Rega R5

By Matthew Masters

August 2007

Rega R5 loudspeakers. $2200.

Rega R5 loudspeakers

I don’t really expect to get a great deal of sympathy for this, but reviewing for AudioEnz is hard work. All that packing and unpacking of equipment can be quite exhausting.

Then there’s the real difficulty of finding anything to say about some of the things I listen to. Not because they’re bad, but because they’re all pretty competent. There really are very few pieces of bad equipment on the market.

But this month was going to be different. I knew it from the moment I heard that I’d be listening to Rega’s R5 loudspeakers. Now these I really wanted to try.

Heavy lifting

The weight of expectation was considerably greater than the 12.5kg mass of the speakers themselves. However solid that felt as I manoeuvred the tall (810mm), maple veneered boxes into place (definitely hard work this reviewing lark).

Supplied in matched pairs, the R5s can be arranged with their 180mm side-firing bass drivers facing inwards or outwards, adding to the usual placement conundrum.

Those side-mounted bass drivers do help to keep the R5’s front panel both slim and relatively uncluttered. A classic Rega RR125 mid-bass driver sits above a neat little Rega silk-domed tweeter and right at the foot is a gigantic, front-facing port. An ideal hiding place for small animals I’d imagine.

A quick bodge

In my eagerness to get the Regas up and running, I had just plonked them down where my KEFs would usually sit. The bass drivers were facing inward and the speakers had just a few degrees of toe-in.

In just a few moments, I’d be getting the full Rega experience. But what to put on first? The first thing to come to hand was the Fun Lovin’ Criminals 1999 CD Loco. Bouncy fun, and exactly what Rega is supposed to be about.

But all that expectation was dashed in moments by a stodgy, slow mass that sounded rather like the Crims were all suffering a nasty headcold. Everything was just a bit thick, with little drive and few edges. Surely these couldn’t be Rega speakers?

This was somewhat vexing. Rega equipment is supposed to major on drive and rhythm. Naim-lite, both in sound and price. But these R5s seemed a lot more middle of the road. Great if that’s the sort of sound you’re after, but not so much fun if you were expecting something more Rega-like. It looked like I was in for a bit more hard work.

Effort rewarded

Flexing my reviewing muscles one more time, I repositioned the speakers with bass drivers facing outwards. Phew, time for a sit down.

At last… that Rega sound. The mush fell away, leaving behind it only the presence and gravitas that deep bass should deliver. And, of course, a pair of mid and high frequency drivers that could get on with bringing the rest of the music to life.

This was more the sort of performance I hade expected, although it certainly lacked some of the hardness that many people find so difficult to tolerate in the Rega sound. It’s as if they’ve added some decay and life to something that was previously all attack and leading edges.

In practice, this means a very slightly softer approach than I expected, but very appealing one nonetheless.

No sweat

The Scherzo from Mahler’s second symphony (Bernard Haitink and the Berlin Philharmonic Philips 475 6222) can become little more than a rumbling mess or strident cacophony. The R5s took the deceptively sparse, but multi-layered performance in their stride, presenting a gloriously patterned – and surprisingly detailed – whole.

Dynamics seemed a little restricted, but simply turning the wick up sees to that. And while I felt the R5s remain composed and remarkably listenable at high volume, I’m not sure my neighbours were so convinced.

In a quieter moment, the LP of Abbey Road really demonstrated Rega’s corporate interest in vinyl. The R5s gave Come Together both the weight and vocal urgency it needs to rock. And for the first time ever, I actually enjoyed Here Comes The Sun, which worked as a sweet and hopeful ballad rather than the slushy mess it usually is. Unadorned guitars and voices sound particularly convincing with these Regas.

Time for a well-earned rest

In the end, the R5 story is typical Rega, but with a twist. Yes there’s the musical communication and drive you’d expect, but it it’s far more natural and civilised than the traditional Rega sound. These really are do-it-all speakers that leave the music to excite or relax. That’s rare at any price, but at $2,200 it makes the R5s something of a bargain.

So now comes the really hard work. Giving them back. It just seems easier to buy them. So perhaps I will.

For your nearest Rega dealer

Have your say!

Tell us what you think about this article. Email your comments.

Talk about this article on the AudioEnz Forums.