Rega R1

Rega R1

 

Life will never be the same once you have heard Hi Fi. Like your first time, it is not something you can forget. These little speakers may well be your entry into a new love and hobby. Manufactured by Rega, UK, who incidentally is known for producing high quality and good sounding gear for very little money. These little speakers does exactly what it says on the tin – they play music.

The speakers were hooked up to a Leben 300xs, Schiit Bifrost DAC, Empirical Audio Synchromesh, and a Sonos Connect. What we heard can very simply be described as “music”. Being a Brit, the R1 has a certain warmth and focus on the vocals. If you have been listening to music on an iPhone and iBuds, the R1s has a sound that most would immediately recognise. Moving between the two systems is like upgrading from an iPhone 4 to iPhone 5. The sound is bigger, the sound is freed from your head, and can now be shared with your friends. The sound signature doesn’t change.

Like the iPhone, the R1s are not the last word on midrange transparency, instruments are not clearly defined and act as more of a blur in the background. It’s a similar story in the high frequency region. There was a lack of air in the treble and is rather rolled off. This does reduce listener fatigue, but its like looking at scenery through a cloudy window – easy, but you are not going to see everything. Surprisingly, we found the bass to be very rhythmic, stable and pacy. It’s more than capable of carrying the music and allowing it to move along smoothly. Compared to the Harbeth P3ESR, it was noticeable that the Harbeths are more refined, detailed, and has a wider stage. And so it should, given the price. If you are just starting out in the hobby/ journey, these R1 speakers have excellent resale value and reliability. Mind you, the English sound can be very addictive.