Rega Aya Review
After ten years of development, it’s finally here. The Rega Aya, a floor-standing speaker crafted from ultra-light cement, is now available. It features three hand-made drivers from the UK. And let’s say this up front: the Rega is impressive both visually and audibly.
The southern English manufacturer Rega celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. The traditional company now employs over 140 people and is “obsessed with special materials, tolerances, and precision,” as stated on its website. Every product is hand-made in southern England. From amplifiers and phono stages to speakers, Rega offers a broad range of Hi-Fi equipment.
Now, this lineup is joined by a new product: the Rega Aya. Priced at approximately $1999 for a pair, the Aya is a fairly affordable floor-standing speaker, fitting well alongside other Rega devices like the Planar series turntables or the compact io and Brio amplifiers.
Key term: “GRC”
After a decade of development, Rega co-founder Roy Gandy and his design team have completed the Rega Aya floor-standing speaker. This isn’t just any floor-standing speaker; its materials and technology are unique. The primary reason for the long development time is the speaker’s special casing. Visually impressive, the Rega Aya shows the expertise of skilled designers.
Rega has opted for an innovative combination of materials. Much of the casing is made from “GRC” or Glass Reinforced Cement, offering advantages over MDF with high structural integrity while remaining relatively light. In fact, the speaker, at almost 87 cm tall, weighs “only” 14 kilograms. The GRC casing gives the Rega Aya a clean, modern look. Its industrial design is complemented by a front-edge fiberglass trim and a metal cover. The visible screws on the front also fit the aesthetic.
The Rega Aya looks compact, with a height of 87.1 cm, a width of 25.8 cm, and a depth of 21.5 cm, making it one of the smaller floor-standing speakers for Hi-Fi enthusiasts. It blends seamlessly next to a shelf and doesn’t demand immediate attention, although a closer look is worthwhile. The Aya’s shape isn’t just a simple upright box; the cement casing is rounded at the back, with the front side slightly wider than the tapering rear. The Rega speaker stands on three sharp feet, with the front foot made of metal and the rear from plastic, secured with screws at the back. The two speaker terminals are also located here.
The thoughtful composition of materials and shapes truly shines when viewing the Rega Aya firsthand. The interesting texture of the fiberglass trim, for instance, is hard to capture in photos. Luckily, the Middle German Hi-Fi Days offer a chance to see it in person. In Room Jena on the ground floor, visitors can experience Rega equipment at the TAD Audio stand, where the elegant Aya speaker will be playing in a setup with electronics from the British brand Cyrus. After drawing curious looks last year in a static display, the Aya can now show off its sound advantages in live demos for the MDHT audience.
Technology
The unique design of the Rega Aya continues with its drivers. Three drivers and a bass reflex port are mounted on the front. This 2.5-way floor-standing speaker includes a dome tweeter, a 5-inch mid/bass driver, and a 7-inch bass driver, all designed and handmade in Rega’s production facility. The southern English manufacturer takes pride in this.
The drivers are also visually striking. The main sound production comes from the MX-125 mid-bass driver, with a distinctively long, pointed dust cap, supported by the larger RR7.8 bass driver, which has a truncated cap. The high frequencies are handled by the ZRR tweeter, which is also used in the Rega Kyte bookshelf speaker. This small tweeter is protected by a stylish metal triangle. “ZRR” stands for “Zero Rear Reflection,” referring to Rega’s method of achieving distortion-free playback. A large opening in the tweeter’s pole core channels rear reflections away from the tweeter, preventing interference. Below this driver setup, a bass reflex port enhances bass output.
The Aya’s two bass drivers are acoustically separated inside the casing to prevent excessive interaction. Rega uses a clever filter for the Aya, consisting of an MDF panel with precise slots, blocking disruptive frequencies. This structure is called a band-pass enclosure, making the Aya a 2.5-way band-pass system. Inside, a new crossover specifically tuned for this speaker is installed. Visually, the ten years of development were clearly worth it. But let’s move on to the most important aspect: How does the stylish speaker sound?
Sound Test
A Hi-Fi tester encounters many products yearly. Occasionally, a product leaves a lasting impression, like the Rega Aya. It’s a small, affordable floor-standing speaker with impressive sound quality. The Aya sounds balanced, refined, and audiophile, without being constrained by its size or price. During our listening tests, we noticed the Aya’s warm, smooth sound profile.
This is due to its tuning: it slightly boosts the bass while lowering the mids to create space. The result is a warm, soft sound that’s simply beautiful. With a sensitivity of 89.5 dB, the Aya pairs well with Rega’s compact amplifiers (like the io). It performs best at moderate volume. At higher volumes, the slight bass boost can become more noticeable, making it better suited for comfortable listening levels where it truly shines.
Versatile
We embark on a trance-like journey with “Endlessness” by Caribbean-Belgian jazz musician Nala Sinephro. The eight tracks from her new ambient-jazz album, which we reviewed, draw us into a swirling world of modular synthesizers, jazz ensembles, and orchestras. The Aya proves to be a sensual companion, producing warm, soft, rounded bass.
Strings and synthesizers seem to float effortlessly in space. This compact floor-standing speaker easily fills our 40-square-meter listening room. Although the mids are slightly recessed, the Aya’s sound profile is enjoyable. When we switch to electronic music, like “Sporty like a Supra” from GENDEMA, the Rega’s deep bass line impresses, with warm and punchy bass and clear, layered percussion. The soundstage is wide and clean, creating a sense of wonder.
Acoustic music also suits the Rega Aya well. We listen to “Exactly Right!” by 87-year-old jazz drummer Louis Hayes, an energetic, playful piece. The vibraphone, played by Steve Nelson, sounds fantastic. However, we notice that the Aya’s slight 100 Hz boost can be pronounced at high volumes, particularly with the distorted bass in Altın Gün’s “Leylim Ley.” At lower volumes, it settles back. Rega isn’t chasing a strictly linear sound profile here; the Aya has a distinctive character we enjoy.
One minor drawback is that the front covers aren’t included; they cost an additional $100 if desired. Moreover, the Aya isn’t forgiving of poorly mixed tracks, especially in the lower frequencies. Despite these small criticisms, we are fans of the Rega Aya. It shows that floor-standing speakers don’t have to be massive to sound great. The glass-reinforced cement adds both style and acoustic benefits. This remarkable sound quality and design hint at Rega’s future direction with GRC material in upcoming models. We’re already excited!
Tech Specs
General
- Device Type: Floor-standing speaker
- Price Category: Entry-level
- Manufacturer: Rega
- Model: Aya
- Price (RRP): $1999 (per pair)
- Dimensions (W/H/D): 25.8 × 87.1 × 21.5 cm
- Weight: 14.1 kg
Technical Data (according to manufacturer)
- Design: 2.5-way, bass reflex
- Impedance: 6 ohms
- Sensitivity: 89.5 dB (10/10 scale for entry-level speakers)
- Room Recommendation: 10–30 m²
- Individual Sound Adjustment: No
- Inputs: 2 × speaker terminals
Conclusion
The Rega Aya stands out for its unique material, glass-reinforced cement (GRC), and hand-crafted British drivers. Its compact size and modern design blend seamlessly into living spaces without compromising on sound quality. The Aya delivers a warm, smooth, and balanced sound, especially at moderate volumes. Despite minor limitations at high volumes, the Rega Aya offers exceptional performance for its price and sets new standards in speaker design.
Special Features
- Casing made of glass-reinforced cement
- Handmade in Great Britain
Advantages
- Smooth, warm sound
- Excellent craftsmanship
- Great value for money
Disadvantages
- Bass boost can lead to droning
Evaluation
- Bass Response: 9/10
- Midrange Response: 9/10
- Treble Response: 10/10
- Spatiality: 9/10
- Playback Quality: 9.3/10
- Features/Build Quality: 10/10
- User-Friendliness: 9/10
- Adjustments: None
- Intermediate Score: 9.3/10
- Price/Performance: 9/10
Result: Excellent – 93%
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