Rega AYA (Pair)

After years of development, Rega chose for the AYA a material rarely seen in loudspeakers: glass reinforced cement (GRC). The cabinet is made in the UK.

Lighter and more rigid

The glass fibres within the cement make the material lighter and more rigid than conventional concrete. For a loudspeaker, this means a cabinet that does not resonate easily and does not add colouration to the music.

GRC moulding was developed together with a British company known for concrete furniture. The material allows curves and sculpted forms that would be difficult or very expensive to achieve in wood.

The result is a cabinet with an architectural presence, looking more like a design object than a speaker box.

Why not wood

Rega explains that it moved away from wood-veneered MDF because its rising cost threatened the company's core commitment to value for money. GRC made it possible to keep that commitment without compromising performance.

As a natural material, GRC shows slight variations in shade and tiny pinholes. These are not defects but characteristics of the material, and they make every pair unique.

The Steel Grey finish, with a steel grey front panel on a dark grey cabinet, brings out this texture.

In a modern living room, the AYA works as both loudspeaker and sculpture, a talking point long before the music starts.

Every pair is designed, moulded and finished with the same care Rega puts into its turntables.

Behind the AYA's unusual appearance lies an equally unusual acoustic architecture: a band-pass enclosure in a 2.5-way configuration, with a front-facing port. It is a layout chosen to combine deep bass with Rega's trademark midrange clarity.

How it works

In a 2.5-way design, two drivers share the low frequencies, while only one of them continues into the midrange. The speaker thus gains depth in the bass without losing clarity and coherence in the mids.

In the AYA, the 7-inch RR7.8 driver works inside a band-pass enclosure, which acoustically filters its response and confines it to the low frequencies.

Rega says this approach delivers tight bass, the company's characteristic midrange and detailed highs, while keeping value for money high.

The band-pass enclosure also gives the bass driver controlled movement, so the bass stays clean at higher volume levels.

Front port

The AYA's port is at the front of the cabinet. This makes the speakers less sensitive to distance from the rear wall than rear-ported designs.

In practice, placement becomes easier in real homes, where speakers often have to sit closer to the wall than would be ideal.

With sensitivity of 89.5 dB and a nominal impedance of 6 Ω, the AYA is driven comfortably by amplifiers such as Rega's Elex, Elicit and Aethos.

Rega quotes a power handling of 110 W per channel, depending on the amplifier.

Paired with a Planar turntable, they form a complete Rega system with a single sound character.

All of the AYA's drive units are designed by Rega and made by hand. They are the result of the company's investment in research and development rather than advertising.

ZRR and MX-125

High frequencies are handled by the ZRR tweeter, the same unit used in the compact Kyte. It is designed by Rega for clean, refined treble without harshness.

The midrange and part of the bass come from the 5-inch MX-125 driver, also hand-made. It is the driver that defines Rega's character on voices and most instruments.

Using the same drivers as the Kyte gives the two speakers a shared sonic family, which is useful for anyone planning to upgrade later.

Voices have body and presence, and the overall sound is lively and natural, with a sense of ease that suits long listening sessions.

RR7.8 and a new crossover

The low end of the spectrum is covered by the 7-inch RR7.8 driver, working inside the band-pass enclosure. It gives the AYA the depth and weight expected from a floorstanding speaker.

The three drivers are joined by a new crossover designed specifically for the AYA. The crossover ensures smooth transitions from driver to driver and a coherent sound image.

The AYA has been reviewed by Hi-Fi Choice, AV Forums, Hi-Fi Pig, Audio Advice and Sound Advice, with Recommended and Highly Recommended awards confirming the goal of its ten-year development.

The optional magnetic grilles protect the drivers without spoiling the speaker's lines.

Without them, the sculpted front and the drivers become part of the design itself.