hold of the beat and deliver it in a very punchy and full manner, whilst Ed’s vocals cut through and never get lost in the mix. I find the Aya to have a sense of fun, a skip in their step, they’re an entertaining speaker and certainly couldn’t be called dull, yet they also don’t come across as unbalanced. There’s a line these speakers straddle well – they have enough clarity and detail with a sense of realism that prevents them from sounding off, whilst pulling off excellent impact and with heaps of energy. 

The bandpass design seems to help add some extension down low, and the bass only gets a little lumpy at higher volumes. There is a smoothness to the sound too and, they’re far from being bright in the treble region. They’re not a speaker to sit back and relax to and do demand a little attention, but it’s not a fatiguing kind of presentation. Rega’s ZRR tweeter is lovely, it’s got a silky smooth character with lots of air and space to it. Metallic domes can be a little unforgiving, whereas these take the edge off a little without losing clarity.

Dreamstate – Hand in Hand is well well-controlled rock track through these loudspeakers. The treble has a smooth tilt to it, never becoming remotely bright. If anything Rega has played it quite safe up top. Cymbals sound ever so slightly held back and are not allowed to shine quite as much as they should, but the heavier female vocals do sound quite lifelike. This track has a ton of energy and the Aya don’t hold it back, yet they never become congested with excellent dynamics.

You must remember this is a £1500 pair of speakers and Rega has never been a brand to follow conventional designs or tuning. The Aya are not tuned to be a studio-sounding speaker, they want you tapping your foot along and are tuned for enjoyment over critical listening. This isn’t to say the detail isn’t there, or that they’re unrefined, they just have an added dose of fun factor that a few speakers miss out on. I did find them to sound truly great with acoustic and jazz, but, equally, they handled electronic music very well. 

With careful placement, you get a wide and deep soundstage and the speakers do a good job of disappearing within the excellent stereo imaging. I played a lot of music during my time with these speakers and every time I sat down and listened, I was captivated. My room isn’t perfect and occasionally there was some bloom in the bass, but it never took away from the character of the Aya’s. These are a speaker with character, they have not been built to appease the objectivists looking for a tight, linear response, but they are tuned for those of us who enjoy the music.

QUIBBLES

Some attention should be paid to partnering these with the right kit, but they are not a difficult load to drive and positioning isn’t too difficult. 

CONCLUSION

The Rega Aya are not necessarily a groundbreaking speaker, but this is not a bad thing. The glass-reinforced cabinets look great in the flesh and are something a little different. The bandpass cabinet design has had some thought put into it and you are rewarded with an engaging pair of speakers that will get your feet tapping along to your favourite tracks. 

Place them with a little care to avoid boominess and you’ll get a controlled sound that’s got heaps of energy without becoming fatiguing. The treble is a little on the safe side, but the bass punch is excellent and there is a natural and open midrange to compliment it. 

These are worthy of your attention and at this price point they are well positioned in the market as something a little more unique, and as with all speakers, you should try and listen to them with your own equipment. 

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality And Features:

Unique glass-reinforced concrete feels solid and rigid without being overly heavy

The front panel is well-finished and the binding posts feel solid

Strong metal legs already fitted, hassle-free setup

2.5 way design

Sound Quality:

Engaging, energetic and fun

Well-controlled and good insight into recordings

Not a boring speaker

Value For Money:

£1500 is not a lot for a floor-standing speaker, even a small one, and Rega have done an excellent job of providing great extension and excellent punch from a speaker of this size – this makes them great value in my opinion

We Loved:

The interesting yet modern design paired with toe-tappingly fun audio quality

Small cabinets will fit nicely into quite a few spaces

We Didn’t Love So Much:

Bass can become a little boomy without a little care in their placement

Elevator Pitch Review: The Rega Aya are a £1500 compact floor-standing speaker that aim to get your feet tapping along to your favourite music. They are anything but boring and demand you pay attention to what’s playing, but without sounding forward or fatiguing. They tread a fine line between sounding open, natural, and controlled with a dose of added fun – ultimately making these speakers incredibly enjoyable. 

Price: £1500

Oscar Stewart

SUPPLIED BY REGA

SUPPLIED SPECIFICATION

• Custom GRC cabinet (glass reinforced cement)
• Bandpass cabinet design
• 2.5 way system
• Rega designed ZRR high frequency unit
• 5″ Handmade MX-125 Bass mid driver
• 7″ Handmade RR7.8 Bass driver
• *Optional loudspeaker grilles
• Lifetime warranty against manufacture defects