Rega RX1 Standmount Speaker Review

Not content with turntables, Rega is rather good at speakers too

by Ed Selley
Hi-Fi Review

16

Recommended
Rega RX1 Standmount Speaker Review
MSRP: £798.00

What is the Rega RX1?

The Rega RX1 is a two-way standmount speaker and the smallest member of the RX range of speakers. Of course, for some people reading this review, this information will be secondary to the rather more basic factoid that Rega makes speakers. While best known for their record players and supporting ancillaries and an increasingly comprehensive range of electronics, Rega has also been producing speakers since 1980 and has quite an impressive track record in this area.

This also means that Rega is one of a very small number of 'audiophile' companies that can build you an entire system of source, amplification and speakers (and the cables to connect it all up). This in turn means that the RX1 comes from a slightly different background to the speakers at this price point we have already looked at like the KEF LS50 and Spendor SP3/5R2. These are products that come from dedicated speaker manufacturers and rely on electronics manufacturers to function.

In the case of the RX1 however, it exists as part of a family of components that Rega – who admittedly always seem fabulously relaxed about how you use their products – would presumably like you to use as a set. Does this mean that when the RX1 is taken out of this ecosystem and used in a system with no other Rega components at all that it behaves differently to a speaker voiced without a specific set of electronics in mind? On a more fundamental level, with some fine choices already on the market at this price, are Rega as effective at making speakers as they are turntables?

Design and Specifications

Rega RX1
The Rega is a two-way standmount speaker that takes a number of principles we have seen with Rega speakers before but manages to evolve them further. What are these principles? Key amongst them is inverting the main driver over the tweeter and avoiding the use of metal drivers. If you are familiar with Rega's speakers historically, you will be able to look at the RX1 and see that it is a Rega product.

There are some changes to this latest offering though. The RX1 uses a driver that Rega calls the DX-125. This is a doped paper unit that is six inches – although six inches is 127mm so presumably, the RX1 is a 5.99in driver – edge-to-edge (meaning that the radiating area is a little less than this) and with a fixed metal dust cap at the centre. This is a replacement for the older RR125 driver which was noticeable greyer in colour and used a different phase plug.

The tweeter is unchanged from proceeding models but this is because it is sufficiently unusual that it counts as a Rega calling card. The design is called the 'ZRR' which stands for Zero Rear Reflection. The idea is to avoid sending out the energy that a tweeter dome radiates backwards from itself which then reflects back off the internal surface of the speaker and out but in such a way as to affect the timing and accuracy of the signal that left out of the front. Many tweeters have a hole at the back of the polepiece that mounts the tweeter to mitigate this but the ZRR goes a step further and uses a polepiece that is a hollow cylinder. Energy that is produced in reflection is able to pass through this tube and into a chamber that ensures all of it is captured. The tweeter dome itself is a fabric affair and smaller than the norm at 19mm.
Rega RX1
These two drivers are mounted in a cabinet that has a relatively slim 17.3 centimetre width but comes in at a relatively deep 26 centimetres. It is boosted by a small rear bass port but this seems to be fairly benign in terms of the amount of air it physically vents to the outside world that means it doesn't seem unduly concerned by proximity to walls – and something that is usually a clear sign of this is that Rega makes and sells a wall bracket for the RX1. A single set of speaker terminals is fitted – Rega has never been a huge fan of biwiring or biamping.

So far, that trick tweeter aside, the RX1 feels fairly conventional compared to a technical showcase like the KEF LS50. This is perhaps to be expected – Rega products are traditionally the result of taking materials and design practises and implementing them with finesse and care rather than completely tearing everything up and starting again. This being said, the Rega looks and feels fairly modern in execution. The styling is clean, elegant and attractive. The RX1 benefits from simple, clean lines and a good sense of proportion.

There are also some lovely design touches too. The front panel moulding that mounts the midbass driver and tweeter is elegant and serves to break up the expanse of wood and the little triangular protective guide for the tweeter makes the heavy mesh cages look a bit crude (although the protection it affords the tweeter is slightly less than a full cover). The cover for the midbass driver is equally impressive. The older RS10 had a fabric grill that covered the midbass driver, tweeter and a portion of the wood veneer. Over time, exposure to sun could change the colour of the wood that wasn't covered, giving a sort of 'tanline' effect. The RX1 uses a magnetic grill that connects to the bolts of the driver housing via magnets with no overlap onto the wood. It is simple, elegant and- unless your toddler also does some bodybuilding – very childproof.

The only slightly bum note with the aesthetics is the veneer. This is well-finished and book-matched (so the speakers are symmetrical when viewed from the front) but compared to the samples that have appeared at shows, the effect is a little on the flat side. This is still a smart pair of speakers but compared to the Spendor S3/5R2, it feels a little less like furniture.
Rega RX1
The RX1 benefits from simple, clean lines and a good sense of proportion

How was the Rega RX1 tested?

The Regas were left running on a Cambridge Audio 851A for roughly 40 hours to ensure that they were good to go before being placed on a pair of Soundstyle Z60 stands with some blu-tack acting as an isolator and helping them stay put. They have been largely tested with a Naim Supernait 2 amplifier, Naim ND5XS streamer with XP5 XS power supply and an Avid Ingeniun Twin Turntable connected to a Cyrus Phono Signature Phono Stage. The Copland DA 215 that has passed through review this month has also been used. All equipment has been connected to an IsoTek Evo 3 Sigmas power supply. Listening material has been lossless and high res FLAC and AIFF, streaming services such as Tidal and Spotify and vinyl.

Sound Quality

Rega RX1
While setting the RX1s up on the temporary running-in rig, the first trait that makes itself felt before any critical listening took place is that the RX1 is extremely sensitive. Rega claims 89dB/w for the critical measurement which is unusual for a speaker of these dimensions but it feels absolutely on the money in terms of how the speaker performs. It needs very little power to reach quite impressive levels and if you currently have a system where you are frustrated at the lack of headroom, this is a speaker that immediately stands out as being a potential solution.

Of course, if going loud was all the RX1 could claim as a skill, I'd probably be inviting you to look elsewhere but I'm pleased to say that the Rega does rather more. Given its ability to effortlessly hit high volume levels, the Rega is also extremely adept at sounding smooth and civilised while it does so. Exactly what the ZRR tweeter's role in this is hard to ascertain without tearing the speaker to pieces but the RX1 has a wonderfully smooth and controlled upper register.

The good news is that this control doesn't seem to affect the ability of the Rega to deliver plenty of detail and energy. Listening to the big crunchy riffs of Black Mountain's IV shows the Rega's consummate ability to deliver the bite and power of the album without ever tripping over into sounding harsh or aggressive. This is a very neat balancing act and this also allows the speaker to reveal details that are buried deep in the mix but avoid sounding bright or fatiguing.

Also worthy of note is the tonality. The RX1 manages to make voices, instruments and supporting effects sound consistently believable. There is sufficient weight to the midrange in particular to ensure that electric guitars, bass and piano manage to sound 'right.' Vocals in particular have a scale and richness that makes listening to them on the Rega a consistently pleasurable experience. Of course, the Rega is not alone at the price point in offering this – the KEF and Spendor are also very talented in this regard – but the RX1 has an additional skill that goes a long way to put it in a slightly different place to these other speakers.
Rega RX1
Where the KEF is powerful, detailed and controlled and the Spendor a wonderfully lucid and accurate monitor, the Rega is a speaker that delivers a serious helping of joy. It has a speed and sheer energy that means that drumbeats snap into life and there is a tangible excitement to the way that notes burst into being. The clever part of this is that it doesn't really affect the tonal accuracy of the RX1 and if you listen to something that doesn't depend on tempo like the utterly incredible vinyl pressing of Nils Frahm's Spaces, the Rega is perfectly able to reproduce the sparse, struck notes without forcing them.

If there is a beat though, the Rega is on it like a dog with a bone. Blondie's Heart of Glass is a joy because the RX1 is effortlessly groovy. When you combine this with the top to bottom cohesion that the RX1 excels at, you have a speaker that is simply superb at reaching the analytical and the emotional part of the brain at the same time. This is also something that seems to be largely unaffected by changing the supporting equipment – introducing the Copland DA 215 into the equipment sees the Rega show its virtues but keep the same split second timing. When you consider the impressive sensitivity, it makes the Rega a speaker that will do what it does, even in rather constrained circumstances.

Is it perfect? Not quite. In order to get a really convincing left-right soundstage in my listening room, the RX1 needs to be carefully toed in and even then, it is never as effortlessly three dimensional as the KEF by way of comparison. The bass extension should also be seen as good rather than seismic but given the relatively small mid bass driver and limited energy from the bass port, this is not too surprising. Used in a sensibly sized room with any level of care given to their setup, the Rega is going to deliver an exceptional performance.
Rega RX1
The Rega is a speaker that delivers a serious helping of joy

Conclusion

Pros

  • Lively and entertaining sound
  • Very easy to drive
  • Unfussy about placement

Cons

  • Some limits to bass extension
  • Doesn't resolve detail in the same way as some rivals
  • Doesn't look as good as the prototype

Rega RX1 Standmount Speaker Review

Coming in as it does at a princely two pounds less than the KEF LS50, there is an inevitability that some comparisons will be drawn between the two. The KEF is a striking technical showcase that delivers a sensational performance married to striking aesthetics. The Rega by contrast, aside from that rather clever and effective tweeter is a more conventional offering. Technophiles will probably want to head towards the LS50.

The Rega however delivers a level of musical engagement that often the more matter-of-fact KEF can struggle to rival. This is a speaker that needs very little power to deliver a sound that is simply joyous to listen to for long periods of time. It is unfussy about proximity to walls and so long as a modicum of care is put into its placement, it delivers a musical message that is consistently and fantastically enjoyable. The RX1 is clearly a Rega product and one that has been designed with the company's ethos writ large in mind but that doesn't stop it being a seriously accomplished option for other systems.

Scores

Build Quality

.
.
8

Connectivity

.
.
8

Sound Quality

.
9

Ease of Use

.
9

Features

.
.
8

Verdict

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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